Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 5 Political Organizations and Collective Action, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
A group of manufacturers offers technical advice to policymakers and campaigns for a particular version of a proposed safety rule. It does not primarily seek to win public office. What type of organization best describes this group?
A political party
An interest group
A legislative committee
A social movement
Residents who do not attend meetings may still benefit if their neighborhood wins cleaner air. This possibility can make it harder to recruit participants for the campaign.
True
False
Workers coordinate their efforts to seek safer conditions. This is an example of .
A professional association is struggling to recruit members. Which offer is the clearest example of a selective incentive that could encourage participation?
A public appeal to shared duty
A petition open to all residents
A professional networking service reserved for members
A policy proposal sent to every elected official
A neighborhood coalition is planning a sustained campaign. Which items are resources it may need to organize and act effectively? Select all that apply.
Members' time
Guaranteed equal access to decision-makers
Money
Skills and communication channels
Identical levels of public influence for all groups
What term describes a movement's strategy of explaining a problem, identifying responsibility, and presenting a goal in terms that may build public support?
A social movement may overlap with party or interest-group politics while remaining distinct from both.
True
False
A movement builds communication channels and organizes volunteers, skills, and funding for its campaign. This reflects the approach.
In a parliamentary system, which condition generally determines which party or coalition forms the government?
The largest interest group appoints the executive
The party with the most campaign funding forms the government
A social movement takes office automatically after a demonstration
The party or coalition with sufficient legislative support generally forms the government
A social movement is choosing ways to pursue change. Which are forms of action movements may use? Select all that apply.
Demonstrations and petitions
Strikes and boycotts
Only contesting elections
Public education and mutual aid
Only lobbying through a single formal organization
What term refers to features of the political environment, such as divisions among elites or openings in decision-making, that can make organized action more or less effective?
An advocacy campaign changes how it explains a pollution problem: it identifies who is responsible and presents a clear goal that could attract public support. Which movement concept best describes this strategy?
Resource mobilization
Framing
Selective incentives
Candidate nomination
A coalition must choose between a hierarchical structure and a decentralized network. Compare one advantage and one challenge of each structure, and explain how accountability or participation could affect its decisions.
A neighborhood group campaigns for cleaner air. Some residents do not attend meetings or contribute, but they will benefit if the campaign succeeds. What collective action problem does this illustrate?
The residents are using selective incentives.
The residents are free riding on the group’s effort.
The residents are forming a political party.
The residents are increasing the group’s resources.
An organization represents a shared concern, proposes policy changes, and lobbies officials, but does not primarily seek to govern by winning office. Which type of organization best describes it?
It is a political party because it publishes information about policy.
It is a political party because it represents a shared concern.
It is an interest group because it seeks to influence policy without trying to win office.
It is a social movement because any organized policy advocacy is a movement.
A group wants to encourage people to join and remain active. Which action is an example of offering a selective incentive?
A public appeal to shared solidarity
A member service available only to participants
A policy proposal sent to an elected official
A public demonstration open to everyone
How can a political party’s label help voters evaluate a candidate?
It helps voters assess a candidate’s general outlook without examining every policy in detail.
It guarantees that every voter will agree with the candidate’s policies.
It replaces the need for parties to develop policy programs.
It ensures that party leaders respond to every group in the coalition.
Which theory of social movements emphasizes organizing people, skills, money, and communication to support collective action?
What concept describes how a movement presents a problem, identifies responsibility, and communicates a goal in ways that may build support?
True or false: Competition among interest groups by itself guarantees that all communities and viewpoints will be represented equally in policymaking.
True
False
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