Deck 8: Public Opinion and Voting

Question 1

Opinion leaders are:

A) well-known people who are able to influence others.
B) limited to political figures.
C) limited to media figures.
D) unlikely to participate in elections.
E) limited to religious figures.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In the context of public opinions, which of the following statements is true of the media?

A) The media have negligible impact on the political socialization of high school students as their respective families have a stronghold over them.
B) Political information available on social media is typically unreliable.
C) The media tend to wield the most influence over the views of persons who have not yet formed opinions about various political issues or candidates.
D) People go online, watch television, or read articles without any preconceived ideas about the political issues.
E) Politicians should publicize themselves using means other than social media as it causes the house effect.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Typically, liberals and some moderates vote for Democrats, and conservatives vote for Republicans. This exemplifies the effect of _____ on voting behavior.

A) occupation
B) ideology
C) economic status
D) the media
E) the peer group

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following resulted from the southern resentment of the Republicans for their role in the "War between the States" and their support of African Americans in the postwar era?

A) The Experimental South
B) The Fixed South
C) The Southern bias
D) The Solid South
E) The Southern divide

Question 5

James Barry is contesting in the upcoming presidential elections. James is quite a popular figure among the youth. He tweets regularly and has around 71.5 million followers on his social networking profile. Which of the following sources of political information is James Barry extensively using to promote himself?

A) Magazine
B) Television
C) Radio
D) The local newspaper
E) The Internet

Question 6

In the context of the influence of occupation and income on the attitudes of voters, which of the following is the reason behind businesspersons opting to vote for the Republican Party?

A) The party favors institutional and social changes.
B) The party members hold a history of supporting labor unions in business houses.
C) The party encourages the youth to contest in elections.
D) The party adopts a pro-business stand.
E) The party supports low-income sections of society.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is true of the relationship between religious and ethnic background and voter attitudes?

A) White Christian voters who attend church rarely are more likely to favor the Republicans.
B) Jewish voters are strongly Democratic, regardless of whether they attend services.
C) Today, the number of churches that promote conservative values is much lesser than those that promote liberal ways of thinking.
D) African Americans are one of the most solidly Republican constituencies in the United States.
E) Today, Muslim Americans are the most Republic religious group in the United States.

Question 8

In the context of economic status and occupation influencing public opinions, business managers are most likely to:

A) favor government assistance programs for employees working in business houses.
B) favor tax laws helpful to businesses.
C) favor the views of opinion leaders who support social causes.
D) support government spending in their business area.
E) support a government that provides aids to the needy.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is true of the concept of political socialization?

A) It represents the complex process of collating public opinion on various issues.
B) Strong religious beliefs rarely contribute to political socialization.
C) The process of political socialization is mostly informal.
D) Political socialization begins during late adulthood.
E) Political socialization begins during late adulthood.

Question 10

Which of the following is the most accurate way of gauging overall public opinion between elections?

A) Through public opinion polls
B) Through public opinion tweets
C) Through direct mails to the public
D) Through direct phone calls to individuals
E) Through public opinion strategies

Question 11

Luthansa, a developing city in the southern part of Curbhan, was recently hit by a massive earthquake that killed many people and left many others homeless. The country's government requested Henry Joe, a retired army official who is now a politician, to help raise funds to revive the city. The government chose Henry Joe due to his popularity among the citizens of the country. In this case, Henry Joe is a(n) _____.

A) pseudo politician
B) opinion leader
C) union representative
D) role player
E) pollster

Question 12

Which of the following statements is true of the influence of education on an individual's political attitudes?

A) The level of education seldom influences a person's political values.
B) Schools generally make efforts to slow down the political socialization of students.
C) Students with more education have more knowledge about politics than do those with less education.
D) The process of political socialization begins by the time students complete their education.
E) Schools typically encourage students to actively participate in politics.

Question 13

The pastor of Mariah's church openly condemns government policies and portrays the government as irreligious and morally threatening. Mariah comes from a family with strong religious beliefs. In the context of political socialization, she is most likely to identify herself as a(n) _____.

A) conservative
B) liberal
C) progressive
D) moderate
E) independent

Question 14

In the context of public opinion and voting, women on average are more likely than men to _____.

A) support the conservative values and beliefs of the community.
B) believe in the conservative values of self-reliance.
C) be narrow-minded and skeptical about the happenings around them.
D) believe in following traditional gender roles.
E) have a stronger commitment to the liberal value of community.

Question 15

A person's economic status may influence her or his political views. In this context, lower-income people are more likely to:

A) vote for Republicans.
B) call themselves independent.
C) oppose the views of opinion leaders who support social causes.
D) support abortion.
E) oppose government assistance programs.

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true of the generation that came of age during the Vietnam War?

A) It is skeptical of American interventionism in foreign affairs.
B) It believes that the federal government should step in during times of economic crisis.
C) It believes that American intervention in foreign wars should be encouraged.
D) It supports the Republican Party.
E) It believes that the Democratic Party is concerned about the fate of ordinary people.

Question 17

In the 2012 presidential elections, Barack Obama:

A) carried the female vote by 55 to 44 percentage points.
B) carried the male vote by 55 to 44 percentage points.
C) won the male vote by a 52 to 45 point margin.
D) lost the female vote by a 40 to 52 point margin.
E) won the female vote by a 52 to 45 point margin.

Question 18

In today's presidential contests, states in the South, the Great Plains, and parts of the Rocky Mountains _____.

A) swing from party to party
B) are strongly Republican
C) are firmly Democratic
D) do not favor any party
E) favor the independent candidates

Question 19

Which of the following is a similarity between opinion leaders and peer groups?

A) Both are involved in contesting elections.
B) Both comprise co-workers.
C) Both comprise well-known political personalities.
D) Both comprise celebrities.
E) Both can influence an individual's views.

Question 20

For established voters, _____, a standing allegiance to a political party,  is one of the most important and lasting predictors of how a person will vote.

A) political identity
B) political position
C) party identification
D) party strength
E) party involvement

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true of a house effect?

A) Polling firms with a house effect are always right.
B) All polling firms face the house effect during elections.
C) A firm with a house effect could be right on certain occasions.
D) Polling firms that exhibit a house effect miss out on important points unlike its competitors.
E) Polling firms with a house effect are disqualified from voting in elections.

Question 22

Which of the following statements is true of the right to vote?

A) The African Americans were given the right to vote in 1944.
B) Prisoners in the United States have the right to vote.
C) The voting age for U.S. citizens is 21 years.
D) In the United States, voters do not have the right to vote for public-policy decisions.
E) The right to vote helps keep elected officials accountable.

Question 23

The true result of a public opinion poll:

A) is a range of probabilities.
B) is a single figure.
C) needs to be kept anonymous.
D) is not statistical.
E) gives a clear winner.

Question 24

The readers of Artistry and Fame Line, two leading entertainment magazines, were asked to take a common survey. However, on analyzing the survey outcomes, it was observed that the results were different. The opinion of the readers of Artistry was significantly different from those of Fame Line readers. In this scenario, the difference in the results represents a(n) _____.

A) biased sample
B) random sample
C) analytic sample
D) erroneous sample
E) general sample

Question 25

Polling firms respond to the difficulties of obtaining a body of respondents that truly reflects the population at large by:

A) sampling the responses of the target group.
B) weighting the responses of various groups.
C) randomly selecting the best responses.
D) counting the number of positive responses.
E) counting the number of negative responses.

Question 26

Complications for telephone poll takers include:

A) the lack of network coverage.
B) the rising costs of getting a cell phone connection.
C) the high costs of installing a landline.
D) the increase in the use of cell phones.
E) its limitations to prerecorded messages.

Question 27

Divisions among whites have been a crucial determinant of U.S. politics. By far, the most important such division was revealed in the _____.

A) Mayflower Compact
B) American Civil War
C) Great Depression
D) Resistance War against America
E) Great Recession

Question 28

The small, short-lived changes in polling results are caused due to random error known as:

A) sampling bias.
B) biased sampling.
C) random sampling.
D) statistical noise.
E) polling bias.

Question 29

_____ were used in many southern states to limit the participation of African Americans in elections.

A) Statistical tests
B) Emotional Intelligence tests
C) Talent tests
D) Literacy tests
E) Aptitude tests

Question 30

In a polling survey, people are asked, "How would you rate the epic movie Titanic?" In this case, which of the following issues associated with a polling survey is most likely to affect the results?

A) The issue of framing misleading questions
B) The house effect
C) The issue of inadequate information in questions
D) The issue of weighting
E) The biased sampling error

Question 31

The intent of push polls is to:

A) back the winning candidate.
B) identify voters with fake voter's registration.
C) estimate the voter turnout after weighting the responses to the poll.
D) drive voters away from one candidate and toward another.
E) provide adequate information to the voters about the upcoming elections.

Question 32

Which of the following was upheld by the Supreme Court on the grounds that the political parties were private entities, not public, and thus could do as they wished?

A) The cardinal ballot
B) The black poll
C) The ancestral poll
D) The grandfather clause
E) The white primary

Question 33

According to a Pew Research Center survey, which of the following is one of the reasons for low voter turnout?

A) Nonvoters are restricted from voting due to their low income.
B) Women are less liberal in their outlook as compared to men and do not want to vote.
C) Nonvoters lack the confidence to cast their votes.
D) Nonvoters do not feel they have a duty to vote.
E) Men do not want to cast their votes because they are busy at work.

Question 34

For a given poll, a professional polling firm states that it has "95 percent confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points." What is the firm trying to say by claiming "95 percent confidence"?

A) There is a 95 percent chance that the poll is off by four points or more.
B) There is a 5 percent chance that the poll is off by four points or more.
C) There is a 95 percent chance that the poll is off by five points or more.
D) There is a 4 percent chance that the poll is off by five points or more.
E) There is a 5 percent chance that the poll is off by ninety-five points or more.

Question 35

The Literary Digest tried to predict the outcome of the presidential elections of 1936 by using a nonscientific poll and an unrepresentative sample. As a result, the pollsters forecast that Republican Alfred Landon would easily defeat Democratic incumbent FranklinD) Roosevelt. This is an example of _____.

A) a straw-polling error
B) weighting
C) a house effect
D) the bandwagon effect
E) a push poll

Question 36

The framers of the Constitution:

A) granted suffrage to all those who professed a belief in Christianity.
B) granted the power to set suffrage qualifications to the individual states .
C) limited suffrage to those who had been delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
D) limited suffrage to adult white males and females who owned property.
E) granted suffrage to all persons over the age of twenty-one.

Question 37

Which of the following is most likely to happen when an electoral candidate, to gain popularity, claims that all the polls show that he or she is ahead in the race?

A) All the other candidates will form a partnership with this candidate to increase the voter turnout.
B) Journalists are likely to participate in rallies to raise a voice against such false declarations.
C) The candidate will be banned from contesting the elections.
D) The turnover at the voting booths will increase.
E) People who want to support the winner will back this candidate despite their true feelings.

Question 38

Myron Jackson is a presidential candidate of a European country. According to a polling firm's report, his popularity rating over four consecutive weeks has been 42 percent, 44 percent, 49 percent, and 46 percent. This fluctuation in his rating figures can most likely be attributed to _____.

A) statistical noise
B) weighting
C) polling bias
D) random sampling
E) a house effect

Question 39

Which of the following was used to discourage the African Americans and the poor whites from voting?

A) The voting ticket
B) The citizenship clause
C) The poll tax
D) The primary tax
E) The election ticket

Question 40

A leading magazine wants to conduct a survey on various issues related to women. For the survey, it decides to include appropriate numbers of women in terms of age, race and ethnicity, geography, income, and religious affiliation. Which form of sampling is the magazine trying to incorporate in the survey?

A) Biased sampling
B) Cutoff sampling
C) Minimax sampling
D) Accidental sampling
E) Random sampling

Question 41

In the context of improving voting procedures, the state of _____ failed to back up votes with a paper trail in the 2016 elections.

A) Alabama
B) Delaware
C) Connecticut
D) Illinois
E) Texas

Question 42

The number of people who are actually qualified to vote in an American election is referred to as the _____.

A) voting ratio
B) voter turnout
C) voting community
D) registered population
E) vote-eligible population

Question 43

The _____ was passed in 1965 to prohibit state and local governments, particularly in the South, from interfering with the elective privileges of African Americans.

A) Voting Rights Act
B) National Voter Registration Act
C) Helpamerica Vote Act
D) Congressional Act
E) Civil Rights Act

Question 44

The level of education has little influence on a person's political values.

Question 45

Which of the following amendments gave residents of the District of Columbia the right to vote for president and vice president?

A) The Twenty-third Amendment
B) The Twenty-fourth Amendment
C) The Nineteenth Amendment
D) The Fifteenth Amendment
E) The Twenty-sixth Amendment

Question 46

A random sample is a poll sample that does not accurately represent the population being polled.

Question 47

Fiona serves in the army. She has been on a tour for almost six months and is unlikely to be able to cast her vote on Election Day. She can, therefore, use _____ to cast her vote.

A) a cardinal ballot
B) a golden parachute
C) the white primary
D) a push poll
E) an absentee ballot

Question 48

To obtain accurate results, professional poll takers must ensure that there is no bias in their polling questions.

Question 49

The Twenty-fourth Amendment outlawed _____ in national elections.

A) white primaries
B) literacy tests
C) poll taxes
D) discrimination based on race
E) the grandfather clause

Question 50

In the state of Oregon, all elections, including presidential elections, are conducted exclusively:

A) on the Internet.
B) at polling places located inside school buildings and public libraries.
C) through telephone.
D) at polling places located in supermarkets.
E) by mail.

Question 51

Which of the following statements is true of the Helpamerica Vote Act passed by Congress in 2002?

A) It reduced the minimum voting age to eighteen for all elections.
B) It encouraged the African Americans to vote by eliminating the poll tax.
C) It provided funds to the states to help them purchase new electronic voting equipment.
D) It automatically registered voters who were of voting age and had a driving license.
E) It made it mandatory for voters to register through the mail-in process.

Question 52

James, who has been critically ill for over a month, wants to cast his vote during the upcoming midterm elections. Since his health will not permit him to go to the polling place on Election Day, he can make use of the _____ facility to cast his vote.

A) alternative ballot
B) absentee ballot
C) cardinal ballot
D) ancestral clause
E) grandfather clause

Question 53

The results of opinion polls are most often cast in terms of percentages.

Question 54

In the 2006 elections, about half of the states that were using new electronic voting systems:

A) reported problems .
B) reported high voter turnout.
C) had to conduct reelections.
D) implemented the grandfather clause.
E) implemented poll taxes.

Question 55

The _____ requires states to provide all eligible citizens with the opportunity to register to vote when they apply for or renew a driver's license.

A) white primary clause
B) Motor Voter Law
C) grandfather clause
D) Congressional Act
E) Civil Rights Act

Question 56

The reintroduction of electronic machines in many states in 2012 can be attributed to:

A) the passing of the Helpamerica Vote Act.
B) the introduction of the grandfather clause.
C) the requirement to provide proof of citizenship to be able to vote.
D) the introduction of poll taxes.
E) the development of voter-verified paper audit trail.

Question 57

Which of the following statements is true of voting requirements for voters in the United States ?

A) All voters should be twenty-one years of age.
B) Voters should be citizens of the United States.
C) Voters should abide by a residency requirement of at least sixty days.
D) Noncitizens need to take the president's permission to cast their vote.
E) To be exempted from voting, a voter needs to produce a medical certificate.

Question 58

Push poll interviews typically last for five to thirty minutes, whereas legitimate pollsters typically interview a respondent for less than a minute.

Question 59

Which of the following laws was passed in 2002 to ensure more accuracy in the voting process?

A) The National Voter Registration Act
B) The Motor Voter Act
C) The United States Naturalization Law
D) The Helpamerica Vote Act
E) The Voting Rights Act

Question 60

Which of the following voting advantages was given to the residents of the District of Columbia?

A) Voters could ask volunteers to cast the vote on their behalf.
B) Voters could choose to mail-in their votes.
C) Voters could register up to or even on voting day.
D) Voters could choose to vote at a date convenient for them.
E) Voters are not required to register with local officials before voting.

Question 61

A historian has summarized the _________ as " white people slaughtering each other over what should be done about black people. "

A) Great Recession
B) Great Depression
C) Vietnam War
D) American Civil War

Question 62

Graham has a strong allegiance to the Democrats and his entire family supports the Democratic Party. This is an example of _________.

A) party identification
B) the bandwagon effect
C) political identity
D) the house effect

Question 63

Discuss the development of telephone polls and Internet polls.

Question 64

Explain how schools and churches have a strong influence on an individual's political attitudes.

Question 65

In the context of racial and ethnic minorities, discuss the voting behaviors of Hispanic and Asian Americans.

Question 66

In the context of the Solid South, explain how the ideologies of the Republicans and the Democrats have changed.

Question 67

The Rhodes are staunch Republicans. Following the birth of their son, they groom him so that he supports the Republican Party when he gains political understanding. In this scenario, the Rhodes can be described as _________.

A) agents of political socialization
B) their son's peer group
C) fraternal delegates
D) party activists

Question 68

Explain how "yes" and "no" questions and inadequate information during opinion polls can lead to problems. Give examples for each.

Question 69

A large number of voters call themselves _________ but actually support one or the other of the two major parties quite regularly.

A) opinion leaders
B) party activists
C) independents
D) aristocrats

Question 70

Political analysts believe that a _________ became a major determinant of voter decision making in the 1980 presidential elections.

A) gender role
B) gender bias
C) gender juncture
D) gender gap

Question 71

The generation that lived through the _________ tends to believe that American intervention in foreign affairs is good.

A) World War II
B) Vietnam War
C) Ten Years' War
D) Resistance War against America

Question 72

A _________ is a nonscientific poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population being polled.

A) decision poll
B) statistical poll
C) straw poll
D) model poll

Question 73

In the United States today, citizens who are at least _________ years of age and who are not felons have the right to vote.

A) sixteen
B) eighteen
C) seventeen
D) fifteen

Question 74

Opponents of _________ say that the exclusion of many poor persons and minority group members from the voting rolls results in a biased vote.

A) the grandfather clause
B) felony disenfranchisement
C) suffrage
D) the bandwagon effect

Question 75

Today, the most reputable polls sample between _________ people.

A) 100 and 500
B) 50 and 100
C) 500 and 800
D) 1,000 and 1,500