Public Opinion Chapter 5 – Flashcards
56 test answers
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answers 56question
Members of a social group often have similar political beliefs because of all of the following except
answer
they feel a sense of individualism.
Unlock the answer
question
Which type of equality is most prominent in the United States?
answer
Equality of opportunity
Unlock the answer
question
Recent studies by political scientist's show that the average American exhibits
answer
little knowledge of political institutions, processes, or leaders
Unlock the answer
question
Public-opinion polls are scientific instruments for measuring _________
answer
public opinion
Unlock the answer
question
The practice of ____________ involves asking loaded questions to subtly shape the respondent's opinion
answer
push polling
Unlock the answer
question
Above all, a public-opinion sample must be _____________
answer
representative
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following is not important in determining the reliability of a poll?
answer
Size of the population
Unlock the answer
question
The term ________ is used to describe the beliefs and attitudes that people have about issues
answer
public opinion
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following is an agent of socialization?
answer
Education, Social groups, the family, all of the above.
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: A survey of 1,000 people can be effective for measuring the opinions of all Americans.
answer
true
Unlock the answer
question
The fact that Democratic Party leaders have become more liberal and Republican Party leaders more conservative is important because:
answer
partisans in the public tend to rely on party leaders for cues on the appropriate positions to take on major political issues
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following statements about political opinions is NOT true?
answer
The poor are generally less supportive of economic and social programs than the wealthy
Unlock the answer
question
The term gender gap refers to:
answer
differences in political opinions between men and women
Unlock the answer
question
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:
answer
a push poll
Unlock the answer
question
Liberty is the core political value most highly prized by
answer
American conservatives
Unlock the answer
question
What is one of the main differences between those who have gone to college and those who have not?
answer
There is a higher level of political participation among those with a college education.
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following statements best describes perceptions of racism among blacks and whites?
answer
Blacks are more likely than whites to believe that racism is very common in the United States today.
Unlock the answer
question
A political ideology is best defined as:
answer
a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the government
Unlock the answer
question
Conservatives are more likely than liberals to support:
answer
school prayer
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: Cell phones and caller ID have dramatically reduced the problem of selection bias in public opinion surveys
answer
true
Unlock the answer
question
The social desirability effect refers to:
answer
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
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public is most accurate?
answer
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.
Unlock the answer
question
The various attitudes that citizens possess toward political issues, events, and people are called:
answer
public opinions
Unlock the answer
question
The process by which underlying political values are formed is known as
answer
political socialization
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: The United States is a nation without political ideologies.
answer
False
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: Calling randomly selected phone numbers is a good way for pollsters to reduce sampling errors
answer
True
Unlock the answer
question
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
answer
small differences in the wording of a question can lead to very different response patterns
Unlock the answer
question
The small group selected by pollsters to represent the entire population is called the
answer
sample
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: Families, social groups, and schools are important institutions where people are politically socialized.
answer
True
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following is NOT true?
answer
Political elites cannot influence people's ideas and beliefs
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following statements about the relationship between public opinion and government policy is most accurate?
answer
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
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: During the formation of an individual's initial political orientation, the influence of family counts for very little
answer
false
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following best characterizes the Clinton White House's attempts to influence public opinion?
answer
The Clinton White House used techniques similar to those used in election campaigns to bolster popular enthusiasm for White House initiatives.
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: Political ideologies do not always provide us with a clear opinion on particular policies
answer
true.
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following statements about governmental public relations efforts is NOT true
answer
Due to its size and power, the government is always successful at influencing public opinion.
Unlock the answer
question
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
answer
liberty
Unlock the answer
question
Which of following phenomena is NOT an illustration of the gender gap?
answer
Men are more likely to join political parties and other social organizations.
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following statements about agencies of socialization is incorrect?
answer
An individual's religion has no impact on their political views.
Unlock the answer
question
The concept of a marketplace of ideas refers to:
answer
the competition between varying opinions and ideas that are aired in public forums
Unlock the answer
question
Liberalism and conservatism are good examples of
answer
political ideologies
Unlock the answer
question
People's political party preferences are primarily acquired through the influence of:
answer
their families.
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: Levels of education have not been shown to affect one's political opinions false
answer
false
Unlock the answer
question
A liberal would most likely support:
answer
an expansion in governmental social services
Unlock the answer
question
Based on recent polling data, what percentage of Americans is worried about government monitoring of personal information?
answer
56 percent
Unlock the answer
question
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
answer
selection bias
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following was NOT part of the Bush administration's effort to maintain support for its war on terror?
answer
Donations to academic institutions.
Unlock the answer
question
Conservatives typically favor
answer
smaller government.
Unlock the answer
question
Research into public opinion and public policy has shown that:
answer
more-affluent and more-educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and public-policy decision
Unlock the answer
question
Which of the following statements about the forces that shape public opinion is NOT true?
answer
Presidents rarely attempt to influence public support for the policies they are promoting.
Unlock the answer
question
Why does the marketplace of ideas often have a moderating effect on people's opinions?
answer
Given constant exposure to other people's ideas, it is almost impossible for one not to modify one's own viewpoints.
Unlock the answer
question
True or False: A distinguishing feature of the contemporary party system is party polarization
answer
true
Unlock the answer
question
The controversial nature of affirmative action reveals that:
answer
different policy preferences can be based on different practical interpretations of the same principle
Unlock the answer
