Senior Social Studies
Interest Groups
1. Read pages 499-501. What issues does the power of the NRA raise in
American politics?
2. What is an interest group?
3. Why do some perceive interest groups negatively?
4. Three characteristics of interest groups. (3)
5. Give an example of a multi-issue group and the issues they lobby for.
6. What is LULAC and what services does it supply to its members?
7. Four LULAC actions. (4)
8. Five functions of interest groups.
9. How many interest groups exist today?
10. What was the focus of Nader’s activism? What results were achieved?
11. What are cleavages?
12. To what official bodies can interest groups appeal?
13. What is David Truman’s explanation for the growth of interest groups over
the past 40 years? Explain.
14.Outline disagreements with that theory.
15. Explain the relationship between the growth of government and growth of
interest groups?
16. Between the changing social characteristics and interest groups?
17. Four types of interest groups? One example of each type? (2)
18. What is the US Chamber of Commerce?
19.What are lobbyists?
20.What is a PAC? (remember the superPACS?)
21.What is a professional association. Give two examples?
22. What are public interest groups? Please provide examples.
23.What are think tanks? Examples?
24.Interest groups are unrepresentative of all Americans. Why? (4)
25.Does this make a difference to policy outcome?
26.What does Figure 13.2 tell us about race and gender and political activism?
27.What are the barriers to the Latino population becoming active?
28.Barriers to homosexuals in a conservative setting?
29.Olson identifies three barriers to organizing. Name them and describe
them.(3)
30.Examples of benefits(explain) offered to potential group members.(3)
31.What is the importance of leadership in the effectiveness of interest
groups?
32.What is inside lobbying?
33.Identify and explain two tactics pertaining to this (2).
34.Comment on Inside Lobbying spending-TABLE 13.3
35.How can the abuses of inside lobbying be limited/prevented?
36.What is The K Street Project?
37.What is “outside lobbying”? What is the ultimate goal of such lobbying?
38.Three advantages of this kind of lobbying.
39.What are the advantages of forming alliances with other groups?
40.Define “grassroots mobilization” (Goldstein)
41.Describe ,using one example for each, four lobbying tactics used by
grassroots organizations. (4)
42.Describe the importance of the media for indirect lobbying.
43.What are the three categories of advertorials and how are they used? (3)
44.What is the role of the internet as a tactical tool for interest groups.
45.What is the relationship between most interest groups and political office
candidates during election periods?
46.What role does money play in the successful mobilization of interest
groups?
47.What is the relationship between money and political success in US?
48.How do interest groups raise funds for their campaigns?
49.Pros and cons of interest groups for US democracy (2)
50.What does figure 13.4 say about the public perception of interest groups.