PSCI 2305 Soomo Webtext Chapter 1

Given the challenges provided by measurement error, what does the page conclude about surveys? - Since respondents do not hold true attitudes, measurement error is not a significant concern for a survey. - The public should place little trust in survey results given their flaws. - Despite their flaws, surveys are still the best method of measuring public opinion. - There is no way to avoid measurement error, so there is no accurate way of measuring public opinion.

Despite their flaws, surveys are still the best method of measuring public opinion.

What was the problem with the Holocaust question in the 1992 AJC poll? - It used a double negative, leading some respondents to reply that the Holocaust may have never happened. - It asked respondents to agree or disagree with a number of assertions posed in the question. - It offered a limited range of response options, requiring participants to select an answer about their Holocaust beliefs that was not consistent with their true attitude - It presented respondents with a series of preliminary questions intended to lead them to a necessary conclusion.

It used a double negative, leading some respondents to reply that the Holocaust may have never happened.

When thinking about the role of public opinion in the democratic process, what did most of the Kaiser / Public Perspective survey respondents believe? - Lawmakers should rely on either the public's will or their own best judgement depending on the issue that is being considered. - Lawmakers should typically submit to the public's will unless it is clear that the public's will on a particular issue is immoral or factually baseless. - Lawmakers should follow the public's will even if it runs counter to their own best judgement. - While lawmakers should consider the public's will, they should ultimately rely on their own best judgement when making decisions about public policy.

Lawmakers should follow the public's will even if it runs counter to their own best judgement.

What did Philip Converse' 1964 study reveal about the electorate? - Most voters are aware of key political institutions and processes. - Most voters have stable views about politics - Most voters are able to identify political leaders and policies. - Most voters' attitudes about issues are not consistent.

Most voters' attitudes about issues are not consistent.

Which of the following was a main source of error in the polling for the 2016 presidential election? - Voters felt too comfortable revealing their preference for Trump. - Pollsters relied on demographic turnout rates from previous elections to make predictions. - Voters had already made their decisions prior to the final week of the election. - Pollsters only called cell phones, excluding voters who only have landlines.

Pollsters relied on demographic turnout rates from previous elections to make predictions.

Why do double-barreled questions make it difficult to evaluate the public's opinion on an issue? - because respondents are offered irrelevant response options - because they imply information that has not been universally proven or accepted - because negative information is presented to respondents before they answer a question about an issue - because it is difficult to know which part of the question respondents are replying to

because it is difficult to know which part of the question respondents are replying to

Which group of voters was overrepresented in many state polls in 2016? - White voters - young voters - Black voters - college-educated voters

college-educated voters

You are taking a local survey. First you are asked what you consider to be the most important problem facing your city, and then you are asked whether you approve of your city's mayor. According to the question-ordering effect, what might you do when answering the second question? - evaluate the mayor based on their personality - evaluate the mayor objective - consider how the major has handled your "most important issue" - be led to consider how the mayor is handling a full range of issues

consider how the major has handled your "most important issue"

What is one benefit of a more informed electorate? - greater agreement between what the public wants and what policymakers do - fewer political divisions within the electorate - less certainly in poll results - higher levels of distrust in the government

greater agreement between what the public wants and what policymakers do

What do most Americans believe about polling practice, according to the survey? - that randomly selected samples lead to inaccurate conclusions - that they can distinguish between "good" and "bad" polls - that polls are more reliable than town hall meetings - that randomly selected samples are better than ones where participants self-select

that randomly selected samples lead to inaccurate conclusions

What did the 2001 Kaiser / Public Perspective survey reveal? - that the public believes polls accurately convey public preferences to policymakers - that the public does not have a strong understanding of polling practices - that while they distrust polls, most Americans prefer them over town hall meetings - that the sheer amount of polling makes Americans more aware of best practices

that the public does not have a strong understanding of polling practices

The polls accurately predicted that Hillary Clinton would win which vote? - the electoral vote - the popular vote - the Republican vote - the proxy vote

the popular vote

When does measurement error occur? - when the characteristics of the respondents are not consistent with the targeted population - when respondents refuse to complete the survey - when respondents' answers to the questions deviate from their own attitudes - when respondents have multiple opportunities to participate in the survey

when respondents' answers to the questions deviate from their own attitudes