Interest Groups Introduction

Interest Group Review

Monday, April 26

Interest Group

An interest group is usually a formally organized association that seeks to influence public policy.  All interest groups share a desire to affect government policy to benefit themselves or their causes.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true of amicus curiae briefs?

• They are used by interest groups to lobby courts.

• They are used exclusively by liberal interest groups.

• They are used exclusively by conservative interest groups.

• They are now unconstitutional.

• They are the means by which a litigant seeks Supreme Court review of a lower court decision.

Multiple Choice

Interest groups engage in all of the following activities EXCEPT

• testifying before congressional committees

• using the franking privilege

• sponsoring issue advocacy ads

• lobbying federal agencies

• filing federal lawsuits

Multiple Choice

All of the following are commonly used by interest groups to influence the political process EXCEPT

• lobbying.

• contributing money to candidates.

• nominating candidates.

• filing lawsuits.

• appealing to the public opinion.

Multiple Choice

Lobbyists try to influence legislators mainly through

• “wining and dining” legislators

• orchestrating petition drives and letter-writing campaigns

• placing persuasive advertisements in the media

• threatening to help the legislator’s opponent in the next election

• providing legislators with information on technical issues

Multiple Choice

One of the best strategies that interest groups can use to achieve their goals is

• pressing for changes in high-profile public policies

• lobbying members of Congress to make small changes in existing policy

• using the judiciary to invalidate federal legislation

• encouraging states to use their Tenth Amendment rights and ignore federal law

• running candidates for office

Multiple Choice

A major difference between political parties and interest groups is that

• interest groups typically shift their positions on issues over time, while political parties tend to keep the same position on issues over time.

• interest groups usually recruit candidates for office, while political parties usually limit themselves to making campaign contributions to candidates.

• political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to influence public policy.

• political parties usually focus on one issue, while interest groups focus mainly on many issues.

Multiple Choice

Interest groups are protected under the Constitution by the

• provisions of Article I, Section 8

• Tenth Amendment

• First Amendment

• Fourteenth Amendment