Political Science Organizing for Influence
iron triangle
A small and informal but relatively stable group of well-positioned legislators, executives, and lobbyists who seek to promote policies beneficial to a particular interest
citizen groups
Also called noneconomic groups, organized interests formed by individuals drawn together by opportunities to promote a cause in which they believe but that does not provide them significant individual economic benefits.
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.
issue network
An informal and relatively open network of public officials and lobbyists who come together in response to a proposed policy in an area of interest to each of them. Unlike an iron triangle, an issue network disbands after the issue is resolved.
If you were lobbying Congress, what would be the safest strategy for you to use?
Be aboveboard with members.
private (individual) goods
Benefits that a group (most often an economic group) can grant directly and exclusively to individual members of the group.
Which of the following states have 800 or more registered lobbyists within the state?
California, Texas, and New York
______ goods are those that belong to all people and cannot be withheld on an individual basis, such as clean air or water.
Collective
Inside Lobbying
Direct communication between organized interests and policymakers, which is based on the assumed value of close ("inside") contacts with policymakers.
True or false: Retired lawmakers cannot become lobbyists because they are forbidden by law to take a lobbying job.
False Former lawmakers can become lobbyists after a set period of time and are well suited to lobbying because of their knowledge of the political process.
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 are the advantages enjoyed by a large interest group such as the AARP?
It has a large staff that lobbies the federal government. It can generate a large amount of mail to members of Congress. It is well-financed, even though individual members' dues are low.
How have advances in technology affected the free-rider problem?
It has lessened it.
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
Which of the following are ways in which members of Congress benefit from ties to lobbyists?
Lobbyists identify bills that need their attention. Lobbyists provide information on specific pieces of legislation.
______ lobbying involves bringing public pressure on policymakers, such as organizing a letter writing campaign to members of Congress.
Outside
Which of the southern states has fewer than 400 registered lobbyists?
South Carolina
Lobbying
The process by which interest-group members and lobbyists attempt to influence public policy through contacts with public officials.
How are issue networks formed?
They are formed by individuals who have expertise regarding a particular policy issue as well as various views on it.
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.
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
When the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act was passed, individual taxpayers clearly benefited, receiving an average annual tax cut of nearly $1,300, increasing their after-tax income by 1.7 percent.
True
Interest groups tend to rely on the courts to advance their policy goals when they have ______.
a cause that's unpopular with the public a low chance of achieving their goals through legislation
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
What is a super PAC?
an independent-expenditure-only committee
Modern lobbyists primarily concentrate on providing lawmakers with ______.
arguments and evidence for their position
congressional committee >>>>
budget support for a program
Among economic groups, which type are the most numerous?
business groups
In the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act, the corporate tax cut is permanent, whereas the individual tax cut has an end date. This difference illustrates the fact that:
business groups pay more attention to tax policy than other interest groups do.
The interest-group system in the United States overrepresents ______.
business interests
Which type of group typically has to deal with the problem of free riders?
citizens' groups
Benefits that belong to everyone, not just the members of a group, are referred to as ______.
collective goods
Which of the following are the components of an iron triangle?
congressional committees interest groups executive agencies
government agency >>>>
constituent service
Which of the following help interest groups participate more effectively in group politics?
contacts money skills
Interest groups >>>>
electoral support to members of Congress
Interest groups that are not directly involved in litigation may file amicus curiae briefs to ______.
encourage a ruling that is beneficial to their cause
Super PACs are legally forbidden from which of the following?
giving money directly to political parties giving money directly to candidates
arguments and evidence for their position
groups; members of Congress
Which of the following are among interest groups' judicial lobbying options?
influencing the selection of federal judges filing amicus curiae briefs lawsuits
A(n) ___________ consists of a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who seek to develop policies beneficial to a particular interest.
iron triangle
Which of the following are private goods?
jobs retirement plans
Jobs, higher wages, and tax incentives are all examples of ______ incentives to joining interest groups.
material
Interest groups rely on what two main lobbying strategies?
outside lobbying inside lobbying
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 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
Interest group influence is particularly strong among ______ agencies that are responsible for overseeing the nation's business sectors.
regulatory
Agency capture refers to the situation where ______ side with the industry they are supposed to regulate rather than with the public that they are supposed to protect.
regulatory agencies
An interest group is an organization that ______.
seeks to influence government policy
Compared to iron triangles, the relationship between actors in an issue network tends to be more ______.
temporary
Which one of these groups is an example of a citizens' group?
the National Organization for Women
An important feature of private goods for an economic group is that ______.
they are benefits the group can withhold
Which type of interest group represents business firms of a particular kind, such as insurance companies?
trade association
