Chapter 8: Poli-Sci 2
Which of the following statements about America in the late nineteenth century are correct?
-Many workers left rural farms for dangerous urban factories. -Labor organizations and reform groups formed to lobby for better working conditions.
Which two of the following brought about the rapid growth of voluntary and political organizations in the mid-nineteenth century?
-advances in transportation -economic change
During the "rights revolution" of the 1950s and 1960s, African American advocacy groups were primarily concerned with
-dismantling segregationist policies. -enforcing constitutional guarantees.
Which two of the following are social incentives in interest group membership?
-meeting people with common interests -networking opportunities
Which of the following are examples of outside strategies utilized by interest groups?
-orchestrating a protest -writing letters to politicians
Which of the following are examples of grassroots organizations?
-the Christian Coalition -the National Education Association
Which organizations were birthed by the northern migration of blacks from the South?
-the NAACP -the National Urban League
As compared to the more than 60 percent of direct lobbyists hired by business interests, labor unions employ ______ of the direct lobbyists in Washington.
2 percent
True or false: By definition, lobbying must include a face-to-face interaction.
False , although modern-day lobbyists still fill the halls of Congress, interest groups have found other, more sophisticated ways to increase their clout.
True or false: One loophole in federal law is that super PACs can work as political arms of a campaign.
False Federal law requires super PACs to be independent of the campaign itself, although candidates often find creative ways to work with their independent allies.
True or false: Advocacy groups have greater local support than other types of interest groups.
False, advocacy groups do not have local chapters and typically have no formal members.
Which of the following is the primary limitation for super PACs?
Federal law requires these groups to remain independent of any campaign.
A formally organized group that seeks to influence government decision making or policy making is referred to as a(n) ( ??? ) group.
Interest group
What is the primary distinction between the approach and goals of political movements and interest groups?
Interest groups have a narrower focus on solving specific policy issues.
Which of the following statements about the effect of interest group activity on political participation is accurate?
Interest groups multiply the opportunities for participation by those who are already political active.
Which of the following is true about the role of lobbyists in the drafting of agency rules?
Regulations are often the result of negotiations between bureaucrats and lobbyists. Lobbyists often help draft federal rules. Lobbyists are sometimes courted by the federal government to secure support of policy proposals.
Which political party do energy and pharmaceutical interests generally favor?
Republican
Which the following organizations is an example of a public interest group?
Sierra Club
Which of the following is true of interest groups that lobby for issues that occur at the periphery of the interest group system?
Such interest groups are more likely to hire lobbying firms to represent their interests.
Political entrepreneurs typically champion issues or causes that share which common trait?
The causes are under the radar and have yet to gain widespread popularity.
Which of the following characterize dark money?
The donor is not disclosed. It is meant to influence voters. The source of the money is unknown.
Which of the following characterize dark money?
The source of the money is unknown. The donor is not disclosed. It is meant to influence voters.
Which is a common reason people might cite as a key motivator for joining an interest group?
decision makers being more likely to listen to their concerns
Which of the following statements best describes the goals behind the activity known as "mobilizing the grass tops"?
groups mining databases for community leaders who will support their positions
Grassroots organizations that are especially effective
have large member bases that are spread over broad swaths of congressional districts.
Which of the following are ways in which members of Congress benefit from ties to lobbyists?
lobbyists testify at committee hearings lobbyists provide information on specific pieces of legislation lobbyists identify bills that need their attention
What type of incentive motivates people to join a group because they feel that as members they will receive discounts, goods, or special services?
monetary
when it comes to global issues that defy national borders, successful international organizations
must employ innovative approaches to political activity.
Of the following resources, which are businesses interests least likely to have?
numbers
Grassroots mobilization is the process of
organizing citizens to pressure public officials to support a group's goals.
Organizations that depend heavily on idealistic or purposive incentives rely on which of the following to mobilize support among those who sympathize with the group's goals?
political entrepreneurs
Which of the following interest group types stresses networking as a benefit to a greater degree than other types?
professional associations
Which of the following groups is responsible for most of the lobbying activity at the federal level?
professional contract lobbyists who lobby for clients as part of a government relations firm
Political disadvantage theory argues that groups with low public approval ratings are more likely to
rely more heavily on litigation and the court system.
What is the primary purpose of the Office of Legislative Affairs in the White House?
securing support for legislation the president deems important
Which of the following is a prime example of a group that falls under political disadvantage theory?
the tobacco industry
Which of the following is likely NOT a reason that an interest group would form a coalition?
to merge with another interest group
Which of the following interests have been at the core of the interest group system in recent years?
trade taxes health care
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents thousands of small and medium-sized businesses throughout the country and is best described as a
trade association.
A lack of clarity regarding which of the following is a loophole in the system of super PAC regulation?
when a candidate becomes a candidate under federal law
interest group
winning policy concessions or contracts
Which of the following are general rules that effective lobbyists follow?
It is best to deploy one's resources working with allies in key places. It is easier to defeat a measure than pass a new one. It is best to concentrate on writing details to one's advantage.
(???) is the tactic for influencing public decisions for private purposes.
Lobbying
federal agency matches
approval for administrative proposals
How do interest groups channel civic participation?
as another means of participation outside the two-party system increasing community engagement increasing the political involvement of individuals
A lobbying group forging letters from citizens and sending them to legislators to create the impression of widespread public support for an issue position is an example of which lobbying tactic?
astroturf lobbying
Opponents of Obamacare utilized which strategies to further their goals?
both inside and outside strategies
What practice first raised concerns about inappropriate lobbying, as far back as the nineteenth century?
bribery
Inside strategies emphasize which aspect of interest group activities?
building direct personal relations with public officials
More than half the organizations active in Washington represent which of the following interest types?
business and corporations
Which of the following interest types employs more than 60 percent of all lobbyists at the federal level?
business interests
Which of the following are influential tactics interest groups use?
campaign financing lobbying grassroots mobilization
Advocacy groups do which of the following?
cater to wealthy contributors who support their cause organize around a single issue promote interests of those who can't advocate for themselves
One of the values that public interest groups provides to American society is
channeling civic participation.
One of the values that public interest groups provides to American society is?
channeling civic participation.
Goods that are not owned privately but benefit all citizens equally are called
collective goods.
The participation of those who are better educated and better off financially as members of interest groups affords them ______ political influence.
greater
Which two of the following patterns of political financing have emerged with the advent of super PACs?
-Dramatic increase in the amount of dark money in political campaigns -Increase in the outsized influence of a small number of donors
Which of the following statements are true about James Madison's view of factions?
-He was opposed to factions. -He thought government must dilute the influence of factions. -He thought it was impossible to eliminate factions.
Which of the following statements about America in the late nineteenth century are correct?
-Labor organizations and reform groups formed to lobby for better working conditions. -any workers left rural farms for dangerous urban factories.
Which of the following interest groups is best known for utilizing material benefits to members in order to grow into one of the most powerful interest groups at the federal level?
AARP
Groups that are organized around broad public goals but without local chapters and often without formal membership are called (???) groups.
Advocacy
Which one of the following definitions refers to an interest group?
An organization that seeks to influence public policy
Why shouldn't everybody act as free riders?
Collective goods would not be protected.
Critics of the revolving door between government and interest group employment make what primary argument?
Major ethical concerns exist when former federal officials leave to lobby for a group they helped regulate.
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the party loyalty of PACs?
Most PACs adjust their spending when party control changes hand.
Professional, paid lobbyists typically transition from which industry or career path?
Most are former government workers such as congressional staff members or agency staff.
True or false: Effective lobbyists know that it is easier to defeat a measure than to pass a new one.
True, a generally recognized rule of thumb for lobbyists is that it is easier to defeat a measure than to pass a new one.
True or false: Protests include both violent and nonviolent techniques.
True, protests are mostly nonviolent, such as sit-ins, but can sometimes be violent, like in the case of Shays's Rebellion.
True or false: In recent years, over $3 billion dollars has been spent on lobbying.
True, recall also that the number of registered lobbyists has increased by almost half.
True or false: State and local governments also form groups to advocate for their interests in Washington.
True, the policies of state and local governments are often impacted by federal law, so organizations like the National Association of Counties and the National League of Cities have been formed to advocate for their interests.
True or false: Under current law, organizations set up by interest groups as nonprofit organizations can receive unlimited donations from corporations, unions, and individuals to influence elections.
True, this is permissible under current law. The funds these tax-exempt organizations can collect and disperse are often referred to as "dark money."
Which of the following is NOT permissible, according to federal regulation of super PACs?
a candidate coordinating with super PACs on election advertising
Which of the following would an interest group that operates at the core of system be most likely to hire as a lobbyist?
a former government official
In the 1950s and 1960s, political engagement became more
active
Single-issue interest groups fall under which interest group category?
advocacy groups
Of the following, which represents the fastest-growing sector of the interest group community?
education interest groups
An iron triangle is a decision-making process dominated by which of the following?
executive agencies interest groups congressional committees
Of the following, which is the most likely way that lobbyists will try to exert influence over the courts?
exerting influence over the appointment of judges
While Robert Putnam believed that organized interests bind citizens together to achieve a collective goal, James Madison believed that such interests (or "factions")
expressed the innate human drive for self-interest.
Lobbying elected officials includes which of the following activities?
face-to-face meetings with members of Congress
members of Congress
gaining electoral support
Which of the following interest group activities are considered to be inside strategies?
helping legislators draft legislation helping candidates raise money for campaigns educating elected officials with accurate research and technical information informing legislators on how constituents feel about a certain issue
The opportunity to pursue policy goals that members genuinely support is an example of which type of benefit available to interest group members?
idealist incentive
Decision-making structures consisting of policy experts such as lobbyists, members of Congress, bureaucrats, and policy specialists are called networks.
issue
Which of the following is NOT a common tactic that interest groups use to advance their position?
kickbacks and inducements
Which of the following are tactics that interest groups use to build grassroots support?
organizing electioneering activities for members to participate in ratings or scorecards that evaluate electoral choices getting members to write or call lawmakers
Which characteristics of an interest group may turn off potential members even when they agree with the proposals being put forth?
organizing meetings and follow through efforts having to agree on a uniform set of proposals recurrent and diverse time commitments
Both supporters and opponents of the use of military force are likely to employ
outside strategies to communicate public sentiment for their position.
A protest is considered the ultimate form of
outside strategy.
Which of the following is NOT an important resource for a successful interest group?
overlapping benefits
Since 2007, ______ and health advocacy organizations have worked together to push for the adoption of wider health insurance coverage for uninsured children.
philanthropic
Interest group membership affords members ______ strength.
political
In addition to lobbying agency officials, which of the following are alternative approaches available to groups seeking to influence federal agency rule making?
serving as members of advisory commissions and boards influencing the appointment of agency officials litigation challenging agency rules
An interest group's overall plan for achieving its goal is a ______; while a ______ is the action they undertake.
strategy; tactic
Which of the following time periods witnessed an explosion in Washington-based advocacy groups?
the "rights revolution"
Which of the following resulted from the ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission?
the ability of groups and individuals to give unlimited sums of money to independent committees the creation of super PACs
Which two of the following most affect what strategies interest groups adopt?
the available resources the types of issues involved
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission involved which issue affecting interest groups?
the limit on corporate and union spending in federal elections
One reason for the growth in Americans' interest groups is that
the organizing strength of political parties began to decline.
