Govt: Chapter 9 Interest Groups

A person known as a ___________ rider derives benefit without contributing to its achievement.

free

An example of an environmental interest group is

Greenpeace

Which of the following are considered reasons for Americans' broad participation in groups, such as volunteer organizations?

-a tradition of free association -the importance of religion -the prominence of public education

Which political leader wrote that the government must dilute the influence of factions and interest groups by filtering their views through properly structured governing institutions?

James Madison

The type of interest group that addresses issues of concern to the general public and not just the group's members is called a ____________ interest group.

citizens

True or False: Those interest groups that are poorly organized run the risk of being ignored politically.

True

True or false: According to political scientist Manur Olson, interest groups with smaller memberships usually prevail because they are able to join together and pool resources.

True

Benefits that belong to the entire group are referred to as

collective (public) good

While the relationship between actors in an iron triangle tends to be more long-lasting, issue networks tend to

disband once an issue is settled

James Madison predicted the growth of ______________ interests in Federalist #10 because he argued that nothing matters more to people than their own economic well-being.

economic

The primary purpose of __________________ interest groups is to secure material benefits for their members.

economic

Lobbying elected officials includes which of the following activities?

face-to-face meetings with members of Congress

During which part of the policy process are interest groups most likely to lobby members of the executive branch?

regulation

Capture theory argues that _____________ sometimes focus more on the needs of industries than on the public interest.

regulatory agencies

Most citizens groups are ____________ interest groups because they focus on a specific issue, such as the environment.

single-issue

Which group represents the largest agricultural interest group in the United States today?

the American Farm Bureau

Interest groups that are not directly involved in litigation may file amicus curiae briefs

to encourage a ruling that is beneficial to their cause

Which of the following are the chief targets of interest groups when they lobby the executive branch?

top officials of federal agencies

Which type of interest group represents business firms of a particular kind, such as insurance companies?

trade association

_____________ goods are those that belong to all people and cannot be withheld on an individual basis, such as clean air or water.

Collective

Labor group political action committees typically favor contributing to which of the following groups?

Democrats

True or False: Both pluralists and their critics agree that interest groups have little influence over the government.

False

True or false: Retired lawmakers cannot become lobbyists because they are forbidden by law to take a lobbying job.

False

Which of the following represents a shared view of pluralists and their critics?

Interest groups are important to bringing the concerns of groups of individuals to the attention of government

Which of the following states have 800 or more registered lobbyists within the state?

- California - Texas - New York

Which of the following are types of policy processes in which many interest groups participate?

- iron triangles - issue networks

Which of the following are ways in which members of Congress benefit from ties to lobbyists?

- lobbyists provide information on specific pieces of legislation -lobbyists testify at committee hearings -lobbyists identify bills that need their attention

Interest groups tend to rely on the courts to advance their policy goals when they have

-a low chance of achieving their goals through elected officials -faced legislative hurdles

___________ lobbying includes forming PACs and influencing the news media.

Outside

_____________ lobbying involves bringing public pressure on policymakers, such as organizing a letter writing campaign to members of Congress.

Outside

_______________ goods refer to benefits that are given directly to particular individuals as a result of belonging to an interest group.

Private

A group that raises and spends money for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election is known as

a political action committee

Which of the following type of interest group is classified as an economic type?

agriculture

What is a super PAC?

an independent expenditure only committee

Which type of workers make up an increasing share of union workers?

government workers

Who typically benefits the most from interest group resources and activism?

incumbents

An organization that seeks to influence government decision making is referred to as a(n) ______________ ______________

interest group

Match the actor in an iron triangle with the benefits that they provide to other actors.

interest groups = electoral support to members of Congress Congressional Committee = budget support for a program Government Agency = Constituent service

A(n) ______________ ________________ is comprised of various actors that all have interest and expertise in a particular policy issue even though they may disagree on what the outcome should be.

issue network

Jobs, higher wages and tax incentives are all examples of ________________ incentives to joining interest groups.

material

Iron triangles work to the mutual benefit of the three members of the triangle. Match each iron triangle member to what it gets from the relationship.

members of Congress = electoral support interest group = beneficial policy decisions federal agency = support for their administrative programs

Compared with Europeans, Americans are _____________ likely to belong to a voluntary group or association.

more

One of the positive contributions that interest groups make is

providing a form of representation for organized groups

The United States provides a favorable environment for interest groups because

-the separation of powers and federalism provide numerous points of access for interest groups to try to influence policymakers -the tradition of people joining together encourages them to look to interest groups as a way of influencing policymakers -of the tradition of free speech and association means there are few legal barriers to the activities of interest groups

Which of the following statements are true concerning interest groups?

-they broaden the range of issues that lawmakers address -they can support controversial issues that lawmakers often avoid

There are roughly ______________ registered lobbyists who work in Washington.

12,000

Why do many interest groups form political action committees (PACs)?

because contributing to candidates' campaigns can help gain access for interest group lobbyists

Outside lobbying is aimed at bringing _______________ pressure to bear on policymakers.

public