Interest Groups #3
On what two key types of resources do interest groups rely in order to remain effective?
-membership -financing
Which of the following is an example of a public outreach campaign aimed at bringing about reforms in the American justice system?
#BlackLivesMatter
Which of the following would be considered a public outreach activity used by interest groups?
-hosting a protest on the steps of Congress -creating public service announcements to be aired on television
purposive
joining because of similarly held beliefs
The Women's March, which began in response to President Trump's inauguration in 2017, is a grassroots movement that has created entry points for new grassroots activists. Of the following key functions of interest groups, which two best exemplify the the Women's March movement?
-Interest groups mobilize citizens and stimulate them to participate in civic and political affairs. -Interest groups provide average citizens with an avenue of access to activism.
According to Robert Putnam, in what ways does social capital improve both individual lives and communities?
-It provides us with relationships that we can use to help solve common problems. -It increases efficacy because it stimulates people to interact with their governments. -It is a factor in living a longer, happier, and healthier life.
Which of the following are reasons that interest groups are dominated by individuals with higher levels of wealth and education?
-They have more disposable income to spend on membership dues. -They are more likely to be informed of the issues and to understand the importance of interest groups in shaping policy. -They likely have occupations in which interest group participation is helpful.
One of the incentives of becoming an interest group member is to satisfy
-a desire for increased opportunities of occupational advancement. -a sense of belonging.
Which of the following would be considered electioneering strategies?
-a get-out-the-vote drive -forming a political action committee (PAC) -press releases endorsing a candidate
Which of the following describe the downside of interest groups in our political system?
-domination by elites skewing the policy process in their favor -strengthening the advantages of incumbents -increasing the influence of money in politics
Which of the following demographic characteristics are related to both the likelihood of interest group participation and the types of participation engaged in?
-education -income -social class -race
Which of the following are examples of indirect strategies employed by interest groups in advancing their interests?
-electioneering -public outreach
Which of the following factors within an interest group's organizational environment can increase its success?
-highly skilled leadership within the group itself -a lack of competition from opposing interest groups
Which of the following are reasons that working class people are less likely to join an interest group?
-lack of disposable income -lack of time -socialization
Which groups of Americans are more likely to participate in social movements because of their loose membership and leadership structures?
-minorities -the poor -young people
Key factors in an interest group's organizational environment include which of the following?
-opposition -leadership
Which of the following are key functions of interest groups?
-protect the common good -educate the public about policy issues -serve as a method for checks and balances
Which of the following are values of interest groups in American democracy?
-serving as a mechanism for people to approach government -serving as a tool to help guide policy makers
How do political scientists generally categorize interest groups?
by what kinds of issues concern them and who benefits from their activities
trade and professional interests
economic interest group
One way for an interest group to provide evaluative evidence of policy impact to Congress is through
expert testimony
Interest groups lobbying for policies representing groups of industries or corporations are known as ______ organizations.
umbrella organizations
With regard to information that interest groups provide, policymakers
understand that it is slanted toward the group's interest.
A group that raises and spends money for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election is known as
a political action committee
Elite Theory
a small, close-knit group of people who possess wealth and power control policy making in government
Someone from a working-class family is less likely to join an interest group because working class people
are less likely to have been socialized to participate in traditional interest groups.
Which of the following would be the least likely to belong to a trade and professional interest group?
assembly line worker
What political issue gave rise to consumer interest groups?
automotive safety
Which of the following best describes an important characteristic for the leader of an interest group?
charismatic
Which type of group typically has a problem with free riders?
citizens groups
Which example would not be a direct interest group strategy?
civil disobedience
Which membership characteristic relates to interest group success?
cohesion
What is a common tactic environmental groups employ to generate attention for their issue?
confrontational protests
Which of the following most accurately characterizes direct strategies?
contact between the interest group and policymakers
Foreign nationals are prohibited from
contributing money to American political campaigns.
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
Which of the following most accurately describes an economic incentive to interest group membership?
discounts on airfares, hotels, and car rentals
Which is not a correct category of interest groups?
domestic
agricultural interests
economic interest group
Despite the fact that online civic participation has resonated with those who have been historically less likely to participate in interest groups, which of the following remains an important demographic determinant of participation?
education
Working to influence the election of candidates who support their issues is referred to as
electioneering
Which political party do business and corporate political action committees typically favor with their contributions?
Republicans
The Moral Majority, a conservative Christian group, helped to elect _____ _______, a Republican, to the presidency in 1980.
Ronald Reagan
With which issue would public or consumer groups be most likely to concern themselves?
Social Security Reform
Rational choice Theory
The idea that it is not rational for people to participate in collective action when they can secure the collective good without participating is based on
Two factors that impact the success of interest groups are a group's organizational resources and its organizational .
environment
Lobbying elected officials includes which of the following activities?
face-to-face meetings with members of Congress
One of the factors included in the evaluation of an organization's resources is
financial potential
economic
joining because certain services or activities are available only to members
solidary
joining because of social associations
Which of the following plays a major role in the success of the AARP?
large membership
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission involved which issue affecting interest groups?
the ban on unions and corporations promoting or targeting federal candidates
Which of the following did Robert Putnam identify as a benefit of interest groups?
the creation of social capital
Which of the following most accurately describes an interest group's organizational resources?
the tools it has to achieve its goals
How are issue networks formed?
they are the result of the fact that individuals have interests and expertise in particular policy issues despite disagreeing on the outcome
Why did Congress enact laws to create PACs?
to provide a means of overseeing the flow of money into political campaigns
Which category of interest group includes doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, and even video game developers as members?
trade and professional
Which person is least likely to become a member of an interest group?
a person from a working-class background
E. E. Schattschneider and other political scientists like him believe that interest groups are valuable to the democratic process by doing which of the following?
-serving as a point of access to government -providing an avenue whereby people can influence the policy process
Which of the following factors is not used to predict interest group success?
-the group's ability to run candidates for political office -the group's capacity for changing its purpose
Which of the following are important factors of interest group membership that relate to the group's overall effectiveness?
-the membership's intensity about the issue -size of the membership -demographics of the membership -cohesion of the group
Which of the following would be examples of indirect strategies utilized by interest groups?
-writing letters to politicians -orchestrating a protest
Social movement
A large informal group of individuals or organizations striving for a broad, common goal centered on significant changes to the social or political order is called a(n)
What is the primary difference between interest groups and political action committees (PACs)?
An interest group pursues the group's broad goals, while PACs raise and spend money to influence election outcomes.
Labor group political action committees typically favor which political party with their contributions?
Democrats
_____ interest group strategies involve meetings between interest group representatives and policymakers.
Direct
______ testimony is used by interest groups to provide information to policy makers concerning the impact of policies.
Expert Testimony
True or false: Groups that provide greater collective benefits generally attract universal support among individuals who reap those benefits.
False
True or false: Research indicates that once an interest group has established itself, it is unaffected by the creation of other groups with similar agendas.
False
One example of an environmental interest group is
Greenpeace
What makes indirect interest group strategies different from direct strategies?
Indirect strategies are directed more toward the public than elected officials.
Which represents a shared view of elitists and pluralists?
Interest groups are important to individuals exercising control over government.
How do interest groups foster civic participation?
Interest groups provide ways for people to organize to influence government.
Which is true of the 2018 Supreme Court case Janus v. United States?
It ended compelled union dues for public employees and will have widespread impact on the strength of public employee unions.
What is the effect of the presence of opposing interest groups on an interest group's success?
It makes it more difficult to get policymakers to act in any one group's favor.
Which philosopher/constitutional framer believed that people with similar interests would form and join groups to prompt government action?
James Madison
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
Which organization emphasizing "pro-family" values played a pivotal role in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980?
Moral Majority
Pluralist Theory
Proponents of ______ theory believe that interest groups facilitate political participation and policy debates.
Organisational Environment
The setting in which an interest group attempts to achieve its goals
True or false: A strong charismatic leader can raise public awareness of an interest group and its activities, thereby making it attractive to new members and contributors.
True
True or false: Educational attainment is a strong predictor of traditional interest group participation.
True
True or false: Foreign governments, such as that of China, lobby the U.S. government for favorable trade policies.
True
Which person is most likely to become a member of an interest group?
a 23-year-old doctoral student in political science
What is an example of an economic interest group?
a labor union
Political scientists believe that ______ and ______ are the best predictors of interest group membership.
income; education
New campaign finance rules that allow unlimited expenditures by business and labor have the effect of
increasing the importance of interest groups' financial resources.
PACs formed by economic interest groups overwhelmingly favor
incumbents
A group engaged in mailing bricks to members of Congress as a way to demonstrate support for a piece of legislation are employing which interest group strategy?
indirect
In the policy-making process, members of Congress, the executive departments and agencies, and organized interest groups are said to make up the iron .
iron triangle
Professional lobbyists are almost always
lawyers
An example of a direct interest group strategy is
litigation
All of the following are included in the measurement of a group's organizational resources except
marketing effectiveness.
Professionals typically become members of professional associations due to
membership incentives and services.
If your mother participated in your town's historical preservation society, you are ______ someone whose mother was not a member of an interest group.
more likely to become an interest group member than
For those disenchanted with the two-party system, interest groups
offer an alternative means of participation.
Which of the following has/have increased interest group participation among groups that have not historically joined interest groups?
online interest groups
When an interest group endorses a candidate who is running for office, what key function is it fulfilling?
performing a role in the electoral system
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
One of the criticisms of interest group participation is that
political action committees have caused campaigns to become too expensive.
consumer interests
public and ideological interest groups
religious interests
public and ideological interest groups
A public employee _______ is a labor organization made up of federal, state, and municipal workers.
public employee union
Litigation by an interest group is often used to challenge
public policies
The idea that it is not rational for people to participate in collective action when they can secure the collective good without participating is based on
rational choice theory
When an interest group is "the only game in town," policymakers are more likely to
rely on that group's views.
Which of the following would be least likely to be on the the agenda of a consumer interest group?
school prayer
Solidary incentives are closely linked to which of the following concepts?
social capital
Which issue would not represent a concern of the largest agricultural interest group?
subsidized housing
Religious groups that are overtly involved in political activities risk losing their
tax exempt status
Which group represents the largest agricultural interest group in the United States today?
the American Farm Bureau Federation
One example of a corporate or business interest group is
the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
