Public Opinion Flashcards
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A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to:
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poorly worded questions
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A liberal would most likely support:
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an expansion in govt social services
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A political ideology is best defined as:
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a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the government
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If a person does not know anything about a proposed piece of legislation but supports it because Barack Obama endorsed it, we would say the person:
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reached their decision through the use of an informational shortcut
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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.
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selection bias
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One recent survey showed that two-thirds of Americans believe the government is 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 the government is spending "too little" on "welfare." This example shows that:
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small differences in the wording of a question can lead to very different response patterns
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Pollsters use random digit dialing to gather national samples for surveys because:
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there is no complete list of all americans that can be used to identify the population
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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:
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ideology
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The difference between a political value and a political attitude is that:
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values are basic principles, while attitudes are specific preferences
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The fact that Americans strongly support the idea that governmental interference in individuals' lives and property should be kept to a minimum illustrates their commitment to:
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liberty
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The fact that survey respondents over-report voting in elections and the frequency of their church attendance is an example of:
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the social desirability effect
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The practice of push polling involves:
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the procedure of asking loaded questions in order to subtly shape the respondents opinion
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The social desirability effect refers to:
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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
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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:
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a push poll
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Which of following phenomena is NOT an illustration of the gender gap?
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men are more likely to join political parties and other social organizations
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Which of the following statements about political opinions is NOT true?
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the poor are generally less supportive of economic and social programs than the wealthy
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Which of the following statements about the ideological preferences of Americans is FALSE?
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Prior to 2000, there were almost no Americans who identified themselves as liberals
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Which of the following terms describe America's fundamental political values?
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liberty, equality, and democracy
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A survey of 1,000 people can be effective for measuring the opinions of all Americans.
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true
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Political ideologies do not always provide us with a clear opinion on particular policies.
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true
