80. In a __________ state, workers may be required to join a union to
be hired at a particular company if most employees at that
company vote to unionize.
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
81. According to the theory of __________, open, multiple, and
competing groups can check the asserted power of any one
group.
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 American politics.
Page Reference: 131
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
82. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act largely banned __________
contributions.
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: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
83. An environmental group works to pass legislation that would
decrease air pollution. But an individual would probably not
contribute to that group, especially if he or she could enjoy the
beneits of breathing clean air without participating in the
group’s campaign. This is an example of the __________ problem.
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 135
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
84. One way that interest groups can inluence court cases they are
interested in is by iling a(n) __________.
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
85. One function of __________ is to provide legislators with
information about an interest group’s position on a speciic bill
or issue.
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: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
86. Common Cause, an organization that pushes for openness and
fairness in government, is an example of a(n) __________ group.
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
159
87. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is an example of a(n)
__________.
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
88. The National Governors Association is an example of a(n)
__________ interest group.
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
89. Many lobbyists participate in __________ with other groups,
committees, and agencies that share a common policy concern.
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: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
90. A(n) __________ consists of many people interested in a
signiicant issue, idea, or concern who are willing to take action
to support or oppose it.
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 American politics.
160
Page Reference: 131
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
Short Answer Questions
91. How can the development of interest groups in our political
system be traced back to the early history of the Republic and
the Framers of the Constitution?
1. Explain how the founders worried about factions and
how to balance liberty with the prevention of tyranny.
2. Include James Madison’s ideas about the sources of
factions (unequal distribution of property) and a summary
of his deinition of factions.
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 American politics.
Page Reference: 130 – 131
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
92. Discuss the role of interest groups in elections.
1. Explain that inluencing elections is important to many
interest groups as a way to build relationships with
elected oicials whom they may be able to exploit later on.
2. Describe one or more speciic ways that interest groups
inluence elections, such as by endorsing candidates, by
providing volunteers, or through campaign contributions.
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 – 155
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
161
93. Discuss the technique of bundling and explain what purpose it
serves.
1. Deine bundling as a tactic whereby a political action
committee (PAC) collects contributions from like-minded
individuals and presents them to a candidate or political
party as a “bundle.”
2. Explain that bundling helps to increase the PAC’s
inluence by presenting large contributions.
Topic: Characteristics and Power of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.3: Analyze sources of interest group
power.
Page Reference: 144
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
94. Distinguish between public interest groups and economic
groups and provide examples of each.
1. Describe public interest groups as groups that seek
collective goods or to provide beneits for society as a
whole.
2. Describe economic groups as groups that represent the
interests of particular irms or businesses within an
industry.
3. Provide one or more examples of actual public interest
groups.
4. Provide one or more examples of actual economic
groups, such as speciic corporations or trade
associations.
Topic: Types of Interest Groups
Learning Objective: LO 5.2: Categorize American interest
groups into types.
Page Reference: 133 – 137
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
95. What is the free rider problem? Describe one way that an
interest group can overcome this problem.
162
1. Explain that the free rider problem occurs when
individuals can receive the beneits of collective action
without having to contribute to the efort. As a result, they
have no incentive to participate.
2. Describe one way that an interest group can overcome
this problem, such as by providing tangible incentives to
members. These beneits can be reserved to those who
contribute, thus creating an incentive for individuals to
join the group.
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
96. Discuss the advantages of contributing to a political action
committee (PAC) over making an individual contribution to a
political candidate.
1. Explain that PACs combine several individual
contributions, resulting in a larger total contribution to a
candidate than what one individual could do alone.
2. Note that because PAC contributions are larger, they
tend to attract more attention from members of Congress.
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 – 151
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
97. Discuss the role of political action committees (PACs) in terms of
their inluence on elections and the extent to which they shape
government policy.
1. Note that PACs are a signiicant component to the
election campaigns of most members of Congress. As a
result, they are highly inluential in elections.
2. Discuss the efects that PAC contributions have on the
day-to-day activities of elected oicials. PACs are able to
gain access, but not necessarily secure favorable votes, in
return for their contributions.
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 – 151
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
98. Why has the government attempted to regulate lobbyist
activity? Discuss some recent reform eforts and identify some
of the gaps that remain in disclosure of lobbying activity.
1. Describe the 2007 Honest Leadership and Open
Government Act (requires disclosure of employment
history of lobbyists, sets limits on lobbyist activities,
requires senators to wait two years before lobbying,
requires staf to wait one year before lobbying any Senate
oice).
2. Include information from “For the People: Government’s
Greatest Endeavors.” Information should include a
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, 147
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
99. Discuss the relationship between lobbyists and members of
Congress in terms of what each ofers the other.