government test 3

Among economic groups, which type are the most numerous?

business groups

Benefits that belong to the entire group are referred to as

collective goods

The incentives that most noneconomic groups offer include

collective goods

The privilege of incumbents sending mail to their constituencies at the government's expense is known as the_______ privilege.

franking

The process of determining how many House seats each state is allowed as a result of population change since the last census is known as

reappointment

Which of the following is an advantage that economic groups have over citizens' groups?

Economic groups can provide material benefits (such as jobs) to those who are part of the 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 government.

What is a super PAC?

an independent-expenditure-only committee

interest groups overrepresents

business interests

Labor group political action committees typically favor contributing to which of the following groups?

democrats

One example of an environmental interest group is

greenpeace

In the large majority of cases, the winner of a congressional campaign is the

incumbent

Which of the following are private goods?

jobs, retirement plans

Interest groups rely on what two main lobbying strategies?

outside lobbying inside lobbing

True or false: Those interest groups that are poorly organized run the risk of being ignored politically.

true

What portion of all lobbying groups in Washington are business related?

two thirds

How have advances in technology affected the free-rider problem?

It has lessened it.

When lobbying Congress, what is the safest strategy?

be aboveboard

An organization that seeks to influence government decision making is referred to as a(n)

interest group

Political scientist Mancur Olson argues that small interest groups can be more powerful than larger groups as long as they are more

organized

______ lobbying involves bringing public pressure on policymakers, such as organizing a letter writing campaign to members of Congress.

outside

_______ goods refer to benefits that are given directly to particular individuals as a result of belonging to an interest group.

private

One of the positive contributions that interest groups make is

providing a form of representation for organized groups.

Outside lobbying is aimed at bringing ______ pressure to bear on policymakers.

public

______ incentives include the satisfaction that you are participating in a worthy effort.

purposive

Capture theory argues that ______ sometimes focus more on the needs of industries than on the public interest.

regulatory agencies

Most citizens' groups are ______ interest groups because they focus on a specific issue, such as the environment.

single issue

Which of the southern states has fewer than 400 registered lobbyists?

south carolina

An important feature of private goods is that

the group can withhold a benefit.

Before 1900, service in Congress

was not usually a career for most of its members.

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 is one reason that incumbents have a fundraising advantage over challengers?

Incumbents have a ready list of potential contributors from past campaigns.

Which of the following are ways in which members of Congress benefit from ties to lobbyists?

Lobbyists provide information on specific pieces of legislation. Lobbyists identify bills that need their attention. Lobbyists testify at committee hearings.

Which of the following describes the power of Congress relative to the other branches of government?

No executive agency or lower court can exist without congressional authorization.

How are issue networks formed?

They are the result of the fact that individuals have interests and expertise regarding particular policy issues despite disagreeing on the outcome.

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.

A group that raises and spends money for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election is known as

a political action committee.

A simple way to describe citizens' groups is that they are groups

anyone can join

Which of the following strongly and positively affects a congressional candidate's ability to raise money and win an election?

being an incumbent

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, which interest group spends the most money each year lobbying members of government?

chambers of commerce

Which type of group typically has a problem with free riders?

citizens' groups

Which of the following are the components of an iron triangle?

congressional committees executive agencies interest groups

Which of the following types of interest groups is not classified as an economic interest group?

consumer

Which of the following help interest groups participate more effectively in group politics?

contacts, money, skills

the interest-group system tends to work primarily in favor of

corporate interests.

While the relationship between actors in an iron triangle tends to be more long-lasting, issue networks tend to

disband once an issue is settled.

An organization that collects dues in exchange for providing exclusive, members-only benefits is an example of a(n)

economic interest group

Which of the following are legal tactics used by interest groups to influence policymakers?

engaging in public relations making campaign contributions lobbying

Lobbying elected officials includes which of the following activities?

face-to-face meetings with members of Congress

Interest groups tend to rely on the courts to advance their policy goals when they have

faced legislative hurdles. a low chance of achieving their goals through elected officials.

True or false: Both pluralists and their critics agree that interest groups have little influence over the government.

false

Which of the following are among interest groups' judicial lobbying options?

filing amicus curiae briefs lawsuits influencing the selection of federal judges

Super PACs are legally forbidden from which of the following?

giving money directly to candidates giving money directly to political parties

Which type of workers make up an increasing share of union workers?

government workers

In an iron triangle, ______ provide campaign contributions to ______ in order to gain their support for a particular policy proposal.

groups; members of Congress

Who typically benefits the most from interest group resources and activism?

incumbents

Rather than using threats, interest groups tend to influence lawmakers by providing them with

information that supports the group's policy positions.

A(n) _____ _____is an informal but relatively stable group of persons from Congress, executive agencies, and interest groups with a mutual interest in a particular policy area.

iron triangle

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

______ refers broadly to efforts by groups to influence public policy through contact with public officials.

lobbying

The framers of the Constitution granted Congress the power to ______, the greatest of all powers of government.

make the laws

Jobs, higher wages, and tax incentives are all examples of ______ incentives to joining interest groups.

material

Which of the following are considered reasons for Americans' broad participation in groups, such as volunteer organizations?

the prominence of public education the importance of religion a tradition of free association

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 agencies

Which type of interest group represents business firms of a particular kind, such as insurance companies?

trade association

According to political scientist Mancur Olson, interest groups with smaller memberships usually prevail because they are able to join together and pool resources.

true