Deck 6: Public Opinion

Question 1

Liberalism and conservatism are good examples of

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is true of trust in government?

A) People have more trust in government today than in the 1960s.
B) Republicans have more trust in government than Democrats.
C) Very low trust in government is a reality in contemporary politics.
D) Very high trust in government is a reality in contemporary politics.
E) Americans had more trust in government when George W. Bush was president than during John F. Kennedy's tenure.

Question 5

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 significantly since the 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 libertarians rather than as conservatives over the last twenty years.

Question 6

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 7

________ encompasses citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events.

A) Public opinion
B) Geopolitics
C) Public ideology
D) Political propaganda
E) Cultural philosophy

Question 8

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 9

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 10

________ ushered in the tax revolt and the deregulation of many government policies in the 1980s.

A) Jimmy Carter
B) Richard Nixon
C) Mario Cuomo
D) George W. Bush
E) Ronald Reagan

Question 11

Which of the following statements about political opinions is FALSE?

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 12

________ is one of the most important mechanisms for obtaining equality of opportunity.

A) Public education
B) Affirmative action
C) Transportation
D) Commerce
E) Health care

Question 13

________ is the most important core value of liberalism.

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

Question 14

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 of opportunity, and democracy

Question 15

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 16

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 17

________ is the core political value most highly prioritized by American conservatives.

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

Question 18

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 19

________ support abortion rights and oppose state involvement with religious institutions.

A) Liberals
B) Conservatives
C) Socialists
D) Internationalists
E) Isolationists

Question 20

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 21

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 22

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 23

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.

Question 24

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 25

________ promoted his policy agenda to the American people through "fireside chats."

A) Warren Harding
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) Harry Truman
D) John Kennedy
E) Ronald Reagan

Question 26

Which of the following statements is true?

A) The Tea Party movement is more popular in New England than in the South.
B) The Democratic Party is becoming more popular in the South.
C) California is a solid Republican state today.
D) Latino voters may shift the balance of political power in Texas in the next decade.
E) Political elites are not very polarized today.

Question 27

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 28

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 29

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 30

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.

Question 31

Which of the following was NOT part of the George W. 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 32

Which of the following statements is true with regard to Latino Americans?

A) Latino Americans are more likely than African Americans to perceive that America is a racist society.
B) Latino Americans are less likely than African Americans to perceive that America is a racist society.
C) Immigration policy is not very important to Latino Americans.
D) First generation Spanish-speaking immigrants do not share a group affinity.
E) Second and third generation Latino Americans are more likely to consume Spanish-language news than first generation Latino Americans.

Question 33

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.
E) The political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public are unaffected by the opinions of party leaders.

Question 34

Each of the following organizations has a liberal orientation 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 35

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 36

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 37

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 power of the mass media.
E) the impact of political correctness on political attitudes.

Question 38

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) Republicans have become less hawkish over time.
C) Democrats have become more hawkish over time.
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 39

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

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.

Question 40

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

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

Question 41

Which of the following is true about Latino voters in the United States?

A) Latino voters did not help George W. Bush get reelected in 2004.
B) Latino voters helped George W. Bush get reelected in 2004.
C) Mitt Romney received 70 percent of the Latino vote in the 2012 presidential election.
D) Latinos do not pay much attention to immigration policy.
E) Latinos tend to be highly supportive of the Republican Party.

Question 42

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 43

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 44

The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates took place

A) through a series of competing newspaper editorials.
B) on radio, 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 45

The fact that many middle-class and lower-middle-class citizens who did not stand to benefit from President George W. 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 46

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 47

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 48

In 1948, election night polls showed that ________ would win the presidential election.

A) Harry Truman
B) Franklin Roosevelt
C) Strom Thurmond
D) Adlai Stevenson
E) Thomas Dewey

Question 49

________ led the exposure of the Watergate scandal.

A) Journalists at the Washington Post
B) Journalists at the Boston Globe
C) Journalists at the Indianapolis Star
D) Journalists at the Los Angeles Times
E) Journalists at the Miami Herald

Question 50

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 51

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

A) Clinton administration officials used techniques similar to those used in election campaigns to bolster popular enthusiasm for White House initiatives.
B) No attempts to influence public support for White House initiatives were made by Clinton administration officials.
C) Clinton refused to employ any political consultants or pollsters in his administration.
D) Clinton administration officials 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 52

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 53

"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 54

Which of the following statements is true about the news media?

A) The mass media are neutral messengers for ideas.
B) The mass media have an enormous impact on public opinion.
C) National journalists tend to avoid investigating political scandals.
D) Journalists tend to provide negative coverage of a president during times of crises.
E) Journalists tend to avoid investigating political corruption.

Question 55

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 56

Which of the following statements about public opinion in America is true?

A) Political knowledge is fairly high in America.
B) Citizens with low levels of knowledge are generally better able to evaluate new information and determine its relevancy to their beliefs.
C) Citizens with high levels of knowledge are generally better able to evaluate new information to determine its relevancy to their beliefs.
D) Almost 90 percent of Americans can name their U.S. senators and U.S. representatives.
E) Poor Americans are vocal proponents of higher levels of social welfare spending.

Question 57

Which of the following statements about governmental public relations efforts is FALSE?

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 58

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 59

Which of the following is NOT true about current trends in public opinion?

A) Citizens with more political knowledge can differentiate between information that is congruent with their political beliefs and information that is not more so than other citizens.
B) Public opinion can be easily manipulated and fickle.
C) Support for abortion rights has been relatively unchanged over the past decade.
D) More Americans favor gun control today than in the 1990s.
E) A majority of Americans support same sex marriage today.

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

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 62

Which of the following statements about public opinion is FALSE?

A) Shifts in public opinion on particular issues do not lead to changes in public policy.
B) Elected officials are constrained to some extent by public opinion.
C) Conservative states tend to have more conservative laws.
D) Liberal states tend to have more liberal laws.
E) Public opinion is generally well informed in the United States.

Question 63

David Hume said that government rests on public opinion alone. Explain the relationship between government and opinion. How do governmental actors try to shape opinion? What is the proper relationship between public opinion and policy? Explain.

Question 64

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 65

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 66

One recent survey showed that two-thirds of Americans believe that federal officials are 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 federal officials are 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 67

How are political views formed? Describe some of the key processes and factors through which individuals become politically socialized. How do institutions such as families and groups, as well as personal experiences, come to shape individual opinions?

Question 68

Which statement concerning the news media is FALSE?

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 69

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 70

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 71

Which of the following statements is true about public opinion in the contemporary time period?

A) Elected officials are more responsive to the poor than the rich.
B) Technology has eliminated the challenges of "filter bubbles" in the United States.
C) The Internet has reduced the amount of political information available to the public.
D) Digital citizenship offers the promise of a more informed electorate.
E) The problem of "bomb-throwers" on the Internet has been eliminated.

Question 72

Some contend that while Americans may be divided by ideology or opinion, they are united by fundamental political values. Describe these core values. How do they serve to unite American public opinion?

Question 73

If a person supports a candidate because she or he is the front-runner in a poll, this is an example of ________.

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

Question 74

What is the difference between a value and an ideology? Describe some of the characteristics and beliefs that define both liberalism and conservatism in contemporary American politics. What are the main differences between these two ideologies in terms of their emphasis on core American values? What are their points of agreement?

Question 75

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 76

Describe how public opinion is measured. What is sampling and what is it meant to accomplish? Describe some of the problems and biases of polling, such as push polling and question wording. How do the social desirability effect and the bandwagon effect each distort the measurement of opinion?

Question 77

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 78

In the 2012 presidential election,

A) Latino support for Mitt Romney was over-estimated.
B) African American support for Barack Obama was over-estimated.
C) Caucasian support for Mitt Romney was over-estimated.
D) Native American support for Mitt Romney was over-estimated.
E) Native American support for Barack Obama was over-estimated.