Unit 3 Test Review (Interest Groups, Political Parties,
Media)
I.
Interest Groups
1. What is the primary purpose of lobbyists? What do they provide for
members of Congress
2. What are single-issue interest groups?
3. What differences/similarities exist between the goals of interest groups
political parties, and political action committees?
4. What is the “free rider” problem?
5. What incentives do interest groups provide? (material, solidary,
purposive)
6. What are PAC’s? What types of PAC’s exist? (Business, Ideological,
Issue-oriented)
7. What strategies do interest groups implement in order to influence
members of Congress?
8. What is an amicus curiae brief?
9. How much can PAC’s and interest groups contribute to candidates or
their campaigns?
10. What is a 527 organization? How much money can 527 raise for
campaigns?
11. What did the FECA do to change campaign contributions/finance
laws? What contribution limits exist? What is the difference between
hard money and soft money?
12. How do pluralist theorists and elite theorists view interest groups?
13. What is the “revolving door” with regard to lobbyists and lobbying?
14. What are the criticisms of PAC’s and Interest Groups? How would
supporters of PAC’s and Interest Groups counter those criticisms?
II.
Political Parties
1. What is ticket-splitting?
2. What has been the trend regarding party identification over the last
50 years?
3. What stands do political parties take with regard to issues of the day?
(narrow or broad)
4. What differences exist between parties and interest groups and their
functions?
5. How are political parties organized? Who has the most power and
influence within our political parties?
6. What is meant by “divided government?”
7. What is the difference between a closed primary and an open
primary?
8. How does the Electoral College favor incumbents? What are some
other incumbent advantages?
9. What functions do political parties have?
10. What are the weaknesses that exist with political parties? What
changes have taken place to reduce the power of political parties?
11. What influence do third parties have on our political system?
12. What is meant by “dealignment?”
III.
Media
1. What are “sound bites”?
2. What factor shapes how the media defines their news, how they get
their news, and how they present their news?
3. What has happened to newspaper circulation over the last 50 years?
4. What is a “trial balloon”?
5. How much news coverage does the President receive compared to
Congress?
6. Where do people receive most of their news coverage?
7. What differences exist between young citizens and older citizens with
regard to news coverage?
8. How does the media cover politics like a “horse race?”
9. What is selective perception? What is selective perception? Selective
exposure?
10. Why do campaigns engage in spin control? What is the purpose of a
staged event?
Free Response Topics
Political Action Committees (Purpose and PAC Contributions)
Interest Groups / Political Parties (Goals and Strategies)
Media (Impact on politics)