Parties, Interest Groups and the Media · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Parties, Interest Groups and the Media

Civics & Economics · Government · ages 11-14
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Why does a candidate usually join a political party?

    • Because the law requires every candidate to join one
    • To get help from people sharing its ideas
    • To avoid campaigning

  2. What is a political party?

    • A group of people who share similar ideas about government and support the same candidates
    • A group that only fixes local roads
    • A group that counts votes on election day

  3. A group that pays for a campaign ad usually wants something from you, like your vote or your support.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A mayor promised to fix every pothole within a year. A year later, a reporter writes an article showing many potholes remain. What is the reporter doing?

    • Holding the mayor accountable for a broken promise
    • Campaigning for the mayor's opponent
    • Writing an ad for the mayor's re-election

  5. A charity posts an ad saying 'Support clean water for every town.' Who is trying to persuade you, and what do they want?

    • The government; they want higher taxes
    • A political party; they want your vote in a local election
    • The charity; they want people to support their cause

  6. A group only cares about protecting forests and never runs its own candidates for office. What is this group?

    • Political party
    • Interest group
    • News outlet

  7. A debate about a new highway includes a political party opposing it, a business group supporting it, and a journalist interviewing both sides. Who is most likely trying to inform rather than persuade?

    • The journalist interviewing both sides
    • The business group supporting the highway
    • The political party opposing the highway

  8. A news article about a company's pollution was paid for and written by that same company. Is this the kind of reporting that holds power accountable?

    • Yes, because the company knows the facts best
    • Yes, because all company statements count as news
    • No, because the company is unlikely to report honestly on itself
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_Eb9SeGnavc-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Parties, Interest Groups and the Media W1-mt_Eb9SeGnavc-s1

  1. To get help from people sharing its ideas · Joining a party brings money, volunteers, and voters who already agree.
  2. A group of people who share similar ideas about government and support the same candidates · A party bundles shared ideas and support behind its candidates.
  3. True · Ads are made to persuade, so the group behind one almost always wants something.
  4. Holding the mayor accountable for a broken promise · Checking a promise against what actually happened is how reporting holds officials accountable.
  5. The charity; they want people to support their cause · The charity made the ad, so it is the charity pushing its cause.
  6. Interest group · It pushes one cause instead of fielding candidates, which makes it an interest group, not a party.
  7. The journalist interviewing both sides · The party and the business group both want an outcome. The journalist's job is to lay out both sides.
  8. No, because the company is unlikely to report honestly on itself · Accountability reporting works because the reporter is independent of the people it checks on.
Worksheet · LightMySky