Interest Groups

The main goal of political parties is to:

• Influence elected officials.

• To discuss and vote on legislation before in reaches the floor.

• To get candidates elected.

• To start PACs

An organization of people who share common goals or concerns and work together to influence public policy is a/an:

• political party

• interest group

• congressional district

• lobbyist

The actions and decisions taken by the government to address issues and problems within society is called:

• popular sovereignty

• political parties

• interest groups

• public policy

The people in a particular area of a country who are represented by an elected official are called:

• interest group

• constituents
• political party

• congressional delegation

Why is a system of committees necessary in Congress?

• To increase the number of representatives in Congress.
• To simplify the voting process for all members.
• It is demanded by the U.S. Constitution

• To allow for greater expertise and efficiency.

The main goal of an interest group is to:

• influence public policy.

• get candidates elected.

• advocate for the interest of all U.S. citizens.

Who do special interest groups hire to influence public policy?

• Consultants
• Activists
• Lobbyists
• Advisors

Where does the majority of work actually take place in Congress?

• In standing committees

• In the Senate
• On the House floor
• During voting sessions

Which statement BEST describes both the positive and negative impact of lobbying on the democratic process?

• Lobbying prevents corporations from exerting too much influence on politics, but it makes the political process less transparent.

• They provide expert advice and represent a wide range of people and beliefs, often highlighting minority group concerns, but more money means more influence.

• Lobbying helps small groups influence political leaders who may have ignored them, but it always leads to unethical behavior in government.

• Lobbying is never effective and the state and local level, but always works at the national level.

Kurt Kobane is a U.S. Congressman from Idaho. Idaho, like Montana, has an economy heavily reliant upon agriculture. Which of the following standing committees should Representative Kobane join?

• Finance Committee
• Education Committee
• Agriculture Committee
• Transportation Committee