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NAME CLASS DATE
CHAPTER
9
Section 1: Guided Reading and Review
The Nature of Interest Groups
A. As You Read
Use the information in Section 1 to fill in the following supporting facts under each main idea.
Main Idea A: Interest groups differ from political parties in several ways. Possible answers below
1. Interest ________________________________________________________________________________
groups do not nominate candidates.
Interest groups want to influence or control government policies while political parties want to control
2. government ________________________________________________________________________________
itself.
3. Interest ________________________________________________________________________________
groups concentrate on one issue while political parties are interested in many issues of public concern.
Main Idea B: Interest groups have historically been regarded with suspicion.
the danger of uncontrolled “factions” that might pursue goals that
4. James Madison warned against conflict ____________________________________________________.
with the rights and interests of the community
5. Madison hoped to moderate the power of interest groups through ______________________
a balance of power so that no
faction ________________________________________________________________________________.
would become dominant
Main Idea C: Interest groups fulfill many functions in American society.
6. Interest ________________________________________________________________________________
groups help stimulate interest in public affairs.
7. Interest ________________________________________________________________________________
groups represent their members on the basis of shared attitudes rather than shared geography.
8. Interest ________________________________________________________________________________
groups provide specialized information to government agencies.
9. Interest ________________________________________________________________________________
groups are vehicles for political participation.
10. Interest ________________________________________________________________________________
groups provide additional checks and balances to the system.
11. Interest ________________________________________________________________________________
groups compete with one another in the public arena.
Main Idea D: Interest groups also pose a number of problems for the United States.
12. Some ________________________________________________________________________________
interest groups have an influence far out of proportion to their membership.
13. It ________________________________________________________________________________
is difficult to tell how many people an interest group truly represents.
14. Many ________________________________________________________________________________
interest groups do not really represent the views of all the people for whom they claim to speak.
15. Some ________________________________________________________________________________
groups use unfair or illegal tactics that, if widely adopted, would undermine the political system.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
B. Reviewing Key Terms
Define the terms listed below in the spaces provided.
An interest group is an organization whose members are linked by a common opinion. The group
16. interest group tries ____________________________________________________________________
to persuade public officials to respond to the shared attitude of the members.
17. public policy all ____________________________________________________________________
the goals the government sets and the actions it takes to reach those goals
18. public affairs ____________________________________________________________________
issues that concern the people at large
46 Chapter 9 Guided Reading and Review