Ch. 11 Public Opinion & Socialization

Question 1

public opinion

Answer 1

What the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time

Question 2

public opinion polls

Answer 2

Interviews are surveys of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings of the entire population

Question 3

straw polls

Answer 3

Unscientific surveys used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues and policies

Question 4

political socialization

Answer 4

The process through which an individual acquires particular political orientations

Question 5

political ideology

Answer 5

The coherent set of values and believes about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals

Question 6

random sampling

Answer 6

Method of pole selection. Gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected

Question 7

stratified sampling

Answer 7

A variation on random sampling; census data are used to divide the country into for sampling regions. Sets of countries and standard Metropolitan statistical areas are then randomly selected in proportion to the total national population

Question 8

push polls

Answer 8

Polls taken to provide information on opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate

Question 9

tracking polls

Answer 9

Continuous surveys that enable campaign to chart it’s daily rise and fall of support

Question 10

exit polls

Answer 10

Polls conducted at selected polling places on election day

Question 11

sampling error (margin of error)

Answer 11

Measurement of the accuracy of the public opinion poll