POL 101 Ch 5 – We The People
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
            The study discussed in this clip found that political attitudes (or opinions) are misguided due to
answer
        personal perceptions becoming reality.
question
            The researchers concluded that people reject facts because
answer
        it can be perceived as threatening.
question
            What concept from the chapter best accounts for why some people reject new information that contradicts their established opinion?
answer
        political socialization
question
            Which group was presented with facts that refuted the presence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq and then reacted by believing more firmly that there were present?
answer
        conservatives
question
            What important discovery was made about delivering facts that could impact opinions?
answer
        People need to feel good before accepting new information.
question
            What percentage of Americans earning more than $75,000 said there are \"strong\" or \"very strong\" conflicts between rich and poor?
answer
        67 percent
question
            Looking at the entire set of results, one can conclude
answer
        income inequality is a concern for most Americans.
question
            What was the difference in percentage of Americans earning less than $20,000 and those earning more than $75,000 who said there are \"strong\" or \"very strong\" conflicts between rich and poor?
answer
        3 percent
question
            Which two groups had the lowest percentages of Americans who believed there are \"strong\" or \"very strong\" conflicts between rich and poor?
answer
        conservative Republicans
question
            Which two groups had the highest percentages of Americans who believed there are \"strong\" or \"very strong\" conflicts between rich and poor?
answer
        liberal Democrats
question
            Pollsters usually obtain 100 percent confidence in their results.
answer
        False
question
            What kind of sample includes all relevant demographics for the population that is polled?
answer
        Stratified
question
            ___________ is credited with coining the phrase \"wall of separation between church and state.\"
answer
        Thomas Jefferson
question
            Which of the following describes the philosophy of many of the founders of the American republic?
answer
        They were influenced by their experience in Europe and understood that religious persecution drove many settlers to America.
question
            In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that
answer
        voluntary, nondenominational school prayer is unconstitutional.
question
            All other things being equal,
answer
        conservatives have an advantage in presidential elections and moderates determine the outcome of presidential elections.
question
            The fact that more Americans identify themselves as conservatives than as liberals
answer
        suggests that moderates play an important role in deciding the outcome of federal elections.
question
            What can be deduced by the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as moderates?
answer
        Americans tend not to be overly ideological.
question
            In 2012, about _____ percent of Americans identified themselves as __________.
answer
        23; liberals
question
            A push poll might include a question with the following wording:
answer
        Do you think it was appropriate for President Bush to lie to start a war with Iraq?
question
            A key requirement of an effective ____ is that it is representative.
answer
        public-opinion sample
question
            As opposed to a value or belief, an attitude represents
answer
        a person's specific preference on a particular issue.
question
            Big government is ____________ considered a core U.S. value.
answer
        not
question
            Selection bias occurs when a sample ____ some opinions.
answer
        overrepresents or underrepresents
question
            Equality of opportunity is a
answer
        basic political value held by most Americans.
question
            Which of the following is true of political polarization in the United States?
answer
        Party polarization may actually reduce levels of political knowledge.
question
            Which of the following is true of the effect of political party membership or loyalty on political orientation?
answer
        Partisans tend to rely on party leaders and the media for cues on the appropriate positions to take on major political issues.
question
            How did the media affect the Bush Administration's decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003?
answer
        It helped to increase the public popularity of the preparations for war.
question
            In contemporary politics being liberal has come to imply supporting
answer
        social reform.
question
            Which of the following is one of the two major ways that low levels of political knowledge can shape American democracy?
answer
        Political power can more easily be manipulated by political elites, the media, and wealthy special interests.
question
            If you prefer smaller government, you are probably a
answer
        conservative.
question
            Political and voting differences between men and women are known as the ____ gap.
answer
        gender
question
            Which of the following best describes the characteristics of a \"scientific\" poll?
answer
        representative sample from a sufficiently large population with no selection bias
question
            Political socialization is the process through which
answer
        political beliefs and values are formed.
question
            The bandwagon effect has been particularly problematic in
answer
        the presidential nomination process.
question
            When a pollster asks a loaded question to shape a respondent's opinion, it is known as a
answer
        push poll.
question
            The most important agent of socialization early in life is
answer
        family.
question
            What argument does Nicholas Carr make in his best-selling book on the Internet's effect on political knowledge and participation?
answer
        The Internet reduces depth of thought and analysis regarding political knowledge.
question
            Until recently, the classification of \"moderate\" would have applied to
answer
        most Americans.
question
            What is the state of political knowledge among Americans?
answer
        low
question
            The size of the overall population under study is ____ in determining the reliability of a poll.
answer
        not important
question
            What kinds of questions are particularly problematic in relation to the social desirability effect?
answer
        questions about race or gender
question
            Which of the following views would a conservative be more likely to hold than a liberal?
answer
        concern about law and order
