Gov/econ Chapter 11

Front 1

interest groups

Back 1

An organization of people with shared policy goals entering a policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals.

Front 2

Pluralist theory

Back 2

A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.

Front 3

Elite theory

Back 3

A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided a long class lines and that an upper class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.

Front 4

Hyperpluralist theory

Back 4

A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened.

Front 5

Subgovernments

Back 5

A network of groups within the American political system that exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas.

Front 6

Potential group

Back 6

All the people who might be interest group members because they share some common interest.

Front 7

Actual group

Back 7

That part of the potential group consisting of members who actually join.

Front 8

Collective good

Back 8

Something of value ( money, a tax write-off, prestige, clean air, and so on) that cannot be withheld from a group member.

Front 9

Free-rider problem

Back 9

The problems faced by unions and other groups when people do not join because they can benefit from groups activities without officially joining.

Front 10

Olson's law of large groups

Back 10

Advanced by Mancur Olsen, a principle stating that "the larger the group, the further it will fell short of providing an optimal amount of collective good."

Front 11

Selective benefits

Back 11

Goods ( such as information publications, travel discounts, and group insurance rates) that a group can restrict to those who pay their annual dues.

Front 12

Single-issue groups

Back 12

Groups that have narrow interest, tended dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics.

Front 13

Lobbying

Back 13

According to Lester Milbrath, " communication, by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a government decision maker with the hope of influencing his decision."

Front 14

Electioneering

Back 14

Direct Group involvement in the electoral process.

Front 15

Political action committees

Back 15

Political funding vehicles created in the 1974 campaign finance reform.

Front 16

Amicus curiae briefs

Back 16

Legal briefs submitted by a "friend of the court" for the purpose of raising additional points of view in presenting information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties.

Front 17

Class action suits

Back 17

Lawsuits permitting a small number of people to sue on behalf of all other people similarly situated.

Front 18

Public Interest lobbies

Back 18

According to Jeffrey berry, organizations that seek a collective good, the treatment of which not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activities of the government.

Front 19

Public Choice

Back 19

How government officials, politicians, and voters respond to positive and negative incentives.

Front 20

Lobbyist

Back 20

Acts for an organized intrest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.

Front 21

Revolving door

Back 21

Employment cycle in which individuals who work governmental agencies that regulate interest eventually end up working for interviews or businesses with the same policy concerning

Front 22

Issue network

Back 22

An alliance of various interest groups and individuals who unite in order to promote a single issue in government policy.

Front 23

Leadership PAC

Back 23

A PAC formed by an officeholder that collect contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contribution to other candidates and political parties.

Front 24

Bundling

Back 24

A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals and present them to a candidate or political party as a "bundle," thus increasing the PACs influence.

Front 25

Soft money

Back 25

Unlimited amounts of money the political parties previously could raise for party building purposes.

Front 26

Quid pro quo

Back 26

Something given with the exception of receiving something in return.

Front 27

Independent expenditures

Back 27

The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, the parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidate.

Front 28

Issue advocacy

Back 28

Unlimited an undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words like "vote for" or "vote against," although much of this activity is actually about selecting or defeating candidates.

Front 29

527 organization

Back 29

A political group organized under Section 527 of the IRS Code that may accept and spend unlimited amounts of money on election activities so long as they are not spent on broadcast ads run in the last 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a general election in which clearly identified candidate is referred to and a relevant electorate is targeted.

Front 30

Union shop

Back 30

a place of work where employers may hire nonunion workers who must join a labor union within an agreed time.

Front 31

Right to work laws

Back 31

Prohibits union security agreements, or agreements between labor unions and employers.

Front 32

Federal Register

Back 32

An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.