Chapter 5

Question 0

From the 1970s to 2010, America’s ideology has _________ and American’s partisanship has ___________.

Answer 0

Generally stayed the same; generally stayed the same

Question 1

Trust in the government has generally _______ since the 1950s.

Answer 1

Decreased

Question 2

Which of the following definitions best describes a political “realignment”?

Answer 2

A nationwide shift in which large numbers of people move from identifying with one political party to identifying with another.

Question 3

Policy mood is made up of the results from ________ and has _________ on government policies.

Answer 3

Multiple surveys; a real effect

Question 4

Big political events like the September 11 attacks ______ influence public opinion; everyday interactions ______ influence public opinion.

Answer 4

Can;can

Question 5

Differences in opinion that vary with age can be attributed to ________ effects.

Answer 5

Generational

Question 6

Level of conceptualizer ion refers to:

Answer 6

The amount of complexity in an individuals beliefs about government policy.

Question 7

When opinions are formed on the spot, they are based on “considerations,” which are

Answer 7

Peices of relevant information such as ideology, party identification, religious beliefs, and personal circumstances that come to mind when the opinion is requested.

Question 8

There is a ____ correlation between the party identification of parents and their children and a _____ correlation between the ideology of parents and their children.

Answer 8

High;high

Question 9

Ideological polarization describes the effect on public opinion when many citizens move away from

Answer 9

Moderate positions toward either end of the political spectrum, identifying themselves as either liberals or conservatives.

Question 10

Which of the following is a common problem with surveys?

Answer 10

Respondents may provide answers they believe the interviewer wants to hear.

Question 11

When the government increases spending, it is generally preceded by policy mood that is

Answer 11

Leaning liberal

Question 12

Because it is often impossible to interview every member of a large group, surveys typically involve ______ of the _______.

Answer 12

Samples; Population

Question 13

If public opinion does not match policy outcomes, it is evidence that

Answer 13

The political process is complex

Question 14

Researchers survey samples of a population because it

Answer 14

Would be impossible to interview the entire population.

Question 15

The General Social Survey no longer asks people whether they believe that “women should take care of home, not country” because

Answer 15

The vast majority of Americans hold the same opinion.

Question 16

When the public looks to political actors for information, they focus on

Answer 16

The experts they generally agree with.

Question 17

Theories of political socialization posit that people’s political opinions originate in

Answer 17

What they learned from their parents and their surrounding culture.

Question 18

Policy mood is a measure of the level of public support for expanding

Answer 18

The government’s role in society.

Question 19

Americans’ political opinions on the issue of health care are generally ______ held; political opinions on the issue of mining regulation are generally _______ held.

Answer 19

Strongly; weekly

Question 20

In the short run, constituents’ opinions are _______; in the long run, constituents’ opinions are ______.

Answer 20

Fixed; shaped by politicians

Question 21

What is one way that researchers seek to avoid social desirability in respondents’ answers?

Answer 21

Asking the question indirectly

Question 22

Latent opinions become more concrete when respondents

Answer 22

Are asked to describe their opinions.

Question 23

________ issues are among the most divisive in American politics.

Answer 23

Social

Question 24

Which of the following sampling techniques is the most expensive?

Answer 24

Face-to-face interviews

Question 25

Increasing the number of respondents _______ the ________ in a survey.

Answer 25

Decreases; sampling error.

Question 26

Early theories of public opinion argued that ______; contemporary theories of public opinion argue that __________.

Answer 26

Political opinions do not exist; people’s opinions matter

Question 27

As evidence of group identity, there is ______ variation between men and women in the role of women in politics and _____ variation between educational groups on the topic.

Answer 27

Little; large

Question 28

The best way to match an individual’s ideology at age 40 is to assume she will be

Answer 28

The same as what she was at age 20.

Question 29

When a political judgment is latent, it means that the opinion

Answer 29

Is constructed on the spot

Question 30

The fact that political scientists, politicians, and journalists try to determine what Americans think indicates that

Answer 30

Political opinions matter.

Question 31

Citizens’ views on politics and government actions. (page 161)

Answer 31

public opinion

Question 32

The amount of complexity in an individual’s beliefs about government and policy, and the extent to which those beliefs are consistent with each other and remain consistent over time. (page 162)

Answer 32

level of conceptualization

Question 33

An opinion formed on the spot, when it is needed (as distinct from a deeply held opinion that is stable over time). (page 164)

Answer 33

latent opinion

Question 34

The process by which an individual’s political opinions are shaped by other people and the surrounding culture. (page 168)

Answer 34

political socialization

Question 35

A way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population. (page 173)

Answer 35

mass survey

Question 36

The group of people that a researcher or pollster wants to study, such as evangelicals, senior citizens, or Americans. (page 173)

Answer 36

population

Question 37

Within a population, the group of people surveyed in order to gauge the whole population’s opinion. Researchers use samples because it would be impossible to interview the entire population. (page 173)

Answer 37

sample

Question 38

A calculation that describes what percentage of the people surveyed may not accurately represent the population being studied. Increasing the number of respondents lowers the sampling error. (page 173)

Answer 38

sampling error

Question 39

A subsection of a population chosen to participate in a survey through a selection process in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen. This kind of sampling improves the accuracy of public opinion data. (page 174)

Answer 39

random sample

Question 40

The effect on public opinion when many citizens move away from moderate positions and toward either end of the political spectrum, identifying themselves as either liberals or conservatives. (page 179)

Answer 40

ideological polarization

Question 41

The level of public support for expanding the government’s role in society; whether the public wants government action on a specific issue. (page 185)

Answer 41

policy mood