CHAPTER 10: INTEREST GROUPS
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Whereas interest groups tend to be ________, political parties are __________.
a. policy specialists; policy generalists
b. policy generalists; policy specialists
c. pluralists; elitists
d. elitists; pluralists
e. people driven; candidate driven
2. A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among
groups competing for preferred policies is called
a. pluralism.
b. hyperpluralism.
c. elite theory.
d. liberalism.
e. republicanism.
3. Which of the following statements about pluralism is TRUE?
a. Pluralist theory rests on many centers of power in American politics.
b. Groups serve as a key linkage institution in pluralist theory.
c. Pluralists assume that no single group will become too powerful.
d. The extensive organization of competing groups provides evidence that power is widely
dispersed among them.
e. All of the above are true.
4. A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided among classes and that
an upper-class elite rules is called
a. elite theory.
b. liberalism.
c. republicanism.
d. hyperpluralism.
e. pluralism.
5. Elitist views of interest groups emphasize that
a. groups are essentially equal in their power and thus cancel each others’ influence on
policymakers.
b. a system of interlocking directorates reinforces the power of the few dominant groups.
c. group competition weakens the ability of any one group to dominate.
d. because there are so many groups, their effect on policy is insignificant.
e. the leaders of powerful interest groups tend to think they are superior to the average
citizen and thus demand special privileges from government not accorded the rest of
society in order to maintain themselves as a privileged elite.
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6. Proponents of elite theories of politics would argue that the interest group with the most power
consists of
a. business leaders.
b. agriculture and agribusiness.
c. energy and environmental groups.
d. consumer and public interest lobbies.
e. labor unions.
7. Another term for a subgovernment is a(n)
a. iron triangle.
b. interest group.
c. multinational corporation.
d. faction.
e. political party.
8. All subgovernments have the same goal of
a. protecting the public interest.
b. attacking the government head-on.
c. protecting their self-interest.
d. electing the most qualified people to office.
e. joining the main government.
9. According to Olson’s law of large groups,
a. the larger the group, the more effective it will be.
b. the smaller the group, the more effective it will be.
c. the size of a group does not determine its effectiveness; the leadership structure is the
key.
d. all groups have a life cycle of birth, growth, maintenance, and decline, although many
never decline completely.
e. large groups are more democratic.
10. The problem faced by groups when people do not join because they can benefit from the group’s
activity even without joining is called the ________ problem.
a. free-rider
b. single-interest
c. pluralist
d. hyperpluralist
e. perennial
11. Goods such as publications, discounts, and group insurance rates are examples of
a. selective benefits.
b. free riders.
c. collective goods.
d. subgovernments.
e. membership requirements.
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12. A “communication by someone other than a citizen acting on his or her own behalf, directed to a
governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his or her decision” is a definition of
a. campaigning.
b. lobbying.
c. electioneering.
d. litigation.
e. a policy output.
13. Many interest groups involve themselves in ________ to help get those they consider to be the
right people into office or to keep them there.
a. lobbying
b. electioneering
c. litigation
d. policymaking
e. recruitment
14. Amicus curiae briefs
a. are written explanations of a court decision.
b. are lawsuits submitted by interest groups.
c. consist of written arguments submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case.
d. enable groups of similarly situated plaintiffs to combine similar grievances into a single
suit.
e. are legal arguments submitted by the president’s attorneys advocating the United States
government’s position in an important federal court case.
15. Class action lawsuits
a. consist of written arguments submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case.
b. consist of lawsuits brought to the courts by one particular social class in society.
c. enable a group of similarly situated plaintiffs to combine similar grievances into a single
suit.
d. enable organized interest groups to sue the federal government over a particular issue.
e. ask a court to take action against a particular group to stop them from injuring another
group financially.
16. Interest groups employ the strategy of “going public”
a. because public opinion may ultimately make its way to policymakers.
b. so they can benefit from and use public opinion when possible.
c. to help improve their own reputations as meaningful forces among the public.
d. to create goodwill among the American public.
e. All of the above are true.
17. Economic interest groups are ultimately concerned with
a. wages, prices, and profits.
b. wages and profits.
c. labor, farmers, business, and profits.
d. labor and prices.
e. business, labor, and farmers.
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18. According to Jeffrey Berry, organizations that seek “a collective good, the achievement of which
will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or the activities of the organization”
are called
a. interest groups.
b. selective benefits organizations.
c. public interest lobbies.
d. hyperpluralist groups.
e. free riders.
19. The multiplicity of American interest groups and the openness of American politics tends to
_______ representation of individual interests.
a. facilitate
b. hinder
c. block
d. discourage
e. amplify
True/False Questions
1. Interest groups tend to be policy specialists; political parties are policy generalists.
2. Elite theorists point to the concentration of power in the hands of a few to challenge the premises
of pluralist theory.
3. Large groups have organizational advantages over small groups.
4. The bigger the group, the more serious the free-rider problem.
5. Selective benefits are one way for large groups to overcome Olson’s law of large groups.
6. American unions have been strong supporters of right-to-work laws.
7. An extremely low percentage of the U.S. population is members in environmental groups
compared to other industrialized democracies.
8. Organizations that seek a “collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and
materially benefit the membership or activities of the organization” are called equality interest
groups.
9. The National Rifle Association is an example of a public interest lobby.
10. Proponents of elite theory point to the proliferation of business PACs as evidence of interest
group corruption in American politics and believe, in essence, that Madison’s system failed.
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Multiple Choice Questions
1. The term interest group can be generally defined as
a. an organization that seeks a collective good, the achievement of which will not
specifically or materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization.
b. a group that has a narrow interest, dislikes compromise, and single-mindedly pursues
its goal.
c. all people who share some common interest regardless of whether they join an
organization promoting that interest.
d. an organization of people with similar policy goals entering the political process to try
to achieve those aims.
e. an organization of people who share a common interest who run candidates
sympathetic to that interest in elections.
2. Interest groups differ from political parties because
a. parties use technology more effectively.
b. groups tend to be policy specialists while parties tend to be policy generalists.
c. the groups’ main arena is the electoral system.
d. parties seek many access points in government.
e. parties use technology less effectively.
3. According to ________ theorists, interest groups compete and counterbalance one another in the
political marketplace.
a. elitist
b. hyperelitist
c. pluralist
d. hyperpluralist
e. free-market
4. The group theory of politics offered by pluralist theorists argues all of the following EXCEPT
a. groups provide a key link between people and government.
b. no one group is likely to become too dominant.
c. groups are all of equal strength; for example, in resources and numbers.
d. groups usually play by the rules of the game.
e. different groups win at different times.
5. Pluralism is a(n) ______ theory of politics.
a. elite
b. group
c. individual
d. liberal
e. rational
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6. The pluralist theory of American politics maintains that
a. the extensive organization of competing groups is evidence that influence is widely
dispersed among them.
b. the proliferation of interest groups results in political stagnation.
c. the largest interest groups will come to dominate policymaking.
d. although groups often do not play by the rules of the game, they do represent the
American public at large.
e. the slogan on our money, e pluribus unum, is accurate in the sense that out of the
many competing groups in America, a single unified American purpose has been
forged.
7. A pluralistic interpretation of interest group politics would maintain that
a. all groups are subject to corrupt practices and tactics involving violence.
b. the degree of organization of a group has no effect on its ability to influence policy.
c. all legitimate groups can affect public policy by means of one political resource or
another.
d. when groups compete the public interest is not served.
e. the overemphasis on groups in America has submerged the value of the individual
and led to government policies that suppress individual interests.
8. According to the pluralist group theory of politics,
a. all groups are equal.
b. groups do not compete.
c. groups do not play by the rules of the game.
d. groups weak in one resource can use another.
e. most political influence comes from individuals speaking in the name of groups but
actually acting on their own personal agenda.
9. The idea that just a few groups have all the power is associated with
a. elite theory.
b. pluralist theory.
c. hyperpluralist theory.
d. democratic theory.
e. syndicalism.
10. Elitist theorists argue that
a. groups weak in one resource can use another, and all legitimate groups are able to
affect public policy by one means or another.
b. the fact that there are numerous groups proves nothing, because most groups are
extremely unequal in power.
c. the government has treated all interest group demands as legitimate and unwisely
chosen to advance them all.
d. the larger the group, the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of a
collective good.
e. governments should be controlled by a select group of well-educated, cultured,
wealthy persons who understand the laws of economics and can run the most
efficient government.
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11. ________ theorists argue that the power of the few is fortified by an extensive system of
interlocking directorates and that wealthy corporations prevail when it comes to major decisions
by government.
a. Pluralist
b. Hyperpluralist
c. Elitist
d. Hyperelitist
e. Pyramid
12. Elite theorists emphasize the power of
a. subgovernments.
b. business corporations.
c. congressional staff members.
d. public interest lobbies.
e. presidents.
13. The criticism that government refuses to make tough choices between X or Y, instead pretending
there is no need to choose and trying to favor both, is most often made by ________ theorists.
a. pluralist
b. hyperpluralist
c. elitist
d. hyperelitist
e. rational choice
14. Interest group liberalism refers to
a. government freedom to favor some interest groups over others.
b. government’s excessive deference to interest groups.
c. the liberal political ideology of most interest groups.
d. the proliferation of the number of interest groups.
e. the strong tendency of interest groups to back the Democratic Party and not the
Republican Party and that keeps the Democratic Party in power.
15. A network of groups within the American political system that exercises power over specific
policy areas is called a(n)
a. interest group.
b. subgovernment.
c. elitist.
d. hyperpluralist.
e. rational actor.
16. Subgovernments are
a. networks of groups within the American political system that exercise power over
specific policy areas.
b. composed of key interest group leaders, government agencies in charge of
administrative policy, and congressional committees all interested in particular policy
areas.
c. also known as iron triangles.
d. work to protect their own self-interest.
e. All of the above are true.
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17. Subgovernments are composed of key interest group leaders interested in policy X, the
government agency in charge of administering policy X, and the ________ handling policy X.
a. congressional committees and subcommittees
b. federal courts
c. public relations officers
d. political candidates
e. local governments
18. The hyperpluralist complaint that interest group politics creates subgovernments refers to the
a. cooperative efforts of business and government to promote special interests.
b. power of interest groups in determining government policies.
c. overwhelming influence of interest groups in local governments.
d. use of paid lobbyists on congressional committees and subcommittees.
e. network of groups within the American political system that continually work against
each other.
19. Which of the following is NOT one of the major elements of the subgovernment system at the
national level?
a. Interest group
b. Congressional committee
c. Federal court
d. Federal agency
e. Bureaucrats
20. A hyperpluralist interpretation of group politics would maintain that
a. groups weak in one resource can substitute other resources to influence policy
decisions.
b. groups have become so powerful that government ends up aiding every possible
interest.
c. the fact that there are numerous groups proves nothing, because groups are unequal
in power.
d. groups provide a key linkage between people and government.
e. All of these are true.
21. The network comprised by the Retail Tobacco Distributors of America, the Department of
Agriculture, and the House Tobacco Subcommittee is an example of a(n)
a. iron triangle.
b. subgovernment.
c. Either a or b is correct.
d. interest group.
e. multinational corporation.
22. According to the Fortune Power 25, which of the following factors affects the success of interest
groups?
a. Size
b. Intensity
c. Financial resources
d. All of the above affect the size of interest groups.
e. None of the above affects the size of interest groups.
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23. The free-rider problem refers to the difficulty that
a. large groups have in activating all their potential members.
b. single-issue groups have when another problem is added to their agenda.
c. actual groups have in collecting dues from members.
d. small groups face in raising enough money to influence policy.
e. potential groups have in trying to receive their share in collective goods.
24. Part of Olson’s law of large groups is the argument that
a. the larger the potential group, the less likely potential members are to contribute.
b. the larger the potential group, the more likely potential members are to contribute.
c. potential group size does not have any measurable effect on the willingness of
potential members to contribute.
d. an actual group and a potential group are virtually the same when it comes to
effectiveness.
e. the smaller the group, the less likely the potential members are to contribute.
25. Which of the following matters can NOT be explained by Mancur Olson’s law of large groups?
a. The problems of public interest lobbies
b. Why small groups are easier to organize
c. Why large groups are less effective than small groups
d. The successes of the Consumers Union
e. Why potential members have incentives to free-ride
26. ________ helps to explain why public interest lobbies have relatively small proportions of actual
members.
a. The free-rider problem
b. Special interest liberalism
c. The rise of political action committees
d. Tougher regulation of all lobbyists
e. Olson’s law of large groups
27. Which of the following groups claims the smallest share of its potential members?
a. National Consumers League
b. United States Savings and Loan League
c. Tobacco Institute
d. Air Transport Association
e. American Medical Association
28. Clean air, a tax write-off, and a raised minimum wage are all examples of
a. collective goods.
b. potential problems.
c. free-rider problems.
d. single-issue interest groups.
e. selective benefits.
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29. An advantage for small groups is that
a. free riders can be forced out of the organization, creating more unity.
b. it is easier to reconcile divergent interests in small groups.
c. there is more at stake for each member, making it easier to organize and activate all
members.
d. collective goods do not have to share with the big interests.
e. they are able to “hide” in the political process so that opposing groups are not able to
organize against them.
30. The primary way that groups overcome Olson’s law is through
a. mandatory membership.
b. reducing membership fees.
c. selective benefits.
d. centralizing.
e. decentralizing.
31. An advantage of single-issue groups is their
a. financial resources.
b. pool of potential members.
c. pool of actual members.
d. intensity.
e. diversity.
32. The historic Tax Reform Act of 1986 is a good example of
a. the fact that big interests usually win in American politics.
b. the fact that big interests don’t always win in American politics.
c. how difficult it is for large groups to provide an optimal level of a collective good.
d. how easy it can be for groups to overcome the free-rider problem through selective
benefits.
e. the power of single issue groups.
33. “A communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a
governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his decision” is called
a. litigating.
b. electioneering.
c. lobbying.
d. free-riding.
e. collecting benefits.
34. Which of the following statements about interest groups is FALSE?
a. The majority of groups now have their headquarters in Washington, D.C.
b. There are an enormous number of highly specialized and seemingly trivial groups.
c. Almost every group has a staff and publications.
d. The growth rate of interest groups has slowed in recent years.
e. Groups are more diverse today than in past decades.
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35. Which of the following is NOT a way in which a lobbyist can help a member of Congress?
a. Obtaining group support for the politician’s reelection
b. Introducing legislation in Congress
c. Providing valuable information on specialized policy areas
d. Helping with political strategy
e. Assisting with the cost of traveling between their home district and Washington, D.C.
36. The law regulating whether an organization or firm should register its employees as lobbyists is
the
a. Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.
b. Communications Act of 2000.
c. U.S. Senate Secretary’s Registry of Lobbyists.
d. Washington Representatives.
e. McCain-Feingold Act of 2002.
37. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the greatest total amount spent on lobbying from
1998 to 2007 was by the _________ industry.
a. music
b. automobile
c. real estate
d. education
e. pharmaceuticals
38. According to the text, lobbying works best
a. with people who are undecided about a policy.
b. when large amounts of money are involved.
c. on people already committed to the lobbyist’s policy position.
d. when the lobbyist uses pressure tactics.
e. when the lobbyist starts crying and pleading.
39. Direct group involvement in the electoral process is called
a. free-riding.
b. electioneering.
c. providing selective benefits.
d. litigating.
e. disclosure.
40. Political action committee (PAC) money goes overwhelmingly to
a. Independents.
b. challengers.
c. incumbents.
d. Democrats.
e. Republicans.
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41. Steve Sovern’s LASTPAC and Common Cause
a. agree that all candidates and officeholders should not accept money from political
action groups.
b. disagree on the issue of whether PACs engage in influence peddling.
c. disagree on the issue of whether electioneering is an appropriate policy arena for
interest groups.
d. agree that the $5,000 limit on PAC contributions makes such contributions
meaningless in multimillion-dollar presidential campaigns and should be rescinded.
e. agree that the income tax check-off to support public financing of presidential
campaigns should be eliminated.
42. An amicus curiae brief is
a. one that enables a group of similarly situated plaintiffs to combine similar grievances
into a single suit to pursue a remedy for past wrongs.
b. an oral or written appeal of a court decision made by an interest group that is party to
the particular case.
c. an oral or written appeal of a court decision made by an interest group not party to a
particular case.
d. a written argument submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case.
e. the written statement of a court’s decision in a case explaining the reasons for the
decision.
43. Literally, amicus curiae means
a. legal opinion.
b. legal argument.
c. friend of the court.
d. curious observer.
e. let the decision stand.
44. ________ enables a group of similarly situated plaintiffs to combine similar grievances into a
single suit.
a. An amicus curiae brief
b. A public interest suit
c. Olson’s law of large groups
d. A class action lawsuit
e. A collective civil suit
45. In “going public,” interest groups
a. extend membership to a broader range of people.
b. use advertising and public relations to enhance their image.
c. bring class action suits against their opponents.
d. issue stock.
e. open their decision-making meetings to the general public.
46. Economic groups
a. are those that require individuals to pay dues to be members.
b. consist only of corporations, rather than individuals, as members.
c. are those groups interested in wages, prices, and profits.
d. lobby on behalf of all consumers.
e. are those groups that provide information to Congress.
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47. Right-to-work laws are most strongly supported by
a. unemployed citizens.
b. business groups.
c. union officials.
d. the feminist and civil rights movements.
e. illegal immigrants.
48. The union shop
a. serves as the headquarters of an organized labor group.
b. sells only goods made by laborers affiliated with a union.
c. requires that all employees in a unionized business join the union.
d. is a retail store whose employees are unionized.
e. Both b and d are true.
49. Right-to-work laws ________ the union shop.
a. take a neutral stance toward
b. require
c. legalize
d. outlaw
e. regulate
50. Which of the following is an example of a labor union?
a. AFL-CIO
b. AARP
c. FEC
d. FCC
e. NIH
51. The Taft-Hartley Act permits _______, which outlaw union membership as a condition of
employment.
a. right-to-work laws
b. union shops
c. nonlabor PACs
d. public interest lobbies
e. economic interest groups
52. The first ________ in April 1970 helped to spur on a number of environmental groups.
a. Earth Day
b. smog alert
c. serious oil spill
d. nuclear power plant accident
e. nuclear plant explosion
53. Public interest lobbies are those organizations that
a. emphasize equal rights and equality of opportunity in America.
b. eschew the subgovernment system and operate within view of the public, often
through town meetings.
c. have large memberships, usually a million or more.
d. seek a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially
benefit members or activists.
e. focus exclusively on public expenditures directed toward Social Security.
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54. The multiplicity of interest groups in the United States
a. creates more opportunities for individuals to participate in politics.
b. creates fewer opportunities for individuals to participate in politics.
c. tends to encourage the reduction in the scope of American government.
d. hinders the representation of all interests in the political process.
e. Both b and c are true.
True/False Questions
1. An interest group is an organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy
process at several points to try to achieve those goals.
2. Pluralist theory is a theory of government and politics emphasizing competition between groups.
3. Hyperpluralist theory argues that interest group activity brings representation to all and that
groups compete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace.
4. Since the 1960s, the proportion of the American public believing that big interests dominate the
government has declined somewhat.
5. Elite theory argues that a few groups (primarily the wealthy) have most of the power.
6. According to elite theorists, tremendous power in the political process is held by labor and
agricultural unions.
7. Subgovernments are composed of interest group leaders, government agencies, and congressional
committees with a stake in a particular policy area.
8. According to the theory of hyperpluralism, subgovernments promote democratic policymaking.
9. Olson’s law of large groups helps explain the distinct advantage of small groups in lobbying for
their goals.
10. A potential group is almost always smaller than an actual group.
11. Clean air is an example of a collective good.
12. Collective goods are easy to withhold from potential group members.
13. Olson’s law of large groups suggests that the larger the group, the further it will fall short of
providing an optimal amount of a collective good.
14. Publications, travel discounts, and group insurance rates are examples of selective benefits that
some groups provide to members.
15. The term “lobbying” is derived from the fact that petitioners used to stop legislators in the lobby
of their boarding houses and hotels when Congress was in session.
16. The two basic types of lobbyists are regular paid employees of unions, corporations, and
associations, and contract employees that are available for hire.
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17. Political Action Committees (PACs) must register with the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC).
18. When going public, most interest groups emphasize a soft sell and reasoned analysis.
19. Economic interests are ultimately concerned with wages, prices, and profits.
20. Right-to-work laws outlaw union membership as a condition of employment.
21. Right-to-work laws were banned by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.
22. “Equality interests” refer to the cluster of groups seeking equal protection under the law.
23. The Consumer Products Safety Commission is an example of a public interest lobby.
24. A public interest lobby is an organization that seeks “a collective good, the achievement of which
will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activities of the organization.”
25. A pluralist interpretation of special interest groups could be seen as evidence that James
Madison’s system worked as he intended.
26. Madison argued that a smaller sphere of influence would prevent opposing groups from forming.
27. The growth in the scope of government is partially responsible for the proliferation of interest
groups.
Short Answer Questions
1. What are the key differences between interest groups and political parties?
Learning Objective: 10.1
Page Reference: 319–320
Skill: Analysis
2. Describe the differences between the pluralist, hyperpluralist, and elite theories in regard to the
role played by interest groups in American society.
Learning Objective: 10.2
Page Reference: 320–324
Skill: Comprehension
3. What did Theodore Lowi mean by interest group liberalism?
Learning Objective: 10.2
Page Reference: 322–323
Skill: Comprehension
4. What is the difference between a potential group and an actual group? How does each relate to
the free-rider problem?
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 325–326
Skill: Comprehension
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5. What is Olson’s law of large groups?
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 325–327
Skill: Comprehension
6. What is meant by a collective good, and how does this concept suggest a problem for interest
groups?
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 326
Skill: Analysis
7. Provide an example of a single-interest group. What differentiates a single-interest group from a
traditional interest group?
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 327–328
Skill: Application
8. Discuss how size, intensity, and resources determine the likely effectiveness of an interest group.
Provide examples where appropriate.
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 324–330
Skill: Comprehension
9. How are interest groups and elected officials mutually dependent on one another?
Learning Objective: 10.4
Page Reference: 331–332
Skill: Comprehension
10. What is the importance of amicus curiae briefs and class action lawsuits to the efforts of interest
groups to influence policy?
Learning Objective: 10.4
Page Reference: 334–335
Skill: Analysis
11. Explain what factors work to make an interest group successful.
Learning Objective: 10.4
Page Reference: 330–337
Skill: Comprehension
12. Describe and evaluate the methods interest groups use in pursuing their policy goals.
Learning Objective: 10.4
Page Reference: 330–337
Skill: Analysis
13. Describe what lobbyists do and how effective they are. Toward whom is most lobbying directed,
and why? Explain.
Learning Objective: 10.4
Page Reference: 330–337
Skill: Analysis
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14. Compare and contrast the different types of economic interest groups in the United States. What
type of economic interest group has been most successful and why?
Learning Objective: 10.5
Page Reference: 337–341
Skill: Analysis
15. Provide an example of a public interest lobby. How are public interest lobbies different from
other kinds of groups? What challenges do public interest lobbies face?
Learning Objective: 10.5
Page Reference: 341
Skill: Application
Essay Questions
1. 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?
Learning Objective: 10.2
Page Reference: 320–323
Skill: Analysis
2. Describe the free-rider problem and provide an example of a way in which an interest group
might activate potential members with an eye toward addressing this problem.
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 325–327
Skill: Application
3. 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.
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 327
Skill: Evaluation
4. 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?
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 328–329
Skill: Analysis
5. 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.
Learning Objective: 10.3
Page Reference: 328–329
Skill: Evaluation
6. Are PACs helpful or harmful to American democracy? Explain.
Learning Objective: 10.4
Page Reference: 333–335
Skill: Evaluation
American Govt. 2305
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7. In what ways do interest groups benefit the wealthy and promote the status quo? Given your
answer, which theory of American politics do you think is more correct—pluralism or elite
theory?
Learning Objective: 10.1–10.2, 10.3
Page Reference: 319–322; 328–330
Skill: Evaluation
8. Was Madison right? Does the American political system adequately control the problems of both
majority and minority factions?
Learning Objective: 10.6
Page Reference: 341–342
Skill: Evaluation
9. Discuss the positive and negative contributions interest groups make to our democracy. Do we
need better or more regulation of interest groups in the American political process? Why or why
not?
Learning Objective: 10.1–10.6
Page Reference: 319–343
Skill: Evaluation
10. How do interest groups affect democracy and the scope of government in the United States?
Learning Objective: 10.6
Page Reference: 341–343
Skill: Synthesis
American Govt. 2305
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