question

1. Which of the following goals is not listed in the Preamble to the Constitution? a. Justice b. Domestic tranquility c. The common defense d. Equality e. The general welfare

answer

d

question

2. The Framers of the Constitution understood that ________ would be the chief source of opinion on most matters. a. the general public b. elected representatives c. factions and interest groups d. political theorists and educators e. intellectuals

answer

c

question

3. Research indicates over half of children identify with the partisan preferences of at least one of their parents by the time they are a. in the first grade. b. in the fifth grade. c. juniors in high school. d. seniors in high school. e. high school graduates.

answer

b

question

4. In adulthood, people whose party identification differs from their parents' usually call themselves a. radicals. b. independents. c. neo-institutionalists. d. conservatives. e. Democrats.

answer

b

question

5. In recent years the influence of the family on party identification has a. decreased. b. increased. c. remained the same. d. disappeared. e. become too complex to study.

answer

a

question

6. The transfer of political beliefs from generation to generation does not appear in large national studies of political attitudes because a. most Americans are quite conservative. b. few Americans are either far left or far right of the political spectrum. c. polling techniques change radically from one generation to the next. d. most Americans are quite liberal. e. some generations participate in polls more than others.

answer

b

question

7. The increasing incidence of men "deserting" Democratic candidates for Republican ones involves attitudes about all of the following issues except a. spending programs aimed at the poor. b. the size of government. c. the economy. d. gun control. e. gay rights.

answer

c

question

8. The text suggests the gender gap is less evident in _______ elections. a. presidential b. congressional c. midterm d. realigning e. federal

answer

c

question

9. There is much research which indicates attending college tends to make people more __________ than the general population. a. moderate b. conservative c. Democratic d. Republican e. liberal

answer

e

question

10. Students attending more prestigious or selective colleges are more _________ than the general population. a. liberal b. conservative c. Democratic d. Republican e. moderate

answer

a

question

11. The text suggests one of the possible explanations for the declining strength of the relationship between higher levels of education and liberalism might be: a. Colleges and universities have become more objective in their admissions decisions. b. Professors are increasingly from the lower middle class. c. There has been a decrease in students pursuing post-graduate degrees. d. The standards for text book publication has become more rigorous. e. The number of social science and humanities majors is declining

answer

e

question

12. The political liberalizing effects of college among older Americans were probably attributable to the fact that yesteryear's college graduates a. had lower rates of political participation. b. watched television. c. read newspapers and news magazines. d. were influenced by Vietnam and Watergate. e. listened to talk radio.

answer

c

question

13. In a classic study by V.O. Key in the 1950s, differences in political opinion were closely associated with: a. occupation. b. race. c. gender. d. ethnicity. e. education levels.

answer

a

question

14. The opinions of whites and African Americans are quite similar on all of the following except a. the use of racial quotas. b. stronger affirmative action programs. c. the belief that too much is made of racial differences. d. abortion. e. getting tough on criminals.

answer

b

question

15. Latinos, the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, a. tend to vote for Democratic candidates. b. tend to vote for Republican candidates. c. tend to vote for Independent candidates. d. generally vote the same, but in an unpredictable manner. e. are a diverse mix of groups, none of which has become predictably partisan.

answer

e

question

16. When political scientists see how accurately they can predict a person's view on one issue based on views on a different issue, then the focus is on a. "constraint." b. "salience." c. "congruence." d. "linearity." e. "robustness."

answer

a

question

17. In a typical ideological self-identification survey, the largest group of Americans will a. classify themselves as liberal. b. classify themselves as conservative. c. classify themselves as moderate. d. refuse to classify themselves in any manner. e. None of the above.

answer

c

question

18. In a typical ideological self-identification survey, the smallest group of Americans will a. classify themselves as liberal. b. classify themselves as conservative. c. classify themselves as moderate. d. refuse to classify themselves in any manner. e. None of the above

answer

a

question

19. The terms liberal and conservative are _____ political elites. a. irrelevant to b. somewhat irrelevant to c. avoided by d. very meaningful for e. consistently misunderstood by

answer

d

question

20. The first major U.S. politician to proclaim himself conservative was a. Barry Goldwater. b. Richard Nixon. c. Ronald Reagan. d. Dwight Eisenhower. e. Herbert Hoover.

answer

a

question

21. Those who favor increased taxation of the rich are usually described as a. Republicans. b. liberals. c. activists. d. conservatives. e. Taxicrats.

answer

b

question

22. Political liberals oppose a. federal action to desegregate schools. b. increased hiring opportunities for minorities. c. compensatory programs for minorities. d. strict enforcement of civil rights laws. e. None of the above.

answer

e

question

23. If you favor reduction of economic inequality, the regulation of business, allowing abortions and protecting the rights of the accused, then the text suggests you will probably be labeled a a. pure liberal. b. pure conservative. c. neo-conservative. d. libertarian. e. populist.

answer

a

question

24. If you favor cutting back on the welfare state and allowing the market to allocate goods and services, you would probably be classified as a a. pure liberal. b. neo-populist. c. pure conservative. d. libertarian. e. populist.

answer

c

question

25. If you want the federal government to control business but regulate personal conduct and allow prayer in public schools, you are probably a a. pure liberal. b. pure conservative. c. neo-conservative. d. libertarian. e. populist.

answer

e

question

26. Which group displays the most consistency in political attitudes? a. Average citizens b. Political activists c. Females d. Blacks e. Manual workers

answer

b

question

27. The rate at which governments adopt policies supported by majorities in polls a. has increased dramatically. b. has increased somewhat. c. has remained the same for some time now. d. has decreased. e. suggests politicians often pander to constituents.

answer

d

question

28. Which of the following is an incorrect assessment of elite opinion? a. Elites influence which issues will capture the public's attention. b. Elites are unified in their interests and opinions. c. Elites state the norms by which issues should be settled. d. Elites raise and frame political issues. e. Elites influence how issues are debated and decided.

answer

b

question

The Framers of the Constitution did not try to create a government that would do from day to day "what the people want."

answer

T

question

Studies of public opinion in the 1940s found most citizens had high levels of knowledge about government and policy.

answer

F

question

Since 1952, the major polls have a modest record with respect to predicting the winner in presidential elections.

answer

F

question

The majority of young people identify with their parents' political party.

answer

T

question

The proportion of citizens who consider themselves Democrats or Republicans has steadily increased since the 1950s.

answer

F

question

Younger voters have a weaker sense of partisanship than older ones.

answer

T

question

Studies suggest religious influences on public opinion are most pronounced with respect to economic issues.

answer

F

question

The gender gap is a recent phenomenon in American politics

answer

F

question

The gender gap is largely explained by the fact that, since the 1960s, women have increasingly become Democrats.

answer

F

question

Men have generally been more conservative than women on social issues such as gay rights, gun control, and spending programs for the poor.

answer

T

question

Survey data suggest men and women have similar views on abortion.

answer

T

question

The gender gap is less evident in midterm elections

answer

T

question

Today, there is evidence to suggest that college students are more conservative than they were twenty years ago.

answer

T

question

Most blue-collar workers in Great Britain think of themselves as "middle class."

answer

F

question

In the United States, public opinion is less divided by class than it is in Europe.

answer

T

question

African Americans are overwhelmingly Democrats.

answer

T

question

Most whites oppose the use of racial quotas while a majority of blacks support the use of such quotas.

answer

F

question

The text suggests there is evidence that the differences between the views of white and black Americans may be widening.

answer

F

question

Korean Americans appear to be more liberal than Japanese Americans

answer

T

question

20. A 1998 study found Cuban Americans were more likely to be Republican than Mexican Americans.

answer

T

question

The South has, on the whole, been less accommodating to business enterprises than other regions.

answer

F

question

Clinton won the presidency in 1992 and 1996 without carrying the South.

answer

T

question

People can have an ideology without describing themselves as liberals or conservatives.

answer

T

question

In the nineteenth century liberals favored personal and economic liberty.

answer

T

question

The definitions of the terms liberal and conservative began to change around the time of Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal.

answer

T

question

Conservatives are more likely to support decriminalization of marijuana.

answer

F

question

Conservatives are more likely to focus on removing the root causes of crime as opposed to addressing the problem by getting tough with offenders.

answer

F

question

Pure liberals are more likely to want the government to reduce income inequality.

answer

T

question

Libertarians are conservative on economic issues and liberal on social ones.

answer

T

question

30. Populists are liberal on economic issues and conservative on social ones.

answer

T

question

Delegates to presidential nominating conventions tend to be more ideological than the average voter.

answer

T

question

According to the text, elites do not define economic problems.

answer

T

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