CHAPTER 9
The medium of exchange for most inside lobbying activity is a. money. b. information. c. bribery. d. coercion. e. deception.
b
A flaw in pluralism theory is the fact that a. the interest group system is unrepresentative because some interests are far better organized and more powerful than others. b. the public interest is never served by policies that promote special interests. c. larger groups always prevail politically over smaller groups. d. political parties better represent different interests than do interest groups. e. All of the answers are correct.
a
Some groups pursue public or collective goods. A public good is one that a. cannot be selectively granted or denied to individuals; it must be shared. b. is provided by a public service organization. c. is secured by the president. d. is secured by Congress. e. None of the answers are correct.
a
The air we breathe is an example of a(n) a. collective or public good. b. consumable good. c. material good. d. mass-produced good. e. economic good.
a
The citizens of ________ are most actively involved in interest groups and community causes. a. the United States b. Germany c. Italy d. France e. Great Britain
a
The group system politically favors those interests that a. are already favored by the economic system. b. take extreme policy positions. c. are concerned with foreign policy issues. d. represent minorities. e. represent children.
a
Today, the largest labor unions are those that represent a. service and public employees. b. skilled laborers. c. unskilled laborers. d. corporate leaders. e. professionals.
a
A set of lobbyists, legislators, policy experts, and executives who come together temporarily in debate over a complex policy issue is a. an iron triangle. b. an issue network. c. a caucus. d. a policy system. e. an ideological network.
b
Critics of pluralist theory argue that a. special interests should never receive benefits from government. b. there is no collective interest in a system where each special interest determines which policy benefits it receives. c. policies which favor a series of minorities are inherently more fair than policies which ignore small groups in favor of a majority. d. the sum of people's special interests is a rough approximation of society's collective interest. e. Madisonian theory is very accurate.
b
Effective inside lobbying is based upon a. countering the aims of other groups. b. providing useful and persuasive information to key officials. c. mobilizing the group's members. d. bribing or threatening officials. e. using the media to exert pressure.
b
The most fully organized interests are those that represent a. agriculture. b. business. c. civil liberties. d. labor. e. the environment.
b
Which of the following activities is not typical of most interest groups? a. supporting candidates for public office b. addressing a broad and diverse range of public issues c. working to influence policymakers d. promoting public policies e. working to influence legislators
b
A main difference between iron triangles and issue networks is a. an iron triangle includes members of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, while issue networks bypass the judicial branch. b. issue networks involve a stable group of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists, while iron triangles exclude lobbyists in an attempt to reach impartial decisions. c. issue networks are generally less stable than iron triangles, such that the members of an issue network may change as the issue develops. d. issue networks, being less formal, rely on outside lobbying only, while iron triangles use inside lobbying only. e. All of the answers are correct.
c
In acknowledging the dilemma inherent in group activity, James Madison a. argued that the free-rider problem would hurt some groups more than others. b. claimed that government could listen to all groups, but should only enact policies that promote the interests of majority groups. c. worried that government would be overly dominated by groups, but recognized that a free society is obliged to permit the advocacy of self-interest. d. argued that government must restrict the activities of groups, so that political parties could act as the major instrument of democracy. e. All of the answers are correct. Answer: c
c
Supporters of the pluralist view of interest groups would accept all of the following statements except a. people's separate interests are a legitimate basis of public policy. b. the idea of the public interest or the collective interest does not have much meaning in cases where the public is sharply divided in its policy opinions. c. the opinion of the majority should always prevail in a policy dispute over the opinion of a more intense and directly affected minority. d. most interests benefit from the workings of the group system, which is a reason to support a policy process that is responsive to groups. e. public policy should represent the diversity that exists in society.
c
The term iron triangle refers to a. a tightly knit set of lobbying groups. b. the relationship between the Congress, the military, and defense contractors. c. a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who are concerned with promoting a particular interest. d. the strategy of lobbying all three branches of government simultaneously. e. a corrupt relationship between the president, Congress, and the Supreme Court.
c
A basic reason for the existence of so many interest groups in the United States is a. the American tradition of free association. b. the extent of diverse interests in American society. c. America's federal system of government. d. All of the answers are correct. e. None of the answers are correct.
d
According to Theodore Lowi's theory of interest-group liberalism, the effect of groups on policy a. constitutes a partial and wrongful abdication by government of its authority over policy. b. results in a system of rule by minorities rather than by a majority. c. results in an inefficient use of society's resources. d. All of the answers are correct. e. None of the answers are correct.
d
Economic groups have an advantage over non-economic groups because a. they nearly always have larger memberships. b. they are organized primarily for political purposes. c. they have better leadership. d. they have greater access to financial resources. e. their members are committed to their causes.
d
In order to overcome the free-rider problem, non-economic groups have a. deliberately restricted the size of their membership. b. joined up with economic groups. c. convinced government to limit the distribution of public goods to those who have contributed to the group's efforts. d. created individual benefits (for example, newsletters and social events) for group members. e. adopted taxes for nonmembers.
d
In the dynamics of an iron triangle, what benefit do interest groups provide to friendly bureaucratic agencies? a. services for constituents b. travel funds c. campaign contributions d. administration of mutually beneficial policies e. lobbying support for agency programs
e
Interest groups' efforts to influence policy are aimed at all institutions except a. the presidency. b. Congress. c. the bureaucracy. d. the courts. e. None of the answers are correct answer.
e
State and local governments a. are prohibited by law from lobbying the national government. b. are allowed to lobby in Washington, D.C., but only through employee unions. c. are allowed to lobby in Washington, D.C., but only through the mass media. d. lobby in Washington, D.C., but primarily through national conferences to which the president and congressional leaders are invited to listen to their views on national policy. e. lobby in Washington, D.C., most effectively through organizations representing groups of states and localities.
e
The fact that only about 10 percent of the people who regularly listen to National Public Radio (NPR) contribute money to their local station is a. a result of the poor quality of NPR broadcasting. b. a result of the fact that NPR stations don't regularly solicit contributions from their listeners. c. a result of the fact that most NPR listeners have low incomes. d. a result of the fact that NPR sells time to advertisers and doesn't have a need for listener donations. e. an example of the free-rider problem.
e
The most important resource that most groups give congressional candidates is a. delivering members' votes. b. helping make telephone calls to get out voters on Election Day. c. help with issue research. d. campaign volunteers. e. money.
e
According to E. E. Schattschneider, the interest-group system has a. a strong upper-class bias. b. a strong working-class bias. c. a strong bias in favor of liberal Democrats. d. a strong bias in favor of moderate Republicans. e. a strong bias in favor of racial minorities.
a
According to James Madison, the source of most interest groups or factions is a. the unequal distribution of property. b. the American political tradition of association. c. the system of separation of powers in America. d. the spirit of individualism. e. the concept of majority rule.
a
Another name for an interest group is a. a faction. b. a cabal. c. a political party. d. a coalition. e. a constituency.
a
By definition, the interest-group system consists of all interests that are ________ and seek ________ goals. a. organized; political b. cohesive; narrow c. mobilized; ideological d. small; narrow e. None of the answers are correct.
a
Ideological groups are distinct from single-issue groups in a. the number of issues with which they are concerned. b. the intensity of their members' opinions. c. their tendency to get involved in election campaigns. d. that members do not seek to influence the political process. e. All of the answers are correct.
a
In recent decades, lobbyists in Washington, D.C. have increasingly a. targeted the executive branch in their efforts to influence policy decisions. b. relied on coercive tactics, such as threats of withdrawing election support. c. worked to defeat incumbent members of Congress in order to replace them with members who would be more supportive. d. relied exclusively on inside lobbying as the means of gaining their policy goals. e. ignored the judicial branch as a means of influencing policy decisions.
a
Outside lobbying does not include the use of a. face-to-face exchanges between lobbyists and policymakers. b. campaign contributions to legislators who favor the interest group. c. the news media to influence policy makers. d. targeting group resources on key election races. e. the print media to influence policy makers.
a
PACs tend to contribute money to a. incumbents. b. challengers. c. Independents. d. liberal Democrats. e. liberal Republicans.
a
________ wrote that "Liberty is to faction what air is to fire..." a. James Madison b. Alexis de Tocqueville c. Thomas Jefferson d. Theodore Lowi e. Theodore Roosevelt
a
A primary difference between a political party and a typical interest group is that the party a. promotes public policies. b. addresses a broad range of issues. c. supports candidates for public office. d. influences policymakers. e. addresses a narrow range of issues.
b
A purposive incentive is defined as a. a goal of direct economic gain. b. the opportunity to promote a worthwhile public cause. c. a goal benefiting a specific group. d. any common purpose which brings groups together. e. corporate profit.
b
Interest group activity is basic to the democratic process because it a. is the only legitimate basis of government action. b. serves to promote the concerns of various interests in society. c. is by far the best means of deciding policy issues. d. is an effective substitute for political party activity. e. is entirely fair to all interests in society.
b
James Madison's solution to the problem of factions (special interests) has, in the modern policy process, actually contributed to the problem by a. suppressing the claims of special interests, thereby making it more difficult for them to get their opinions heard by officials. b. resulting in a fragmentation of authority among policymakers, and thereby providing groups more opportunities to get their way. c. eroding the strength of political parties, and thereby increasing the opportunity for group influence. d. weakening the legislative branch, and thereby allowing groups to bully Congress into accepting their demands. e. eroding the power of the mass media, and thereby increasing the opportunity for group influence.
b
Public interest groups are distinguished by the fact that a. their leaders are elected by secret ballot of the group's members. b. their members receive no direct economic benefit from attainment of the group's goals. c. they do not lobby government officials directly, but rely instead on public service announcements to get their views across to society. d. they always pursue goals in which there is a high level of agreement among society members. e. All of the answers are correct.
b
The situation where individuals are tempted not to contribute to a cause because they will get the benefits even if they do not participate is called a. the size factor. b. the free-rider problem. c. the special-interest paradox. d. the disincentive factor. e. the zero-sum game.
b
Under federal law, a Political Action Committee (PAC) can contribute ________ per candidate per election. a. $1,000 b. $5,000 c. $25,000 d. $50,000 e. $100,000
b
During his visit to this country in the 1830s, Alexis de Tocqueville described the United States as "a nation of a. freeloaders." b. loners." c. joiners." d. fighters." e. stalwarts."
c
In recent decades, groups that offer collective goods as an incentive for membership have found it easier to attract new members because of a. changes in public attitudes—people today have a highly favorable opinion of interest groups. b. changes in the tax code that allow a tax deduction for membership dues. c. the development of computer-assisted direct-mail techniques. d. changes in the nature of collective goods themselves, such that they are more easily allocated to people who need them. e. None of the answers are correct.
c
Interest group liberalism refers to a. the proliferation of interest groups throughout society. b. the fact that liberal groups are more numerous than conservative groups. c. the disproportionate influence of interest groups over policy in their respective areas of concern. d. the activity of groups in support of disarmament, environmental protection, civil liberties, and other left-wing causes. e. the power of tradition in the United States.
c
James Madison, in Federalist No.10, argued a. against all interest groups. b. for the advocacy of self-interest free from all systems of restraint. c. for regulation of interests through a governing system of checks and balances. d. for the replacement of interest groups by formal political parties. e. for a powerful judiciary.
c
The largest citizens' group, with over thirty million members, is a. the NAACP. b. the AFL-CIO. c. the AARP. d. MADD. e. Common Cause
c
The largest number of PACs are those associated with a. single-issue groups, such as environmental groups and right-to-life groups. b. labor. c. business. d. agriculture. e. education.
c
The most well-financed interest groups are those that promote a. social services. b. political ideologies. c. corporate interests. d. public interests. e. children's interests.
c
The theory that nearly all interests are adequately presented through group activity is a. republicanism. b. constitutionalism. c. elitism. d. pluralism. e. interest-group liberalism.
d
An interest group that focuses on policy benefits for senior citizens would be an example of a(n) a. philosophical interest group. b. ideological group. c. professional group. d. business group. e. single issue group.
e
Grass-roots lobbying is based on the assumption that officials will respond to a. well-reasoned policy arguments. b. the opportunity for extensive media publicity. c. moral pleas. d. the efforts of party organizations. e. pressure from constituents.
e
Interest groups are using new recruitment techniques which include a. arranging social gatherings. b. computerized mailing lists. c. newsletters. d. disseminating information on the Internet. e. All of the answers are correct.
e
A pluralist could be expected to argue that a. the presidency is more representative of society's interests than is the Congress. b. the sum of people's separate interests is nearly the equivalent of the collective public interest. c. U.S. society is best run by a power elite. d. most interests are poorly represented through the group process. e. the judiciary is more representative of society's interests than is the Congress.
b
There are roughly ________ political action committees (PACs) in the United States. a. 40 b. 400 c. 4000 d. 400,000 e. 4,000,000
c