Topic: The Inluence of Lobbyists
Learning Objective: LO 5.4: Describe lobbyists and the
activities through which they seek to inluence policy.
Page Reference: 147 – 148
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
26. How do interest groups lobby the courts?
a. through letter-writing campaigns addressed to particular
judges
b. by publishing editorials in major newspapers stating their
views on cases
c. by bringing lawsuits to the courts on behalf of classes of
citizens
d. by meeting with judges to express their views on cases
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
27. You are a lawyer who believes that the standards for admission
to the state bar have been set too low. What type of group
should you form to attempt to change the admission standards?
a. a labor union
b. a trade association
c. a professional association
d. a public interest group
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 136
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
28. Which of the following is an example of the free rider problem?
138
a. an elected oicial accepting bribes from an interest group
b. an elected oicial relying on information from lobbyists
c. a union bargaining with management for higher wages in an
open shop state
d. an environmental group disagreeing on what policy goals to
pursue
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 140
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
29. How would you characterize the distribution of PAC money to
congressional candidates since 1998?
a. Contributions to challengers steadily increased through 2012.
b. Incumbents continue to receive fewer contributions than their
challengers.
c. PACs continue to contribute disproportionately to incumbents.
d. PAC contributions have decreased signiicantly.
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: 150
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
30. How could a local government overcome the free rider problem
with respect to providing street lights?
a. by requiring residents to pay taxes to pay for the lights
b. by asking residents to donate money to pay for the lights
c. by forming a trade association to lobby the state legislature
d. by forming a public sector interest group to lobby the state
legislature
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
139
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 140
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
31. What was the major achievement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act
of 1995 (LDA)?
a. All lobbyists are now required to register with the Clerk of
the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate.
b. Disclosure laws now apply to people who indirectly try to
inluence policy or legislation.
c. Lobbyist registration and reports are now available to the
public online.
d. Nearly 100 percent of data in all lobbyist reports can now be
veriied.
Topic: The Inluence of Lobbyists
Learning Objective: LO 5.4: Describe lobbyists and the
activities through which they seek to inluence policy.
Page Reference: 147
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
32. Which of the following is an example of a faction, as
conceptualized by Madison in The Federalist, No. 10?
a. the media
b. an interest group
c. the legislature
d. the executive branch
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: 130
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Easy
140
33. An interest group iling an amicus curiae brief is an example of
__________.
a. how interest groups inluence elections
b. lobbying an executive branch agency
c. the impact of lobbying disclosure requirements
d. lobbying the judicial branch
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
34. Which of the following is an activity that lobbyists regularly
engage in?
a. answering e-mails from elected oicials’ constituents
b. speaking on behalf of elected oicials at press conferences
c. providing elected oicials with information about an interest
group’s position on a bill or issue
d. providing legal counsel to interest groups in court cases
Topic: The Inluence of Lobbyists
Learning Objective: LO 5.4: Describe lobbyists and the
activities through which they seek to inluence policy.
Page Reference: 147 – 148
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
35. An interest group’s success depends not only on its size, but
also its __________, or the extent to which its membership is
concentrated or dispersed.
a. cohesion
b. spread
c. unity
d. diversity
141
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 141
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
36. In 2010, a recall drive against Governor Walker of Wisconsin
was initiated in response to which of the following?
a. the state’s growing budget deicit
b. a new law limiting public employee union rights
c. allegations that the governor violated campaign inance laws
d. the state’s high unemployment rate
Topic: Introduction
Learning Objective: Introduction
Page Reference: 129 – 130
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
37. Why do interest groups typically ofer tangible beneits to their
members?
a. to foster greater diversity among group members
b. to encourage only the most committed supporters to become
involved
c. to distract members from the groups’ political motives
d. to overcome the free rider problem
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 140
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
38. What term is used to describe an interest group that appears to
be grassroots, but whose activity is orchestrated or initiated
centrally?
a. astroturf
142
b. closed shop
c. elitist
d. free rider
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 142
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
39. __________ is a professional association, labor union, and public
sector interest group.
a. The Chamber of Commerce
b. The National Education Association
c. Common Cause
d. The American Bar Association
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 139
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
40. Interest groups use __________ to obtain the speciic language
and deadlines of proposed regulations.
a. amicus curiae briefs
b. issue networks
c. the Federal Register
d. collective bargaining
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 142 – 143
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
143
41. Why do interest groups ofer campaign contributions to help
elect candidates?
a. Helping to elect candidates creates a relationship between
the interest group and the elected oicial that the group may be
able to exploit later.
b. Helping to elect candidates is the easiest way to inluence
government policy.
c. Through campaign contributions, interest groups are able to
elect their own staf members to positions in government.
d. Through campaign contributions, interest groups are able to
ofer input into the political party platforms.
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: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
42. You are the leader of an environmental organization working to
address the problem of climate change. Given the free rider
problem, what would be the most efective way to get others to
join your cause?
a. Describe the harmful consequences of global warming.
b. Explain how future generations will beneit from enacting
climate change legislation.
c. Ofer an incentive, such as a tee shirt, to those who join the
campaign.
d. Circulate a petition on the Internet.
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 140
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
43. How is a Super PAC diferent from a PAC?
144
a. PACs operate on the state level, while Super PACs are
involved in politics on a national scale.
b. Unlike PACs, Super PACs are allowed to endorse candidates.
c. Super PACs are formed when two or more PACs join together
to raise funds for a particular candidate.
d. Unlike PACs, Super PACs may accept donations of any size.
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 143
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
44. Since Congress passed the Honest Leadership and Open
Government Act in 2007, senators must wait _________ after
leaving oice before they are allowed to become lobbyists.
a. six months
b. one year
c. two years
d. four years
Topic: The Inluence of Lobbyists
Learning Objective: LO 5.4: Describe lobbyists and the
activities through which they seek to inluence policy.
Page Reference: 145
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
45. You are the leader of a consumer rights group that has been
unable to get a meeting with its elected representative in
Congress. How could you get the attention of your legislator on
the issues your group cares about?
a. Organize a demonstration in the representative’s district and
invite the media.
b. File an amicus curiae brief.
c. Draft a bill and introduce it in Congress.
d. Contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 143
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
46. When an interest group’s members share common views on the
aims of the organization, it is said to be __________.
a. strong
b. resourceful
c. concentrated
d. cohesive
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 141
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
47. What did the 2012 election highlight about the disclosure of
lobbying activity?
a. Most voters are unconcerned about disclosure.
b. Disclosure has a signiicant impact on election outcomes.
c. Disclosure rules are highly efective.
d. Disclosure sometimes does not occur until after key election
contests.
Topic: How Much Do Interest Groups Inluence Elections and
Legislation?
Learning Objective: LO 5.6: Evaluate the efectiveness of
interest groups in inluencing elections and legislation.
Page Reference: 158
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
48. How do PAC contributions difer from independent
expenditures?
146
a. PAC contributions are given to congressional candidates,
whereas independent expenditures are given to judicial
candidates.
b. PAC contributions are given to candidates in federal
elections, whereas independent expenditures are given to
candidates in state elections.
c. PAC contributions are given directly to candidates, whereas
independent expenditures are given to political parties.
d. PAC contributions are given directly to candidates, whereas
independent expenditures are not given to candidates.
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: 149 – 150
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
49. How did issue advocacy allow interest groups to circumvent
disclosure and contribution limits starting in the mid-1990s?
a. Any group that deined itself as advocating a single issue was
exempt from reporting contributions to the government.
b. By focusing on issues rather than candidates, interest groups
could appeal to a broader segment of the population.
c. Individuals were allowed to select one issue-based interest
group and make an unlimited contribution to that group.
d. Interest groups were able to make election ads without words
like “vote for” or “vote against.”
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: 154
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
50. What is the single most important element that lobbyists
provide to members of Congress?