Deck 6: Public Opinion

Question 1

Over the course of the history of the American republic, political polling has grown more

A) informal.
B) partisan.
C) scientific.
D) infrequent.
E) imprecise.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Members of which of the following religious groups are most likely to vote for Republican candidates?

A) Jews
B) Catholics
C) Episcopalians
D) Presbyterians
E) Pentecostals

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following religious groups is most likely to vote for the Democratic Party?

A) Jews
B) Episcopalians
C) Presbyterians
D) Seventh-Day Adventists
E) Pentecostals

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following agents of political socialization generally have the LEAST (or the least clear) influence on developing citizens' political views?

A) religious institutions and the media
B) the media and voluntary organizations
C) religious institutions and schools
D) voluntary organizations and families
E) the media and schools

Question 5

Which of the following statements about the relationship between media and political beliefs is most accurate?

A) The proliferation of media outlets on cable and the Internet has made voters less likely to rely primarily on news sources that reinforce their existing political beliefs.
B) Television entertainment and television news both tend to portray government and political officials in a negative light.
C) Research has shown that voters who get their news primarily from television are generally as well informed as those who regularly read newspapers.
D) Most researchers believe that media choice is guided primarily by existing preferences.
E) There is little evidence to suggest that media portrayals of complicated issues such as politics and race have any impact on citizens' attitudes.

Question 6

Generally speaking, female citizens

A) have shown nearly identical voting patterns from their male counterparts in recent decades.
B) participate more actively in political causes than men do.
C) are more likely to support the death penalty and other potential deterrents of crime.
D) back government-based social welfare programs more strongly than male citizens do.
E) tend to be most active in politics in states where there are few women in high government offices to protect their interests.

Question 7

Which of the following statements best captures the Framers' attitude toward public opinion?

A) Public opinion was the best guide to government policy.
B) Public opinion was to be regarded with suspicion but must not be ignored.
C) Government functioned best when its officials remained indifferent to public opinion.
D) Government functioned best when common people had a variety of means to express their political opinions directly and frequently.
E) Government functioned best when the common people combined in "factions" (or political parties) to lobby to put their public opinions into effect.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about religion and American politics is LEAST accurate?

A) Members of evangelical churches tend to vote for the Republican Party.
B) Persons who do not affiliate themselves with any church are more likely to identify themselves as Democrats than as Republicans.
C) With regard to race, churches are among the most highly integrated institutions in the country.
D) Compared to most of the rest of the Western world, the American people exhibit a strong degree of religious faith.
E) Jews and Latino Catholics generally throw their support behind the Democratic Party.

Question 9

When they become adults, children who were raised in politically active households

A) tend to be indifferent to politics.
B) demonstrate roughly the same level of political activity as people in their age group who were raised in nonpolitical households.
C) are usually more skeptical toward the claims of government officials than are other citizens.
D) are more likely to volunteer their time for political causes than are most other citizens.
E) are more apt to express disillusionment in the political process than are voters who have little exposure to political issues until young adulthood.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the impact of education on American political beliefs is most accurate?

A) Although black high school dropouts tend to be highly skeptical of the government, black college graduates are more likely than their white counterparts to hold a positive view of politics.
B) By middle school, students in the United States tend to have been indoctrinated by their teachers with critical attitudes towards government and politics.
C) In general, the less formal education young Americans receive, the more likely they are to trust political leaders.
D) Race is less important than education in determining whether an individual's view of politics is positive or negative.
E) Generally speaking, the American education system is designed with the hope of enacting the nation's ideals of egalitarianism.

Question 11

Which of the following is LEAST likely to vote Democrat?

A) a Jew
B) a black Protestant
C) a mainline Protestant
D) a Mormon
E) an agnostic

Question 12

Among the various agents of political socialization, which one usually has the most significant and lasting impact on individual citizens?

A) churches
B) families
C) peer groups
D) the media
E) schools

Question 13

Which of the following cases best exemplifies the political concept of a life cycle effect?

A) a generation that lived through a crippling depression exhibiting greater support for government intervention in the economy than their children, who lived in prosperous times
B) a married couple that, after purchasing a house and giving birth to a child, becomes more likely to vote and participate politically
C) an individual raised in a liberal household whose identification as a liberal increases steadily over time, regardless of changes in personal circumstance
D) recent college graduates whose political views are nearly identical to those of their parents
E) a citizen raised as conservative whose political ideology is altered by a life-changing epiphany

Question 14

On average, women are more likely to favor ________ than men are.

A) building more nuclear power plants
B) the death penalty
C) offshore drilling for oil
D) more government spending on health care
E) more permissive gun laws

Question 15

The key polling innovation introduced by George Gallup beginning in the 1930s and that was absent from the straw polls conducted by the Literary Digest in the 1920s was

A) marketing research techniques.
B) wide sampling.
C) non-sampling census surveys.
D) geographical breadth.
E) asking questions of leading citizens.

Question 16

Straw polls drew their information primarily from

A) lists of experts, journalists, or subscribers to particular newspapers or consumer services.
B) politicians working at the local level in city precincts or districts.
C) individuals that considered themselves to be without strong political affiliation.
D) voters that had just left the ballot box.
E) members of specific racial or age groups.

Question 17

The "gender gap" in American politics was first noticed in

A) the 1960 presidential election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
B) the 1968 presidential election between Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey.
C) the 1980 presidential election between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.
D) the 1992 presidential election between Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush.
E) the 2008 presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain.

Question 18

Which of the following examples best illustrates the political concept of a "cohort"?

A) small children mimicking the political beliefs of their parents
B) voters supporting particular candidates on the basis of shared race or ethnicity
C) the tendency of men, taken as a group, to hold different views from women on key issues
D) young adults whose political beliefs have more in common with those of other people their own age than with those of their parents
E) citizens who combine their efforts in order to pressure lawmakers into pursuing particular policies

Question 19

Men are more likely than women to

A) favor the death penalty for murderers.
B) support stricter gun control laws.
C) believe that the government should provide health care for the sick.
D) think the government should provide more services for citizens.
E) think the government spends too much money on the military.

Question 20

The average African American voter would be LEAST likely to support which of the following measures?

A) lower taxes for wealthy people
B) a national health care system
C) government intervention to protect civil rights
D) government aid to the poor
E) race-based hiring quotas

Question 21

In studying the dimensions of public opinion, to what does the term "direction" refer?

A) the evolution of an individual's ideology over time
B) the majority's change in ideological leaning over time
C) an individual's preference with respect to a particular issue
D) the degree to which a candidate's message can change an individual's issue opinion
E) the degree to which an individual is willing to learn and accept new information on an issue about which the individual already has a strong opinion

Question 22

The most current information about candidates in an election is obtained from a

A) push poll.
B) sampling poll.
C) tracking poll.
D) benchmark survey.
E) trial heat survey.

Question 23

In the field of political polling, the relative importance that an individual ascribes to a particular issue is known as

A) direction.
B) salience.
C) intensity.
D) stability.
E) informational support.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about Americans' political knowledge is LEAST accurate?

A) Americans pay more attention to and are better informed about issues they feel are very important.
B) Older Americans tend to be more knowledgeable about politics than younger ones.
C) Most Americans have only limited knowledge about world affairs that do not affect their country directly.
D) Americans are more likely to be familiar with the functions of political offices than the names of the persons currently occupying those offices.
E) Over the past twenty years, Americans' political knowledge has evidenced a steep and troubling decline.

Question 25

In a national presidential preference poll, the sample is likely to include how many respondents?

A) between 1,000 and 1,200
B) between 10,000 and 12,000
C) up to 1,000
D) around 20,000
E) The average number of respondents will depend on the nature and intensity of the presidential contest.

Question 26

The citizens of which of the following states are most likely to express strong admiration for American military leaders?

A) California
B) Vermont
C) Connecticut
D) Michigan
E) Georgia

Question 27

One would expect to find the lowest degree of stability in citizens' political views regarding which of the following issues?

A) the death penalty
B) the role of religion in schools
C) race-based quota systems
D) foreign policy
E) taxation

Question 28

Liberals and populists are most likely to stand together in support of which of the following measures?

A) universal health care
B) government recognition of gay unions
C) stronger restrictions on gun ownership
D) lower corporate taxes
E) teaching "intelligent design" alongside evolution in public schools

Question 29

Systematic sampling differs from simple random sampling in that it

A) excludes the element of randomness from the polling process.
B) gives each American an equally likely chance of being interviewed.
C) combines random selections with predetermined sequencing.
D) interviews tens of thousands of respondents to eliminate bias.
E) incorporates probability sampling into its procedure.

Question 30

Women exhibit less interest in and engagement with politics than their male counterparts. The exception to this pattern occurs

A) during elections that involve a war or foreign military engagement issue.
B) in states having a female U.S. senator or a female governor.
C) during elections that involve abortion.
D) in states of the northeastern part of the country.
E) during presidential elections.

Question 31

Given the general trends of political views and geography, you would expect to find the highest percentage of conservative Republicans in which of the following states?

A) Colorado
B) Oregon
C) Pennsylvania
D) Mississippi
E) New York

Question 32

Which of the following tools are less a means of gauging public opinion than a negative campaigning technique?

A) deliberative polls
B) straw polls
C) trial heat surveys
D) exit polls
E) push polls

Question 33

Which of the following attributes correlates most strongly with political knowledge?

A) education
B) age
C) ethnicity
D) wealth
E) profession

Question 34

Overall, Americans have

A) less confidence in Congress than they do in the presidency.
B) less confidence in the Supreme Court than they do in Congress.
C) more confidence in Congress than they do in the Supreme Court.
D) about the same degree of confidence in all three branches of government.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 35

One would expect support for anti-pornography statutes to be strongest among

A) conservatives and libertarians.
B) conservatives and populists.
C) conservatives and liberals.
D) liberals and libertarians.
E) libertarians and populists.

Question 36

Which of the following is true of the American decline in trust in government or trust in general?

A) The period following the 9/11 attacks brought about the greatest decline in trust in government in the past 50 years.
B) Trust in government rose slightly during the first decade of the twenty-first century, but rose sharply during the early years of the 2010s.
C) Declining trust in government cuts across all demographic groups and ages.
D) Declining trust in government is more less pronounced in the younger generations than in older generations.
E) Younger generations' trust in government declined in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

Question 37

A growing number of people-especially young people-no longer have

A) strong political views.
B) computers.
C) landline phones.
D) cell phones.
E) an interest in higher education.

Question 38

Which of the following statements about trust and confidence among Americans is the most accurate?

A) Young Americans show a stronger degree of trust in their fellow countrymen than any generation since the 1950s.
B) The current level of political cynicism in the United States is unique among industrialized nations.
C) In the 1980s and 1990s, American trust in government returned to its pre-1960s levels.
D) Declines in trust and confidence in government seem to have contributed to a decline in volunteerism.
E) While Americans have lost confidence in the Supreme Court and the presidency, their confidence in Congress has remained strong.

Question 39

At the onset of an electoral contest, a campaign usually checks the public's knowledge of its candidate by means of

A) an exit poll.
B) a benchmark survey.
C) a trial heat survey.
D) a tracking poll.
E) a push poll.

Question 40

Which of the following questions would be most indicative of a push poll?

A) "Do you agree with Candidate X's stance on abortion?"
B) "Are you familiar with Candidate X's voting record on support for Israel?"
C) "Do you plan to vote for Candidate X in the upcoming election?"
D) "What do you consider to be Candidate X's most attractive qualities?"
E) "Would you vote for Candidate X after learning that he'd engaged in an extramarital affair?"

Question 41

Public opinion is

A) often based on a high level of information.
B) sometimes prone to manipulation by political consultants who seek to frame issues in self-serving ways.
C) often based on a high level of understanding of the complexities of policy options.
D) often based on a high level of commitment to ideals of tolerance and fair play.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 42

Ideologically, a person who stresses economic liberty and progressive social views is considered to be a

A) liberal.
B) conservative.
C) libertarian.
D) progressive.
E) populist.

Question 43

What are the major agents of political socialization and how do they affect political views? Which one overall is most important? Why?

Question 44

Someone who favors more equality on economic issues, but holds traditional values is termed a

A) liberal.
B) conservative.
C) libertarian.
D) socialist.
E) populist.

Question 45

In the United States, the "people" are supposed to rule. However, the "people" are divided into many different groups, based on religion, geography, gender, age, and so forth. To what degree do racial, ethnic, regional, and other identities shape and determine the political beliefs of individual Americans? In light of the many different types of Americans, is it useful to speak of a single American people?

Question 46

On economic issues, the highest number of Americans are likely to identify themselves as

A) liberal.
B) conservative.
C) libertarian.
D) progressive.
E) populist.

Question 47

Identify the four most common political ideologies in the United States and describe the basic beliefs of each one. What sort of measures would subscribers to each ideology support and oppose? Are these ideologies internally consistent? When answering this question, consider also why so few Americans identify themselves as ideologues.

Question 48

A form of polling that includes discussions of a particular issue among small groups of individuals with presentation of carefully balanced briefing materials is called

A) exit polling.
B) deliberative polling.
C) tracking polling.
D) issue polling.
E) candidate polling.

Question 49

Studies have revealed what about the relationship between public opinion and public policy?

A) Public opinion favors pernicious policies, and so the best policy results when public opinion is ignored.
B) Over the last fifty years, the influence of public opinion on public policy has sharply declined.
C) Changes in public opinion usually result in corresponding changes in public policy.
D) Contrary to democratic rhetoric, the reality is that throughout U.S. history, minority interests have usually run roughshod over public opinion.
E) There is little discernible relationship between public policy and public opinion.

Question 50

Proponents of the new technique of deliberative polling contend that

A) there is no "public," and so one cannot accurately gauge "public opinion."
B) citizens have the potential to be much better informed and insightful than they generally are.
C) pollsters should focus on shaping public opinion rather than simply gauging it.
D) public opinion should be the sole determinant of public policy.
E) pollsters should only concern themselves with the views of the majority, in which political power in a democracy ultimately lies.

Question 51

Broadly speaking, conservative political beliefs are characterized by

A) suspicion of change.
B) government intervention to support traditional values.
C) trust in institutions like church and the family.
D) faith in free market mechanisms.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 52

What is required for a scientific poll? What are the factors that can skew a poll even when the pollsters are trying to conduct it accurately?

Question 53

Liberal personalities tend to

A) hold an inherently pessimistic view of human nature.
B) have a desire for clear moral and behavioral codes.
C) champion a high level of civil liberties.
D) champion free market principles.
E) hold a high suspicion of immigrants.

Question 54

Among the following, you are most likely to bump into a liberal on a street

A) in an urban city in the West.
B) in a small town in the West.
C) in the suburb of a city in the Midwest.
D) in a small town in the South.
E) in a rural area in Mid-Atlantic states.

Question 55

Consider the various agents of political socialization that shape Americans' political views. Which of these agents has the most important and lasting influence? Considering the impact of these agents on individuals' beliefs, are citizens best viewed as independent rational actors, or as products of their circumstances? How effectively, in other words, can rational appeals affect citizens' political views?

Question 56

The democratic ideal is that public opinion should shape government policy. What are the most effective means for determining public opinion on a given issue? What flaws are inherent in each method of determining public opinion?

Question 57

Political scientists have determined that public opinion has a strong influence on public policy. In light of the extent of the average citizen's political knowledge, is this encouraging news? How much does the average citizen know about domestic policy and foreign affairs? Which groups exhibit the highest degree of political knowledge? Should these groups have political power commensurate with their greater knowledge, or should American democratic politics retain an even playing field?