We The People: Chapter 6: Public Opinion

Analyze the graph on the percentage of Americans who claim each ideology, and answer the following question. Which of the following statements about Americans' ideology is correct?

- More Americans today identify themselves as conservatives than liberals.

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the effect of party polarization on public opinion?

- Party endorsements have a larger impact on opinion formation than it used to. - Party polarization decreases the impact of other information on public opinion.

What is the goal of a push poll?

to shape the respondent's perception of the candidate or issue in question

Based on the graph, which of the following statements about public opinion is correct?

When public opinion changes it tends to move slowly

Which of the following factors influence Americans' beliefs and opinions?

age geographic region gender religion income race wrong answers: martial status hair color

Match the issue to whether conservatives are likely to support it or oppose it.

support: expansion of military funding oppose: government-administered social services Correct label: regulation on business government-administered social services same-sex marriage

Which of the following statements is correct?

- It is possible to estimate the country's opinion based on a rather small sample of 1,000 - 1,200 people

What is true regarding socialization, the attitudes about political issues, and underlying political values?

- Underlying values tend to shape specific attitudes. - Underlying values are formed through political socialization.

Which of the following elements do pollsters have to consider before conducting a poll that will forecast the election?

- ability to randomly select respondents - a large sample - wording of survey questions

In contemporary politics, which of the following political positions are more likely to be supported by liberals?

- protection of rights for gays and lesbians - extensive government intervention in the economy - expansion of federal social services

Watch the video: identify whether income group influences the following forms of political participation. - contacting a member of Congress - signing a petition - attending a city council meeting - attending a protest or march 1. Higher earners participate more. 2. People of all incomes participate at about the same rate. 3. Lower earners participate more.

1. - attending a city council meeting - contacting a member of Congress - signing a petition 2. - attending a protest or march

An election poll of 1,000 people indicates that 49 percent of voters favor Candidate A, and 51 percent of voters favor Candidate B, with a 3 percent margin of error. Given this information, which of the following statements could be true?

1. 50 percent of the population supports Candidate A and 50 percent supports Candidate B. 2. 51 percent of the population supports Candidate A and 49 percent supports Candidate B.

When Americans with different income levels differ in policy preferences, which of the following statements are correct regarding actual policy outcomes?

1. Actual policies reflect the presences of the affluent 2. Actual policies show little relationship to the preferences of the poor and middle class.

Watch the animation, and identify which of the following statements are correct.

1. Beliefs about why a person is rich or poor are correlated with partisanship. 2. Beliefs about why a person is rich or poor are correlated with education levels, but the effect is not as strong as with other factors.

Match each political value to its definition: - democracy - liberty - equality of opportunity 1. Every citizen should have the opportunity to take part in the government process. 2. Government interference in individuals' lives should be kept to a minimum. 3. All individuals should be allowed to seek personal and material success.

1. Democracy 2. Liberty 3. Equality of Opportunity

Which of the following are examples that show individual differences within ideological groups?

1. President Obama extending a tax bill supported by President Bush 2. President Bush supporting programs that assist the poor and needy

Government policy (1) to public opinion; public opinion (2) to government policy.

1. Responds 2. Responds

Choose all of the following that can influence individuals who are trying to form opinions about a particular policy issue. - The media - The government - interest groups

1. The Media 2. The Government 3. Interest Groups

Which of the following are reasons that policy change may shape public opinion?

1. The policy may expose the public to a new idea. 2. The policy may give the public new information. 3. A policy might act as a signal of an ethical or moral view.

Match each ideological group to the statement(s) they would be most likely to support: conservatives - liberals - socialists - libertarians 1. supportive of political and social reform 2. most likely to support traditional family arrangements and prayer in school 3. extensive government intervention to reduce economic and social inequality 4. government that is as small and limited as possible

1. liberals 2. conservatives 3. socialists 4. libertarians

Which of the following is correct regarding the effect of the marketplace of ideas on opinion formation?

Competing forces try to persuade as many people as possible, and few people resist modification of their beliefs

In general, which political or ideological group is most likely to oppose the expansion of government activity?

Conservatives

Graph: which fundamental value is most controversial among Americans?

Democracy (Somewhat surprisingly, the most controversial of the three values is democracy. Roughly one-third of American citizens do not support the idea that groups should be able to hold a rally for a particular cause.)

Which statement best characterizes the partisan differences in public opinion?

Democrat and Republican voters strongly disagree on almost all issues.

T/F: The government can easily and substantially influence public opinion.

False

Which of the following statements is correct?

Highly knowledgeable citizens tend to maintain beliefs most consistent with their interests.

In the context of understanding public opinion, which of the following is the best definition of values?

basic principles that shape a person's opinions about issues and events.