Exam 11: Interest Groups and Social Movements

Why do Washington lobbyists often complain about having to attend so many fund-raisers?

Some critics argue that Robert Dahl's model of pluralism,which is based on interest groups' influence on proposed legislation,does not account for ____________________.

Which dilemma is evident in the difficulties that arise in enticing individuals who may benefit from an interest group's work to provide financial support for that organization?

Which term refers to the political pressure faced by an interest group to provide campaign contributions to an elected official to ensure that he or she continues to support the group's positions in the policy-making process?

A bill requiring the auto industry to meet stricter emission standards is set to come before Congress.Many groups are invested in its outcome-environmental interest groups,auto manufacturers,labor unions,mechanics,environmental scientists,oil companies,and others.How are the groups representing these interests likely to behave?

Explain how the collective-action problem relates to the organization of interest groups and social movements.How are some groups able to overcome this barrier to collective action? How can interest groups and social movements serve democratic interests? How might interest groups and social movements undermine democratic governance?

Tiffany supports the policy objectives of the National Rifle Association (NRA),but she has not actually joined the organization because she knows that her small membership fee will not make much of a difference in whether the organization succeeds or fails in its mission.Tiffany's thinking is indicative of a/an ____________________.

Finding that local education policy is shaped by interactions between elected school board officials and representatives of teachers' unions,parents' organizations,and the business community would be most consistent with the theory of ____________________.

Chevrolet and Greenpeace both support a bill that would require automobile manufacturers to meet stricter emissions standards in the next two years.Chevrolet supports the bill because its Chevy Volt is one of the few cars that already meets these standards and Chevrolet is likely to benefit financially from stricter regulation while its competitors struggle to catch up.Greenpeace supports the bill because of its potential environmental benefits.Though they both support the bill,Greenpeace and Chevrolet are likely to face a/an ____________________ when advocating for its passage.

Multiple interest groups often face a/an ____________________ when attempting to agree on strategies or tactics to achieve a common goal.

Calista is an enthusiastic gun owner and a supporter of extensive gun ownership rights.Yet,she is not a member of the National Rifle Association or any other interest groups that lobbies for the rights of gun owners.Calista is ____________________ the efforts of the NRA and other pro-gun interest groups and their members.

The civil rights movement is best characterized as a ____________________ rather than an interest group because of the involvement of many different organizations and the use of unconventional forms of political activism to engage individuals who had been excluded from normal political processes.

If the National Rifle Association began to nominate its own candidates to run for public offices,rather than endorsing or supporting external candidates,it would cease to be a/an ____________________ and become a/an ____________________.

A/an ____________________ is a loose organization of groups with common goals that are oriented toward using mass action to influence the government.

Which are activities by interest group leaders that seek to mobilize constituents and others outside the policy-making process to pressure policy makers?

In Germany,the leaders of some labor unions and workers' rights organizations are designated by the government as official representatives of workers.Government officials meet exclusively with these representatives to discuss and formulate policies related to wages,benefits,and working conditions.This arrangement is indicative of ____________________.

Compared to parliamentary democracies,the American government offers ____________________ points of access because ____________________.

A collection of groups come together and develop a platform of political goals.They are driven to act together because they lack access to conventional means of political participation.Because they are disadvantaged and excluded from conventional politics,they choose to use tactics that may draw public attention to their issues.How is this most easily defined?

Why is it difficult to make strong conclusions about the relationship between interest groups' financial contributions to political candidates and the voting behavior of those candidates once in office? What explains interest groups' continued use of campaign contributions despite the lack of evidence of their effectiveness in changing policy makers' behaviors?

A critic of American pluralism once wrote,"The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent." Explain this critique of pluralism.In this critical view,what is problematic about the role of interest groups in making public policy in the United States? How does this problem arise? What can be done about it?