Political Parties and Interest Groups Class Review

Interest Groups Read “Parties Versus Interest Groups” What were the three functions of political parties? In what two ways do interest groups differ from parties? How are interest groups and parties linked?

Interest Groups Read “Interest Groups: A Biased Chorus?” and “Development of the Interest- Group System” How do Americans indirectly participate in politics? How many adults vote versus participate in interest groups? What caused group formation after the Civil War? Identify groups formed in the Progressive Era that still exist today. How can a nonpolitical group become engaged in politics? What caused people to continually form groups?

Interest Groups Read “Forming and Maintaining Interest Groups” and “Overcoming the Free- Rider Problem” Why/when do we commit resources? Identify and describe the three categories of incentive. What are free-rider problem groups? Are threats, perceived impact of contribution, or selective benefits effective in overcoming the free-rider problem? Few females are in women’s groups. Few African Americans are in the NAACP. After reading the section, why do you think groups struggle with membership of the people the groups target?

Interest Groups Read “How Interest Groups Influence Government”, “Lobbying”, and “Electioneering and PACs” Define lobbying. What is the job/point of a lobbyist? What are the negative images of a lobbyist and are such perceptions fair? Define political action committees (PACs). What helped lead to the rise of PACS in the 1980s? What does it mean when the author states PACs give instrumentally? What are PAC contributions aimed at getting?