Quiz 9- Interest Groups

Approximately how many members does AARP have?

Approximately how many members does AARP have?

Which of the following is a main theoretical assumption of pluralism?

Competition among interests will produce balance, with all interests regulating each other.

The Teamsters and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) are examples of what kind of interest group?

a labor group

Interest groups are permitted to spend as much money as they want on issue advocacy during a campaign season, as long as they

do not coordinate their efforts with a candidate's own campaign organization.

The best description of the ideal of pluralism is that

interests should be free to compete with each other for governmental influence.

Since the 1930s, the number and scale of interest groups at the national level has

dramatically increased

The increased number and importance of interest groups

is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government

If one enjoys the benefits of a group's collective efforts but did not contribute to those efforts, one is called a

free rider.

The solidary benefits of interest groups include

friendship and consciousness-raising.

The Christian Coalition is best described as a(n) ______ group.

ideological

What is the most important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials?

information

T/F Except for laws against bribery, lobbyists are shielded from any legal regulations of their activities.

False

T/F Interest groups have been the most successful way to politically mobilize the poor and working classes in the United States.

False

Why is it important for interest groups to offer selective benefits?

It is necessary to limit the extent of the free-rider problem.

What distinguishes lobbying from other strategies of influence?

Lobbyists try to exert pressure directly on government officials themselves.

Lobbying is

an attempt by an individual or group to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of Congress or a state legislature.

A ______ is the best example of an informational benefit provided by many interest groups.

newsletter

Which of the following is not a key organizational component of interest groups?

newsletter and website

Interest groups are concerned with the ______ of government, while political parties are concerned with the ______ of government.

policies; personnel

The National League of Cities is a good example of a

public-sector interest group.

If people were motivated to join an environmental organization because they strongly believed in protecting the environment and supported the goals of the group, then we would say they were motivated by

purposive benefits.

Organized interest groups enhance American democracy by

representing the interests of large numbers of people and encouraging political participation.

The practice of lobbying is protected by

the First Amendment.

What is the primary function of a political action committee (PAC)?

to raise and distribute money to election campaigns

Members of interest groups in the United States are typically people

with higher levels of income and education.