Chapter 8

Today, the most reputable polls sample between _________ people. a. 100 and 500 b. 50 and 100 c. 500 and 800 d. 1,000 and 1,500 e. none of these choices

1,000 and 1,500

In the context of gender gap, which of the following statements is true of women when compared with men? a. Women are more likely to support the conservative values and beliefs of the community. b. Women are more likely to believe in the values of self-reliance. c. Women are more narrow-minded and skeptical about the happenings around them. d. Women are more likely to believe in following traditional ways. e. Women have a stronger commitment to the liberal value of community.

Women have a stronger commitment to the liberal value of community.

James, who has been critically ill for over a month, wants to cast his vote during the upcoming midterm elections. Since his health will not permit him to go to the polling place on Election Day, he can make use of the _____ facility to cast his vote. a. alternative ballot b. absentee ballot c. cardinal ballot d. ancestral clause e. grandfather clause

absentee ballot

In today's presidential contests, states in the South, the Great Plains, and parts of the Rocky Mountains _____. a. swing from party to party b. are strongly Republican c. are firmly Democratic d. do not favor any party e. favor the independent candidates

are strongly Republican

The number of people who are actually eligible to vote in an American election is referred to as the _____. a. voting ratio b. voter turnout c. voting community d. registered population e. vote-eligible population

vote-eligible population

Polling firms respond to the difficulties of obtaining a body of respondents that truly reflects the population at large by: a. sampling the responses of the target group. b. weighting the responses of various groups. c. randomly selecting the best responses. d. counting the number of positive responses. e. counting the number of negative responses.

weighting the responses of various groups.

The small, short-lived changes in polling results caused due to random error are known as: a. sampling bias. b. biased sampling. c. random sampling. d. statistical noise. e. polling bias.

statistical noise.

A(n) _________ is a nonscientific poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population being polled. a. decision poll b. statistical poll c. straw poll d. model poll e. none of these choices

straw poll

One consequence of the distinctive conservatism of southern white voters is that: a. the concept of a "white vote" has emerged. b. the concept of a "white vote" has become misleading. c. the concepts of a southern "white vote" and a northern "white vote" are no longer different. d. the white working-class problem has been eliminated. e. support for the democrats has evolved.

support for the democrats has evolved.

Complications for telephone poll takers include: a. the lack of network coverage. b. the failure of landline connectivity. c. the high costs of installing a landline. d. the increase in the use of cell phones. e. the use of answering machines.

the increase in the use of cell phones.

Which of the following is most likely to happen when an electoral candidate, to gain popularity, claims that all the polls show that he or she is ahead in the race? a. All the other candidates will form a partnership with this candidate to increase the voter turnout. b. Journalists are likely to participate in rallies to raise a voice against such false declarations. c. The candidate will be banned from contesting the elections if caught persuading the voters. d. The turnover at the voting booths will increase. e. People who want to support the winner will back this candidate despite their true feelings.

All the other candidates will form a partnership with this candidate to increase the voter turnout.

Which of the following is a similarity between opinion leaders and peer groups? a. Both are involved in contesting elections. b. Both comprise co-workers. c. Both are politically active. d. Both comprise politicians and celebrities. e. Both influence public opinion.

Both influence public opinion.

Which of the following was a benefit of early voting at polling places that was demonstrated in the 2012 elections? a. It allowed the voters to use absentee voting. b. It allowed election workers time to ensure that all systems were working properly by Election Day. c. It allowed the people to visit the polling place and decide the candidate of their choice. d. It gave the candidates the opportunity to meet prospective voters at the polling place. e. It allowed the election workers to carry the systems to their home where they could count the votes at leisure.

It allowed the people to visit the polling place and decide the candidate of their choice.

Which of the following statements is true of the generation that came of age during the Vietnam War? a. It is skeptical of American interventionism in foreign affairs. b. It believes that the federal government should step in during times of economic crisis. c. It believes that American intervention in foreign affairs should be encouraged. d. It supports the Republican Party. e. It believes that the Democratic Party is concerned about the fate of ordinary people.

It is skeptical of American interventionism in foreign affairs.

Which of the following statements is true of the Help America Vote Act passed by Congress in 2002? a. It reduced the minimum voting age to eighteen for all elections. b. It encouraged the African Americans to vote by eliminating the poll tax. c. It provided funds to the states to help them purchase new electronic voting equipment. d. It automatically registered voters who were of voting age and had a driving license. e. It made it mandatory for voters to register through the mail-in process.

It provided funds to the states to help them purchase new electronic voting equipment.

Which of the following statements is true of a house effect? a. Polling firms with a house effect are always wrong. b. All polling firms face the house effect during elections. c. It refers to the phenomenon in which a pollster's results appear to consistently favor one of the political parties. d. Polling firms that exhibit a house effect miss out on important points unlike its competitors. e. Polling firms with a house effect are disqualified from voting in elections.

It refers to the phenomenon in which a pollster's results appear to consistently favor one of the political parties.

Which of the following explains the practice of Sunday early voting in North Carolina? a. It refers to the practice of marching as a group to polling places at the conclusion of Sunday services. b. It refers to the practice of queuing at the polling places if the election was to be held on a Sunday. c. It refers to the practice of holding rallies every Sunday prior to Election Day. d. It refers to the practice of conducting fraudulent activity checks every Sunday. e. It refers to the practice of giving interviews by electoral contestants every Sunday to attract early voters.

It refers to the practice of marching as a group to polling places at the conclusion of Sunday services.

Which of the following statements is true of the relationship between religious and ethnic background and voter attitudes? a. White Christian voters who attend church rarely are more likely to favor the Republicans. b. Jewish voters are strongly Democratic, regardless of whether they attend services. c. Today, the number of churches that promote conservative values is much lesser than those that promote liberal ways of thinking. d. African Americans are one of the most solidly Republican constituencies in the United States. e. Muslim Americans are the most Republic religious group in the nation today.

Jewish voters are strongly Democratic, regardless of whether they attend services.

Which of the following techniques was used in many southern states to restrict African Americans from participating in elections? a. Statistical tests b. Random tests c. Talent tests d. Literacy tests e. Aptitude tests

Literacy tests

Which of the following was used to discourage the African Americans and the poor whites from voting? a. The voting ticket b. The citizenship clause c. The poll tax d. The primary tax e. The election ticket

The poll tax

The _____ requires states to provide all eligible citizens with the opportunity to register to vote when they apply for or renew a driver's license. a. White Primary Act b. Motor Voter Law c. grandfather clause d. Congressional Act e. Civil Rights Act

Motor Voter Law

According to a Pew Research Center survey, which of the following is one of the reasons for low voter turnout? a. Nonvoters are restricted from voting due to their low income. b. Women are less liberal in their outlook as compared to men and do not want to vote. c. Nonvoters lack the confidence to cast their votes. d. Nonvoters do not feel they have a duty to vote. e. Men do not want to cast their votes, because they are busy at work.

Nonvoters do not feel they have a duty to vote.

A leading magazine wants to conduct a survey on various issues related to women. For the survey, it decides to include appropriate numbers of women in terms of age, race and ethnicity, geography, income, and religious affiliation. Which form of sampling is the magazine trying to incorporate in the survey? a. Biased sampling b. Genuine sampling c. Decisive sampling d. Model sampling e. Random sampling

Random sampling

James Barry is contesting in the upcoming presidential elections. James is quite a popular figure among the youth. He tweets regularly and has around 71.5 million followers on his social networking profile. Which of the following sources of political information is James Barry extensively using to promote himself? a. Magazine b. Television c. Radio d. The local newspaper e. The Internet

The Internet

Which of the following resulted from the southern resentment of the Republicans for their role in the "War between the States" and their support of African Americans in the postwar era? a. The Experimental South b. The Fixed South c. The Southern bias d. The Solid South e. The Southern divide

The Solid South

In a polling survey, people are asked, "How would you rate the epic movie Titanic?" In this case, which of the following issues associated with a polling survey is most likely to affect the results? a. The issue of misleading questions b. The house effect c. The issue of inadequate information d. The issue of weighting e. The biased sampling error

The issue of misleading questions

In the context of public opinions, which of the following statements is true of the media? a. The media have negligible impact on the political socialization of high school students as their respective families have a stronghold over them. b. Political information available on social media is typically unreliable. c. The media tend to wield the most influence over the views of persons who have not yet formed opinions about various political issues or candidates. d. People go online, watch television, or read articles without any preconceived ideas about the political issues. e. Politicians should publicize themselves using means other than social media as it causes the house effect.

The media tend to wield the most influence over the views of persons who have not yet formed opinions about various political issues or candidates.

In the context of the influence of occupation and income on the attitude of voters, which of the following is the reason behind businesspersons opting to vote for the Republican Party? a. The party favors institutional and social changes. b. The party members hold a history of pro-labor positions. c. The party encourages the youth to contest in elections. d. The party adopts a pro-business stand. e. The party supports low-income sections of society.

The party members hold a history of pro-labor positions.

Which of the following statements is true of the influence of families on a person's political affiliation? a. Children learn political attitudes in the same way they learn to master in-line skating. b. Catholic families who regularly go to church are likely to encourage their children to support the Democrats. c. The political party of the parents often becomes the political party of the children. d. Most parents deliberately set out to form their children's political ideas and beliefs. e. Children who grow up in African American families are most likely to be supporters of the Republicans.

The political party of the parents often becomes the political party of the children.

Which of the following statements is true of the right to vote? a. The African Americans were given the right to vote in 1944. b. Prisoners in the U.S. have the right to vote. c. The voting age for U.S. citizens is 21 years. d. In the U.S., voters do not have the right to vote for public-policy decisions. e. The right to vote helps keep elected officials accountable.

The right to vote helps keep elected officials accountable.

Which of the following is a new restrictive law implemented by Arizona? a. All the voters must be twenty-one years of age to be eligible to vote. b. The voter must first obtain a driving license before registering to vote. c. The voters must cast their votes only through the mail-in voting system. d. All the voters who have just turned eighteen should only register themselves on Election Day. e. The voter must provide his or her proof of citizenship to vote in state elections.

The voter must provide his or her proof of citizenship to vote in state elections.

Which of the following was upheld by the Supreme Court on the grounds that the political parties were private entities, not public, and thus could do as they wished? a. The cardinal ballot b. The black poll c. The ancestral poll d. The grandfather clause e. The white primary

The white primary

For a given poll, a professional polling firm states that it has "95 percent confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points." What is it trying to say by claiming "95 percent confidence"? a. There is a 95 percent chance that the poll is off by four points or more. b. There is a 5 percent chance that the poll is off by four points or more. c. There is a 95 percent chance that the poll is off by five points or more. d. There is a 4 percent chance that the poll is off by five points or more. e. There is a 5 percent chance that the poll is off by ninety-five points or more.

There is a 5 percent chance that the poll is off by four points or more.

Which of the following is the most accurate way of gauging overall public opinion between elections? a. Through public opinion polls b. Through public opinion tweets c. Through public opinion mails d. Through public opinion journals e. Through public opinion strategies

Through public opinion polls

What is the primary goal behind the implementation of new restrictive voting laws by states? a. To prevent the manipulation of the grandfather clause b. To increase voter turnout c. To encourage the absentee ballot service d. To reduce voter fraud e. To monitor the men to women voting ratios

To reduce voter fraud

Which of the following voting advantages was given to the residents of the District of Columbia? a. Voters could ask volunteers to cast the vote on their behalf. b. Voters could choose to mail-in their votes. c. Voters could register up to or even on voting day. d. Voters could choose to vote at a time convenient for them. e. Voters could be exempted from voting.

Voters could register up to or even on voting day.

Which of the following statements is true of voting requirement? a. All voters should have completed twenty-one years of age. b. Voters should be citizens of the United States. c. Voters should abide by a residency requirement of at least sixty days. d. Noncitizens will need to take the president's permission to cast their vote. e. To be exempted, a voter needs to produce a medical certificate.

Voters should be citizens of the United States.

The readers of Artistry and Fame Line, two leading entertainment magazines, were asked to take a common survey. However, on analyzing the survey outcomes, it was observed that the results were different. In this scenario, the difference in the results represents a(n) _____. a. biased sample b. random sample c. analytic sample d. error sample e. general sample

biased sample

In the state of Oregon, all elections, including presidential elections, are conducted exclusively: a. on the Internet. b. at polling places located inside school buildings and public libraries. c. through telephone. d. at polling places located in supermarkets. e. by mail.

by mail.

In the 2012 presidential elections, Barack Obama: a. carried the female vote by 55 to 44 percentage points. b. carried the male vote by 55 to 44 percentage points. c. won the male vote by a 52 to 45 point margin. d. lost the female vote by a 40 to 52 point margin. e. won the female vote by a 52 to 45 point margin.

carried the female vote by 55 to 44 percentage points.

The intent of push polls is to: a. back the winning candidate. b. identify voters with fake voter's registration. c. estimate the voter turnout after weighting the responses to the poll. d. drive voters away from one candidate and toward another. e. provide adequate information to the voters about the upcoming elections.

drive voters away from one candidate and toward another.

In the United States today, citizens who are at least _________ years of age and who are not felons have the right to vote. a. sixteen b. eighteen c. twenty d. nineteen e. none of these choices

eighteen

In the context of economic status and occupation influencing public opinions, business managers are most likely to: a. favor government assistance programs. b. favor tax laws helpful to businesses. c. favor the views of opinion leaders who support social causes. d. support government spending in their business area. e. support a government that provides aids to the needy.

favor tax laws helpful to businesses.

Political analysts believe that a _________ became a major determinant of voter decision making in the 1980 presidential elections. a. gender role b. gender bias c. gender juncture d. gender gap e. none of these choices

gender gap

In the 2006 elections, the new electronic voting systems reported problems such as: a. flipped votes from the selected candidate to the opposing candidate. b. duplicating votes. c. complicated user interface. d. generation of misleading information. e. providing inadequate data about a candidate.

generation of misleading information.

The framers of the Constitution: a. granted suffrage to all those who professed a belief in Christianity. b. left the power to set suffrage qualifications to the individual states. c. limited suffrage to those who had been delegates to the Constitutional Convention. d. limited suffrage to adult white males who owned property. e. granted suffrage to all persons over the age of twenty-one.

granted suffrage to all those who professed a belief in Christianity.

The true result of a poll: a. is a range of probabilities. b. is a single figure. c. needs to be kept anonymous. d. is a statistical model. e. gives a clear winner.

is a range of probabilities.

The development of voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) printers led to the reintroduction of electronic machines in many states. A limited number of such machines were installed to serve: a. women voters. b. voters of minority groups. c. voters of the working class. d. newly registered voters. e. voters with disabilities.

newly registered voters.

Opinion leaders are: a. often involved in politics. b. limited to political figures. c. limited to media figures. d. those contestants who win national elections. e. limited to religious figures.

often involved in politics.

Luthansa, a developing city in the southern part of Curbhan, was recently hit by a massive earthquake that killed many people and left many others homeless. The country's government requested Henry Joe, a retired army official who is now a politician to help raise funds to revive the city. The government chose Henry Joe due to his popularity among the citizens of the country. In this case, Henry Joe is a(n) _____. a. pseudo politician b. opinion leader c. country representative d. role player e. pollster

opinion leader

For established voters, _____, a standing allegiance to a political party, is one of the most important and lasting predictors of how a person will vote. a. political identity b. political position c. party identification d. party diffusion e. party involvement

party identification

In 2012, Tea Party-backed Republicans in Missouri and Indiana looked like sure bets to gain Senate seats. Missouri's Todd Akin, however, made the mistake of claiming that women cannot become pregnant as a result of "legitimate rape" and it cost him the elections. This shows that voters often base their decisions on the _____ of the candidates rather than on their qualifications or policy positions. a. religion b. perceived character c. professional background d. past winning record e. peer review

perceived character

Graham has a strong allegiance to the Democrats and his entire family supports the Democratic Party. This is an example of _________. a. party identification b. the bandwagon effect c. political identity d. the house effect e. none of these choices

political identity

Which of the following amendments gave residents of the District of Columbia the right to vote for president and vice president? a. The Twenty-third Amendment b. The Twenty-fourth Amendment c. The Nineteenth Amendment d. The Fifteenth Amendment e. The Twenty-sixth Amendment

poll taxes