american politics ch 9
The interest group strategy that includes face-to-face meetings with legislators and providing policy information to policymakers is known as
inside lobbying.
Outside lobbying is aimed at bringing ______ pressure to bear on policymakers.
public
One example of an environmental interest group is
Greenpeace.
_______ goods refer to benefits that are given directly to particular individuals as a result of belonging to an interest group.
Private
Which type of group typically has a problem with free riders?
citizens' groups
Benefits that belong to the entire group are referred to as
collective goods.
Which of the following types of interest groups is not classified as an economic interest group?
consumer
iron triangle congressional committee
budget support for a program
Which definition refers to an interest group?
an organization seeking to influence government policy
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.
iron triangle government agency
constituent service
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.
______ refers broadly to efforts by groups to influence public policy through contact with public officials.
Lobbying
Which group represents the largest agricultural interest group in the United States today?
the American Farm Bureau
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission involved which issue affecting interest groups?
the limit on corporate and union spending in federal elections
iron triangle members of congress
electoral support
iron triangle interest groups
electoral support to members of congress
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
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
Interest group influence is particularly strong among ______ agencies that are responsible for overseeing the nation's business sectors.
regulatory
Capture theory argues that ______ sometimes focus more on the needs of industries than on the public interest.
regulatory agencies
True or false: According to political scientist Mancur Olson, interest groups with smaller memberships usually prevail because they are able to join together and pool resources.
True
True or false: Those interest groups that are poorly organized run the risk of being ignored politically.
True
What is a super PAC?
an independent-expenditure-only committee
iron triangle interest group
beneficial policy descisions
Most citizens' groups are ______ interest groups because they focus on a specific issue, such as the environment.
single-issue
iron triangle federal agency
support for their administrative programs
Among economic groups, which type are the most numerous?
business groups
The interest-group system in the U.S. overrepresents
business interests.
Which one of these groups is an example of a citizens' group?
the National Organization for Women
An important feature of private goods is that
the group can withhold a benefit.
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.
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.
Super PACs are legally forbidden from which of the following?
-giving money directly to political parties -giving money directly to candidates
Which of the following are among interest groups' judicial lobbying options?
-influencing the selection of federal judges -lawsuits -filing amicus curiae briefs
Interest groups rely on what two main lobbying strategies?
-inside lobbing -outside lobbying
Which of the following are private goods?
-jobs -retirement plans
Which of the following are legal tactics used by interest groups to influence policymakers?
-lobbying -engaging in public relations -making campaign contributions
The United States provides a favorable environment for interest groups because
-the tradition of free speech and association means there are few legal barriers to the activities of interest groups. -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 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.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, which interest group spends the most money each year lobbying members of government?
Chamber of Commerce
The states that border Mexico all have ______ registered lobbyists.
more than 800
Political scientist Mancur Olson argues that small interest groups can be more powerful than larger groups as long as they are more
organized.
___ lobbying includes forming PACs and influencing the news media.
outside
Interest groups that are not directly involved in litigation may file amicus curiae briefs
to encourage a ruling that is beneficial to their cause.
How have advances in technology affected the free-rider problem?
It has lessened it.
______ goods are those that belong to all people and cannot be withheld on an individual basis, such as clean air or water.
Collective
Labor group political action committees typically favor contributing to which of the following groups?
Democrats
Which of the southern states has fewer than 400 registered lobbyists?
South Carolina
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.
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
A simple way to describe citizens' groups is that they are groups
anyone can join.
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.
Jobs, higher wages, and tax incentives are all examples of ______ incentives to joining interest groups.
material
What portion of all lobbying groups in Washington are business related?
two-thirds
