Interest Groups Participation Quiz

What is an Interest Group?

• Technique which everyone in a group has equal chance of being selected

• A group of people who share common goals and organize to influence government policy

• The ideas and attitudes that signifcant number of americans hold about government and political issue

• A measurement of how much the sample results might differ from sample universe

Which of these groups is not an interest group?

• NRA

• AARP

• NOW

• Democratic Party

What does an interest group do?

• Works at Congress

• Influences Government

• Imitates Government

• The Unspeakable

A strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of the legislature.

• Hyperpluralist thoery

• Olson's Law of Large Groups

• Lobbying

• Pluralist theory

Which is NOT a function of PACs or special interest groups

• nominate their favorite candidate for office

• pay for television, radio, and internet ads supporting their preferred candidate

• make large contributions supporting their favorite candidate

• mail pamphlets supporting their preferred candidate.

_____ are hired by Interest Groups to influence government decision makers

• lawyers

• interest groups

• lobbyists

• media representatives

What are 2 criticisms of interest groups?

• Too democratic, too fair

• Undemocratic, gridlock

• Very broad issues, tries to include everyone

• Not enough congressmen involved

Interest groups bring lawsuits to influence public policy: example?

• McCullough v. MD

• Marbury v. Madison

• Plessy v. Ferguson

• Brown v. Board of Edu.

What does the FEC stand for?

• Federal Elections Corporation

• Federal Elections Commission

• Federal Elections Club

• Federal Elections College

Citizens United 2010

• Supreme Court ruled that corporations or groups donating to a candidate is a form of free speech so should be allowed to spend unlimited amounts

• Supreme Court ruled that corporations or groups donating to a candidate is not a form of free speech so cannot spend unlimited amounts

• Supreme Court ruled that political parties can longer exist in the United States

• Supreme Court ruled that corporations or groups donating to a candidate is a form of illegal activity depending on the amount, so there must be more regulation and enforcement