Chapter 11: Interest Groups
Settings
-
+
- 1.Participation in both elections and interest groups has declined dramatically since 1960
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 2.Interest groups have no formal Constitutional protections.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 3.Interest groups differ from political parties because
- A.
Parties use technology more effectively
- B.
Groups tend to be policy specialists while parties tend to be policy generalists.
- C.
The group's main arena is the electoral system.
- D.
Parties seek many access points in the government.
- 4.The theory the argues the just a few groups have most of the power is the
- A.
Pluralist theory
- B.
Elite theory
- C.
Group theory of politics
- D.
Hyper pluralist theory
- 5.The gropu theory of politics
- A.
Is a part of traditional democratic theory
- B.
Supports the idea that elites run the government
- C.
Sees groups as an important linkage institution
- D.
States that groups have become too powerful
- 6.
- A.
Groups are extremely unequal in power.
- B.
Groups usually play by the rules of the game.
- C.
Groups weak in one resource can use another.
- D.
Groups compete.
- 7.Public opinion polls have shown that most people believe that government is pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 8.
- A.
Real power is held by relatively few key groups.
- B.
The power of a few is fortified by an extensive system of interlocking directorates.
- C.
The real game of group politics is the one played by the corporate elites.
- D.
Groups provide an effective check on elite power.
- 9.
- A.
It is open to too many groups.
- B.
It benefits the few at the expense of the many.
- C.
It disperses power among a wide range of groups.
- D.
Legislators have become immune to group pressures.
- 10.Interest group liberalism is characterized by the philosophy that all interests are almost equally legitimate and the job of government is to advance them all.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 11.Which of the following is NOT a part of sub governments?
- A.
Interest group leaders
- B.
Interlocking directorates
- C.
Administrative agencies
- D.
Congressional committees and subcommittees.
- 12.The Tobacco Institute, the Department of Agriculture, and the House Tobacco Subcommittee working together to protect the interest of tobacco farmers is a classic example of
- A.
Interlocking directorates
- B.
The group theory of politics
- C.
A sub government
- D.
Elite control of government
- 13.The hyperpluralist position on groups is that
- A.
Groups have become too powerful int the political process.
- B.
Interest group liberalism is aggravated by numerous sub governments.
- C.
The result of group conflict is contradictory and confusing policy.
- D.
All the above.
- 14.The larger the group, the
- A.
More government support it receives.
- B.
More it behaves like a party.
- C.
Less effective it is.
- D.
More specialized it becomes.
- 15.Large groups have organizational advantages over small groups.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 16.A potential group
- A.
Is composed of people who share a common interest
- B.
Is usually smaller than an actual group
- C.
Is composed of only active group members
- D.
Always consists of all consumers.
- 17.Collective goods
- A.
Can be packaged and sold separately.
- B.
Can be withheld from any group member
- C.
Are available only to members of the actual group who secure them.
- D.
Are shared by members of the potential group.
- 18.
- A.
Are actual group members
- B.
Avoid collective goods
- C.
Aggravate large groups more than small groups
- D.
Automatically share in selective benefits.
- 19.Which of the following matters could NOT be explained by Mancur Olson's law of large groups?
- A.
The problems of public interest lobbies
- B.
Why small groups are easier to organize
- C.
Why large groups are less effective
- D.
The successes of the Consumers Union
- 20.Goods that a group can restrict to those who pay their yearly dues are called
- A.
Free-rider goods
- B.
Selective benefits
- C.
Collective goods
- D.
Actual benefits
- 21.Which of the following is Not true of single-issue groups?
- A.
They are the same as public interest lobbies
- B.
They have narrow interests
- C.
The dislike compromise
- D.
They single-mindedly pursue their goals
- 22.One of the most emotional issues to generate single-issue groups has been that of abortion.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 23.Critics charge that PACs make the interest group system biased toward the wealthy.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 24.Which of the following statements regarding the Tax reform Act of 1986 is FALSE?
- A.
The Tax Reform Act eliminated all but a very few loopholes.
- B.
The Tax Reform Act is a classic example of how PACs can influence votes.
- C.
The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee was Congress's top PAC recipient during the tax reform struggle.
- D.
Senator Packwood turned against lobbyists trying to get his ear on behalf of various tax loopholes.
- 25.Technology has facilitated the explosion inf the number of interest groups in the United States.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 26.Which of the following is NOT among the strategies used by interest groups to shape public policy?
- A.
Lobbying
- B.
Litigation
- C.
Electioneering
- D.
Avoiding publicity
- 27.Lobbying
- A.
Is aimed at influencing decision making.
- B.
Is confined solely to the legislative branch.
- C.
Was made illegal with the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act.
- D.
Is most effective in converting legislators.
- 28.Which of the following is NOT one of the ways that lobbyists can help a member of Congress?
- A.
Helping to formulate campaign strategy
- B.
Writing and introducing bills
- C.
Providing important information
- D.
Providing idea and innovations.
- 29.Lobbyists are relatively ineffective in winning over legislators who are opposed to their goals.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 30.
- A.
Studies have shown that lobbyists are particularly effective as information sources.
- B.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that sometimes lobbying can persuade legislators to support a certain policy
- C.
It is hard to isolate the effects of lobbying from other influences.
- D.
Unlike campaigning, lobbying is directed primarily toward conversion activities.
- 31.Which of the following is generally NOT a major part of electioneering?
- A.
Providing financial aid to candidates, frequently through PACs
- B.
Encouraging group members to campaign for a favorite candidate
- C.
Running an interest group leader as a political candidate
- D.
Activating group members to vote for a favorite candidate.
- 32.Most PAC contributions are given to challengers rather than incumbents.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 33.Congressional candidate Steve Sovern organized a PAC called LASTPAC in order to
- A.
Get PAC money since no other PAC would support him.
- B.
Urge candidates to shun PAC-backing
- C.
Unite the PACs under on political organization
- D.
Get other candidates to support the goals of the Legal Assistance Support Team (LAST).
- 34.Which of the following types of groups has NOT resorted to litigation as a strategy for affecting policy?
- A.
Groups interested in equality
- B.
Groups interested in the environment
- C.
Public interest lobbies
- D.
None of the above
- 35.
- A.
Enable a group of similarly situated plaintiffs to combine similar grievances into a single suit.
- B.
Consist of written arguments submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case.
- C.
Are required before an interest group can sue for enforcement of a particular piece of legislation.
- D.
Are most often used by PACs
- 36.Most interest groups are not concerned with the opinions of people outside of their membership
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 37.Public policy in America has economic effects through
- A.
Regulations
- B.
Tax advantages
- C.
Subsidies and contracts
- D.
All of the above
- 38.Right-to-work laws are generally supported by
- A.
Business groups
- B.
Labor unions
- C.
Public interest groups
- D.
All of the above
- 39.The concept of the "union shop" illustrates the seriousness of the free-rider problem for labor organizations.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 40.The influence of business groups would best illustrate
- A.
Pluralist theory
- B.
Elite theory
- C.
Hyper pluralist theory
- D.
Democratic theory
- 41.Business PACs have increased more dramatically than any other category of PACs.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 42.Which of the following issues is NOT on the hit list of environmentalist groups?
- A.
Alternative energy sources
- B.
Strip mining
- C.
Offshore oil drilling
- D.
Supersonic aircraft
- 43.Today, civil rights groups are particularly concerned with affirmative action programs to ensure equal educational and employment opportunities.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 44.Most recently, the National Organization for Women has been most active in
- A.
Getting the Equal Rights Amendment ratified
- B.
The enactment of individual statutes on equal rights for women.
- C.
Achieving equal voting rights.
- D.
All of the above.
- 45.Organizations that seek a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization are called
- A.
Single-issue groups
- B.
Public interest lobbies
- C.
Political Action Committees
- D.
Pluralistic groups
- 46.
- A.
Favored a wide-open system in which many groups would be able to participate to counterbalance one another.
- B.
Wanted the Constitution to forbid the growth of groups and factions.
- C.
Believed american society would be best served by a relatively small number of powerful groups.
- D.
Believed that public interest groups were dangerous because the common man was not qualified to speak for the public interest.
- 47.Presidents Carter and Reagan both felt that interest groups were beneficial to their administrations and helped with policy formation.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Back to top