Chapter 6 - GOVT 2305

Latinos currently make up approximately ________ percent of the U.S. population.

17

The typical margin of error in a sample survey of 1,500 respondents is ________ percent.

2.5

A political ideology is best defined as

a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the government.

A liberal would most likely support

an expansion in governmental social services

If a person supports a candidate because he or she is the front-runner in a poll, it is an example of the ________.

bandwagon effect

The difference between a political value and a political attitude is that values are

basic principles, while attitudes are specific preferences.

The term public opinion is used to describe

beliefs and attitudes toward different issues, events, and people.

The increased importance that politicians have placed on public opinion polls over the last 50 years is due in part to the fact that

it has become very difficult for political leaders to experience public opinion directly.

The fact that Americans strongly support minimal governmental interference with individuals' lives and property illustrates their commitment to ________.

liberty

The concept of a marketplace of ideas refers to

the competition between varying opinions and ideas that are aired in public forums.

________ is the most important core value of liberalism.

Equality

________ is the core political value most highly prioritized by American conservatives.

Liberty

What is the "social desirability effect"?

The fact that respondents report what they think the interviewer wishes to hear or whatever they think is socially acceptable rather than what they actually believe.

What is one of the main differences between those who have gone to college and those who have not?

There is a higher level of political participation among those with a college education.

The transition many white southerners made from the Democratic to the Republican Party in the 1960s is a good example of the

changes in political conditions and circumstances in the South, rather than in opinions or values.

What did the framers identify as the greatest source of political conflict for the United States?

differences between the rich and poor

What is the "gender gap"?

differences in political opinions between men and women

The fact that many middle-class and lower-middle-class citizens who did not stand to benefit from President George W. Bush's tax cuts seemed to favor them is an example of the

importance of political knowledge.

Research into public opinion and public policy has shown that

more affluent and more educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and public policy decisions.

Between 1970 and 2013, the number of first-generation immigrants living in the United States has

more than quadrupled in size.

A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to ________.

poorly worded questions

"Policy feedback" occurs when

public opinion shifts in response to changes in government policy.

The percentage of Americans without any religious affiliation has

risen from 5 percent of the population in the 1990s to more than 20 percent today.

Conservatives are more likely than liberals to support

school prayer

Pollsters use random digit dialing to gather national samples for surveys because

there is not a complete list of all Americans that can be used to identify the population.