Governing Texas: Chapter 6

how much can comittees donate to a campaing in TX how much can a PAC donate to a campaign in TX

$2000; $5000

Which of the following descriptions of interest groups are accurate?

-Groups that represent a narrow set of interests are often more successful than those that represent broad interests. -Groups provide valuable research and education to policy makers and the public on specific issues. -Business interests often have more influence than other interests.

interest group

-an organization established to influence the government's programs(regulations) and policies -function: gather info for elected officials (writing bills for elected officials to put into law) -apply pressure to Congress or beuracratic agencies

How does interest groups vary in strength across the states?

-diversity in that state's eceonomy -level of political party competition -professionalism of the state legislature -degree of fragmentation of the gov structure

why are interest groups strong in TX?

-economics (such as oil industry) -legislature & 3 S's (salary, session, staff) -governor is weak (easy to lobby chif execut.) -voter turnout (low turnout = more influence from interest groups) -party competition (interset group strong, political parties weak)

which of the following statements about contributions to the Texas legislature in 2018 are correct.

-labor contributed more money to Democrats than to republicans; -Finance, insurance, & real estate interest groups contributed more money than other interest groups -Lawyers and lobbyists gave about equally to Democrats and Republicans

how do interest groups shape policies?

-mobilizing voters -pressure on elected officials

In the 2018 legislative races, interest groups representing finance, insurance, and real estate; ideologies/single issues; and general business were the top three contributors. Republicans received about $___million from these groups, and Democrats received about $___ million

31.5;5.8

STAT: in 1960, ___% of people were unable to name the member of the house who represented them . & in 2010, it was ____ % of people who could do the same

47%, 59%

"right to work state"

A law preventing a union and company from negotiating a contract that requires workers to join a union or pay "dues" as a condition of employment. -ther eare 27 right to work states in US

?have success in suing in federal courts over discrimination

Civil Rights Groups

???Why doesn't the voice of consumers get heard as clearly by Texas legislators through the lobbying process? a)Consumers prefer direct action rather than working through interest groups. b)The lawmaking process is too complicated to try to take into consideration the wishes of such a diverse population as Texas. c)There are no dedicated interest groups that focus on consumers among the biggest spending groups.

Consumers prefer direct action rather than working through interest groups.?

INQ Texas is near the top of the nation in measures of social connectedness that lead to civic engagement.

F

Most TExans are actively engaged in what goes on in their neighborhoods and communities T/F

F

The scene from the state legislature illustrates which important point about the role interest groups serve in the policy-making process? When Representative Ken King (R-Canadian) introduced a bill regarding education on the House floor, Representative Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi) asked his colleagues in the House whether Raise Your Hand Texas had taken a position on his bill. At that point, one of them showed Herrero a text message showing that the group had supported the bill during the committee stage of the process.

Legislators use support from groups as info cues on qulaity of legislation

Which of the following is a primary criticism of the practice known as the "revolving door"?

Officials take actions to improve their chances of lucrative lobbying futures

what a multi candidate PAC?

PAC that raises contributions from 51 or morepeople registered w/ FEC for 6 or more months and makes contributions to at least 5 candidates in elections

?to be heard

Purpose of interest groups

Recent efforts to reform the __ becuase of criticisms that it has been the subject of __ by the oil and gas industry have been___

TX railroad commision/interest group capture /unsucessful

?8F crowd

a group of extremely wealthy Texans who met in Suite 8F of the Lamar Hotel in Houston and controlled Texas politics for 40 years

political action committee (PAC)

a private group that raises and distributes funds and infor for use in election campaigns

During the 2017 legislative session, lobbyists representing ____________________ were influential in shaping legislation that repealed local ordinances. a) county governments b)uber/lyft c) amazon and walmart

a?

lobbyist

an individual employed by an interest group who tries to influence the governmental decisions on behalf of that group

interest groups use the ___ to combine contributions from many donors into one large contribution in order to___the group's impact on the candidate.

bundling; increase

The Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. FEC (2010) led to a dramatic increase in...

campaign spending by outside groups in presidential elections.

Because Texas generally has low rates of___, individual effects on the Texas political process are likely to be___

civic engagement/ low

?business groups

domiate PAC spending

Because of their significant influence in Texas, particularly in the primary elections, Republican candidates must pay close attention to the issues that are important to which subset of voters?

evangelical christians

?Grange

example of a farm interest group

?Texas Medical Association

example of a professional interest group

?Common Cause

example of a public interest group

TX's political culutre (traditionalistic/ individualistic) contribute to a favorable or non favorable environment for interest groups?

favorable

Select which individuals below may become lobbyists for interest groups through the "revolving door" without restrictions.

former legistlators, former senior legislative staffers, former executive branch officials

?incumbents

get most out of the campaign contributions from interest groups in TX

the most common ways lobbyists influence members of the Texas legislature?

gifts, campaign contributions, entertainment, info on pending bills

interest-group capture

government agency that serves the objectives of the interests that the agency is supposed to regulate

Public opinion

how a nation's population collectively views viral policy issues and evaluates political leaders

issue advocacy

independent spending by individuals or interest groups on a campaign issue but not directly tied to a particular candidate

What is the single biggest benefit of interest groups to policy makers?

information

Influential political scientist E. E. Schattschneider once stated, "The flaw with the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent." what did he mean by this?

interest groups represent issues important to higher socioeconomic groups

The small staffs and limited office funds of most legislators often lead them to rely on___to provide___of legislation that legislators can tweak to make their own.

interest groups; first drafts

An advertisement from a political action committee intended to attract support from the public by promoting a position, like the ad detailed in the transcript from Mayors Against Illegal Guns, is known as what?

issue advocacy

?Tend to be weak in Texas

labor unions

?steak men

legislators who would sell their votes on a bill for a steak dinner at the Driskill Hotel in Austin

The Texas Association of Business is an example of a(n)___because it acts as an umbrella organization that coordinates many of the activities of its various business members in specific areas.

peak association

based on the following description of the Coalititon of Independent Educator Associations (CIEA), what kind of interest group are they? description: CIEA) is made up of non-unionized education associations across America. Keeping educators connected, CIEA collaborates and focuses on serving its members in each state and on the national level

peak association

What is the primary goal of interest groups when they interact with policy makers?

policies that benefit their group

dark money

political money where the donors of the money do not have to be disclosed

"grass roots"

refers to actions taken within the public to mobilize individuals toward action on some issue(s)

Which of these rights from the First Amendment guarantees the right of individuals to become a part of interest groups?

right to associate w/ others

Interest groups may provide supporting individuals and groups with special recognition in publications, identifying them as sponsors of the group and supporters of the cause. What are these benefits called?

solidary benefits

what are super PACs?

started 2010, cant contribute money directly to a candidate/ campaign and instead spend money independent from campiang to influence election results such as ads agaisnt candidate

?late train campaign contributions

substantial political contribution to the winning candidate by an interest group

?Texas trial lawyers

tend to ally with consumer interest groups

?Lobbyist

tend to be former law makers or government officials

Citizens United vs. FEC (2010) led to...

the creation of large and well-funded super PACs.

Republican candidates for president have been the most likely to benefit from the impacts of

the decision in Citizens United vs. FEC (2010).

free rider problem

the incentive to benefit from others' work without making a contribution, which leads individuals in a collective action situation to refuse to work together

bundling

the interest group practice of combining campaign contributions from several sources into one larger contribution from the group, so as to increase the group's impact on the candidate

Condorcet's Jury Theorem

the majority of a jury would more likely reach the right decision in a trial than would a single individual who heard the same evidence

"revolving door"

the practice of public officials or employees abandoning public service for lobbying positions

Pluralism

the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation

What is the usefulness of "late-train" contributions?

to build a relationship with a winning candidate after the election -to help retire campaign debt of winning candidates

what is an argument against pluralism that is used by interest groups?

to have influence money is crucial, so the wealthy often have much more influence in the government than the poor

----->Legislators may use support from a___as a signal that a___is in line with the positions the legislator has taken in the past

trusted organization; piece of legislation

how do the people express public opinion to theri governing officials

voting, polling of sample 1000-1500 , and election results