A.P. U.S. Government and Politics

Assignment #19: February 11, 2008

1. Read: Read chapter 16 on interest groups. Outline the chapter. (Due February 25).

Locate and take the quiz on-line—send me your results. They will be recorded as a quiz grade.

Answer the following questions and define the terms on a separate piece of paper; your responses should be thorough and analytical. The questions should be answered in complete paragraphs—they should begin with clear topic sentences. (Due February 25). Be prepared for a test on chapters 11, 12, and 13 on February 25.

1. What is an interest group? How are they categorized?

2. Trace the development of liberal and conservative interest groups from the 1830s to the present.

3. What do interest groups do? Include at least five very specific examples with explanations in your answer.

4. Explain specific ways interest groups influence the outcome of elections and interact with the elective process.

5. Discuss the success of interest groups—how is their success measured? What factors contribute to success? Incorporate VERY specific facts and explanations in your response.

6. List and explain at least four important interest groups.

Terms:

1. Civic virtue

2. Collective good

3. Disturbance theory

4. Earmark

5. Economic interest group

6. Free rider problem

7. Interest group

8. Lobbying

9. Lobbyist

10. Patron

11. Political action committee (PAC)

12. Public interest group

13. Social capital

14. Trade association

2. Current Events: Once again, read the news—be prepared to take a quiz next week on events of significance in the news. Be sure you are familiar with what is going on in the primary elections, the war in Iraq, the economy, etc.