Chapter 9: interest groups

Question 0

Public policy

Answer 0

Includes all of the goals that a government pursues in the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved

Question 1

Interest groups

Answer 1

A collection of people who share certain views on public matters and work to shape public policy to their benefit

Question 2

Pluralistic

Answer 2

Made up of several groups with different ethnic, religious, or political backgrounds - our society

Question 3

Elite

Answer 3

Select, privileged group in a society; doesn’t dominate a pluralistic society

Question 4

How do parties and interest groups DIFFER?

Answer 4

1. With respect to the making of nominations
   - parties nominate candidates for public office, interest groups don’t
2. In their basic focus
   - parties are interested in winning elections and interest groups are interested in controlling government
3. In the scope of their interests
   - political parties are concerned with the whole range of public affairs and interest groups are interested with the interests of their members

Question 5

James Madison’s warning about interest groups

Answer 5

Warned that those interest groups, left unchecked, could dominate public decision making because of size, resources, and/or leadership

Question 6

Valuable functions of interest groups

Answer 6

1. Help to stimulate awareness of and interest in public affairs
2. Represent their members on the basis of shared attitudes rather than on the basis of geography - by what their members think as opposed to where they happen to live
3. Provide useful information to government
4. Vehicles for political participation
5. Add another element to the checks and balances feature of the political process
6. Regularly compete with one another in the public arena

Question 7

Criticisms of interest groups

Answer 7

1. Some have an influence far out of proportion to their size, importance, or their contribution to the public good
2. Sometimes hard to tell just who or how many people a group really represents
3. Many don’t in fact represent the views of all the people for whom they claim to speak
4. Some use tactics that, if to become widespread, would undermine the whole political system

Question 8

Abramoff scandal

Answer 8

Jack Abramoff, several associates, and a member of Congress were sent to federal jail for bribery and etc… Funneled hundreds of thousands of doars into congressional campaigns, all-expenses paid trips to resorts,skybox tickets to pro football games, free dinners, and some jobs for congressional spouses for legislative favors (introduction of bills written to benefit abramoffs clients and other attempts to shape lawmaking to that same end

Question 9

Interest groups are founded on ECONOMIC interest such as:

Answer 9

Business, labor, agricultural, and professional interests

Question 10

Some Interest groups are grounded in

Answer 10

A geographic area

Question 11

Other interest groups gave been formed out of a cause or an idea such as:

Answer 11

Prohibition of alcohol, environmental protection, and gun control

Question 12

Other interest groups exist to promote :

Answer 12

The welfare of certain groups of people - veterans, senior citizens, a racial minority, the homeless, women, people with disabilities, and so on

Question 13

Economic interest groups (4)

Answer 13

1. Business groups
2. Labor groups
3. Agricultural groups
4. Professional associations

Question 14

Business groups

Answer 14

• business groups do not always present a solid front, they often disagree and sometimes fight among themselves

Question 15

The united states brewers association

Answer 15

• Oldest organized interest group at work in national politics today
• Born in 1862 when Congress first levied a tax on beer
• stated purpose was to assure the brewing trade that it’s interests would be “vigorously prosecuted before the legislative and executive departments”

Question 16

National association of manufacturers vote. The chamber of commerce of the united states

Answer 16

NAM: 
-formed In 1895 
-generally speaks for "big business" 
UCC:
-founded in 1912
-voice of smaller businesses

Question 17

Business Roundtable

Answer 17

• founded in 1972
• made up of chief executive officers
• major role in promoting and defending the business community