Poli Sci Ch 6 – Flashcards
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public opinion
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citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events
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values/beliefs
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basic principles that shape a person's opinions about political issues and events
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political ideology
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a cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government
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attitude/opinion
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a specific preference on a particular issue
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liberty
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freedom from governmental control
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equality of opportunity
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a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential
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democracy
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a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials
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political socialization
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the induction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based
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agents of socialization
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social institutions, including families and schools, that help to shape individuals' basic political beliefs and values
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gender gap
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a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men
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libertarianism
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a political ideology that emphasizes freedom and voluntary association with small government
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socialism
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a political ideology that emphasizes social ownership or collective government ownership and strong government
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liberal
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today, this term refers to those who generally support social and political reform; extensive governmental intervention in the economy; the expansion of federal social services; more vigorous efforts on behalf of the poor, minorities, and women; and greater concern for consumers and the environment
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conservative
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today, this term refers to those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulas and economic arrangements. Conservatives believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens' freedom
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marketplace of ideas
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the public forum in which beliefs and ideas are exchanged and compete
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public-opinion polls
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scientific instruments for measuring public opinion
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sample
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a small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of and entire population
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probability sampling
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a method used by pollsters to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent
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random digit dialing
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a polling method in which respondents are selected at random from a list of ten-digit telephone numbers, with every effort made to avoid bias in the construction of the sample
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sampling error/margin of error
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polling error that arises base on the small size of the sample
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social desirability effect
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the effect that results when respondents in a survey report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear rather than what they believe
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selection bias (surveys)
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polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in overrepresenting or underrepresenting some opinions
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push polling
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a polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion
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bandwagon effect
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a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front-runner
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median voter theorem
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a proposition predicting that when policy options can be arrayed along a single dimension, majority rule will pick the policy most preferred by the voter whose ideal policy is to the left of half of the voters and to the right of exactly half of the voters
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Answer: C
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The term public opinion is used to describe (p. 205) a) the collected speeches and writings made by a president during his or her term in office. b) the analysis of events broadcast by news reporters during the evening news. c) the beliefs and attitudes that people have about issues. d) decisions of the Supreme Court. e) any political statement that is made by a citizen outside of their private residencies or places of employment.
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Answer: A
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Variables such as income, education, race, gender, and ethnicity (p. 206) a) often create differences of political opinion in America. b) have consistently been a challenge to America's core political values. c) have little impact on political opinions. d) help explain why public opinion polls are so unreliable. e) matter only for people's opinions on moral issues but not for their opinions on economic issues
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Answer: E
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The process by which Americans learn political beliefs and values is called (p. 208) a) brainwashing. b) propaganda. c) indoctrination. d) political socialization. e) political development.
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Answer: E
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Which of the following is an agency of socialization? (p. 209) a) the family b) social groups c) education d) political conditions e) all of the above
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Answer: C
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When men and women respond differently to issues of public policy, they are demonstrating an example of (p. 210) a) liberalism. b) educational differences. c) the gender gap. d) party politics. e) feminism.
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Answer: B
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A politician who opposes abortion, government regulation of business, and gay rights legislation would be best described as a (p. 218) a) liberal. b) conservative. c) libertarian. d) socialist. e) communist.
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Answer: C
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The fact that the public is inattentive to politics and must frequently rely on informational shortcuts has which of the following effects on American democracy? (p. 224) a) It strengthens it by providing politicians with more freedom to act on a wider variety of issues. b) It strengthens it by increasing the number of people who participate in politics. c) It weakens it by making it easier for various institutions and political actors to manipulate the political process. d) It weakens it by making every citizen equally empowered to produce outcomes that are consistent with their interests on every issue. e) It has no effect on it.
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Answer: A
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Which of the following are the most important external influences on how political opinions are formed in the marketplace of ideas? (p. 224) a) the government, private groups, and the news media b) the unemployment rate, the Dow Jones industrial average, and the NASDAQ composite c)random digit dialing surveys, push polls, and framing experiments d) the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Federalist Papers e) the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch
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Answer: B
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Which of the following is the term used in public- opinion polling to denote the small group representing the opinions of the whole population? (p. 228) a) control group b) sample c) micropopulation d) respondents e) median voters
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Answer: B
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A poll that includes many poorly worded or ambiguous questions has a high degree of (p. 232) a) sampling error. b) measurement error. c) selection bias. d) validity error. e) attribution error.
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Answer: A
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A push poll is a poll in which (p. 240) a) the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion rather than measure the respondent's opinion. b) the questions are designed to measure the respondent's opinion rather than shape the respondent's opinion. c) the questions are designed to reduce measurement error. d) the sample is chosen to include only undecided or independent voters. e) the sample is not representative of the population it is drawn from.
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Answer: B
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A familiar polling problem is the "bandwagon effect," which occurs when (p. 241) a) the same results are used over and over again. b) polling results influence people to support the candidate marked as the probable victor in a campaign. c) polling results influence people to support the candidate who is trailing in a campaign. d) background noise makes it difficult for a pollster and a respondent to communicate with each other. e) a large number of people refuse to answer a pollster's questions.
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Answer: B
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The median voter theorem suggests that (p. 242) 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 re-election 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.
