Chapter 11: Groups and Interests

Which of the following is an advantage that corporate and professional groups have over citizen interest groups in attempts to impact policy? a) Corporate and professional groups tend to have more resources than citizen groups, which enables them to track relevant policies over time. b) Corporate and professional groups tend to focus on issues that are in the public eye and closely monitored by the media. c)Corporate and professional groups typically seek to change existing policies rather than defend the status quo. d)Corporate and professional groups tend to support policies that are more representative of public opinion than citizen interest groups.

Corporate and professional groups tend to have more resources than citizen groups, which enables them to track relevant policies over time.

Which of the following statements regarding interest groups' electoral activity is true? a) Ballot measures by business groups are more likely to pass than those sponsored by citizen groups. b)Interest groups invest more resources overall on lobbying than on electoral politics. c)Interest groups' spending has remained constant over time. d)Reforms to campaign finance laws in the 1970s have significantly reduced interest groups' influence in elections.

Interest groups invest more resources overall on lobbying than on electoral politics.

Which of the following statements explains why so-called iron triangles are important to policy making? a) Iron triangles establish the Super PACs that get members of Congress elected b) Iron triangles serve as watchdogs of Congress, alerting committees to wasteful spending and malfeasance. c) Members of iron triangles hold authority over their policy domain and establish policies that mutually benefit one another. d) Members of iron triangles help draw media attention to certain issues and hold considerable sway over public opinion.

Members of iron triangles hold authority over their policy domain and establish policies that mutually benefit one another.

Which of the following best describes how interest groups are different from political parties? a)Political parties represent narrow, more specific groups of people, while interest groups represent broad coalitions of people. b)Interest groups avoid adopting an ideological or partisan perspective, while political parties are always ideological. c)Interest groups are concerned with shaping public policy, while political parties are only focused on elections and are not concerned with policies. d)Political parties organize to nominate candidates to win office, while interest groups do not, despite involvement in campaigns.

Political parties organize to nominate candidates to win office, while interest groups do not, despite involvement in campaigns.

Washington, D.C.-based interest groups that have the most financial resources and lobbyists tend to represent which of the following? a) professional associations b) corporate groups and trade associations c) citizen groups d) labor groups

corporate groups and trade associations

The tendency of wealthier and more educated individuals to be overrepresented by interest groups means that

government tends to prioritize issues important to the upper class and business, rather than those critical to working- and middle-class people.

To win over free riders who enjoy the benefits provided by a group without participating in acquiring them, interest groups offer

selective benefits

Among citizen interest groups, those that are the most effective at influencing government tend to have members who are a) more ideologically extreme b)more diverse in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, and age. c)more politically and civically engaged. d)more connected to members of Congress.

more politically and civically engaged.