Interest groups and how public policy is made

Grade 12 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to D on Madison and faction. Card A, "Definition" (Federalist No. 10 (James Madison, 1787; text of the Library of Congress guide and the Avalon Project, Yale, read Nov 14, 2026; exact)): "By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community." Card B, "Two cures" (Federalist No. 10 (James Madison, 1787; text of the Library of Congress guide and the Avalon Project, Yale, read Nov 14, 2026; exact)): "There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects." Card C, "Liberty and faction" (Federalist No. 10 (James Madison, 1787; text of the Library of Congress guide and the Avalon Project, Yale, read Nov 14, 2026; exact)): "Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency." Card D, "A minority faction" (Federalist No. 10 (James Madison, 1787; text of the Library of Congress guide and the Avalon Project, Yale, read Nov 14, 2026; exact)): "If a faction consists of less than a majority, relief is supplied by the republican principle, which enables the majority to defeat its sinister views by regular vote."

2. 1.

   Ari reads Card A. Which statement does Madison's definition support?

   • A faction can be a majority or a minority, united by an interest set against others' rights
   • A faction must be a minority, since a majority is the community and cannot be set against it
   • Any group united by a shared interest is a faction, whatever that interest asks of other citizens
   • A faction is a group large enough to outvote the rest, whatever interest or passion unites it
3. 2.

   A town wants to limit the harm from a group pushing a rule that hurts renters, while letting people form groups freely. Bo uses Card B. Which step controls the effects of faction?

   • Count how many members the group has before the town considers the rule
   • Require the group's rule to pass a public hearing and a vote, so others can check it
   • Forbid residents from forming groups, so that no group can push a rule
   • Teach residents to hold the same opinions, so that no group can disagree with another
4. 3.

   A group of 40 residents of a town of 1,000 wants a rule that 600 residents oppose. Esme reads Card D. What happens, and what does the group keep?

   • A court must decide the rule, since a majority of 600 is itself a faction under Card A
   • The group must be disbanded first, since Card D allows the majority to end its liberty
   • The majority can defeat the rule by ordinary vote, and the group keeps the liberty to organize
   • The group cannot affect the vote, since Card D says a minority faction is defeated

5. Use this

   Cards A to C on groups and parties. Card A, "The First Amendment, last clause" (National Archives transcript, exact): "or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Card B, "Groups and parties" (summary in our words, not a quotation): An interest group tries to influence the people who hold office. A political party nominates candidates to run for office under its own name and tries to win control of government. A group can endorse a candidate without nominating one. Card C, "Four groups in the state of Alder" (invented, for practice): The Alder Bakers Association lobbies the legislature about oven-inspection fees and endorses no candidate. The Alder Nurses Society endorses candidates who back staffing rules but nominates none. Citizens for Clean Rivers runs a petition drive for a cleanup law and also nominates its own candidate for the river board under its own name. The Alder Reform Party nominates candidates for many offices and takes positions on many issues.

6. 4.

   Kira reads Cards B and C. Which group does the definition of an interest group describe best?

   • Citizens for Clean Rivers, since it nominates a candidate under its own name
   • The Alder Reform Party, which takes positions on many issues and so influences officials
   • The Alder Nurses Society, since endorsing a candidate makes it a party
   • The Alder Bakers Association, which tries to influence officials and nominates no one
7. 5.

   Luz reads Cards B and C. Citizens for Clean Rivers runs a petition and nominates a river-board candidate under its own name. How should it be classified?

   • It becomes a political party for each purpose as soon as it makes one nomination
   • It is a party alone, because petitions are how parties choose their candidates
   • It acts as an interest group in the petition drive and as a party in the board race
   • It stays an interest group alone, since it began with a petition for a cleanup law
8. 6.

   Milo reads Card A. What does the Bakers Association's right to lobby the legislature give the group?

   • The right to nominate its own candidate for the legislature, since petitions lead to elections
   • The right to have the legislature adopt its request, since the amendment protects petitions
   • The right to keep its membership list secret, since the amendment protects assembly
   • The right to ask the legislature for relief; the legislature still decides whether to grant it
9. 7.

   Noah reads this claim: 'Any group that supports a candidate is a political party.' Which response do Cards B and C support?

   • Wrong: the Bakers Association lobbies and endorses no one, so no group is a party
   • Right: the Nurses Society backs candidates, and Card B says backing candidates makes a party
   • Wrong: the Nurses Society endorses but nominates none, and a party nominates under its own name
   • Right: the Reform Party and the Nurses Society both support candidates, so the Nurses are a party

10. Use this

    Cards A and B on tools of influence. Card A, "Five tools" (summary in our words, not a quotation): Lobbying is meeting or writing to officials to argue for or against a bill. Testimony is speaking at a legislative hearing, on the record. A grassroots campaign is when members and supporters contact officials themselves, by letter or call. A political action committee (PAC) pools contributions from members to support candidates. An amicus brief is a written argument filed in a court case by someone who is not a party to it. Card B, "Parents for Safe Crossings" (invented, for practice): The group has 900 members spread across the state, little money and no lawyer. A committee hearing on a school-crossing bill is in two days. The full vote on the bill is in three weeks. No court case is pending.

11. 8.

    Pia reads Cards A and B. Which tool would put Parents for Safe Crossings' argument on the record at the hearing in two days?

    • An amicus brief, since a brief is written for the record of the hearing
    • A grassroots campaign, since members contacting officials is how a hearing record is made
    • A PAC, since pooling contributions puts the group's views before the committee
    • Testimony, since it means speaking at the legislative hearing on the record
12. 9.

    Ren reads Cards A and B. With the full vote in three weeks, which plan fits the group's members and little money?

    • An amicus brief, since a written argument can be filed before the vote
    • A paid lobbying effort, since lobbying is how a group with little money is heard
    • A grassroots campaign, in which members write and call their own legislators
    • A PAC, since pooling contributions would support the legislators who back the bill
13. 10.

    Tala reads Card A. Which tools aim at legislators, and which at judges?

    • Lobbying, testimony and grassroots campaigns aim at legislators; an amicus brief aims at judges
    • Testimony and amicus briefs aim at judges; lobbying and grassroots campaigns aim at legislators
    • A PAC aims at judges, and each other tool aims at legislators
    • Lobbying, testimony and grassroots campaigns aim at judges; an amicus brief aims at legislators