mixer 4 posc

AARP has approximately ________ members today.

38 million

Which of the following is a theoretical assumption of pluralism?

Competition among interests will produce balance, with all interests regulating each other

How do interest groups use litigation as a strategy of influence?

They file amici curiae briefs, finance lawsuits, and bring a suit on behalf of the group filing

Many interest groups are initially organized because

a political entrepreneur with a strong commitment to a particular set of goals believes a group will promote his or her goals and enhance his or her political influence.

The best description of the ideal of pluralism is that

interests should be free to compete with each other for governmental influence

Interest groups are permitted to spend as much money as they want on issue advocacy during a campaign season, as long as they _____

do not coordinate their efforts with a candidate's own campaign organization

Since the 1930s, the number and scale of interest groups at the national level has

dramatically increased

Organized interest groups enhance American democracy by ________

encouraging political participation

A benefit that is sought by an interest group and that once achieved cannot be denied to nonmembers is called __________

free rider

If a person enjoys the benefits of a group's collective efforts but does not contribute to those efforts, he or she is called a

free rider

The solitary benefits of interest groups include ___________

friendship and consciousness-raising

What are the primary variables for predicting the likelihood of joining an interest group?

higher income higher education

What is the most important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials?

information

Lobbying is

an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on Members of Congress

The free-rider phenomenon is more problematic as the size of a group becomes _____

larger

One way that AARP has been effective at overcoming the free-rider problem is by providing ________ benefits to its members.

selective

The practice of lobbying is protected by _______

the first amendment

It is difficult for political scientists to categorize unrepresented interests because

there are no organizations that can present their identities and demands

Public interest groups differ from other types of interest groups in that

they claim to serve the common good, not just their own particular interests.

The free-rider problem occurs because

when those who benefit from resources, public goods, or services do not pay for them, which results in an under provision of those goods or services