Chapter 10 Interest Groups and Lobbying Test

Which of the following best describes an earmark?

• An entire piece of legislation that is written to provide benefits to a small group of people
• A provision in a law that provides a direct benefit to a client without being reviewed on the merits by all members of Congress
• A provision in a law that is wasteful and expensive 
• A piece of legislation containing several unrelated provisions that benefit a few states

An interest group would use grassroots lobbying on all of the following issues EXCEPT: 

• Abortion
• Medicare
• Social Security 
• Complex tax legislation affecting a few people

Of all the activities that are employed by interest groups, the most significant one is: 

• Running candidates for office
• Providing information
• Offering campaign contributions
• Grassroots mobilization 

"Free riders" occur when interest groups fight for benefits to the public as a whole, such as consumer protection. How can interest groups prevent the free-rider problem?

• By ensuring that the benefits they seek will help only their members
• By providing people an incentive to join the interest group, such as a subscription to a magazine
• By lobbying members of Congress only in the district where the interest group operates 
• There is no practical way for interest groups to prevent the "free-rider" problem 

All of the following explain the proliferation of interest groups EXCEPT: 

• America is diverse, with countless immigrants, races, and religions
• Because of its federal system, there are multiple points of access to government
• Interest groups often run candidates for office to give their supporters a voice in government
• Political authority is shared by several branches of government, each of which might be targeted by interest groups

Why are lobbyists useful to members of Congress in considering legislation?

• Because most lobbyists are lawyers and can draft bills using technical legal language

• Because lobbyists have bigger research staffs than members of Congress

• Because lobbyists are policy generalists who have knowledge about a broad range of topics

• Because members of Congress are policy generalists and lobbyists are policy specialists with expert knowledge in their area

Interest groups use political action committees (PACs) to

• Provide expertise to members of Congress when they are writing legislation

• Lobby the executive bureaucracy when they are considering new rules and regulations

• Raise and spend money on election campaigns

• Generate research that can be used to influence public opinion

Which of the following is the main reason interest groups are often successful in getting legislation passed to benefit their members?

• It is easy to garner support from most members of Congress on any issue

• All members of society desire the legislation that special interest pursue

• Interest group activity represents the democratic process at work because individual interest groups often represent more than half of the population

• A narrow constituency derives the benefits from such legislation but the costs are spread broadly across the population

How does the American constitutional system encourage interest group participation?

• Because there are so many state and federal officials and political canidates, there are many opportunities for interest groups to influence the government
• Interest groups have little power due to their lack of influence on the public
• Only one branch of government, Congress provides opportunities for interest groups to influence government

How do interest groups promote democracy?

• They help officials get elected
• They help make the president aware of items that were not previously part of his or her agenda
• They help to communicate the views of industry to staunch the regulatory direction of congress
• They help to convey the policy views of individuals and groups to public officials