Deck 12: Interest Groups

Question 1

What is a political action committee (PAC)?

A)an organization within a political party that coordinates campaign events
B)an organizations that focuses on grassroots/outside lobbying
C)an organization that conducts voter registration drives
D)an organization that solicits campaign contributions and distributes them to political candidates
E)an organization within a political party that creates and runs campaign advertisements

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following best defines the term disturbance theory?

A)when factional interests influence individual rights and disturb the collective well-being of the country
B)when many members of a population attempt to benefit from some sort of activity or a policy that activity is trying to influence,even if they did not actively participate in the effort
C)when multiple groups and interest make demands on government,and government ignores the demands
D)when PACs exert disproportionate influence on elections or public policy
E)when social,political,and economic relationships change,individuals from groups in response

Answer 2

E

Question 3

According to the textbook,which of the following organizations was created by interest group entrepreneurs?

A)the American Association of Retired People (AARP)
B)the Carpenters & Joiners Union
C)EMILY's List
D)the National Association of Realtors
E)the National Rifle Association

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Grassroots lobbying can be defined as __________.

A)communicating with government officials to persuade them toward a particular policy decision
B)meeting directly with public officials to influence political decisions
C)persuading citizens to contact their elected officials regarding a particular issue or piece of legislation
D)using campaign contributions to influence elections
E)working to increase voter registration and turnout,especially in competitive congressional races in important battleground states

Question 5

According to Table 12.2 in the text,what is the maximum amount that one individual can give to a candidate as a campaign donation?

A)$2,000
B)$2,500
C)$5,000
D)$7,500
E)$10,000

Question 6

The __________ problem occurs when people fail to join a group because they can get the benefits the group offers without contributing to the group's efforts.

A)free rider
B)pluralist
C)collective good
D)group coordination
E)group formation

Question 7

In order to overcome the free-rider problem,many interest groups offer material benefits.What are material benefits?

A)the policies that interest groups help to bring about
B)gifts given to members of Congress in return for their support on legislation
C)benefits given only to group members
D)campaign contributions to elected officials
E)bonuses given to the most effective lobbyists

Question 8

Which of the following raise money from individuals and then distribute it in the form of contributions to political candidates?

A)527 organizations
B)coordinating committees
C)501(c)3 organizations
D)political action committees
E)party committees

Question 9

According to the text,how has the number of interest groups in Washington changed over the past 40 years?

A)an increase has been seen only in the past decade
B)an increase has been seen only in the past twenty years
C)the number has nearly doubled
D)there has been a sharp increase in the number
E)there has been no change

Question 10

As described in the "How Do We Know?" box,scholars have found that __________.

A)it is impossible to investigate the role of nondecisions in public policy
B)interest groups sometimes use inaction as a form of political power
C)nondecisions matter more than decisions in shaping public policy
D)decisions matter more than nondecisions in shaping public policy
E)some interest groups fail to organize because they are satisfied with the status quo

Question 11

What is lobbying?

A)communicating with government officials to persuade them to support a particular policy position
B)conducting surveys to gauge public opinion on a policy issue
C)convincing potential members to join an interest group by offering them material benefits
D)fundraising for political candidates
E)educating the public about the activities of government

Question 12

Endorsements,voter mobilization,voter education,and volunteer work are tactics for groups interested in __________.

A)electoral outcomes
B)legislative lobbying
C)pluralism
D)purposive benefits
E)social benefits

Question 13

According to Table 12.3 in the text,what are the most common lobbying techniques in the executive branch?

A)engaging in e-mail,letter,telegram,or telephone campaigns and attempting to place an initiative or referendum on the ballot
B)interacting with special agencies that advise the chief executive and testifying at agency hearings
C)making monetary contributions to candidates and joining coalitions with other organizations or lobbyists
D)meeting personally with agency personnel and submitting written comments on proposed rules or regulations
E)meeting personally with legislators or their aides and testifying at legislative hearings

Question 14

When a case that an interest group is interested in,but not actually sponsoring,comes before a court,the group can __________.

A)meet with judges to explain the group's policy preferences
B)file an amicus curiae brief to present the group's analysis of the case
C)file an appeal to move the case to a different court
D)file a petition to get the group added to the list of plaintiffs
E)offer monetary incentives to the judges in the case

Question 15

What type of group can raise and spend money on political activities and advertising with no effective limits?

A)a 527 committee
B)an outside group
C)a PAC
D)a patronage-based group
E)a Super PAC

Question 16

What is an amicus curiae brief?

A)a written argument submitted to a court in support of one side of a case
B)a petition to remove a judge from a court case
C)a petition submitted to Congress in support of or opposition to a judicial nominee
D)a petition submitted to an executive branch agency,requesting a review of the agency's decision
E)an internal memo circulated among interest group leaders,briefing them on the details of a court case

Question 17

Which term describes a benefit that can be accessed only by those who participate in or contribute to group activity?

A)inclusive benefit
B)material benefit
C)purposive benefit
D)selective benefit
E)social benefit

Question 18

In Federalist No.10,James Madison described how a government could be designed to control the effects of __________.

A)monarchies
B)factions
C)representative government
D)political parties
E)trade associations

Question 19

A(n)__________ refers to an organization that seeks to influence public policy.

A)corporation
B)interest group
C)institute
D)faction
E)administration

Question 20

According to Madison's Federalist No.10,a(n)__________ is a group of individuals concerned more with their self-interest than with the rights of individuals outside the group or with the needs of society as a whole.

A)faction
B)oligarchy
C)political party
D)single-issue organization
E)special interest group

Question 21

Which of the following is an activity that lobbyists regularly engage in?

A)answering e-mails from elected officials' constituents
B)speaking on behalf of elected officials at press conferences
C)providing elected officials with information about an interest group's position on a bill or issue
D)providing legal counsel to interest groups in court cases
E)introducing bills in Congress

Question 22

How might pluralism serve to enhance democracy?

A)by requiring people to join interest groups
B)by ensuring that no single interest becomes dominant
C)by allowing policy makers to ignore the demands of certain organizations
D)by discouraging bargaining and compromise on policy issues
E)by streamlining the legislative process

Question 23

What is bundling?

A)assembling and organizing a group of volunteers to perform a variety of tasks
B)collecting individual checks and presenting them to a candidate at one time
C)joining coalitions with other organizations of lobbyists
D)offering selective benefits in order to counteract the free-rider problem
E)pursuing both an electoral strategy and a legislative strategy in lobbying activities

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of a faction,as conceptualized by Madison in Federalist No.10?

A)the media
B)women
C)an interest group
D)the legislature
E)the executive branch

Question 25

Critics of pluralism have noted that __________.

A)government decisions reflect the balance of competing interests in society
B)resources and political power are unequally distributed within society
C)individuals with shared grievances always form interest groups to press their demands upon government
D)government is too responsive to the demands of interest groups
E)the formation of one group typically stimulates the formation of an opposing group

Question 26

Which of the following is an assumption of pluralism?

A)Only wealthy interests have influence over government decisions.
B)Government decisions reflect the preferences of elites.
C)Interest groups are integral to government decisions.
D)Policy makers care more about public opinion than interest groups' preferences.
E)Political parties matter more than interest groups in shaping government policies.

Question 27

How does grassroots/outside lobbying differ from other efforts by interest groups to influence government?

A)Grassroots/outside lobbying focuses more than other forms of advocacy on cultivating relationships with elected officials.
B)Grassroots/outside lobbying is more effective than other forms of advocacy.
C)Grassroots/outside lobbying is more heavily regulated than other forms of advocacy.
D)Grassroots/outside lobbying focuses more than other forms of advocacy on influencing public opinion to support groups' goals.
E)Grassroots lobbying is more costly than other forms of advocacy.

Question 28

Which term describes a benefit that encourages group participation by connecting individuals to an organizations political purpose?

A)inclusive benefit
B)material benefit
C)purposive benefit
D)selective benefit
E)social benefit

Question 29

Refer to Table 12.3.How does lobbying the executive branch differ from lobbying Congress?

A)Fewer interest groups lobby Congress than lobby the executive branch.
B)Fewer interest groups lobby the executive branch than lobby Congress.
C)Lobbying the executive branch has less impact on government than lobbying Congress.
D)Lobbying the executive branch focuses more on rule making,whereas lobbying Congress focuses more on pending legislation.
E)Lobbying the executive branch focuses more on pending legislation,whereas lobbying Congress focuses more on elections.

Question 30

How do interest groups undertake a legislative lobby?

A)through letter-writing campaigns addressed to particular judges
B)by publishing editorials in major newspapers stating their views on cases
C)by bringing lawsuits to the courts on behalf of classes of citizens
D)by testifying before congressional committees
E)by making monetary contributions to political candidates

Question 31

According to Table 12.2 in the text,what is the maximum amount that a Multicandidate PAC can give to a national party committee?

A)$2,500
B)$5,000
C)$15,000
D)$35,000
E)$50,000

Question 32

An interest group filing an amicus curiae brief is an example of __________.

A)grassroots or outside lobbying
B)how interest groups influence elections
C)lobbying an executive branch agency
D)how groups influence the president
E)lobbying the judicial branch

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of a nondecision?

A)the president vetoing a bill
B)party leaders in Congress deciding not to address a particular issue
C)the Supreme Court letting a lower court's ruling stand
D)interest groups using grassroots lobbying to force Congress to address an issue
E)Congress overriding a presidential veto

Question 34

How did Madison propose to overcome the problem of factions in Federalist No.10?

A)by restricting private property rights
B)by banning the formation of interest groups
C)by discouraging citizens from expressing their political views in public
D)by adopting a system of direct democracy
E)by adopting a system of representative government

Question 35

Which of the following is an example of the free-rider (or collective action)problem?

A)an elected official accepting bribes from an interest group
B)an elected official relying on information from lobbyists
C)an environmental group struggling to raise funds for a "clean air" campaign
D)an environmental group disagreeing on what policy goals to pursue
E)a political action committee contributing to candidates from both major political parties

Question 36

How did the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v.FED (2010)affect the role of interest groups in political campaigns?

A)It legalized a new form of tax-exempt,nonparty group,the so-called 527 committee.
B)It limited groups such as unions and corporations from becoming directly involved in campaigns.
C)It prohibited groups from airing ads within 30 days of a general election.
D)It raised the maximum PAC contribution from $5,000 to $7,500.
E)It strengthened groups by allowing them to fund ads that expressly support candidates with unregulated funds.

Question 37

How do lobbyists typically seek to influence members of Congress?

A)by introducing bills
B)by filing amicus curiae briefs
C)by organizing protests and demonstrations on Capitol Hill
D)by providing technical expertise on policy issues
E)by offering them money to vote a particular way

Question 38

Which of the following statements would be made by critics of pluralism?

A)Government is too responsive to the demands of interest groups.
B)It is too easy for citizens with a shared grievance to form an interest group.
C)Some interests deliberately excluded from the political system.
D)Few people understand how the American political system works.
E)It is too easy for incumbents to get reelected.

Question 39

According to Table 12.1 in the textbook,which of the following was among the top 10 PAC contributors to federal candidates in 2010?

A)America Coming Together (ACT)
B)AT&T Inc.
C)the Chamber of Commerce
D)the Crossroads Group
E)the National Rifle Association

Question 40

Why do interest groups typically offer material benefits to their members?

A)to foster greater diversity among group members
B)to encourage only the most committed supporters to become involved
C)to distract members from the groups' political motives
D)to discourage members from joining more than one interest group
E)to overcome the free rider/collective action problem

Question 41

Which of the following statements,if true,would undermine the theory of pluralism?

A)Members of Congress have become increasingly dependent on political action committee (PAC)contributions to fund their campaigns.
B)Political action committees (PACs)are not always successful in securing favorable government policies.
C)Membership in labor unions has decreased over the past several decades.
D)Individuals with shared grievances do not always come together to form interest groups.
E)The number of interest groups with lobbyists in Washington,D.C.,has increased over the past several decades.

Question 42

You are the leader of a consumer rights group that has been unable to get a meeting with your elected representative in Congress.How could you get the attention of your legislator on the issues your group cares about?

A)Organize a demonstration in the representative's district and invite the media.
B)File an amicus curiae brief.
C)Draft a bill and introduce it in Congress.
D)Form a political action committee.
E)Contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Question 43

Refer to Table 12.3.How does lobbying Congress differ from lobbying the judicial branch?

A)Lobbyists often meet personally with members of Congress,whereas they rarely lobby directly with judges.
B)Lobbying the courts requires a law degree,whereas lobbying Congress does not.
C)Courts seldom take into account lobbying efforts by interest groups,whereas Congress is heavily influenced by lobbying.
D)Lobbying the judicial branch is more time consuming than lobbying Congress.
E)Lobbying the judicial branch is more heavily regulated than lobbying Congress.

Question 44

Which of the following statements about lobbying is true?

A)A group's legislative strategy can often support its electoral strategy.
B)A legislative approach focuses primarily on appeals to the U.S.Supreme Court.
C)An electoral strategy is one in which lobbyists seek to influence opinion and stimulate action by the general public.
D)Inside lobbying most often occurs with members of the president's cabinet.
E)Groups typically choose to employ either an electoral strategy or a legislative strategy.

Question 45

Why is grassroots/outside lobbying an effective political tactic?

A)Grassroots lobbying shapes public opinion,and elected officials are known to respond to public opinion.
B)Interest groups rarely engage in grassroots lobbying,so when they use this tactic,elected officials take notice.
C)Grassroots lobbyists collect and bundle together campaign contributions from multiple individuals.This results in one large campaign contribution and thus maximizes the impact of each contributor.
D)Grassroots lobbying depends on building personal connections with elected officials,who are more likely to listen to groups that they know and like.
E)Grassroots lobbying emphasizes publicly shaming elected officials for various wrongdoings,and elected officials are strongly motivated to avoid negative publicity.

Question 46

Interest groups are important subjects of study in American politics because __________.

A)they are always successful in getting their demands met by government
B)they provide a venue for citizens to participate in government
C)most lobbyists eventually serve in Congress
D)they determine what issues get covered in the media
E)they determine who runs for elected office

Question 47

Consider the "Unresolved Debate" .According to political scientists,why do PACs have minimal influence on legislative decisions?

A)because most elected officials carefully weigh the interests of PACs against those of their other constituents
B)because PACs often give money to legislators who already support their agendas
C)because most members of Congress have pledged to no longer accept PAC contributions
D)because of strict limitations on the amount of money that PACs can contribute to political candidates
E)because PACs are prohibited from lobbying

Question 48

Why is it significant that business/economic interest groups have more lobbyists in Washington,D.C.,than other types of groups?

A)Some people fear that government may disproportionately favor business interests in policy making.
B)It has become difficult for other types of organizations to establish a presence in Washington,D.C.
C)The business lobby has contributed to the widespread problem of bribing elected officials.
D)By providing a model for other groups,business lobbyists have enhanced the political influence of public interest and other organizations.
E)Their presence has led to a general backlash against lobbyists in Congress.

Question 49

How might you characterize the difference between inside lobbying and outside lobbying?

A)Inside lobbying focuses on reelecting incumbent candidates,while outside lobbying pursues the election of challengers
B)Inside lobbying most often occurs with members of Congress and their staff,while outside lobbyists focus primarily on the executive branch.
C)Inside lobbying takes place within the power structures of Washington,while outside lobbying is driven by individuals who are "outside" the political system.
D)Inside lobbyists advocate directly with decision makers in government,while outside lobbyists seek to influence opinion and stimulate action by the general public.
E)Inside lobbyists file briefs or pursue litigation,while outside lobbyists focus primarily on public demonstrations and rallies.

Question 50

According to Table 12.3,which of the following strategies is most likely to be prevalent in an electoral lobby?

A)campaigning for or against candidates
B)engaging in e-mail,letter,telegram,or telephone campaigns
C)meeting personally with executives and legislators or their aides
D)running advertisements in the media
E)submitting amicus curiae briefs

Question 51

Which of the following statements,if true,would confirm the theory of pluralism?

A)The number of interest groups in Washington,D.C.,has decreased over the past several decades.
B)Elected officials rarely take into account the views of interest groups.
C)Business/economic interests have more lobbyists in Washington,D.C.,than other types of organizations.
D)Elected officials seek out the opinions of multiple interest groups when creating policy.
E)Membership in labor unions has remained stable over the past several decades.

Question 52

Why was Madison particularly concerned about factions in Federalist No.10?

A)He believed that factions pursuing their self-interest would work against the broader public interest.
B)He worried that factions were too focused on the public good and that they neglected to take care of their own needs.
C)He worried that the Constitution did not provide enough opportunities for factions to be involved in politics.
D)He worried that factions might prevent the Constitution from being ratified.
E)He worried that the faction he belonged to would lose power if the Constitution were ratified.

Question 53

How is lobbying the executive branch similar to lobbying the courts?

A)Both require a lobbyist to hold a law degree.
B)Both can involve lobbying related to the implementation of an existing policy.
C)Both are relatively rare,given that most lobbyists focus exclusively on Congress.
D)Both typically involve grassroots lobbying.
E)Both are viewed as inappropriate ways for interest groups to influence government.

Question 54

Why are campaign contributions so important for interest groups seeking to influence government?

A)Legislators only grant meetings with interest groups that offer campaign contributions.
B)Campaign contributions help elect candidates who are friendly to groups' goals.
C)Groups can offer contributions in return for favorable votes on pending legislation.
D)Organizations seeking to offer input on a political party's platform are required to make campaign contributions.
E)There are very few restrictions on campaign contributions,compared to restrictions on lobbying.

Question 55

In its broadest sense,an electoral strategy attempts to influence __________.

A)campaign spending
B)endorsements of political parties
C)public opinion on social issues
D)the decisions that elected officials and bureaucrats make
E)the selection of public officials

Question 56

Political action committees (PACs)are an attractive option for campaign contributions because __________.

A)they are allowed by law to contribute unlimited sums of money to political candidates
B)most other types of contributions were banned by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
C)they combine many individual contributions,resulting in one large contribution that is greater than what one individual could do alone
D)PAC contributions are tax deductible
E)PACs are not required to disclose their donors

Question 57

How are unorganized interests similar to organized interest groups,according to pluralists?

A)Both can have an impact on policy makers.
B)Both encounter the free rider problem.
C)Both use grassroots lobbying.
D)Both seek to influence elections.
E)Both are mentioned by Madison in Federalist No.10.

Question 58

You are the leader of an environmental organization working to address the problem of climate change.Given the free-rider problem,what would be the most effective way to get others to join your cause?

A)Describe the harmful consequences of global warming.
B)Explain how future generations will benefit from enacting climate change legislation.
C)Offer an incentive,such as a t-shirt,to those who join the campaign.
D)Publicly criticize those who don't join the campaign.
E)Circulate a petition on the Internet.

Question 59

Which of the following conditions,if true,would eliminate the free rider/collective action problem?

A)if participation in an interest group were mandatory
B)if members were allowed to vote on matters of concern to the interest group
C)if participation in an interest group were voluntary
D)if the leaders of an interest group were able to set the group's priorities
E)if an interest group focused on providing benefits to society as a whole

Question 60

Which of the following,if true,would indicate that grassroots/outside lobbying is an ineffective political tactic?

A)Policy makers primarily work to satisfy the demands of their wealthiest campaign contributors.As a result,they rarely respond to broader public opinion.
B)In congressional elections,incumbent candidates win at a much higher rate than challengers.
C)The number of interest groups with lobbyists in Washington,D.C.,has increased over the past several decades.
D)The mass media tend to cover only the most dramatic and unusual news stories.
E)Most members of Congress have rejected campaign contributions from (political action committees)PACs.

Question 61

A pluralist would view the presence and activities of lobbyists in Washington,D.C.,as harmful to the functioning of our political system.

Question 62

According to pluralists,individuals with a common interest can influence government,even if they do not organize into a formal group.

Question 63

Most members of Congress view lobbyists as unnecessary nuisances.

Question 64

Interest groups are prohibited from lobbying the executive branch of the federal government.

Question 65

In __________,James Madison expressed concerns about the harmful effects of factions.

Question 66

According to the theory of pluralism,political power is distributed across a wide range of diverse and competing interest groups.

Question 67

Pluralism has been challenged on the basis of the fact that political resources and power are unequally distributed within society.

Question 68

Interest groups typically choose either to influence elections or to influence legislation,given that most groups don't have the resources to do both.

Question 69

Most politically active organizations use lobbying to make their interests known to government officials.

Question 70

Business groups have more offices and representatives in Washington,D.C.,than all other types of organizations.

Question 71

Contrary to what the public believes,most researchers agree that interest groups do not actually make a difference when it comes to which candidates win elections.

Question 72

The __________ problem occurs when people fail to join a group because they can receive the benefits the group offers without contributing to the group's efforts.

Question 73

In recent years,political action committees (PACs)have declined as vehicles for campaign contributions.

Question 74

As discussed in Madison's Federalist No.10,a(n)__________ is a group of individuals concerned more with their self-interest than with the rights of individuals outside the group or with the needs of society as a whole.

Question 75

If James Madison were alive today,he would most likely view the rapid growth of interest groups over the past several decades as a positive development.

Question 76

One way groups can overcome the collective action problem is through individual entrepreneurship.

Question 77

As described in the "How Do We Know?" ,scholars have found it virtually impossible to study the impact of nondecisions on the policy agenda.

Question 78

__________ refers to communicating with government officials to persuade them to support a particular policy decision.

Question 79

__________ are organizations that seek to influence public policy.

Question 80

According to the text,grassroots organizations seldom employ the lobbying tactic of running advertisements in the media.