Political Government

Interest group membership affords members ______ strength.

political

According to a slim majority of the Supreme Court in Citizens United, government could not regulate the amount of money spent on independent ads for or against candidates because?

political contributions represent free speech

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 is characteristic of the interest group politics of today?

professionally run

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission involved which issue affecting interest groups?

the limit on corporate and union spending in federal elections

Grassroots mobilization is the process of?

organizing citizens to pressure public officials to support a group's goals

Goods that are not owned privately but benefit all citizens equally are called?

collective goods

_______________ is the tactic for influencing public decisions for private purposes.

Lobbying

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 group won several court cases during the 1950s that supported equal rights for African Americans?

NAACP

___________________ are organized financial arms of interest groups that collect and distribute money to candidates for elective office.

PACs or Political Action Committees

What is the purpose of PACs, or political action committees?

PACs raise and distribute campaign funds to selected candidates.

____________________ interest groups advocate policies they believe promote the good of all Americans.

Public

Which the following organizations is an example of a public interest group?

Sierra Club

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 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

Why does economist Mancur Olson argue that joining an interest group is an irrational decision for most people?

Citizens can receive benefits without doing any work or paying any dues.

How did the "rights revolution" and the explosion of advocacy groups in the 1950s and 1960s impact voluntary citizen participation in government?

Civic engagement became more passive as national leaders managed the interests of citizens.

Defenders of the revolving door between government and interest group employment make what primary argument?

The process keeps good and knowledgeable people in the policy process.

True or false: Advocacy groups have greater local support than other types of interest groups.

False Reason: Advocacy groups do not have local chapters and typically have no formal members.

True or false: By definition, lobbying must include a face-to-face interaction.

False Reason: Although modern-day lobbyists still fill the halls of Congress, interest groups have found other, more sophisticated ways to increase their clout.

Which of the following statements are true about James Madison's view of factions?

He was opposed to factions. He thought it was impossible to eliminate factions. He thought government must dilute the influence of factions.

How have interest groups negatively affected participatory democracy?

Interest groups demand little from members and much from government.

How do interest groups foster civic participation?

Interest groups provide ways for people to organize to influence government

Which of the following statements are true of issue networks?

Issue networks tend to come together around immediate issues and disband once the issue is settled. The members of issue networks are linked by shared interest and expertise in a policy area. Issue networks are less formal than iron triangles.

Which of the following are general rules that effective lobbyists follow?

It is easier to defeat a measure than pass a new one. It is best to deploy one's resources working with allies in key places. It is best to concentrate on writing details to one's advantage.

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

True or false: Effective lobbyists know that it is easier to defeat a measure than to pass a new one.

True Reason: 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 Reason: 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 Reason: Recall also that the number of registered lobbyists has increased by almost half.

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

Inside strategies emphasize which aspect of interest group activities?

building direct personal relations with public officials

Which of the following interest types hires the most lobbyists in Washington?

business

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 is a way in which special interest groups can give money to candidates?

by forming a political action committee (PAC)

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

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

When it comes to lobbying, effective lobbyists know that it is?

easier to defeat a measure than to pass a new one

Which "two" of the following brought about the rapid growth of voluntary and political organizations in the mid-nineteenth century?

economic change advances in transportation

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.

Which form of campaign support do members of Congress expect to receive from lobbyists?

financial contributions

Grassroots organizations that are especially effective?

have large member bases that are spread over broad swaths of congressional districts.

Which characteristics of an interest group may turn off potential members even when they agree with the proposals being put forth?

having to agree on a uniform set of proposals recurrent and diverse time commitments organizing meetings and follow through efforts

Which of the following interest group activities are considered to be inside strategies?

helping legislators draft legislation helping candidates raise money for campaigns informing legislators on how constituents feel about a certain issue educating elected officials with accurate research and technical information

A formally organized group that seeks to influence government decision making or policy making is referred to as a(n) _______________ group.

interest or special interest

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 influential tactics interest groups use?

lobbying campaign financing grassroots mobilization

The interest group strategy that includes face-to-face meetings with legislators, hosting legislative receptions and events, and making telephone calls is known as?

lobbying.

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

Which "two" of the following are social incentives in interest group membership?

networking opportunities meeting people with common interests

When groups decide whether to join a coalition they usually do it?

on an issue-by-issue basis.

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 are examples of grassroots organizations?

the National Education Association the Christian Coalition

Which organizations were birthed by the northern migration of blacks from the South?

the National Urban League the NAACP

Which of the following "best" exemplifies a political movement?

the fight for womens' suffrage

Identify interest(s) at the bottom of the economic spectrum, which enjoy minimal to no representation?

the homeless

Which of the following is likely NOT a reason that an interest group would form a coalition?

to merge with another interest group

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.

Protests are the the ultimate form of grassroots movement because members are?

willing to sacrifice their freedom for a cause

Which of the following are examples of outside strategies utilized by interest groups?

writing letters to politicians orchestrating a protest