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
