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What type of groups were able to avoid restrictions on interest group advertising spending in the 2004 presidential elections

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527 groups

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Senators John McCain and Russell Feingold cosponsored legislation that

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reformed campaign finance

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During his travels to early America, Alexis de Tocqueville observed Americans'

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tendency to form organizations

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In Federalist No. 10, James Madison expressed concern about groups of citizens who are united by particular passions and opposed to the interests of the whole community, otherwise known as

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factions

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Interest groups are formed with the common goal of

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altering public policy

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Political action committees, or PACs, are

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the fundraising arm for interest groups

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Political action committees were created as a result of

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interest group restrictions in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974

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___________ is the activity aimed at persuading policymakers to support a group's positions

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Lobbying

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The main function of think tanks is to

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generate research aimed at influencing public policy making

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A common feature of all interest groups is that they

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are organized around shared interests among members

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An interest group __________ is an effective leader who is likely to have organized an interest group and can effectively promote its interests.

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entrepreneur

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Many interest groups face the _____________ when recruiting members who can gain the benefits of their activities whether or not they join

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free rider problem

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Interest groups often provide selective incentives, which are

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benefits available only to group members

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________________ derive from an interest group's opportunity to express values and beliefs and to be committed to a greater cause

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Expressive benefits

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The ______________ is a business association that represents three million businesses that range from small mom-and-pop stores to large employers

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Chamber of Commerce

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The largest union organization in the United States is the

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American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations

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The ________________ is the interest group that argued a number of key civil rights cases in court, including Brown v. Board of Education.

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National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

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EMILY's List is the equal opportunity interest group that

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contributes money to Democratic women candidates

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The Eagle Forum is an interest group that

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advocates a more traditional role for women in society

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_______________ are interest groups that try to influence government to produce collective goods or services that benefit the general public

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Public interest groups

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Ralph Nader is most closely associated with which type of public interest group?

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Consumer groups

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Second Amendment groups lobby for or against

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gun control

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The Brady Act

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created a waiting period for gun purchases

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______________ is a nonpartisan defender of individual rights against the encroachment of a powerful government

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The American Civil Liberties Union

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Interest groups use ____________________ to influence government policymakers by encouraging the general public to put pressure on them

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indirect lobbying

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Issue advocacy advertisements are

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legal only if they do not tell citizens how to vote

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Social protest has been used most effectively by

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civil rights leaders

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Astroturf lobbying refers to

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indirect lobbying efforts that manipulate public sentiment

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PAC money is directed primarily toward

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congressional incumbents

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Information is a key source of power for interest groups, because

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these groups are often the only sources of information on the potential or actual impact of a law or regulation

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Interest groups differ from other social groups, organizations, and clubs, because they

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seek to influence public policy

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The _____________ role of interest groups is reflected in MADD's attempts to increase public awareness of problems related to drunk driving and to direct legislative attention to the issue

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agenda-building

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In recent years, what type of think tank has been particularly effective at influencing public attitudes on political issues

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Conservative think tanks

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What is often the triggering mechanism that allows for interest groups to form

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An external threat that causes citizens to band together to protect their well-being

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_______________ is/are crucial to helping interest groups form, sustain, and achieve policy goals, regardless of the group's financial resources

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Effective leadership

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When a group provides a collective good or service

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the group will inevitably confront the free rider problem

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Interest groups overcome the free rider problem by doing all of the following EXCEPT

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providing collective goods only to people who join the group

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Interest group leaders successfully use selective incentives by

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providing a mixture of incentives to recruit and sustain members

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_____________ should find it easiest to band together to pursue common goals

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Business owners

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Corporate and business interest groups are the most numerous and powerful of all interest groups because

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government plays a key role in regulating the economy and setting the rules for economic competition

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Which statements best reflect the political influence of labor unions

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Labor union membership has decreased, but unions still provide a formidable political force

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A unique feature of the Children's Defense Fund is that it is

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funded by foundations and private donations because its constituents are children and therefore not dues-paying members

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Which of the following statements best reflects the political situation surrounding women's interest groups

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Numerous groups push for equal treatment of women and reproductive rights, and numerous others push to narrow reproductive rights and favor a more traditional role for women in society

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Even though their goal is to provide a collective good, public interest groups often struggle because they

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are often vulnerable to the free rider problem and to disputes over whether some collective goods (like abortion or gun rights) are beneficial

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Although polls show that the majority of Americans favor gun control, why has the National Rifle Association (NRA) had such success limiting gun control legislation

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The NRA's highly dedicated members contribute their time, resources, and votes to pro-NRA issue positions

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Critics complain about the revolving door, because they believe that

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alternating between government service and interest group lobbying cashes in on public service for private profit

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When lobbying Congress, interest groups

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provide Congress with expert testimony and assistance in drafting legislation in areas in which Congress may lack proficiency

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Following the stricter rules on gifts and travel established by the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act, Congress has over the past decade

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eased the restrictions on gifts and travel provided for representatives and senators by lobbyists

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The only way an interest group can directly lobby the judiciary is to

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challenge the legality of laws or administrative regulations by filing suit or filing amicus briefs in courts

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Interest groups do NOT focus direct lobbying efforts on

answer

the public

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Which of the following is NOT a method used by interest groups to gain public support of the group's positions

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Funding a representative's travel for a charity event

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Campaign finance reform was in the works for a decade partly because

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issue advocacy ads had been deemed protected free speech in Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

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Opponents of issue advocacy ads criticize them fiercely because they are

answer

thinly veiled appeals for candidates

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Interest groups frequently use social protest when

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traditional techniques have failed to bring attention to the groups' causes

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One advantage of modern indirect lobbying is that

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new forms of media (like television and the Internet) allow interest groups to garner broader public support for their causes

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The ability to make sizable and strategically placed campaign contributions helps interest groups

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buy access to representatives, senators, the White House, and their staffs

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Political action committees contribute to congressional campaign funds largely to influence

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members of relevant congressional committees because the contributions directly shape the process of specific legislation

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A key advantage that groups like the Christian Coalition, AARP, and the National Rifle Association have over other interest groups is

answer

a large membership that is intensely dedicated to their causes and can be quickly mobilized to exert pressure on Congress

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Pluralists believe that interest groups

answer

give more power to citizens and enhance democratic life

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527 Groups have skirted Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) restrictions on campaign spending, because under BCRA

answer

the Federal Election Commission regulates campaign spending restrictions, but 527 groups are overseen by the Internal Revenue Service

PLS 101 Chapter 13

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