Name __________________________________________________ Date ______________________________
Assessment: Parties, Interest Groups, and Public Policy
Mastering the Content
1. What is the primary goal of political parties?
A. to create a national platform
B. to get their candidates elected
C. to collect campaign contributions
D. to attract members who agree on issues
2. Which of these is the most common form of individual involvement with a political party?
A. attending a party rally or meeting
B. making a financial contribution to the party
C. registering to vote as a member of the party
D. working on the campaign of a party candidate
3. How do lobbyists help government officials to function more effectively?
A. by setting the public agenda
B. by funding public election campaigns
C. by selecting candidates for public office
D. by providing information on public issues
4. The National Women’s Party (1913–1930) and the Right to Life Party (1970–present) are examples of which type of
third party?
A. splinter party
B. ideological party
C. single-issue party
D. economic protest party
5. The idea that political power should be distributed and shared among various groups in society is known as
A. centrism.
B. pluralism.
C. socialism.
D. libertarianism.
6. Which political party in the United States had the longest continuous existence?
A. Democrats
B. Federalists
C. Progressives
D. Republicans
7. Who are the main sponsors of political action committees (PACs)?
A. think tanks
B. third parties
C. interest groups
D. grassroots organizations
8. Which of these is the best example of grassroots mobilization?
A. a public demonstration
B. a political party convention
C. a meeting with policymakers
D. a paid television advertisement
9. Which of these is found in a party platform?
A. a description of the party's structure
B. a statement of the party's principles
C. a list of the party's campaign contributors
D. a plan for getting the party's candidates elected
10. Which of these is the first step in the policymaking process?
A. agenda setting
B. policy adoption
C. policy evaluation
D. issue identification
Exploring the Essential Question
Political parties and interest groups: How do they influence our political decisions?
Interest groups work in many ways to affect public opinion, political parties, and, ultimately, government policy
decisions. The table below shows four of the thousands of interest groups active in the United States today.
11. Based on what you have learned about political parties, which of these four interest groups most likely has the largest
proportion of Republican members?Why do you think so?
12. Choose one of those chosen interest groups to discuss. Identify the group and explain how it might claim to serve the
public interest while protecting the interests of its members.
13. Choose one of the activities of your chosen interest group to dicuss.Explain how that activity might be used to support
the group's mission.
14. Suppose you were a member of the interest group you chose.Whay might you do to help it carry out its mission?