Interest Groups: Organizing for Influence
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 help interest groups participate more effectively in group politics?
contacts skills money
Interest groups that are not directly involved in litigation may file amicus curiae briefs to ______.
encourage a ruling that is beneficial to their cause
Which of the following are the chief targets of interest groups when they lobby the executive branch?
top officials of federal agenciestop officials of federal agencies
Which type of interest group represents business firms of a particular kind, such as insurance companies?
trade association
budget support for a program
congressional committee
Among economic groups, which type are the most numerous?
business groups
Which of the following types of interest groups is not classified as an economic interest group?
consumer
What are the advantages enjoyed by a large interest group such as the AARP?
It is well-financed, even though individual members' dues are low. It can generate a large amount of mail to members of Congress. It has a large staff that lobbies the federal government.
One of the positive contributions that interest groups make is ______.
providing a form of representation for organized groups
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) involved which issue affecting interest groups?
the limit on corporate and union spending in federal elections
Which of the following are among interest groups' judicial lobbying options?
filing amicus curiae briefs lawsuits influencing the selection of federal judges
A person known as ________ rider derives a benefit without contributing to its achievement.
free
Super PACs are legally forbidden from which of the following?
giving money directly to candidates giving money directly to political parties
constituent service
government agency
How do interest groups expand the range of issues that come to lawmakers' attention?
They focus on issues that may not have broad impact. They focus on issues that may be controversial.
The type of interest group that addresses issues of concern to the general public and not just the group's members is called ________ interest group.
citizens
Which type of group typically has to deal with the problem of free riders?
citizens' groups
Benefits that belong to everyone, not just the members of a group, are referred to as ______.
collective goods
Lobbying elected officials includes which of the following activities?
face-to-face meetings with members of Congress
who typically benefits the most from PAC campaign donations?
incumbents
electoral support to members of Congress
interest groups
An interest group may form a(n) ___ ______ _______ whose main goal is to raise and spend money to influence the outcome of elections.
political action committee
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.
If you were lobbying Congress, what would be the safest strategy for you to use?
Be aboveboard with members.
Which of the following states have 800 or more registered lobbyists within the state?
California Texas New York
_______ goods refer to benefits that are given directly to particular individuals as a result of belonging to an interest group.
Private
______ incentives for joining an interest group include the satisfaction that you are participating in a worthy effort.
Purposive
What is a super PAC?
an independent-expenditure-only committee
What was Madison's constitutional solution to the problem of factions?
the system of checks and balances
The United States provides a favorable environment for interest groups because ______.
the tradition of people joining together encourages them to look to interest groups as a way of influencing policymakers the separation of powers and federalism provide numerous points of access for interest groups to try to influence policymakers the tradition of free speech and association means there are few legal barriers to the activities of interest groups
An important feature of private goods for an economic group is that ______.
they are benefits the group can withhold
Which of the following are the chief targets of interest groups when they lobby the executive branch?
top officials of federal agencies
Which political leader wrote that the government must dilute the influence of factions and interest groups by filtering their views through properly structured governing institutions?
James Madison
How are issue networks formed?
They are formed by individuals who have expertise regarding a particular policy issue as well as various views on it.
Interest groups tend to rely on the courts to advance their policy goals when they have ______.
a cause that's unpopular with the public a low chance of achieving their goals through legislation
A group that raises and spends money for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election is known as ______.
a political action committee
Which of the following types of interest groups is classified as an economic type?
agriculture
Compared with Europeans, Americans are ______ likely to belong to a voluntary group or association.
more
Interest group influence is particularly strong among ______ agencies that are responsible for overseeing the nation's business sectors.
regulatory
Which of the following are private goods? (Choose every correct answer.)
retirement plans jobs