Chapter+16+Interest+Groups+-+Study+Questions+(with+Answers)

=Chapter 16 - Interest Groups - Study Questions (with Answers)=

1) Explain why interest groups are especially numerous in the United States. Interest groups are so numerous in the United States because in a democracy, there are so many different kinds of interests and ideas to represent. The people are given the power to voice their opinions and attempt to influence legislation through this freedom. According to the Disturbance Theory, interest groups form in order to counteract the actions of other interest groups. Thus, groups like those that represent singular ideas form to counter the ideas of other groups.

2)What is an interest group, and why are they important in our political system? //Interest groups are bodies of people who try to effect change in behavior in other portions of society. They are, in other words, any non-government body which attempts to influence lawmaking in a direction that they find favorable to their goals. Interest groups are important because they help to bring issues to lawmakers's attention, and because they increase the amount of interest any legislator will pay to a single issue.//

//During the Progressive Era there was a surge of interest groups because many people saw the need for reform in American Society. Such groups focosed on temperence, slavery, organized labor, and poverty. Hard times lead people to make changes, which is why at the end of the Great Depression, the membership in Labor Unions rose, and why at the end of the Civil War, membership in general interest groups rose.//
 * 3) List and discuss the factors that have led to the emergence of interest groups at different times in our history.**

4)**What do multi-issue groups do? Give examples.** //Multi-issue groups that are often founded around a single guiding priciple are actually involved in a wide range of issues. Thus, they must divide some of their energies as they lobby for varied policies in diverse forums. They often must have expertise in a wide array of areas and be prepared to work on the local, state, and national levels to advance their interests. Some examples include the NAACP (advancing the cause of civil rights), the Christian Colalition's concern with Christian family values (education, television ratings, abortion), and the National Organization for Women (abortion, reproductive rights, affirtmative action, economic equality, and same-sex marriage).//

5)What attempts have been made to reform lobbying? //In 1995, Congress passed the Lobbying Disclosure Act, which required lobbyists to register their legislator compensations ($) with the House Clerk or Secretary of the Senate semi-annually. In 1998, this was reformed in the Lobbying Disclosure Technical Amendments Act which also requires documentation of compensation and legislation influenced. After the Abramoff scandal in 2006// //Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act// //further requires extensive and frequent documentation of compensation and certain "gifts" like dinners and trips to be approved by ethics committees.//

6)**How do interest groups attempt to influence the courts?** Interest groups influence the courts through direct sponsorship and the filing of //amicus curiae// briefs. These briefs inform justices of the policy preference of a company when an issue is brought to the court that has to do with a certain organization. Interest groups can also influence who is nominated to the federal courts.

7)How do interest groups lobby Congress? //A vast amount of activities are practiced to ensure that interest group are lobbying Congress like campaign donations, public speaking, congressional testimony with group, and individual constituent letters. The payment of money for votes is an illegal practice, but it has worked insome cases. A majority of effective lobbyists have previously been on Washington Insiders, Executive offical or cabinet members, or lastly former member of a certain lobbying group. They work very closely with Senators and house members in order to gain strength in the policy making process.//

8)**How do interest groups lobby the executive?** Interest groups lobby the executive by giving members of the executive branch information and the public's stance on an issue. Interest groups work closely with people on the executive branch to have influence over their decisions.

9)**What was the conservative backlash and why did it occur?** This was during the 1960s and 1970s when a lot of liberal groups were forming like civil rights and womens rights and so conservatives who were concerned by the liberal groups formed religious and ideological groups. Some were The Moral Majority, The Christian Coalition and NRA.

//Lobbying is the process by which interest groups attempt to assert their influence on the policy-making process. People lobby to make their interests heard and understood.// 11)Why do interest groups endorse and rate candidates? //Interest groups endorse candidates that hold similar views as the organization in order to put their ideas and policies into effect. By giving the candidates money, in return the candidate will follow and listen to the ideals of the organization.//
 * 10)Define lobbying and explain its importance.**

12)Define and discuss the types of interest groups that exist today. Give examples. //There are sectional (like trade or business organizations), Promotional (wanting to change policy in a certain area), or fire brigade groups (covering particular issues until they're resolved). Some examples of today's interest groups are the NRA (National Rifle Assocation), PETA (pro-animal rights), and GOTV (Get out to Vote).//

13)Discuss the historical roots of interest groups and the factors that have led to new group formation and the death of old interest groups.

14)What strategies and tactics are used by interest groups, and how effective are they? Interests groups use a variety of tactics to relay their message to the American people and government. The media is the most effective way to press their issues and concerns. Lobbying and making campaign contributions are both effective ways in making sure a group gets their message into the political system.

//Three things make interest groups successful: Leaders, Patrons and funding, and a solid membership base. Leaders are a key role in formation and in attracting members. Funds are required in order to build their memberships as well as to advocate their policy objectives. Members attend meetings, pay dues, get things done, and spread the word.//
 * 15)What makes an interest group successful? Give examples.**

16)How have interest groups and their tactics changed in the modern era?

17)Define interest groups. What do Americans generally feel about interest groups? What are some of the common characteristics of groups today? How do interest groups in the United States differ from groups in other democracies?

Interest groups are organized factions of people that try to influence public policy. Generally, many Americans hold negative views of interest groups and believe that they exist only to advance their own selfish desires without any concern for other groups or those not represented in that particular interest group. Interest groups today are often competing with many others lobbying in Washington D.C., and so often their purpose revolves only around a single issues so the competition for the public’s money and support is increased even more. Unites States interest groups, particularly, must fight for the public support and fiscal representation if they want to have a chance at surviving, or thriving in the United States political agenda where so many other interest groups and other agendas constantly remain present.

18)Describe the differences between the pluralist, hyperpluralist, and elite theories in regard to the role played by interest groups in American society. __pluralist-__holds that political power in society does not lie with the electorate, nor with a small concentrated elite, but is distributed between a wide number of groups __hyperpluralist-__ think that the public interest is rarely translated into public policy __elite theories-__developed by Marxist political scientists like Micheal Parenti, all sufficiently large social groups will have some kind of elite group within them that actively participates in the group's political dynamics

19)Compare and contrast how a pluralist, elitist and hyperpluralist would describe the most significant features of the interest group system today.

20)Compare and contrast how pluralist, elite, and hyperpluralist theories explain the role of interest groups in the United States. Specifically, are groups good or bad influences on public policy? How powerful are they? Whose interests do they serve?

21)What is Olson's Law of Large Groups, and how does it pertain to the power of various interest groups in American politics? How does the free-rider problem fit into Olson's scheme? Does Olson's law seem correct to you? Explain.

22)Discuss how size, intensity, and resources determine the likely effectiveness of an interest group. Provide examples where appropriate.

The size of an interest group mainly determines how strong and successful they are. Obviously, the more members, the more power a group of people can create. Intensity of an interest group can either be a positive or a negative thing. It can show others that the group is very avid about what they can do, but if the group is very extreme, it may turn some people off to it. Resources can make a huge difference as well. As with anything positive; if you have more of it, you have more influence. If a company has many members, an abundant money supply, and a great following, they are going to be very successful.

23)Explain what factors work to make an interest group successful. An interest group may have more influence if it has a large membership, adequate funding, reflects public opinion or is supported by the media.

24)What is a single-issue group? What power does a single-issue group often have regardless of its size? What issue over the past twenty years or more has given rise to many single-issue groups on each side? What effect do you think such groups have on American politics? Explain.

25)Explain and evaluate the role of money in interest groups in the United States. What has been the impact of Political Action Committees (PACs) on U.S politics? //By making contributions to campaigns, interest groups get candidates to support their causes if they win the office. In order to get the much-needed money to win elections, candidates promise to support PACs once in office, so candidates support more corporations, labor unions, etc. PACs can help decide important issues in elections because candidates advertise which PACs support/are supported by them.//

26)Describe and evaluate the methods interest groups use in pursuing their policy goals. //Interest groups will attempt to have their say in government in one of three ways: through campaign contributions, through mass mobilization, or through litigation. Groups with many members across the country such as the AMA who are not easily mobilized can support their cause by donating money to their interest group. This money will be used to support and elect officials in government who will work to help the group obtain their policy goals. Groups with lots of people who are not necessarily wealthy, such as pro-life groups, will stage protests in the nation's capital to bring attention to their issue of choice. Groups which may not have extensive membership or funding, such as common cause, may bring their issues to court.//

27)Describe what lobbyists do, and how effective they are. Toward whom is most lobbying directed, and why? Explain. //Lobbyists attempt to influence a policy maker in many different ways, with tactics including endorsements, media coverage, working on campaigns, and financial contributions. Lobbyists can be very effective, because they can also aid a candidate in being re-elected. Lobbying is directed towards members of each branch of the government. In Congress, lobbyists go to committee members to get their interests across; in the executive branch, lobbyists go to the President and the White House Staff; in the courts, lobbyists focus on influencing people nominated to the courts and informing ustices of their interests.// 28)Explain what methods groups use to influence public policy, and why they sometimes win and sometimes lose.

29)Why do interest groups form Political Action Committees? To whom does most of the PAC money go, and why? Are PACs a threat to American democracy? Explain. //Interest groups form PAC's to allow these interests to raise money to contribute to political candidates in national elections. The PAC's mostly contribute to those who have helped them before and who serve on committees or subcommittees that routinely consider legislation of concern to that group. PAC's are believed to be a threat to American democracy because there is a relationship between committee assignments of member of the House/Senate and PAC contributions, and group expenditures are more likely to have an effect in committee votes. Some believe they "buy" politicians' votes.//

30)How can interest groups use litigation to achieve their goals? Why has litigation been a particularly powerful tool for environmental groups? Is this an outlet that ought to be encouraged within our system? Explain. //They can use litigation by essentially taking the issue to court to challenge the law that is already in effect. For instance abortion is a common issue taken up in court and depending on the particular issue it is challenging could influence it either way. Litigation has been a powerful tool for environmental groups because there is a lot of evidence that can be proven in court as to the destruction of our environment and also less evidence to disprove the fact that it is really happening. If you combine that with the number of supporters they have then you've got a mass movement that has proven very powerful. Yes this is definitely an outlet that should be encouraged because laws should be able to be challenged and revised otherwise they shouldn't have been laws to begin with. They also should be properly defined in a democratic process.//

31)Compare and contrast the different types of economic interest groups in the United States. What type of econ