PSC 101 Unit 3, Part 4 (Interest Groups)

Which of the following statements about interest groups is accurate?

A very large number of interest groups would suggest a more pluralistic society

Label the following examples of an interest group benefit with the type of benefit it represents.

An individual joins an environmental protection organization to meet and network with other local environmentalists- solidary An interest-group member receives discounts from local businesses related to the interest group- material An interest-group member receives a free T-shirt for joining- material An individual draws pride from having contributed to an interest group's introduction of a particular piece of legislation- purposive

Match the interest group type with examples of its membership.

Conservatives and liberals- Idealogical Groups Lawyers, doctors, accountants, dentists, teachers, and professors- Professional Associations City, county, and state governments, think tanks, and universities- Public-Sector Groups Public employees and private workers' unions- Labor Groups Businesses, corporations, and trade associations- Economic Groups Environmentalists, consumers, and citizens- Public Interest Groups

Which of the following statements accurately describe how lobbyists interact with Congress?

Correct Answers: - Lobbyists provide information to busy members of Congress. - Lobbyists can often have direct input into the language that appears in legislation. Incorrect Answers: - Lobbyists give expensive gifts to members of Congress in exchange for favorable legislation. - Studies have found little correlation between the amount of money a lobbyist provides to a representative and the amount of attention a lobbyist receives in return.

Many interest groups formed as a result of the New Politics movement. Choose all of the following issues that these groups focused on.

Correct Answers: - environmental protection - women's rights Incorrect answers: - First amendment rights - something about the Elderly

Sort the following activities into whether they are more characteristic of interest groups or of political parties.

Correct answers: - more limited in scope - try to influence the policies of government through lobbying Incorrect answers: - more interested in the personnel of government - run candidates in elections

Interest groups may use _______ in mass circulation magazines, newspapers, and television to improve their standing in the community at large, whereas ________ occurs when a lobbying group urges its members to contact their elected representatives directly with letters, emails, or phone calls.

Institutional advertising, grassroots mobilization

The following terms are often confused: ______ are concerned with influencing the policies of government, _______ are interested in influencing who gets elected, though they do not run their own candidates. Finally, ______ are interested in the personnel of government, often directly running individuals for political office.

Interest groups Political action committees Political parties

Which of the following represent the things that most interest-group organizational structures have in common?

Leadership, money, and members

How did the actions of the federal government in the 1960s and 1970s affect the number of interest groups?

New social programs and court rulings led to the formation of many new interest groups

Which of the following characteristics belong to political action committees (PACs) and which to Super PACs?

PAC's: - can contribute up to $5,000 to a federal candidate for office - started in the 1970s Super PAC's: - may raise unlimited sums from corporations, unions, and individuals - cannot contribute directly to candidates

Which of the following types of interest groups is most likely to be involved in protesting the expansion of oil pipelines in the United States?

Public Interest Groups

Online advocacy organizations differ from traditional interest groups in that they have a more streamlined staff structure and less bureaucracy.

True

Which of the following is a theoretical assumption of pluralism? a. Competition among interests will produce balance, with all interests moderating each other. b. Competition among interests will produce extreme public policy, with one interest dominating all others. c. Only some interests should be free to compete for influence in the United States. d. All interests are not equally free to compete for influence in the United States.

a. Competition among interests will produce balance, with all interests moderating each other.

How do interest groups use litigation as a strategy of influence? a. They file amicus curiae briefs, finance lawsuits, and bring suit directly on behalf of the group. b. They directly lobby judges, use direct-mail solicitations, and make campaign contributions to members of Congress. c. They engage in institutional advertising, activate issue networks, and directly lobby judges. d. They work with 527 committees, directly lobby judges, and engage in institutional advertising.

a. They file amicus curiae briefs, finance lawsuits, and bring suit directly on behalf of the group.

In an iron triangle, the congressional committee a. supports the agency's budgetary requests and the programs the interest group favors. b. opposes the agency's budgetary requests and the programs the interest group favors. c. files formal lawsuits and amicus briefs against administrative agencies and interest groups. d. is legally excluded from any interactions with interest groups and administrative agencies.

a. supports the agency budgetary requests and the programs the interest group favors.

Public interest groups differ from other types of interest groups in that a. they claim to serve the common good, not just their own particular interests. b. they were the first political associations to use the strategy of direct mailing. c. they were the first group to abandon lobbying and take up only grassroots activism. d. unlike other interest groups, their status is like that of a charity, not a political organization.

a. they claim to serve the common good, not just their own particular interests.

How many countries have greater labor union membership than the United States? a. 0 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5

b. 3

National defense is a good example of a a. material benefit. b. collective good. c. solidary benefit. d. purposive benefit.

b. collective good.

When looking across all countries, which category tends to attract the least participation? a. art, music, or educational organizations b. consumer organizations c. professional associations d. church or religious organizations

b. consumer organizations

The Christian Coalition is a(n) ________ group. a. public interest b. ideological c. labor d. business

b. ideological

The best description of the ideal of pluralism is that a. the public good should always trump individual interests. b. interest groups should be free to compete for governmental influence. c. interest groups are factions that endanger liberty. d. democracy is best served by legalizing but regulating the influence of interest groups.

b. interest groups should be free to compete for governmental influence.

The increased number and importance of interest groups a. causes a subsequent expansion in government. b. is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government. c. is a response to a decrease in the size and activity of government. d. is due to the decline in the United States' multiparty system.

b. is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government.

An iron triangle is made up of an alliance between a. a legislative committee, an executive agency, and the federal courts. b. the federal courts, the state courts, and interest groups. c. a legislative committee, an interest group, and an executive agency. d. the media, a legislative committee, and the federal courts.

c. a legislative committee, an interest group, and an executive agency.

"Selective benefits" are a. government programs that provide tax cuts for people at the top of the income distribution. b. government programs that distribute food, housing, or monetary assistance to people who make less than a predetermined amount of money each year. c. incentives that interest groups make available only to those people who are members of their organizations. d. incentives that interest groups distribute to people who do not belong to their organizations in order to win public support for their causes.

c. incentives that interest groups make available only to those people who are members of their organizations.

Between 1972 and 2016, the number of PACs in the United States a. declined from over 7,000 to just 480. b. declined from over 1,000 to just 48. c. increased from 480 to over 7,000. d. remained relatively constant.

c. increased from 480 to over 7,000.

AARP has approximately ________ members today. a. 38,000 b. 338,000 c. 3,800,000 d. 38,000,000

d. 38,000,000

________ is a strategy that attempts to mobilize the widest and most favorable climate of opinion. a. Litigation b. Creating a "war room" c. Creating an iron triangle d. Going public

d. Going public

A loose, informal relationship of public officials, interest groups, and activists who are all concerned with the same policies is called a. an iron triangle. b. a membership association. c. the New Politics movement. d. an issue network.

d. an issue network.

Match each example of a specific interest group to the correct category of interest groups.

labor groups: AFL-CIO professional associations: American Bar Association public interest groups: Natural Resources Defense Council public-sector groups: National League of Cities economic and corporate groups: Independent Petroleum Association of America

What is the primary function of a PAC? a. to raise grassroots support for a particular interest b. to build better networks between interest groups and political parties c. to raise and distribute money to election campaigns d. to produce and carry out an institutional advertising campaign

not a apparently