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| The ability to get into and use public facilities. In the political sense, the ability to meet with and present one's ideas to political leaders. |
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| Unregulated political organizations formed mainly to influence elections. |
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| A legal brief filed by someone or some organization with an interest in a case but not an actual party. |
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| Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) |
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| A law that limits hard money contributions during each election cycle to $2,000 from individuals and $5,000 from PACs. |
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| The theory that most people will not engage in collective action with the sole aim of producing public goods. Instead, groups build membership by offering selective benefits available only to group members. |
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| A means of of expanding an interest group's influence that involves working with other groups. |
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| The provision of public goods requires a group of people to work together. |
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| Direct contact to lobbyists with government officials in an effort to influence policy. |
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| Interest groups form as a result of a deal -an exchange-between a group entrepreneur and an unorganized interest that may be underrepresented or not represented at all. |
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Term
| Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) |
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| A 1971 act that allowed unions and corporations to form political action committees to raise and contribute campaign funds to candidates. |
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| A person who makes the strictly rational choice to enjoy the benefits of public goods without incurring the costs of providing them, thus presenting a dilemma to the community as a whole. |
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| Someone who invests resources (such as time, money, and organizational skill) to create and build an organization that offers various types of benefits (material, solidary, and purposive) to entice others to join the group. |
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Definition
| Campaign contributions made directly to candidates and regulated by law. |
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| The use of intermediates by lobbyists to speak to government officials with the intent to influence policy. |
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| A group organized around a set of views or preferences in order to try to influence government decision makers. |
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| The activity of a group or person that attempts to influence public policymaking on behalf of themselves or the group. |
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| Individuals whose job it is to contact and attempt to influence governmental officials behalf of others. |
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| The exchange of support on issues between individuals or groups in order to gain mutual advantage. |
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| Tangible rewards gained from membership in an interest group. |
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Definition
| That interest groups are a natural extension of a democratic system that guarantees freedom of expression and association. |
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Term
| Political Action Committees (PACs) |
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| Organizations specifically created to raise money and make political contributions on behalf of an interest group. |
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| A benefit that is provided to everyone and cannot be withheld from those who did not participate in its provision. |
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Definition
| Benefits that interest group members derive from feeling good about contributing to a worthy cause in an effort to improve the lot of society in general, not just the individual concerns of the groups members. |
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| Making choices that maximize benefits and minimize costs. |
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| Making choices that maximize benefits and minimize costs. |
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| Benefits provided by interest groups that are available to members only. |
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| Groups that take positions and are active on only one specific issue (for example: abortion, guns, homosexuality, the environment). |
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| Campaign contributions given to political parties rather than directly to candidates. |
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Definition
| Satisfaction gained from membership in interest groups such as friendship and sense of belonging to a group or meeting people with similar interests. |
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| The actions and ways interest groups use their political resources to influence the political process. |
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| A lawsuit filed to test the constitutionality of some government policy. |
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