Question 1

Mobilizing ordinary citizens to write to their representatives in support of a group's position is a specific example of a

Accepted Answer

Mobilizing ordinary citizens to write to their representatives is a strategy of grassroots lobbying efforts, which involves mobilizing the public to pressure policymakers to support a particular position or cause. Grassroots lobbying is often used by interest groups, advocacy organizations, and social movements to influence public policy by harnessing the power of citizens' voices.

Question 2

A companion brief to an existing court case is called

Accepted Answer

A companion brief to an existing court case is called an amicus curiae, which is a legal Latin term that means "friend of the court." It refers to a person or organization that is not a party to the case but provides information or an opinion that may be useful to the court in making its decision.

Question 3

The Watergate scandal was triggered by the illegal

Accepted Answer

The Watergate scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., by five men working for the Committee to Re-elect the President, a Republican group.

Question 4

When the Service Employees International Union spent over $14.4 million in independent campaign activity on behalf of Democratic candidates, they exemplified the strategy of

Accepted Answer

The strategy exemplified by the Service Employees International Union's spending is campaign activism, as they engaged in independent campaign activity on behalf of Democratic candidates. Contributions through PACs refer to donating money through political action committees, Internet campaigning involves using online methods to gain support, and Astroturf lobbying involves creating fake grassroots movements to gain support for a particular cause. None of these options accurately describe the SEIU's strategy.

Question 5

A financial services company, which supports legislation that makes it more difficult for investors to sue for fraud, hires a Washington-based firm to generate and mail thousands of letters of support to members of Congress. This strategy is also known as

Accepted Answer

Astroturf lobbying is a strategy where a company or interest group creates the illusion of a grassroots movement through manufactured support or opposition, often using paid actors or bots. In this scenario, the financial services company hired a firm to generate and mail thousands of letters of support to members of Congress, making it appear as if there is widespread public support for their position. The purpose of this strategy is to influence the decisions of lawmakers while masking the true source of the support.

Question 6

Which restriction on the actions of lobbyists passed in 1996 is still in effect today?

Accepted Answer

The 1996 restrictions included limiting the size of individual gifts that lobbyists can give to members of Congress to no more than $50, as part of efforts to curb the influence of money in politics.

Question 7

According to research by Alan Gerber and Donald Green, what is the approximate cost of getting a voter to the polls?

Accepted Answer

Research by Alan Gerber and Donald Green has found that the cost of getting an additional voter to the polls is approximately $40. This figure is based on various methods of voter mobilization, including direct mail, phone calls, and door-to-door canvassing.

Question 8

Organized protests as strategy for winning support for a group's policy positions

Accepted Answer

Organized protests can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and support for a group's policy positions. They create a sense of community among participants and can attract media attention, which can raise the consciousness of people who may not have been aware of the issues before. While there are risks associated with protests, such as violence or property damage, they are generally protected as a form of free speech under the Constitution. The effectiveness of protests can vary depending on the group and the political climate, but they have been used successfully by a variety of organizations and causes.

Question 9

A device that allows groups to propose laws that the public will vote on in the next general election ballot, thereby bypassing elected officials, is a(n)

Accepted Answer

An initiative is a device that allows groups to propose laws that the public will vote on in the next general election ballot, thereby bypassing elected officials. The other options listed are different political procedures. A recall is a procedure to remove an elected official from office before the end of their term. A run-off is a second election held when no candidate in the first election received a required majority of votes. A petition is a written request signed by a group of people, typically concerning a specific issue or cause.

Question 10

An early example of a case in which women's groups seeking support from the courts won a major victory for the women's rights movement was the Supreme Court case

Accepted Answer

Griswold v. Connecticut was a landmark case in 1965 in which the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protects a right to privacy and married couples have the right to use birth control. This case was brought by a women's group seeking support from the courts to challenge a Connecticut law that prohibited the use of contraceptives. The decision was a major victory for the women's rights movement because it established a precedent that the government cannot interfere with the private decisions of individuals with regard to their reproductive health.

Question 11

A strategy that launches a media campaign to build popular support is called

Accepted Answer

Going public is a strategy that involves launching a media campaign to build popular support for a particular policy or agenda. This can include using social media, television ads, or public rallies to raise awareness and generate public pressure on policymakers or decision-makers. The goal of going public is to make it more difficult for policymakers to ignore the views or demands of the public, and to encourage them to take action that aligns with public sentiment. Network advocacy, direct group representation, and lobbying are other strategies that may be used in conjunction with or instead of going public, but they do not involve the same level of public outreach and mobilization.

Question 12

Which type of nonprofit political group can raise unlimited funds from any source and spend the funds to influence elections but cannot directly communicate with the candidates it supports?

Accepted Answer

Super PACs are nonprofit political groups that can raise and spend unlimited funds from any source. However, they cannot directly communicate with the candidates they support. This means they cannot coordinate with candidates or their campaigns, but they can spend money on advertisements and other means to influence elections independently. Labor unions and political parties also have fundraising abilities, but they are subject to different regulations and restrictions.

Question 13

Which court case struck down legal limits on independent expenditures by business corporations and labor unions?

Accepted Answer

The court case that struck down legal limits on independent expenditures by business corporations and labor unions is Citizens United v. FEC. This case led to the creation of Super PACs, allowing unlimited funding for political campaigns by corporations and unions.

Question 14

An expensive, well-designed ad published in the New York Times that features a major oil company's successful track record in environmental protection is an example of

Accepted Answer

This is an example of "going public," where a company uses media to communicate directly with the public, often to shape public opinion or image, in this case, highlighting their environmental efforts.

Question 15

Regulations on lobbying adopted in 2007

Accepted Answer

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 2007 required lobbyists to disclose their bundling of campaign contributions. This means that lobbyists would have to report their efforts to collect campaign donations on behalf of candidates or parties, which would increase transparency about the influence of money in politics. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because the legislation did not relax restrictions on gifts, prohibit voter mobilization drives by interest groups, or allow members of Congress to travel on corporate jets free of charge.

Question 16

An example of a case in which the NAACP successfully used the courts to make the first declaration that segregation of grade schools was unconstitutional was

Accepted Answer

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), is the landmark Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional, marking a major victory for the NAACP in its fight against segregation.

Question 17

When the Sierra Club initiated a public media campaign to encourage citizens across the country to support its environmental initiatives, it used the strategy known as

Accepted Answer

"Going public" refers to a strategy where interest groups seek to mobilize public opinion in favor of their policies or causes. This involves using public media campaigns and other forms of public persuasion to generate support and pressure policymakers to act. The Sierra Club's campaign to encourage citizens to support its environmental initiatives fits within this definition, as it seeks to raise public awareness and interest in its cause.

Question 18

Limits on campaign contributions and requirements that each candidate or campaign committee provide the full name and address, occupation, and principal business of each person who contributes more than $100 are features of the

Accepted Answer

The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, particularly with its amendments in 1974, established limits on campaign contributions and required disclosure of contributors' information for those who contribute more than $100, among other provisions aimed at regulating campaign finance.

Question 19

When a grassroots campaign is artificially orchestrated to appear that constituents care about an issue when in reality they do not, it is called

Accepted Answer

Astroturf lobbying is when a campaign is created to give the impression that it is initiated and run by ordinary citizens or grassroots organizations, but it is actually funded and directed by a larger organization or corporation. It is a manipulation tactic aimed at providing the appearance of popular support for a particular cause.

Question 20

Campaign spending (supporting or opposing a candidate) that is made by corporations or groups and is uncoordinated with the candidates' campaigns is known as

Accepted Answer

Independent expenditures refer to campaign spending made by corporations or groups that is not coordinated with the candidates' campaigns. PAC contributions refer to donations made directly to a candidate's campaign committee. Lobbying involves attempting to influence legislation or government actions. 527 spending refers to spending by political organizations that are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission.

Quiz 13: Groups and Interests