GOV Ch 6

Battleground Texas is a get-out-the-vote (GOTV) effort undertaken by which group?

a. The Texas Democratic Party

When does interest-group capture occur?

a. when the state agency primarily serves the objectives of the interest group

Which of these political action committees spend the least amount of money in Texas elections?

b. labor unions

Interest groups use judicial strategies in order to

c. challenge existing policies and laws within the court system.

Scandals about the "steak men," Bo Pilgrim, and Gib Lewis resulted in

d. All of these are correct.

Dark money

is a form of political money whereby donors can remain anonymous.

Which of the following reasons does the dissenting opinion give for why the speech of corporations might be suspected of being fundamentally in conflict with the interests of eligible voters? Select the BEST answer.

"Corporations may well be controlled and run by nonresidents, so allowing them unrestrained speech may allow for foreign interference in the electoral process"

Which amendment to the US Constitution is at issue in the Citizens United v. FEC case?

1st

Under the law at issue in Citizens United, how many days prior to a general election did a corporate or non-profit organization have to stop broadcasting electioneering communications?

60

What is the "free rider problem"?

Individuals have an incentive not to take direct action if they can benefit without making any direct contribution.

Which of the following statements about lobbyists in Texas is most accurate?

Lobbyists may engage with legislators but are required to register with the state.

Which standard (or level of "scrutiny") does the Supreme Court use to come to a decision in cases that involve political speech?

Strict Scrutiny

Which of the following acts of Congress does the dissenting opinion in Citizens United cite as the beginning of congressional involvement in the regulation of corporate speech?

The Tillman Act

How long must a former member of a governing body or former executive head of a regulatory agency wait before he or she can lobby that agency?

a. 2 years

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) provides what kind of assistance to conservative state legislators across the country?

a. ALEC writes pieces of legislation and helps get the legislation passed.

Who argued in Federalist 10 that "factions" would play an important role in American politics?

a. James Madison

Which of the following is most likely to happen when a public interest group mobilizes its members to support a piece of legislation?

a. The interest group would have its members write or call legislators urging them to vote for the legislation.

Interest groups will often try to get _______________ to write letters or call legislators to show their support for the group's position on a particular issue.

a. constituents

Compared to the national average, Texans tend to rank ______________ on measures that are related to civic engagement.

a. near the bottom

A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns is called a(n)

a. political action committee.

Once a lobbyist has access to a member of the legislature, the lobbyist can

a. provide information about how specific policies can benefit the legislator's district.

During the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875, which interest group played an important role?

a. the Grange

Interest groups often employ _____________________ as lobbyists in order to gain access to those in Texas government.

b. former legislators and government officials

The Texas Medical Association is best described as what kind of interest group?

b. professional

The situation in which individuals receive the benefits of collective action without contributing is known as

b. the "free rider problem."

Ultimately, what do interest groups want from policymakers?

c. They want policy that is beneficial for their groups.

The practice of combining several individual campaign contributions into one larger contribution from a group in order to increase the group's impact is known as

c. bundling.

One major way for interest groups to promote the political interests of elected officials who support their viewpoints and oppose the interests of those who do not is by engaging in

c. campaign contributions.

In his book The Logic of Collective Action, Mancur Olson argues that which of the following creates a fundamental dilemma in interest group politics?

c. free rider problem

As in the U.S. Congress, most campaign contributions in Texas go to

c. incumbents.

By forming a political action committee (PAC), the interest group can show a candidate that

c. its members care very deeply about an issue and are willing to donate money to support the group's position on the issue.

An interest group that serves as an umbrella organization to coordinate the activities of member groups in specific targeted areas is known as a(n)

c. peak association.

In order to gain access to politicians, interest groups will often

c. spend money on entertaining politicians.

Arguably, the largest and most effective public employee interest group in Texas is made up of

c. teachers.

What resource(s) are interest groups able to use to influence politics?

d. All of these are correct.

Which incentives do interest groups engage in to overcome the free rider problem?

d. All of these are correct.

Which of the following advantages do better-funded interest groups have?

d. All of these are correct.

Which U.S. Supreme Court case in 2009 created the opportunity for those opposed to powerful incumbents to create organizations without having to disclose their donors?

d. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

What was the problem Speaker Sam Rayburn identified with the "steak men" at the beginning of the twentieth century?

d. They were legislators who would "sell" their votes on a bill for free steak dinners.

If an interest group "gets on the late train," it means

d. an interest group gives contributions after the election to a winning candidate the group had earlier opposed.

Which of the following groups have had notable political success by litigating in federal courts?

d. civil rights groups

Most lobbyists

d. have expertise in policy matters or personal relationships with legislators.

When individuals or interest groups take out ads concerning a campaign issue but do not tie them directly to any particular candidate, it is called

d. issue advocacy.

Interest groups are best seen as

d. organizations established to influence the government's programs and policies.

EMILY's List is a national PAC that is funded by women and focuses on raising money for women candidates at which part of the campaign cycle?

d. the early part of the campaign cycle

Interest groups form to

influence government to adopt policies favored by the group's membership.

Which of the following features are most important to an interest group that seeks to be influential and effective?

large membership and ample funding

Which of the following is/are employed to express the values of interest groups?

lobbyists

Public interest groups

promote consumer, environmental, and general public issues.

Texas has ________ laws dealing with lobbying by former government officials.

weak