Chapter 10

True or false. Independent political expenditures must be used in coordination with political candidates

False

True or false. Texas Law requires anyone attempting to influence policy to register as a lobbyist.

False; if someone attempting to influence policy spends more than $500 or earns more than $1,000 in compensation in a 3-month period, they must register as a lobbyist

True or false. Professional associations represent sports teams and their interests

False; they represent professionals who do not have a union

True or false. Opponents of the pluralist perspective argue that organized interests are too broadly construed and don't speak to the needs of specific populations or issues

False; they state that some groups are too narrowly focused and end up missing the broader needs of society

True or false. A common lobbyist recruitment pool includes the relatives of current legislators

True

True or false. Expressive benefits are benefits members get by taking action to communicate their views.

True

True or false. Government attempts to address the free-rider problem by mandating citizens pay taxes and follow laws

True

True or false. Lobbying has been shown to be a deeply effective way of influencing policies toward particular outcomes or goals

True

True or false. Student groups hold an advantage by their strength in numbers; they can provide volunteers which can be as important as funding

True

If you were a critic of hyperpluralism in government, what argument would you make to justify your criticism? a. "There are too many narrow interests and few broad interests represented." b. "A democracy is only healthy if there are many narrow interests to choose from." c. "Democracies do not need to have the full participation of citizens to work." d. "There are not enough organized interests working on narrow issues."

a. "There are too many narrow interests and few broad interests represented."

Which commission was created to monitor lobbying efforts in Texas? a. Texas Ethics Commission b. Texas Lobbying Commission c. Texas Legislative Commission d. Texas Regulatory Commission

a. Texas Ethics Commission

Which organized interest is the most visible in Texas? a. economic interests b. security interests c. education interests d. health care interests

a. economic interests

What is meant by the term dark money in campaign finance? a. money from nonprofits that does not have to report the source of the funds b. money illegally raised under the table that is almost untraceable c. money from an overseas account either from a noncitizen or government d. money legally raised for a specific purpose and is misappropriated

a. money from nonprofits that does not have to report the source of the funds

Which statement is demonstrative of the pluralist perspective? a. more groups involved in politics means a democracy is healthy b. the less groups involved in politics, the better because it leads to confusion c. groups benefit everyone because it shows unity in a cause d. voters are more interested in personal gain and do not want to be involved in a group

a. more groups involved in politics means a democracy is healthy

What are the solidarity benefits that emerge when someone joins an interests group? a. social interaction with likeminded people for a common cause b. social connections that will give individuals professional and career benefits c. individual prizes given to long-term members who have helped the cause d. individual prizes given to new members who show promise in helping further the group

a. social interaction with likeminded people for a common cause

Which development creates clear winners in the lobbying sector of Texas politics? a. the ability to effectively organize an interest group is key to being a winner b. broad interests are winners because they can represent more citizens c. narrow-focused interests create winners because everyone is represented d. organized interests are all winners if they can lobby in the legislature

a. the ability to effectively organize an interest group is key to being a winner

What partial solution does the government provide to the free-rider problem? a. forcing free riders to pay back benefits b. jailing citizens who refuse to pay taxes c. requiring membership to interest groups d. collecting fees from citizens who get ticketed

b. jailing citizens who refuse to pay taxes

Imagine that you are leading outreach events at Texas colleges for an interest group. What free rider problem should you be attentive to while you are running outreach meetings? a. student members complain their job is harder than another member's job b. students attending meetings for free food but do not contribute to the group c. students sign up for shifts to do phone bank fundraising d. former students attend meetings just to upset new group members

b. students attending meetings for free food but do not contribute to the group

If a group of restaurants and bars form together to make an organized interest group, what type of group would they be? a. professional association b. trade association c. labor union d. special interest

b. trade association

In contrast to the reasons why people join interest groups today, early interest groups in Texas started up because members could: a. escape overcrowding in urban centers and work for neighborhood improvement b. access politicians more readily when they were in town c. address educational and social needs that came with wide dispersal of populations d. obtain the material benefits given by the larger groups in their area

c. address educational and social needs that came with wide dispersal of populations

Imagine that you oversee a political action committee. What responsibility should you take with your work? a. guarantee that politicians are representing their organized interest groups b. ensure that lobbyists are happy with the work of the PAC c. maintain donations that are given to organized interests to fund campaigns d. support former legislators seeking to become lobbyists for organized interests

c. maintain donations that are given to organized interests to fund campaigns

Which benefit is considered a selective incentive for members of an interest group? a. free tickets for all people who come to meetings b. insurance coverage for all citizens at discounted prices c. offers for discounted travel for members only d. members and nonmembers are registered in raffle

c. offers for discounted travel for members only

If you were a Texas government official concerned with the influence of lobbyists, how might you attempt to limit lobbying in the state? a. prohibiting legislators from accepting campaign contributions at any point during campaign season b. prohibiting elected officials from accepting gifts and meals from lobbyists in the last week of a session c. prohibiting legislators from accepting campaign contributions for 30 days before a session d. prohibiting judges and legislators from meeting with lobbyists in the first week of a session

c. prohibiting legislators from accepting campaign contributions for 30 days before a session

Which action should you take if you wanted to use a preexisting social network for political action? a. create a group of people to post political ads on a new social media group b. meet for coffee with friends to discuss local political candidates c. promote large church groups getting together to write letters to legislators about family issues d. encourage students getting together to h=host debates about issues facing their school

c. promote large church groups getting together to write letters to legislators about family issues

Imagine that you are in charge of a super PAC. What responsibility should you take on in pursuing your policy goals? a. raise awareness of the issues you care about through media campaigns b. coordinate multiple organized interests to ensure they are ready to mobilize for an issue c. spend money to indirectly support or oppose a candidate running for public office d. keep track of how much money an organization has spent on one specific policy or issue

c. spend money to indirectly support or oppose a candidate running for public office

Which statement is true about the revolving door in Texas/ a. Texans have never been in support of a revolving door in Texas b. There is a 6-year "cooling-off" period for legislators to become lobbyists c. there is no "cooling-off" period for legislators to become lobbyists d. Texas law forbids former legislators from becoming lobbyists

c. there is no "cooling-off" period for legislators to become lobbyists

Which statement indicates a movement toward a hyperpluralism system in Texas? a. "More dark money spending has allowed for an increase in broad interests." b. "Regulations on lobbyists have ben effective in broadening organized interests." c. "Labor unions and corporations must still work with political parties to donate money." d. "More attention is paid to narrow interests, and work on citizens in general has decreased."

d. "More attention is paid to narrow interests, and work on citizens in general has decreased."

Which statement is an accurate description of lobbyists in Texas? a. few lobbyists are prepared for the long days that are required during the 140-day sessions b. often lobbyists are only tolerated by legislators because of the perks they receive c. lobbyists are not very knowledgeable in how the legislature works d. many lobbyists are former legislators and knowledgeable on the policy they lobby for

d. many lobbyists are former legislators and knowledgeable on the policy they lobby for

What is a potential consequence of Texans leaving political decisions in the hands of others? a. government will be far more efficient and transparent b. unjust laws are passed, and the government becomes a tyrant c. officials do not need to answer to complaints from citizens d. only certain citizens will have their voices heard by officials

d. only certain citizens will have their voices heard by officials

What issue could arise from advertisements paid for with super PAC and dark money? a. the ads may offend the wrong people and candidates could get sued as a result b. there will be no airtime for ads that are sponsored by political candidates c. voters will be overwhelmed by all of the political advertising before the election even starts d. voters may not be able to tell the difference between ads sponsored by a candidate or a group

d. voters may not be able to tell the difference between ads sponsored by a candidate or a group