Unit 2 Test Flashcards
A member of Congress who wants to act on what the majority of his or her constituency thinks on a particular issue would be advised to respond to which of the following indicators?
A. the editorial positions of newspapers in the constituency
B. letters from constituents
C. public demonstrations by constituents
D. a polls based on a random sample of constituents
E. the number of yard signs on major streets
D. a poll based on a random sample of constituents
The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of
A. interview error B. sampling error C. census parameter D. population error E. population density
B. sampling error
The term “public opinion” is frequently used in reference to all of American society. This perspective is
A. less accurate than a view of public opinion based on what the news media are saying about the public
B. less accurate than the idea that Americans form many publics, which differ greatly in such things as the level of attention they pay to politics
C. accurate, because there is little diversity in American public opinion
D. less accurate than a view of public opinion based on the majority, since the political system operates on the principle of majority rule
E. accurate, since Americans are one people and indivisible
B. less accurate than the idea that Americans form many publics, which differ greatly in such things as the level of attention they pay to politics
The key factor in determining the mathematical accuracy of an opinion poll is
A. sample size; if the sample is too small (less than 1000), the poll’s accuracy cannot be determined
B. whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method
C. whether the sample has the same percentage of African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans
D. whether the sample has the same percentage of men and women as the population
E. population size; if the population is too big, the poll’s accuracy cannot be accurately assessed
B. whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method
Sources of polling error include
A. poorly trained interviewers B. unrepresentative samples C. respondents' lack of knowledge or interest D. poorly worded questions E. all these answers are correct
E. all these answers are correct
The process of political learning in the United States is
A. highly structured; children are subjected to an intense system of government-mandated political indoctrination
B. highly effective; Americans are the best informed citizens in the world
C. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree
D. extremely narrow; most Americans get nearly all their opinions from a single source
E. uniform; there are almost no difference in the opinions of various groups, such are northerners and southerners
C. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree
Dramatic change in public opinion on basic issues is uncommon and is almost always a consequence of
A. a change in policy position of the president
B. an extraordinary change in national conditions
C. a Supreme Court ruling
D. a change in the law
E. popular satisfaction with a government initiative
B. an extraordinary change in national conditions
The process by which individuals acquire their opinions is called
A. popular culture B. political socialization C. social communication D. socio-economic change E. political assimilation
B. political socialization
Liberals are correctly describer by all of the following statements except
A. they believe that traditional values should be upheld even at a considerable cost to those citizens who disagree with those values
B. they strongly support civil rights
C. they strongly support civil liberties
D. they favor more government spending on the poor
E. they favor government activism in the area of economic security
A. they believe that traditional values should be upheld even at a considerable cost to those citizens who disagree with those values
As an influence on Americans’ political opinions, religious differences are
A. not a significant factor
B. most evident in the context of economic issues, such as poverty programs
C. most evident in the context of social policy issues, such as school prayer and abortion, where Americans of different religious beliefs hold substantially different opinions
D. most evident in the context of space exploration and travel
E. most evident in the context of foreign policy, as evidenced by Americans’ support for Christian nations and opposition to Islamic fundamentalism
C. most evident in the context of social policy issues, such as school prayer and abortion, where Americans of different religious beliefs hold substantially different opinions
Women are less limey than men to favor
A. affirmative action B. abortion rights C. higher levels of education spending D. the use of force to settle international disputes E. all these answers are correct
D. the use of force to settle international disputes
When a voter receives a call that suggests that a candidate is unworthy of their vote for some irrelevant reason it is an example of a(n)
A. issues research B. negative aid C. push polling D. opposition research E. pull polling
C. push polling
Which of the following is true about American public opinion?
A. Americans believe that tax rates are too low
B. Americans believe that too much money is spent on education
C. Americans believe that too much money is spent on public health
D. Americans believe that tax rates are too high
E. Americans believe that too much money is spent on environmental protection
D. Americans believe that tax rates are too high
The fact that Americans want more government services but also want tax reduction shows that opinions are frequently
A. contradictory B. consistent C. motivated by emotion D. based on extensive research E. based upon careful thought
A. contradictory
Which of the following is not a common ideal in America?
A. liberty B. collectivism C. equality D. self-government E. individualism
B. collectivism
In terms of party identification, about two-thirds of adults call themselves
A. Democrats B. Independents C. liberals D. Republicans or Democrats E. Republicans
D. Republicans or Democrats
In general, public opinion
A. is only important during a presidential election
B. determines government action
C. sets broad limits on government action
D. affects government action only on election issues
E. is unrelated to government action
C. sets broad limits on government actions
Citizen participation is politics is the essential component of the ideal of
A. liberty B. equality C. collectivism D. self-government E. individualism
D. self-government
The poll tax was used to
A. help subsidize public education in the North
B. finance election campaigns
C. ensure that the people who voted would take the vote seriously
D. ensure that women voted with their husbands, who legally controlled the money in a marriage
E. disenfranchise African Americans in the South
E. disenfranchise African Americans in the South
The frequency of elections in the United States reduces voter turnout by
A. increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections
B. focusing too much attention on state and local elections
C. discouraging local politicians from playing an active role in the presidential election
D. increasing the amount of taxes paid at the polls
E. creating more complex registration requirements
A. increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections
