Deck 6: Public Opinion

Question 1

The term gender gap refers to

A) differences in political opinions between men and women.
B) differences in education and income levels for men and women.
C) differing levels of political participation between the genders.
D) differences in fundamental political values held by men and women.
E) differences in the amount of attention elected officials give to men and women in their campaign speeches.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The process by which underlying political values are formed is known as

A) political socialization.
B) ideological education.
C) brainwashing.
D) value enhancing.
E) attitudinal evolution.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following statements about agencies of socialization is incorrect?

A) Family,membership in social groups,and education are all important agencies of socialization.
B) People's preference for a political party is primarily acquired through their family.
C) An individual's religion has no impact on their political views.
D) Attending college makes people more likely to participate in politics.
E) Both involuntary and voluntary social groups have an impact on their members' political views.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The complex set of beliefs and values that,as a whole,form a general philosophy about the government is called

A) public opinion.
B) political ideology.
C) political socialization.
D) political efficacy.
E) political sophistication.

Question 5

Based on recent polling data,what percentage of Americans disagreed with the statement "Any group should be allowed to hold a rally for a cause"?

A) 22 percent
B) 31 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 55 percent
E) 69 percent

Question 6

The difference between a political value and a political attitude is that

A) values are conservative while attitudes are liberal.
B) values are liberal while attitudes are conservative.
C) values are held for a short term while attitudes are held for a long term.
D) values are basic principles while attitudes are specific preferences.
E) values are specific preferences while attitudes are basic principles.

Question 7

The term public opinion is used to describe

A) the president's collected speeches and writings during his term in office.
B) the analysis of events broadcasted by reporters during the evening news.
C) beliefs and attitudes toward different issues,events,and people.
D) the U.S.Supreme Court's decisions.
E) political debates that take place between citizens in public settings.

Question 8

A political ideology is best defined as

A) the specific preferences individuals contemplate while discussing an issue.
B) the basic principles that shape particular attitudes.
C) a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the government.
D) the concrete interests that people try to defend through public policy.
E) the various attitudes that citizens possess toward political issues,events,and people.

Question 9

Which of following phenomena is not an illustration of the gender gap?

A) More women than men vote for Democrats.
B) More women than men tend to favor government measures to protect the environment.
C) Men are more likely to join political parties and other social organizations.
D) Men are more militaristic on issues of war and peace than women.
E) Men are less supportive of government social and health care programs than women.

Question 10

The various attitudes that citizens possess toward political issues,events,and people are called

A) public opinions.
B) political values.
C) public ideologies.
D) political propaganda.
E) cultural philosophies.

Question 11

The belief that government is a wasteful and dangerous institution and should be limited to as few activities as possible is an example of a political

A) culture.
B) value.
C) ideology.
D) truism.
E) interest.

Question 12

Which of the following terms describe America's fundamental political values?

A) liberal and conservative
B) Republican and Democrat
C) internationalist and isolationist
D) independent and moderate
E) liberty,equality,and democracy

Question 13

The controversial nature of affirmative action reveals that

A) many Americans do not value equality.
B) different policy preferences can be based on different practical interpretations of the same principle.
C) Americans are forever separated by racial differences.
D) Americans are very politically active.
E) the policy is at odds with fundamental American values.

Question 14

People's political party preferences are primarily acquired through the influence of

A) their families.
B) the region of the country they inhabit.
C) their education.
D) the media they consume.
E) their occupation.

Question 15

The fact that Americans strongly support the idea that governmental interference with individuals' lives and property should be kept to a minimum illustrates their commitment to

A) anarchy.
B) democracy.
C) liberty.
D) equality.
E) socialism.

Question 16

Which of the following statements best describes perceptions of racism among blacks and whites?

A) Blacks are more likely than whites to believe that racism is very common in the United States today.
B) Whites are more likely than blacks to believe that racism is very common in the United States today.
C) Large majorities of both blacks and whites believe there is no racism in the United States today.
D) Large majorities of both blacks and whites believe racism is very common in the United States today.
E) Large majorities of both blacks and whites have no opinion on whether racism is common in the United States today.

Question 17

In recent years,partisan realignment in the South and congressional redistricting have

A) had no noticeable effect on the partisan composition of the Congress.
B) increased the number of conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans in the Congress.
C) reduced the number of conservative Democrats and all but eliminated liberal Republicans from the Congress.
D) increased the number of conservative Democrats and all but eliminated liberal Republicans from the Congress.
E) increased the number of liberal Republicans and all but eliminated conservative Democrats from the Congress.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about political opinions is not true?

A) Race,income,and education cause important differences in opinion.
B) The poor are generally more supportive of economic and social programs than the wealthy.
C) The poor are generally less supportive of economic and social programs than the wealthy.
D) Whites and blacks have differing views on racism.
E) Women are more opposed to military intervention than men.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public is most accurate?

A) Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans on a wide variety of policy questions are smaller today than during any other period in the last forty years.
B) Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans on a wide variety of policy questions are greater today than during any other period in the last forty years.
C) The differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans have always been the same throughout American history and have not become more intense over the last forty years.
D) Republicans and Democrats have similar opinions on all political issues with the exception of national security-where Democrats are more "hawkish" than Republicans.
E) The political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public are unaffected by the opinions of party leaders.

Question 20

The fact that Democratic Party leaders have become more liberal and Republican Party leaders more conservative is important because

A) it has made the gender gap much smaller.
B) it has significantly decreased the illusion of saliency in polling.
C) it has significantly increased the illusion of saliency in polling.
D) partisans in the public tend to rely on party leaders for cues on the appropriate positions to take on major political issues.
E) partisans in the public no longer rely on party leaders for cues on the appropriate positions to take on major political issues.

Question 21

Political scientist John Zaller argues that

A) political elites are not an important factor in determining what people think about political issues.
B) people's responses in public opinion surveys are never influenced by the wording of the questions.
C) public opinion is too complicated to be explained or measured.
D) the public relies on elite cues when forming opinions about complex policies.
E) the public carefully researches the details of every policy proposal when forming opinions on political issues.

Question 22

Recent studies by political scientists have shown that

A) Americans' knowledge of politics is generally high.
B) the average American exhibits little knowledge about political institutions,processes,or leaders.
C) there is little connection between possessing political knowledge and being an effective citizen.
D) younger people know much more about politics than older people.
E) most Americans never make political decisions "on the cheap" by making use of shortcuts.

Question 23

Conservatives are more likely than liberals to support

A) government regulation of business.
B) abortion rights.
C) school prayer.
D) the expansion of government activity.
E) gay rights.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about the ideological preferences of Americans is false?

A) More Americans have identified themselves as conservatives than as liberals over the last twenty years.
B) The percentage of Americans identifying themselves as liberals has increased since the mid-1990s.
C) More Americans have identified themselves as moderates than as liberals over the last twenty years.
D) Prior to 2000,there were almost no Americans who identified themselves as liberal.
E) More Americans have identified themselves as liberals or conservatives than as moderates over the last twenty years.

Question 25

______ is the core political value most highly prized by American conservatives.

A) Democracy
B) Liberty
C) Equality
D) Family
E) Justice

Question 26

The concept of a marketplace of ideas refers to

A) important changes in copyright and patent laws that have restricted Americans' access to free information.
B) the competition between varying opinions and ideas that are aired in public forums.
C) the use of opinion pollsters who market a politician's speeches,ideas,and votes.
D) the explosion of information brought on by the Internet and other advances in electronic communication.
E) the elimination of government regulations on broadcast media such as radio and television.

Question 27

Liberalism and conservatism are good examples of

A) public opinions.
B) political attitudes.
C) political ideologies.
D) political interests.
E) political preferences.

Question 28

A wealthy businessperson who is very liberal is an example of

A) the fact that group memberships always fully explain all of an individual's political views.
B) the fact that group memberships never fully explain all of an individual's political views.
C) the power of the bandwagon effect.
D) the negative consequences of the spiral of silence.
E) the impact of political efficacy on political attitudes.

Question 29

What did the framers identify as the greatest source of political conflict for the United States?

A) racial inequalities
B) geographic differences
C) differences between the rich and poor
D) conflicts between central and local governments
E) conflicts between members of different racial groups

Question 30

Studies of political opinion show that

A) few individuals possess ideologies so cohesive that they will automatically shape all their opinions.
B) people's ideologies guide them toward formulating an opinion on almost all political issues.
C) people understand their keen interests with or without political knowledge.
D) most Americans are ardently concerned with how their government works.
E) most Americans have no conflicting attitudes about politics and remain consistently liberal or conservative their entire lives.

Question 31

Opposition to legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ______ while support for legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ______.

A) liberals;conservatives
B) conservatives;liberals
C) libertarians;conservatives
D) liberals;libertarians
E) libertarians;liberals

Question 32

In a liberal ideology,which of the core American values is most important?

A) liberty
B) democracy
C) equality
D) justice
E) patriotism

Question 33

One who supports abortion rights and opposes state involvement with religious institutions would be best described as a(n)

A) liberal.
B) conservative.
C) socialist.
D) internationalist.
E) isolationist.

Question 34

Why does the marketplace of ideas often have a moderating effect on people's opinions?

A) Given constant exposure to other people's ideas,it is almost impossible for one not to modify one's own viewpoints.
B) Moderate ideas usually have the best financial backing and the greatest publicity.
C) The most popular ideas are usually the most moderate ones.
D) Those who shop in the marketplace of ideas typically start with moderate viewpoints.
E) Moderate ideas are always closest to the truth and,therefore,are most successful in the marketplace of ideas.

Question 35

Which of the following is not true?

A) Knowledge of and interest in politics increases one's sense of political efficacy.
B) Knowledgeable citizens are better able to recognize their political interests and act consistently on behalf of them.
C) People with higher education,income,and occupational status are more likely to be both familiar with and active in politics.
D) People who are members of social or political organizations are more likely to be both familiar with and active in politics.
E) Political elites cannot influence people's ideas and beliefs.

Question 36

A liberal would most likely support

A) an expansion in governmental social services.
B) an increase in the federal military budget.
C) prayer in the public schools.
D) a ban on abortions.
E) a reduction in foreign aid for poor countries.

Question 37

A socialist is someone who believes that

A) government should be very active in providing universal health care but very inactive in all other spheres.
B) government should be very active in providing universal education but very inactive in all other spheres.
C) government should be very active in promoting national defense but very inactive in all other spheres.
D) government should be very active in many spheres in order to reduce economic and social inequality.
E) government is wasteful and should be limited to as few spheres of activity as possible.

Question 38

What is one of the main differences between those who have gone to college and those who have not?

A) Those with a college education are less likely to believe that women and men should have equal roles.
B) Those with a college education are more likely to believe that abortion should never be allowed.
C) There is a higher level of political participation among those with a college education.
D) There is a lower level of political participation among those with a college education.
E) Those with a college education are more likely to believe that the United States should not concern itself with other nations' problems.

Question 39

The transition many white southerners made from the Democratic to the Republican Party is a good example of

A) the changes in political conditions and circumstances in the South,rather than in opinions or values.
B) the growing conservative ideology in the South.
C) the growing liberal ideology in the South.
D) the rise of labor unions and other associations in the South.
E) the growth in patriotism in the South.

Question 40

If a person does not know anything about a proposed piece of legislation but supports it because Barack Obama endorsed it,we would say the person

A) fell prey to the illusion of saliency.
B) was an example of the bandwagon effect.
C) committed a sampling error.
D) was an example of the bellwether effect.
E) reached his or her decision through the use of an informational shortcut.

Question 41

Which of the following statements about the marketplace of ideas is true?

A) The English created the marketplace of ideas in the seventeenth century.
B) Private groups and the news media play important roles in shaping opinions in the marketplace of ideas.
C) Exposure to the marketplace of ideas rarely leads people to change their minds about political issues.
D) Only individuals,not groups or organizations,are allowed to promote ideas in the marketplace of ideas.
E) Government officials are legally prohibited from promoting ideas in the marketplace of ideas.

Question 42

Each of the following is a liberal organization except

A) the Sierra Club.
B) the National Organization for Women.
C) World Wildlife Federation.
D) the Chamber of Commerce.
E) Friends of the Earth.

Question 43

Pollsters use random digit dialing to gather national samples for surveys because

A) Sampling errors are typically too low when other techniques are used.
B) Sampling errors are typically too high when other techniques are used.
C) There is not a complete list of all Americans that can be used to identify the population.
D) It is the only method that allows for push polling.
E) It is the only method that generates high levels of measurement error.

Question 44

Which organizations are committed to developing and marketing conservative ideas and policies?

A) the Heritage Foundation,the Hoover Institute,and the American Enterprise Institute
B) the Sierra Club,Friends of the Earth,and Common Cause
C) the National Organization for Women,the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,and the American Association for Retired People
D) the Chamber of Commerce,Physicians for Social Responsibility,and the Teamsters
E) the Brookings Institution,the Council on Foreign Relations,and the Public Affairs Council

Question 45

The small group selected by pollsters to represent the entire population is called the

A) validity quotient.
B) reliability quotient.
C) sample.
D) quota.
E) hypothesis.

Question 46

One recent survey showed that two-thirds of Americans believe the government is spending "too little" money on "assistance for the poor." Yet,another survey conducted at the same time found that only one-tenth of Americans believe that the government is spending "too little" on "welfare." This example shows that

A) selection bias must always be considered when interpreting the results from a poll.
B) small differences in the wording of a question can lead to very different response patterns.
C) the findings from some polling agencies should not be trusted.
D) polling can never be used to understand public opinion on any issue.
E) the results from push polls are often inconsistent.

Question 47

The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates took place

A) through a series of competing newspaper editorials.
B) on television,making it the first political broadcast in the United States.
C) outside,in the cornfields and town squares of Illinois.
D) in Madison Square Garden during the Republican Convention of 1860.
E) in the Senate during 1858.

Question 48

The social desirability effect refers to

A) the bias in surveys that comes from the repeated failure of pollsters to interview respondents who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
B) the strong desire that people have to express their opinions to survey researchers.
C) the fact that respondents report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear or whatever they think is socially acceptable rather than what they actually believe or know to be true.
D) the impression conveyed by polls that something is important to the public when actually it is not.
E) the tendency for people to shift their electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front-runner.

Question 49

Which of the following was not part of the Bush administration's effort to maintain support for its war on terror?

A) presidential speeches
B) press conferences
C) press releases
D) media appearances by administration officials
E) donations to academic institutions

Question 50

In order to draw a simple random sample of Americans,a researcher

A) needs to interview at least 5,000 people.
B) needs to interview less than 1,000 people.
C) needs to interview at least 1,000 people.
D) needs a complete list of all the people in the United States.
E) needs only a random number generator.

Question 51

A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to

A) unresponsiveness.
B) poorly worded questions.
C) push polling.
D) the increased use of cell phones.
E) sampling error.

Question 52

"Retail politics" refers to

A) the fact that voters always vote for candidates who best represent their own self-interest.
B) attempts made by political machines in the nineteenth century to buy votes from citizens through cash payments.
C) debates about how extensively government should regulate the manufacture and sale of consumer goods.
D) campaigns where candidates meet citizens face-to-face to discuss politics.
E) government-run auctions to sell public property.

Question 53

Which statement concerning the news media is not true?

A) The methods used to report the news help shape the underlying attitudes and opinions of those consuming the news.
B) In a free democracy,the news media provides information without framing or interpreting it in any particular way.
C) The news media presented the Bush administration's military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq,as well as its domestic antiterrorist efforts,in a positive light.
D) The news media has relentlessly investigated the personal and official wrongdoings of politicians.
E) The media's continual presentation of corruption in government has fostered cynicism and distrust in the public.

Question 54

Which of the following statements about governmental public relations efforts is not true?

A) Due to its size and power,the government is always successful at influencing public opinion.
B) Despite its size and power,the government has trouble influencing public opinion because the news media frequently disputes its claims.
C) Despite its size and power,the government has trouble influencing public opinion because interest groups frequently dispute its claims.
D) Despite its size and power,the government has trouble influencing public opinion because there are often conflicts within the government about what should be done.
E) Modern presidents focus a great deal of attention on shaping public opinion to boost support for their policy agendas.

Question 55

The fact that many middle-class and lower-middle-class citizens who did not stand to benefit from President Bush's tax cuts seemed to favor them is an example of

A) the importance of political knowledge.
B) the importance of self-interest.
C) the importance of political efficacy.
D) the "spiral of silence."
E) bandwagon effects.

Question 56

Which of the following best characterizes the Clinton White House's attempts to influence public opinion?

A) The Clinton White House used techniques similar to those used in election campaigns to bolster popular enthusiasm for White House initiatives.
B) The Clinton White House made no attempts to influence public support for White House initiatives.
C) Clinton refused to employ any political consultants or pollsters in his administration.
D) The Clinton White House almost never communicated with representatives from the departments of the executive branch about how to coordinate the president's public relations efforts.
E) Despite the advice of some of his supporters,Clinton refused to establish a political "war room" to plan his administration's public relations efforts.

Question 57

In public opinion surveys,a sample of the total population

A) must be at least 50 percent of the targeted population.
B) need be only 25 percent of the targeted population.
C) need be only 10 percent of the targeted population.
D) must be representative in that the views of those in the sample must accurately and proportionately reflect the views of the whole population.
E) must be based on all the registered voters in the targeted population.

Question 58

The typical margin of error in a sample survey of 1,500 respondents is

A) 0.1 percent.
B) 0.5 percent.
C) 2.5 percent.
D) 10 percent.
E) 15 percent.

Question 59

Which of the following statements about the forces that shape public opinion is not true?

A) All governments try to influence,manipulate,or manage their citizens' beliefs.
B) Groups with public or private institutional support are more successful in marketing their ideas than groups who do not have such support.
C) The news media are not simply neutral messengers for the ideas developed by others.
D) Presidents rarely attempt to influence public support for the policies they are promoting.
E) The ways in which the news media frames or interprets events can have a major impact on how the public responds to these events.

Question 60

The increased importance that politicians have placed on public opinion polls over the last 50 years is due partly to

A) The fact that public opinion polling is provided to political leaders free of charge.
B) The fact that the Supreme Court has struck down a number of state and federal laws that made public opinion polling illegal.
C) The fact that it has become very difficult for political leaders to experience public opinion directly.
D) The fact that media organizations no longer cover political issues as much as they once did.
E) The fact that protections for freedom of speech have increased dramatically.

Question 61

Families,social groups,and schools are important institutions where people are politically socialized.

Question 62

Political ideologies do not always provide us with a clear opinion on particular policies.

Question 63

______ are used by researchers to measure public opinion on sensitive issues without letting respondents know what information is being sought.

A) Simple random samples
B) List experiments
C) Push polls
D) Bandwagon effects
E) Face-to-face surveys

Question 64

During the formation of an individual's initial political orientation,the influence of family counts for very little.

Question 65

The increased amount of information online

A) has eliminated misinformation in public opinion.
B) has destroyed the "filter bubbles" that many people used to be trapped inside.
C) has decreased the gap between the haves and the have-nots in terms of political knowledge.
D) has increased the gap between the haves and the have-nots in terms of political knowledge.
E) has not had any effect on the gap between the haves and the have-nots in terms of political knowledge.

Question 66

Survey experiments have shown that

A) roughly half of Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008.
B) roughly one-third of Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008.
C) roughly three-fourths of Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008.
D) almost all Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008.
E) almost no Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008.

Question 67

Which of the following statements about the relationship between public opinion and government policy is most accurate?

A) Public opinion always shifts in opposition to government policy once the policy has been implemented.
B) Public opinion always shifts in favor of government policy once the policy has been implemented.
C) Shifts in public opinion almost never lead to changes in government policy.
D) Shifts in public opinion always lead to changes in government policy.
E) Although there is no one-to-one correlation between public opinion and government policy,shifts in public opinion on particular issues frequently lead to changes in government policy.

Question 68

When George W.Bush supporters called conservative white voters during the 2000 South Carolina Republican primary to ask if they would be more or less likely to vote for John McCain if they knew that he had fathered an illegitimate black child,it was an example of

A) a push poll.
B) a bandwagon poll.
C) a saliency illusion.
D) a selection bias.
E) a nonresponse bias.

Question 69

The failure of major pollsters to predict Jesse Ventura's 1998 victory in Minnesota's gubernatorial election demonstrates that

A) pollsters placed too much emphasis on the two major parties' candidates.
B) researchers polled only people who had voted before,ignoring potential new voters.
C) poll takers believed that voters would actually show up to vote if they said they would.
D) the wording of the polls overemphasized Ventura's past career in wrestling.
E) the bandwagon effect can change the outcome of elections.

Question 70

Levels of education have not been shown to affect one's political opinions.

Question 71

Differences in opinion can be influenced by one's gender.

Question 72

The fact that survey respondents overreport voting in elections and the frequency of their church attendance is an example of

A) the Hawthorne effect.
B) the coattail effect.
C) the social desirability effect.
D) the bandwagon effect.
E) the median voter theorem.

Question 73

In 1936,pollsters at the Literary Digest were guilty of ______ when they mistakenly predicted a presidential victory for Alf Landon over Franklin Roosevelt by polling people whose names came from the telephone book and automobile registration records.

A) probability sampling
B) illusion of salience
C) random dialing
D) selection bias
E) push polling

Question 74

The median voter theorem states that

A) the most reliable strategy for a politician to take in winning reelection is to adopt policies that are consistent with the preferences of ideologically extreme voters.
B) the most reliable strategy for a politician to take in winning reelection is to adopt policies that are consistent with the preferences of centrist voters.
C) the average American voter is uninformed about the details of most government policies.
D) the average American voter is well informed about the details of most government policies.
E) government policy should always reflect what a majority of Americans want.

Question 75

Interest groups often spend time and money trying to shape public opinion.

Question 76

The United States is a nation without political ideologies.

Question 77

Research into public opinion and public policy has shown that

A) every citizen has an equally strong influence over politics and public policy decisions.
B) more affluent and more educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and public-policy decisions.
C) less affluent and less educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and public policy decisions.
D) nonvoters have a disproportionate influence over politics and public policy decisions.
E) the opinions of members of the public have no influence whatsoever over politics and public policy decisions.

Question 78

The practice of push polling involves

A) polling services like Harris and Gallup attempting to sell their polling data to major news media organizations at higher prices during election seasons.
B) the system of calling people during dinner and evening hours to ensure that as many people as possible will be home.
C) the procedure of asking loaded questions in order to subtly shape the respondent's opinion.
D) the effect of polls having to push politicians into adopting policy proposals they would not otherwise adopt.
E) the system of repeatedly calling people in the sampling frame until they respond to the survey.

Question 79

Most Americans are unified in their belief in the principles of liberty,equality,and democracy.

Question 80

If I decide to support a candidate because I see that he or she is the front-runner in a poll,I become an example of

A) the bellwether effect.
B) the illusion of saliency.
C) the bandwagon effect.
D) the "bounce" effect.
E) push polling.