POSI Test 3 (pt. 2)
Which type of lobbyists are private individuals who act on their own behalf?
"hobbyists"
Which of the following are among interest groups' judicial lobbying options?
(1) filing amicus curiae briefs, (2) influencing the selection of federal judges, & (3) lawsuits
Which of the following would be considered outside lobbying activities used by interest groups?
(1) having group members send letters to their legislators, (2) organizing a protest on the steps of Congress, & (3) creating public service announcements to be aired on television
Examples of an inside strategy
(1) lobbying a politician & (2) giving policy-relevant information to a politician
Activity in Texas state politics by Hispanic Catholics is motivated by concerns about
(1) local services, (2) economic advancement, (3) abortion
Interest groups rely on what two main lobbying strategies?
(1) outside lobbying; (2) inside lobbying
What are some tools used by interest groups in electioneering?
(1) staging candidate fundraisers, (2) promising financial support for elections, (3) writing speeches, (4) recruiting candidates
Which of the following are considered reasons for Americans' broad participation in groups, such as volunteer organizations?
(1) the important of religion, (2) the prominence of public education, (3) a tradition of free association
The US provides a favorable environment for interest groups because....
(1) the tradition of people joining together encourages them to look to interest groups as a way of influencing policymakers, (2) the tradition of free speech and association means there are few legal barriers to the activities of interest groups, & (3) the separation of powers and federalism provide numerous points of access for interest groups to try and influence policy makers
What accurately describes ways in which interest groups can use litigation to advance their cause?
(1) they can sponsor litigation on behalf of their members, (2) they can file amicus briefs
Which of the following statements are true concerning interest groups?
(1) they can support controversial issues that lawmakers often avoid & (2) they broaden the range of issues that lawmakers address
What are three types of agricultural interest groups in Texas?
(1) those that represent commodity groups, (2) those that represent suppliers, (3) those that represent general farming interests
Examples of an outside strategy
(1) using televised advertising to promote a group's position & (2) grassroots letter writing campaigns
Interest groups tend to rely on the courts to advance their policy goals when they have ....
(1)2 a low chance of achieving their goals through elected officials & (2) faced legislative hurdles
In the 1960s, a newsmaker's sound bite was more than 40 seconds, whereas today it is less than ___ seconds
10
There are roughly ________ registered lobbyists who work in Washington.
12,000
Republicans are ____ times more likely than Democrats to say that Fox is their main source of news.
13
Texas first attempted to regulate interest group activities in ________, but that statute was never enforced.
1907
The effort of the writers of the Constitution to devise a governing system that would guard against tyranny of the majority resulted in which consequence?
America's system of divided power provides abundant opportunities for interest groups to achieve their policy goals
What are some examples of public interest groups?
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Organization for Women (NOW), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
Which of the cable news networks most fully treats news as a form of entertainment?
CNN
What was the reaction to CNN's coverage of Malaysian Airline Flight 370?
CNN's ratings jumped dramatically
______________ refers to the various activities in which interest groups engage to try to influence the outcome of elections.
Electioneering
Most lobbying efforts are concentrated
Every two years during the legislative session
The elimination of the ____________ _______________ meant that radio stations no longer had to air a conservative talk show if they aired a liberal one.
Fairness Doctrine
Which of the following media channels is most preferred by Republicans because of its conservative slant?
Fox News
_________- ___________, a characteristic of some interest groups, refers to the fact that the groups have members in all regions of the state.
Geographic distribution
One example of an environmental interest group is ...
Greenpeace
How does the Constitution deal with the issue of interest groups?
Interest groups are protected by the First Amendment
The process in which interest groups, the state agency, and the legislative committee create a policy is known as the ____________ _____________
Iron triangle
Which group representing Latino interests is the largest in Texas?
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
During Trump's first year in office, how did MSNBC approach the story of Russian meddling in the 2016 president election?
MSNBC focused on the story
Do private sector labor unions exist in Texas?
No
________ lobbying includes forming PACs and influencing the news media.
Outside
What is a regulation that affects Texas PACs?
PACs must create complete reports identifying every donor who contributed at least $50 to the campaign, (2) cannot contribute to candidates during a window that begins 30 days prior to the legislative session and ends 20 days after the session ends, (3) required to designate a campaign treasurer
_________ goods refer to benefits that are directly given to a particular individual belonging to an interest group.
Private
What is not an example of a state and local interest group?
State Board of Education
Which of the following states have 800 or more registered lobbyists within the state?
TX, CA, NY
Which of the following is an example of a specialized "educational" association?
Texas High School Coaches Association
What organization provides legislative staff assistance in research and info?
Texas Legislative Council
In Texas, which of the following has been heavily influenced by fundamentalist Christian groups?
Texas State Board of Education
Which group represents the largest agricultural interest group in the US today?
The American Farm Bureau
How does compensation for legislative staff in Texas compare to that of other states?
The Texas legislature provides more money for staff salaries than any other state.
What is the primary way in which Fox newscasts differ from MSBNC newscasts?
They choose different highlight stories
A blog called "Working Families for Walmart" appeared to be a grassroots effort to support the organization. What was it, in reality?
a blog authored by a public relations firm hired by Walmart.
What is the information commons?
a shared set of facts and ideas transmitted to Americans through the news media
Nonmembership organizations represent...
a single company, organization, or individual
The length of time within a TV story that a newsmaker speaks without interruption is called ...
a sound bite
What functions do news media perform?
act as a watchdog that scrutinizes official behavior; provide political info that attracts and audience; provide a channel through which political leaders communicate to the public
The news media's partisan function means that they...
act as advocates for particular viewpoints
In an attempt to influence court decisions, interest groups may file "friend of the court" briefs, otherwise known as ______ briefs.
amicus curiae
Which of the following industries have, in the past, dominated the Texas economy?
banking, oil, cotton, and cattle
Which of the following best describes why many interest groups form political action committees (PACs)?
because contributing to candidates' campaigns can help gain access for interest group lobbyists
Which of the following media were subject to the FCC's Fairness Doctrine?
broadcast radio and TV
In-house lobbyists are employees of which of the following?
businesses or associations
What are some reasons why the amount of TV news the typical American watches has declined since the 1970s?
cable tv and other high-choice media became available; children stopped watching the dinner-time news with their parents
The responsibility of the Texas Ethics Commission is to enforce laws relating to...
campaign finance, (2) lobbying, (3) registration for certain interest groups
The first step in the process of electioneering is...
candidate recruitment
When a state agency becomes controlled by its constituency interest group it is referred as ___________________
capture
The type of interest group that addresses issues of concern to the general public and not just the group's members is called a(n) __________ interest group.
citizens'
_________ goods are those that belong to all people and cannot be withheld on an individual basis, such as clean air or water.
collective
The incentives that most noneconomic groups offer include...
collective goods
The media carry out a(n) ___________-___________ function when they disseminate info from political leaders to the public.
common-carrier
Most successful partisan radio and TV talk show hosts promote a ________ viewpoint.
conservative
Labor group political action committees typically favor contributing to which of the following groups?
democrats
The news media operate as gatekeepers, which means that they...
determine which events will be covered and which will not
An organization that collects dues in exchange for providing exclusive, members-only benefits is an example of a(n) _________ interest group.
economic
Interest groups need money for which of the following?
electioneering, public relations, lobbying, & paying full-time staff
Which of the following are considered lobbying efforts?
encouraging members of an interest group to contact legislators regarding legislation; (2) testifying before a committee hearing about the effect of proposed legislation; (3) working with members of the legislature to draft legislation
What accurately describes the Texas Municipal League?
focused committees, (2) highly organized, (3) influential members
Texas has a __________ government structure because power is dispersed to many state agencies with little or no central control.
fragmented
A person known as a(n) _____ rider derives a benefit without contributing to its achievement.
free
Because individuals may benefit from the work of interest groups whether or not they participate in the groups' activities, some groups have difficulty recruiting members due the _______-______ problem.
free-rider
Super PACs are legally forbidden from which of the following?
giving money directly to political parties, giving money directly to candidates
Americans now have a __________ media system, where they can pick from a wide variety of outlets.
high-choice
Who or what can be a part of membership organizations?
individual citizens; businesses
Rather than using threats, interest groups tend to influence lawmakers by providing them with...
information that supports the group's policy positions
An organization that seeks to influence government decision making is referred to as a(n) _______________ _______________.
interest group
Which of the following represents a shared view of pluralists and their critics?
interest groups are important to bringing the concerns of groups of individuals to the attention of the government.
A(n) _________ ___________ is comprised of various actors that all have interest and expertise in a particular policy issue even though they may disagree on what the outcome should be.
issue network
Which of the following are ways in which the Internet influenced politics?
it changed aspects of fundraising; it increased people's access to freedom of the press
The 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission did which of the following?
it removed the restrictions on PACs' ability to spend money on campaigns
Which of the following are private goods?
jobs and retirement plans
Which type of interest group has little power in Texas compared to many other states?
labor unions
What is the most common technique used by interest groups to promote their interests?
lobbying the state legislature
What are some of the ways that members of Congress benefit from ties to lobbyists?
lobbyists: (1) testify at committee hearings, (2) identify bills that need their attention, & (3) provide info on specific pieces of legislation
All media outlets, whether broadcast, print, cable, or on the internet, that are in the business of creating and reporting original news stories are called the news _______.
media
Compared with Europeans, Americans are ______ likely to belong to a voluntary group or association.
more
During the era of "objective journalism" radio broadcasters were prohibited by law from editorializing while _______ were not
newspapers
What resulted from the invention of the power-driven printing press in the late 1800s?
newspapers were less dependent on gov't financial support, advertising generated more revenue, readership increased b/c papers could be sold at lower price
Most of the humor programs that focus on current affairs, like the Daily Show, are carried on...
nontraditional news channels
______________ journalism refers to news reporting that is based on "fact" rather than opinion and that presents both sides of a partisan debate.
objective
Most partisan internet sites also take the "_______" approach described in the Tufts University study.
outrage
American newspapers were originally _____.
partisan
The rise of partisan news outlets in the past few decades has contributed to an increase in...
party polarization
On social media, most people are likely to encounter....
people who agree with their political ideology
Early newspapers in the US relied on _______ __________ support for their survival, as they had so few readers.
political party
In Texas, how are public sector employee organizations classified, due to their inability to engage in collective bargaining?
professional associations
Interest group influence is particularly strong among _____ agencies that are responsible for overseeing the nation's business sectors.
regulatory
Capture theory argues that ________ sometimes focus more on the needs of industries than on the public interest.
regulatory agencies
The Texas Automobile Association seeks to protect and promote the interests of its member businesses that are involved in the sales of goods and services and thus is an example of a ...
retail trade association
How do interest groups try to directly influence government agencies' enforcement of public policy once it has become the law?
securing the appointments to boards and commissions of people who favor the interest group
Yellow journalism featured __________ stories.
sensationalized
The media's _________ function serves to alert the public to important events in a timely fashion.
signaling
Most citizens' groups are _______ interest groups because they focus on a specific issue, such as the environment.
single-issue
What do interest groups need to participate more effectively in group politics?
skills, contacts, and money
Stories about celebrities, sensational crimes, and scandals in high places were called _______ ________.
soft news
TV newscasts use a format in which the journalist acts as the ...
story teller
States with _____ political parties tend to have weaker interest group influence.
strong
An important feature of private goods is that ...
the group can withhold a benefit
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission involved which issue affecting interest groups?
the limit on corporate and union spending in federal elections
In priming, who or what determines how people will interpret the information they receive?
the media
What machines revolutionized newspaper journalism in the early 1800s?
the power-driven printing press & telegraph
How does the party structure in Texas affect interest group power and influence?
the weakened structure of party competitiveness strengthens interest group influence
How did the Citizens United decision affect the Texas law prohibiting direct campaign contributions by unions and corporations?
these groups are now allowed establish PACs to fund election-related advertising
How do interest groups expand the range of issues that come to lawmakers' attention?
they focus on issues that may not have a broad impact; they focus on issues that may be controversial
Which of the following correctly describes members of the "inattentive audience"?
they usually know little about politics; their political knowledge tends to be inaccurate
What groups successfully lobbied the governor of Texas in 2013 over a bill that would have allowed employees alleging they had been subject to wage discrimination to sue their employers in court?
those representing businesses (employers)
What are main goals of interest groups' public relations activities?
to create a favorable image for the group & influence public opinion regarding a particular issue
Interest groups that are not directly involved in litigation may file amicus curiae briefs ...
to encourage a ruling that is beneficial to their cause.
What is the most important reason for lobbyists to focus on the governor?
to influence approval or veto of pending legislation
What is the chief goal of grassroots lobbying efforts by interest groups?
to mobilize supporters to advocate for their organization
The Good Roads Association is an example of a(n) _____________ association because it represents the specific business interests of highway contractors.
trade
What portion of all lobbying groups in Washington are business related?
two-thirds
Digital technology has especially enlarged the media's ______ capacity.
watchdog
The Washington Post's publication of a tape recording of Donald Trump making lewd comments about women is an example of how digital technology has increased media's ___________ function.
watchdog
The media serves a(n) _________function when it alerts the public to unethical or illegal activities by the government.
watchdog
During what period would most lobbyists likely focus on building knowledge and political capital?
when the legislature is not in session
When did CNN stop covering the Malaysian Airline Flight 370 story?
when the ratings dropped
Which term refers to the irresponsible and sensationalist approach to news reporting that characterized journalism in the early 1900s?
yellow journalism