5
Interest Groups
Multiple–Choice Questions
1. In The Federalist, No. 10, James Madison described how a
government could be designed to control the efects of
__________.
a. monarchies
b. factions
c. political parties
d. trade associations
Topic: Interest Groups Past and President: The “Mischiefs of
Faction”
Learning Objective: LO 5.1: Explain the role of interest groups
and social movements in America politics.
Page Reference: 131
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
2. When a case that an interest group is interested in, but not
actually sponsoring, comes before a court, the group can
__________.
a. meet with judges to explain the group’s policy preferences
b. ile an amicus curiae brief to present the group’s analysis of
the case
c. ile an appeal to move the case to a diferent court
d. ile a petition to get the group added to the list of plaintifs
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 143
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
3. People who associate with the Tea Party are mainly concerned
about __________.
a. increasing government spending and growing government
power
b. the inluence of political action committees (PACs) on
elections
c. the decreasing power of labor unions
d. the inluence of lobbyists on government decisions
Topic: Interest Groups Past and President: The “Mischiefs of
Faction”
Learning Objective: LO 5.1: Explain the role of interest groups
and social movements in America politics.
Page Reference: 132
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
4. Which of the following raise money from individuals and then
distribute it in the form of contributions to political candidates?
a. 527 organizations
b. coordinating committees
c. 501(c)3 organizations
d. political action committees
Topic: Money and Politics
Learning Objective: LO 5.5: Identify ways interest groups use
money in elections and assess eforts to regulate this spending.
Page Reference: 148
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
129
5. According to James Madison, a(n) __________ is a group of
individuals concerned more with their self-interest than with the
rights of individuals outside the group or with the needs of
society as a whole.
a. faction
b. political party
c. single-issue organization
d. oligarchy
Topic: Interest Groups Past and President: The “Mischiefs of
Faction”
Learning Objective: LO 5.1: Explain the role of interest groups
and social movements in America politics.
Page Reference: 131
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Easy
6. How has union leadership changed since the mid-20th century?
a. It has become more powerful.
b. It has become less consolidated.
c. It has become weaker.
d. It has become less ideological.
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 134
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
7. A(n) __________ refers to a voluntary organization that seeks to
inluence government.
a. corporation
b. interest group
c. institute
d. faction
130
Topic: Interest Groups Past and President: The “Mischiefs of
Faction”
Learning Objective: LO 5.1: Explain the role of interest groups
and social movements in America politics.
Page Reference: 131
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
8. In what areas have labor unions seen growth in recent years?
a. the service sector and public sector
b. manufacturing and agriculture
c. transportation and communications
d. communications and the service sector
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 133
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
9. The __________ problem occurs when people fail to join a group
because they can get the beneits the group ofers without
contributing to the group’s eforts.
a. free rider
b. pluralist
c. collective good
d. group coordination
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 135
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
10. What is a trade association?
a. a coalition of public interest groups in a speciic policy area,
such as environmental policy
131
b. an organization that coordinates exchanges of information
and resources among multiple interest groups
c. an organization that represents businesses within a speciic
industry
d. an organization that represents the federal government
during the negotiation of international trade agreements
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 133
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
11. Which of the following is a similarity between labor unions in
open shop and closed shop states?
a. In both, unions are prevented from forming political action
committees (PACs).
b. In both, the free rider problem limits the political power of
unions.
c. In both, the beneits that unions gain are reserved for union
members.
d. In both, all workers share the beneits the unions gain.
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 134 – 135
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
12. To overcome the free rider problem, many interest groups ofer
material beneits. What are tangible incentives?
a. the policies that interest groups help to bring about
b. beneits given only to group members
c. campaign contributions to elected oicials
d. bonuses given to the most efective lobbyists
132
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 140
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
13. What is an amicus curiae brief?
a. a written argument submitted to a court in support of one
side of a case
b. a petition to remove a judge from a court case
c. a petition submitted to Congress in support of or opposition to
a judicial nominee
d. a petition submitted to an executive branch agency
requesting a review of the agency’s decision
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 143
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
14. Which of the following is the main type of organization that
lobbies on behalf of workers?
a. public interest group
b. trade association
c. labor union
d. ideological group
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 133
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
15. By 1900, the __________, a confederation of unions representing
craft workers, was the dominant labor union in the United
States.
133
a. Congress of Industrial Organizations
b. International Brotherhood of Teamsters
c. American Federation of Labor
d. Change to Win Federation
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 134
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
16. Which of the following was a consequence of Wisconsin’s 2011
law limiting public employee union rights?
a. The number of union members rose dramatically as public
sector workers fought to repeal the law.
b. The number of union members fell sharply.
c. Governor Scott Walker was voted out of oice in a recall
election.
d. The state experienced a shortage of public school teachers.
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 134
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
17. Collective bargaining is a process whereby which of the
following occurs?
a. Members of Congress debate the merits of a bill.
b. Unions represent a group of employees in negotiations with
management.
c. Interest group leaders solicit input from their members about
the group’s goals.
d. PAC contributors decide how to distribute their funds.
134
Topic: Introduction
Learning Objective: Introduction
Page Reference: 128
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
18. Which of the following is an example of a public interest group?
a. a consumer rights group
b. a professional association
c. a labor union
d. a group representing a state government
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 137
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
19. How does the unionization of the American workforce compare
to other industrialized democracies?
a. The American workforce has stronger unionization in the
technology sector.
b. The American workforce has a similar overall level of
unionization.
c. The American workforce has stronger unionization in
manufacturing.
d. The American workforce is among the least unionized.
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 134
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
20. Which of the following is an example of a professional
association?
a. the National Association of Home Builders
135
b. the American Association of Retired People (AARP)
c. the National Rile Association
d. the National Wildlife Federation
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 135 – 136
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
21. Which of the following is an example of an economic interest
group?
a. the American Association of Retired People (AARP)
b. the Chamber of Commerce
c. the National Organization for Women
d. the National Education Association
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 133
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
22. What type of group is a trade association?
a. an economic interest group
b. a public interest group
c. a public sector interest group
d. a labor union
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 133
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
136
23. What feature of the U.S. political system relects the Framers’
desire to limit the “mischiefs of faction”?
a. staggered terms of oice
b. selection of senators by state legislatures
c. the protection of free speech in the First Amendment
d. the president’s power as commander-in-chief of the military
Topic: Interest Groups Past and President: The “Mischiefs of
Faction”
Learning Objective: LO 5.1: Explain the role of interest groups
and social movements in America politics.
Page Reference: 131
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
24. How has the Internet helped interest groups in their lobbying
eforts?
a. by allowing citizens to easily organize themselves and by
opening new forms of political action
b. by allowing citizens to register to vote online
c. by increasing the security of interest groups’ databases
d. by making it easier for citizens to submit amicus curiae briefs
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 142
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
25. How do lobbyists typically seek to inluence members of
Congress?
a. by introducing bills
b. by iling amicus curiae briefs
c. by organizing protests and demonstrations on Capitol Hill
d. by providing technical assistance on policy issues
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