Chapter 9
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
An interest group that is primarily organized for financial reasons, such as to make profits, provide jobs, or improve pay, but engages in political action to pursue favorable government policies is a(n) ----group.
Economic
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
One example of an environmental interest group is
Greenpeace
Which of the following types of interest groups is not classified as an economic interest group?
consumer
Which type of group typically has a problem with free riders?
citizen groups
Benefits that belong to the entire group are referred to as
collective goods
______ refers broadly to efforts by groups to influence public policy through contact with public officials.
Lobbying
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission involved which issue affecting interest groups?
the limit on corporate and union spending in federal elections
A person known as a(n) rider derives a benefit without contributing to its achievement.
free
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?
govt workers
In an iron triangle, ______ provide campaign contributions to ______ in order to gain their support for a particular policy proposal.
groups; members of Congress
Rather than using threats, interest groups tend to influence lawmakers by providing them with ______.
information that supports the group's policy positions
The interest group strategy that includes face-to-face meetings with legislators and providing policy information to policymakers is known as ______.
inside lobbying
Which of the following are private goods?
jobs retirement plans
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.
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
---lobbying includes forming PACs and influencing the news media.
Outside
Which of the southern states has fewer than 400 registered lobbyists?
South Carolina
Jobs, higher wages, and tax incentives are all examples of ______ incentives to joining interest groups.
material
How do interest groups expand the range of issues that come to lawmakers' attention?
They focus on issues that may be controversial. They focus on issues that may not have broad impact.
Capture theory argues that ______ sometimes focus more on the needs of industries than on the public interest.
regulatory agencies
Interest group influence is particularly strong among ______ agencies that are responsible for overseeing the nation's business sectors.
regulatory.
What was Madison's constitutional solution to the problem of factions?
system of checks and balances
Compared to iron triangles, the relationship between actors in an issue network tends to be more ______.
temporary
Which of the following is a way in which special interest groups can give money to candidates?
by forming a political action committee (PAC)
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.
When lobbying Congress, what is the safest strategy?
Be aboveboard.
Iron triangles work to the mutual benefit of the three members of the triangle
members of Congress = electoral support interest group = beneficial policy decisions federal agency = support for their administrative programs
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 involves bringing public pressure on policymakers, such as organizing a letter writing campaign to members of Congress.
outside
Interest groups rely on what two main lobbying strategies?
outside lobbying inside lobbying
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
Which of the following statements are true concerning interest groups?
they broaden the range of issues that lawmakers address they can support controversial issues that lawmakers often avoid
Interest groups that are not directly involved in litigation may file amicus curiae briefs
to encourage a ruling that is beneficial to their cause.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, which interest group spends the most money each year lobbying members of government?
Chamber of Commerce
______ 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
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 are among interest groups' judicial lobbying options?
lawsuits influencing the selection of federal judges filing amicus curiae briefs
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
What portion of all lobbying groups in Washington are business related?
two-thirds
