Ch. 6 Public Opinion

Which of the following is true of Americans' pride in their democracy? A. Americans' pride in their democracy has increased slightly in recent decades, largely as a result of participation in foreign wars. B. Americans' pride in their democracy is relatively low compared to most other countries. C. Americans' pride in their democracy has stayed relatively consistent in recent decades and is comparatively high compared to most other countries. D. Americans' pride in their democracy has decreased rapidly in recent decades, largely as a result of increasing partisanship. E. Americans' pride in their democracy has decreased rapidly in recent decades, largely as a result of the ongoing difficulty of participation in foreign wars.

D. Americans' pride in their democracy has decreased rapidly in recent decades, largely as a result of increasing partisanship.

Which of the following statements about Americans and ideology and political thinking is true? A. Liberalism and conservatism have such imprecise meanings that it is not useful to think about politics in these terms. B. Americans overwhelmingly identify themselves as liberals. C. Americans' political ideologies tend to go through one major left-to-right or right-to-left switch in their lives. D. Most Americans do not demonstrate blind faith in their party of choice. E. Americans are highly consistent in party identification and are rarely influenced by policies or candidates.

D. Most Americans do not demonstrate blind faith in their party of choice.

Which of the following is true of letter writers and demonstrators? A. They tend to be individuals who have participated in violent or physical expressions of political opinion. B. They tend to espouse a centrist ideological leaning. C. They tend to have a greater effect on policymakers than the public opinion polls of the general population. D. Roughly 10 percent of Americans participate in a mass demonstration or write a letter to the editor each year. E. Their opinions tend to be more extreme than those of the population as whole.

D. Roughly 10 percent of Americans participate in a mass demonstration or write a letter to the editor each year.

Which of the following statements is LEAST likely to apply to economic or social liberals? A. They favor government activism in the area of distribution of economic benefits. B. They prefer a smaller role for government in upholding social and cultural traditions. C. They favor more government spending for the poor. D. They believe lifestyle choices should be left to the individual. E. They believe that government should be used to promote traditional values.

D. They believe lifestyle choices should be left to the individual.

Which of the following states is solidly Democratic? A. Idaho B. Georgia C. Utah D. Washington E. Texas

D. Washington

Currently, the greatest percentage of Americans identify as... A. Democrats or leaning Democrat. B. Republicans or leaning Republican. C. fully Independent. D. Libertarians. E. Populists.

A. Democrats or leaning Democrat.

Which of the following states is a competitive state, meaning that it could potentially vote either Democratic or Republican? A. Florida B. California C. Massachusetts D. Kansas E. Minnesota

A. Florida

Which of the following is true of the relationship between public opinion and shifts in major government policies? A. On highly salient and emotional issues in particular, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion. B. Leaders' opinions ultimately affect most policy issues more than the larger public opinion. C. Linguist Noam Chomsky claimed that democracy consistently preserved the will of the people over the will of elite interests. D. Analysts have found a pattern consistent with the claim that "public opinion has little influence over policy." E. All of these answers are correct.

A. On highly salient and emotional issues in particular, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion.

You are LEAST likely to find a "blue state" in which region? A. South B. Northeast C. northern Midwest D. West Coast E. Pacific Northwest

A. South

Which of the following ideological types favor government activism in the economic realm? A. economic liberals and populists B. populists and libertarians C. economic conservatives and social liberals D. populists and economic conservatives E. economic liberals and libertarians

A. economic liberals and populists

Students are most likely to hear stories about America's heroes and greatness when they are in... A. elementary school. B. middle school. C. high school. D. an undergraduate college program. E. graduate school.

A. elementary school.

The accuracy of polling is diminished when respondents... A. give what they regard as the socially correct response to certain questions even though they think differently. B. are asked about familiar issues. C. have an opinion and reveal it. D. admit they are not familiar with an issue and offer no opinion. E. None of these answers is correct.

A. give what they regard as the socially correct response to certain questions even though they think differently.

Libertarians are opposed to governmental intervention... A. in both the economic and social spheres. B. in the economic but not the social sphere. C. in the social sphere, but not the economic sphere. D. in neither the social sphere nor the economic sphere. E. only with regard to affirmative action.

A. in both the economic and social spheres.

Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann's "spiral of silence" theory contends that... A. most individuals are reluctant to speak out against the dominant opinion. B. people tend not to express their views until asked. C. people holding deviant opinions tend to be more vocal, and hence silence the majority. D. most individuals like to challenge dominant opinions. E. All of these answers are correct.

A. most individuals are reluctant to speak out against the dominant opinion.

The process of political socialization in the United States is... A. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree. B. highly structured; children are subjected to an intense system of government-mandated political indoctrination. C. highly effective; Americans are the best-informed citizens in the world. D. extremely narrow; most Americans get nearly all their opinions from a single source. E. usually uniform; there are almost no differences in the opinions of various groups, such as northerners and southerners.

A. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree.

As an agent of political socialization, the American family will likely have its greatest effect on an individual's... A. party identification. B. choice and form of higher education. C. professional career. D. knowledge of particular public policies. E. rate of political participation.

A. party identification.

Which of the following is NOT a primary socializing agent? A. peers B. school C. church D. family E. None of these is a primary socializing agent.

A. peers

According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, young adults are substantially more likely than senior citizens to support... A. stronger environmental regulations. B. affirmative action. C. religious teaching in public schools. D. strengthening social security. E. the use of military force.

A. stronger environmental regulations.

A general belief about the role and purpose of government is called... A. conservatism. B. an ideology. C. socialization. D. politicization. E. None of these answers is correct.

B. an ideology.

A properly drawn sample of one thousand individuals has a sampling error of roughly plus or minus... A. 5 percent. B. 3 percent. C. 1 percent. D. 8 percent. E. 10 percent.

B. 3 percent.

Friedrich Engels believed that communism would not take root in the United States because... A. the poorer American classes still had enough material wealth to be happy with their station. B. American workers lacked sufficient class consciousness. C. the government was already providing substantial financial assistance to the working class. D. the Social Security system provided workers with a safety net not available to workers in Europe. E. the government of the U.S. was too militantly anti-communist and would not allow propaganda to spread.

B. American workers lacked sufficient class consciousness.

________ once said that he spent nearly all his adult life in government and yet had never seen a government. A. Theodore Roosevelt B. Woodrow Wilson C. Abraham Lincoln D. George W. Bush E. Harry Truman

B. Woodrow Wilson

In his definition of public opinion, the author states that the politically relevant opinions of private individuals become public opinion when they... A. first enter people's heads. B. are openly expressed. C. become part of the conflict between the Republican and Democratic parties. D. are measured in opinion polls. E. become part of the conflict between populists and libertarians.

B. are openly expressed.

Which of the following groups in the U.S. shows a higher level of support for collective bargaining? A. workers in the service sector B. factory workers C. small farmers D. white-collar workers E. workers in the skilled crafts

B. factory workers

In terms of party identification, slightly more than half of adults call themselves... A. liberals. B. fully Republican or Democrat. C. Republicans. D. fully independent. E. Democrats.

B. fully Republican or Democrat.

A conservative is opposed to government intervention... A. in both the economic and social spheres. B. in the economic but not the social sphere. C. in the social sphere, but not the economic sphere. D. in neither the social sphere nor the economic sphere. E. only with regard to affirmative action.

B. in the economic but not the social sphere.

Historically, dramatic change in party identification is uncommon and is almost always a consequence of... A. a change in the policy position of the president. B. major upheaval. C. popular satisfaction with a government initiative. D. a change in the law. E. a Supreme Court ruling.

B. major upheaval.

The most powerful religious force in contemporary American society is the... A. Protestants. B. religious right. C. Catholics. D. Jews. E. Muslims.

B. religious right.

To accurately poll the citizens of the United States as opposed to the citizens of a single state,... A. a much larger sample size will be required. B. the sample requirements will be nearly the same. C. a smaller sample size will be required. D. less randomization will be needed because the sample size will be larger. E. a larger sampling error can be accepted.

B. the sample requirements will be nearly the same.

The most embarrassing Gallup poll failure in predicting a presidential election was... A. 1928 Hoover-Smith. B. 1936 Roosevelt-Landon. C. 1948 Truman-Dewey. D. 1964 Johnson-Goldwater. E. 2000 Bush-Gore.

C. 1948 Truman-Dewey.

Which of the following statements about party identification is true? A. Most independents do not lean Democratic or Republican. B. Currently, more people identify as Republicans than as Democrats. C. Currently, more people identify as Democrats than as Republicans. D. Switching party identification happens most often among the middle-aged and older. E. More adults call themselves independent now than call themselves Democrat.

C. Currently, more people identify as Democrats than as Republicans.

Which of the following statements is true? A. Franklin Roosevelt had little faith that public opinion would preserve the Social Security program; he expected it to be dismantled within a few decades. B. Public opinion on the usefulness of the Social Security system tends to swing back and forth dramatically with the health of the national economy. C. George W. Bush attempted to privatize aspects of Social Security, only to back down in the face of determined resistance. D. Franklin Roosevelt attempted to increase the size of the Social Security system, but backed down in the face of strong public opinion against any expansion. E. The increase in tougher crime and sentencing laws in the 1990s went into effect despite indications that public opinion strongly opposed the trend.

C. George W. Bush attempted to privatize aspects of Social Security, only to back down in the face of determined resistance.

What are the two distinguishing characteristics of political socialization? A. Schools are the most influential agent of political socialization, and political socialization is strongest during childhood. B. Family is the strongest agent of political socialization, and political socialization is strongest during high school and college. C. Political socialization is cumulative, and it is most heavily developed during childhood. D. Political socialization is transitory, and it is most heavily developed during young adulthood. E. Political socialization occurs primarily among educated populations, and it is most heavily developed during adulthood.

C. Political socialization is cumulative, and it is most heavily developed during childhood.

Americans who attend religious services at least once a week are most likely to vote for which political party? A. Libertarian B. Democratic C. Republican D. Populist E. Green

C. Republican

Which of the following actions by a member of Congress would likely lead Edmund Burke to classify that member as a "trustee"? A. The member votes for a declaration of war because her constituents favor it by large majorities, even though she personally opposes it. B. The member votes against a resolution declaring war because she agrees with her constituents that it is unwise to pursue military conflict at that time. C. The member votes against a resolution declaring war, believing it unwise, despite her constituents having a majority opinion in favor of the war. D. The member conducts extensive polling to determine the will of her constituents. E. The member declines to vote on the resolution for a declaration of war because she does not feel she understands the issue fully.

C. The member votes against a resolution declaring war, believing it unwise, despite her constituents having a majority opinion in favor of the war.

Party identification refers to... A. the percentage of polled individuals that claim membership in a particular party. B. formal membership in a political party. C. a person's sense of loyalty to a political party. D. a political party's platform—the stances on issues that define its beliefs. E. the ability of individual citizens to identify the major issue positions of the major political parties.

C. a person's sense of loyalty to a political party.

Selective perception is primarily a result of... A. economic class. B. religion. C. partisanship. D. race and ethnicity. E. age and generational beliefs.

C. partisanship.

A person who favors government intervention in both social and economic affairs is a(n)... A. libertarian. B. liberal. C. populist. D. social conservative. E. economic conservative.

C. populist.

In general, public opinion... A. determines specific government actions. B. is unrelated to government action. C. sets limits on government action. D. affects government action only on election issues. E. is strongest during a presidential election.

C. sets limits on government action.

The process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called... A. popular culture. B. social communication. C. socioeconomic change. D. political socialization. E. political assimilation.

C. socioeconomic change.

The key factors in determining the accuracy of an opinion poll are... A. the population size and the sample size. B. the sample size and the timeline over which the sample was taken. C. the size of the sample and whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method. D. the sample size and whether the sample has the same percentage of men and women as the population. E. the anonymous nature of the sampling process and sample size.

C. the size of the sample and whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method.

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. letters from constituents B. the editorial positions of newspapers in the constituency C. public demonstrations by constituents D. a poll based on a random selection sample of constituents E. the number of yard signs on major streets

D. a poll based on a random selection sample of constituents

Which of the following would NOT be considered a secondary socializing agent? A. leaders B. the media C. peers D. church E. None of these answers is correct, as ALL represent secondary socializing agents.

D. church

Journalist Walter Lippmann suggested that... A. polling, even when done scientifically, cannot be trusted because it is in people's nature to be dishonest in response to political questions. B. the dominance of polling has brought about an ideological shift toward the more radical ends of the political spectrum among elected representatives. C. polling had provided political parties with even more entrenched power, reducing the influence of third party candidates. D. effective government cannot be run by politicians that base their public opinions on poll results. E. pollsters have more effect on the outcome of presidential elections in recent decades than have the people who do the voting.

D. effective government cannot be run by politicians that base their public opinions on poll results.

The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of... A. population density. B. census parameter. C. population error. D. sampling error. E. interview error.

D. sampling error.

What was the primary cause for an increase in the public's support for a military invasion of Iraq during the six-month period leading to the start of the war? A. the inability of the United Nations to discover strong evidence of weapons of mass destruction B. mainstream media coverage of the actions of the Iraqi government C. grassroots efforts by conservative groups that argued it was necessary for greater national security D. the Bush administration's efforts to press the case for war E. election-year posturing on national security issues by congressional candidates for office

D. the Bush administration's efforts to press the case for war

Women are less likely 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 of these answers are correct.

D. the use of force to settle international disputes.

Which of the following states is solidly Republican? A. New York B. Florida C. Illinois D. Oregon E. Alabama

E. Alabama

Sources of polling error can include... A. use of random telephone polling. B. unrepresentative samples. C. respondents' lack of knowledge or interest in the issue. D. question wording. E. All of these answers are correct.

E. All of these answers are correct.

Which of the following is true about public opinion polling? A. Opinion polls are the most relied-upon method of measuring public opinion. B. Polls can be erroneous at times. C. Sampling error decreases as the size of the sample increases. D. Polling accuracy diminishes when respondents are unfamiliar with the issues in question. E. All of these answers are correct.

E. All of these answers are correct.

All of the following ideological types are prevalent in the United States EXCEPT... A. liberals. B. conservatives. C. populists. D. libertarians. E. communists.

E. communists.

What term do scholars use for a purported opinion offered by a respondent who is unfamiliar with the specific issue? A. uninformed response B. faulty opinion C. invalid answer D. confused response E. nonopinion

E. nonopinion

The society of Northern Ireland is presented by the text as a demonstration of what difference with U.S. society? A. the lack of importance in measured public opinion for the political process B. the status of the family as a secondary agent of socialization instead of a primary agent C. the relatively small influence that government propaganda has on the individual D. the lack of religion as a defining frame of reference E. the lack of crosscutting between groups

E. the lack of crosscutting between groups