Exam 6: Interest Groups

In the context of American democracy, which of the following is true of majoritarianism?

Discuss the major provisions of the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 and the reasons why it failed to regulate lobbying to a great degree.

The _____ banned unlimited donations to campaigns and political parties, called soft money.

Which of the following is true of interest group representatives or lobbyists?

Lobbying is best defined as:

Which of the following is an example of a professional interest group?

_____ maintain that the influence of interest groups on government is not undemocratic because individual interests are indirectly represented in the policymaking process through these groups.

Interest groups may form-and existing groups may become more politically active-when:

If a group stands for something that an individual believes is very important, he or she can gain considerable satisfaction in taking action from within that group. Such satisfaction is referred to as a solidary incentive.

Which of the following is a purpose of interest groups in American politics?

The National Rifle Association is an example of a(n) _____.

The freedom to form interest groups and to lobby the government is protected by _____.

Which of the following statements is true of right-to-work laws?

Recently, Shelly joined the Comato Group, an interest group that advocates the consumption of organic food and speaks against the use of chemicals in farming. Shelly claims that the benefits offered by the group to its members are what motivated her to join the group. The member benefits include a free supply of ingredients for organic farming and discounts on organic food products. What type of incentive motivated Shelly to join The Comato Group?

_________ for a special interest can be easier to obtain than subsidies because the former do not look like government spending. A) Tax breaks B) Categorical grants C) Block grants D) Perverse incentives

In March 2010, the _____ banned earmarks that benefit profit-making corporations.

The right to _____ is as important and fundamental to the American democracy as the other First Amendment rights.

Live and Teach Better is an interest group that has been lobbying members of Congress to improve the health benefits of teachers in Wisconsin. Only about 20 percent of the total number of teachers in Wisconsin are members of the groupand contribute to it. Recently, it was successful in getting better health benefits for teachers throughout the city. Even though most of the teachers in the city did not make an effort to help the members of the interest group, they were able to enjoy the improved health benefit plans. In this scenario, the members of the interest group is faced with the issue known as the _____.

Indirect techniques of influencing government policy can be particularly effective because:

_________ contends that, as a practical matter, the government is controlled by one or more exclusive groups, typically drawn from the wealthiest members of society. A) Disturbance theory B) Elite theory C) Naturalist theory D) Entrepreneurial theory