POLS 206: ch 6 Quiz

For the 2020 Census, the Justice Department requested that respondents be asked whether or not they were U.S. citizens. The Supreme Court ruled that __________. A.adding a citizenship question would make administration of the Census too costly B.the citizenship question would lead to fairer allocation of federal funding C.the administration had provided insufficient justification for including a citizenship question D.a citizenship question would facilitate enforcement of the Voting Rights Act

.the administration had provided insufficient justification for including a citizenship question

The 1936 Literary Digest poll offers what key lesson for conducting public opinion surveys? A.Accurate representation in the sample is the most important feature. B.A large sample size is the most important feature. C.Public opinion polls should only be conducted by social scientists. D.It is nearly impossible to determine public opinion from a survey.

Accurate representation in the sample is the most important feature.

How do Americans' inconsistent views on the scope of government contribute to gridlock? A.Politicians genuinely do not know what the public wants. B.Both liberal and conservative politicians can claim to have the public on their side. C.Americans are evenly split on most public policy issues. D.Americans' ambivalence leads them to avoid participating in politics.

Both liberal and conservative politicians can claim to have the public on their side.

What effect does aging have on political learning and behavior? A.It increases the strength of party attachment. B.It decreases attention to political news. C.It increases cynicism about politics. D.It decreases political participation.

It increases the strength of party attachment.

How does civil disobedience differ from other forms of unconventional participation? A.It is more effective than other forms of unconventional participation. B.It involves breaking the law, whereas other forms of unconventional participation do not. C.It focuses more on injustice than do other forms of unconventional participation. D.It is more dramatic than other forms of unconventional participation.

It involves breaking the law, whereas other forms of unconventional participation do not.

Why has the Simpson-Mazzoli Act failed to significantly slow illegal immigration? A.The civil and criminal penalties for violating the law are not harsh enough. B.States have refused to enforce the law. C.The act has been ignored by employers who are subject to its requirements. D.It is difficult to enforce requirements for employers

It is difficult to enforce requirements for employers.

Which factor helps to explain why the American political system works as well as it does given the lack of public knowledge about politics? A.Most political decisions are made by elites, not by the people. B.Many people use simple shortcuts, such as party identification, in voting. C.Many people do not participate in politics. D.Public participation only matters in elections.

Many people use simple shortcuts, such as party identification, in voting.

The authors of The American Voter reached what general conclusion in their study? A.Most Americans rely primarily on political ideology to guide their political thinking. B.Most Americans have a weak identification with a political party. C.Most Americans do not rely heavily on ideology to guide their political thinking. D.Most Americans have low trust in government.

Most Americans do not rely heavily on ideology to guide their political thinking.

What best explains the fact that African Americans vote at roughly the same rate as non-Hispanic whites? A.The low socio-economic status of African Americans propels them to vote at high rates. B.A rise in socio-economic status has increased African American participation. C.African Americans favor conventional over unconventional participation. D.Group consciousness overcomes the influence of socio-economic status.

Group consciousness overcomes the influence of socio-economic status.

Since World War II, where has much of America's population growth occurred? A.in the Midwest B.in the West and South C.in the Great Plains and West D.in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

in the West and South

The future of public opinion polling is likely to see what development? A.a decrease in all methods of polling B.more polling using random-digit dialing C.more face-to-face polling D.more Internet-based polling

more Internet-based polling

In their views on crime policy, liberals and conservatives disagree on __________. A. whether crime is a serious problem B. whether government should be involved in dealing with crime C. the best way for government to reduce crime D. the best way to rehabilitate criminals

the best way for government to reduce crime

If a poll of 1,500 people has a sampling error of +/- 3 percent and shows that 40 percent of people approve of the president's job performance, it means that __________. A.it is impossible to draw firm conclusions about the true figure B.the true figure is most likely between 37 and 43 percent C.the true figure is between 37 and 40 percent D.the true figure is between 40 and 43 percent

the true figure is most likely between 37 and 43 percent

How might public opinion polls serve as a tool to strengthen democracy? A.They give politicians information about public desires. B.They encourage greater public participation in politics. C.They place more importance on the state of the economy. D.They help politicians identify key words to promote their favored policies.

They give politicians information about public desires.

In their attitudes toward political participation, Americans are generally __________ government. A.indifferent to B.smug toward C.suspicious of D.supportive of

supportive of