Questions Solved with 100% Correct answers
by potential group members by requiring participation, as in many labor unions.
material benefits - Answer Benefits that are provided to individuals for joining a group,
such as a coffee mug or a T-shirt, that are distinct from the collective benefits provided
by the group.
inside strategies - Answer The tactics employed within Washington, D.C., by interest
groups seeking to achieve their policy goals.
outside strategies - Answer The tactics employed outside Washington, D.C., by interest
groups seeking to achieve their policy goals.
direct lobbying - Answer attempts by interest group staff to influence policy by speaking
with elected officials or bureaucrats
grassroots lobbying - Answer A lobbying strategy that relies on participation by group
members, such as a protest or a letter-writing campaign.
astroturf lobbying - Answer Any lobbying method initiated by an interest group that is
designed to look like the spontaneous, independent participation of many individuals.
Political Action Committee (PAC) - Answer An interest group or a division of an interest
group that can raise money to contribute to campaigns or to spend on ads in support of
candidates. The amount a PAC can receive from each of its donors and the amount it
can spend on federal electioneering are strictly limited.
,527 organizations - Answer A tax-exempt group formed primarily to influence elections
through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose
a candidate. Unlike political action committees, they are not subject to contribution
limits and spending caps.
Referendum - Answer A direct vote by citizens on a policy change proposed by a
legislature or another government body. Referenda are common in state and local
elections, but there is no mechanism for a national-level referendum.
Initiative - Answer A direct vote by citizens on a policy change proposed by fellow
citizens or organized groups outside government. Getting a question on the ballot
typically requires collecting a set number of signatures from registered voters in support
of the proposal. There is no mechanism for a national-level initiative.
Salience - Answer the level of familiarity with an interest group's goals among the
general population
Bicameralism - Answer The system of having two chambers within one legislative body,
like the House and Senate in the U.S. Congress.
permanent campaign - Answer The continual quest for reelection that is rooted in high-
cost professional campaigns that are increasingly reliant on consultants and expensive
media campaigns.
pork barrel - Answer Legislative appropriations that benefit specific constituents,
created with the aim of helping local representatives win reelection.
descriptive representation - Answer representation in a member if congress shares the
characteristics of their constituents.
, substantive representation - Answer Representation in which a member of Congress
serves constituents' interests and shares their policy concerns.
Trustee - Answer A member of Congress who represents constituents' interests while
also taking into account national, collective, and moral concerns that sometimes cause
the member to vote against the preference of a majority of constituents.
delegate - Answer A member of Congress who loyally represents constituents' direct
interests.
politico - Answer A member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that
constituents care about (such as immigration reform) and as a trustee on more complex
or less salient issues (some foreign policy or regulatory matters).
electoral connection - Answer the idea that congressional behavior is centrally
motivated by members' desire for reelection
incumbency advantage - Answer The relative infrequency with which members of
Congress are defeated in their attempts for reelection.
Redistricting - Answer Re-drawing the geographic boundaries of legislative districts. This
happens every 10 years to ensure that districts remain roughly equal in population.
Apportionment - Answer The process of assigning the 435 seats in the House to the
states based on increases or decreases in state population.
Gerrymandering - Answer Attempting to use the process of redrawing district
boundaries to benefit a political party, protect incumbents, or change the proportion of
minority voters in a district.