Download Review Questions for Unit CE 9 in Fasttrack Civics

Review Questions for Unit CE 9 in Fasttrack Civics - Making an Impact on Public Policy
Questions about the role of individuals and interest groups in setting public policy:
1. Tell two ways individuals can influence public policy through direct participation in politics.
Voting
Joining a political party
Running for office
2. Tell two ways individuals can influence elected lawmakers by expressing their opinions about issues.
Writing letters
Lobbying
Demonstrating
3. Why is joining an interest group often a more effective way to influence public policy and laws than
simply working on your own?
Your voice is added to thousands of others!
4. Give the name of two interest groups active in U.S. politics today.
PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
NRA – National Rifle Association
League of Women Voters
5. Why do political leaders pay more attention to interest groups with large numbers of members?
More members = more media attention
More members usually = more money to donate to their campaigns!
6. To have real impact, interest groups should identify and study issues they are concerned about. Once
they have done that, they should ____________ elected officials to see things their way. (Answer
choices: harass, lobby, threaten.)
lobby
7. Interest groups that want to build a solid influence with lawmakers usually make it a point to give
political _____________ to candidates who support their views. (Answer choices: bribes, contributions,
posters.)
contributions
8. What does the word "lobbying" mean?
Seeking to influence legislators to vote for or against a bill
Questions about the role of the media in shaping public policy:
9. What could a newspaper or TV station reporter do to encourage elected officials to consider new
laws to deal with the problem of drunk driving?
Call the public’s attention to the issue by publishing articles or conducting
interview with victims.
10. A newspaper that publishes letters to the editor on all sides of public issues is showing how the
media give a _____________ where opposing viewpoints can be heard by the public. (Answer choices:
forum, lottery, transmission.)
forum
11. The newspaper clip shows the media is doing a good job of
holding public officials ________________ for their actions and
mistakes. (Answer choices: hostage, accountable, safe.)
accountable
Questions about the impact of world events on local policymaking:
12. International issues can force local governments to make policy decisions about protecting public
health because ____________ can spread across national borders. (Answer choices: clouds, diseases,
TV signals.)
diseases
13. The migration of wildlife across large areas of land may require local governments to take action to
help protect the ___________. (Answer choices: highways, environment, Internet.)
environment
14. Many local governments have developed policies to deal with the threat of __________ since the
events of September 11, 2001. (Answer choices: storms, terrorism, frost.)
terrorism
15. The growth of the global economy may require local governments to develop new economic
___________ policies to encourage local business growth. (Answer choices: development, price,
reporting.)
development