Political Science Exam #2

One challenge of __________ approach is that many Americans tend to identify as middle class, even if they are too poor or too rich to qualify. a. an anecdotal b. a scientific c. an objective d. a subjective

d

Public opinion studies rarely go beyond __________. a. concerns of daily life, such as the price of milk b. qualitative data, such as historical experience c. a particular regional focus d. quantified data, such as poll results

d

Suppose two surveys are conducted, one asking people's level of support for "welfare" and the other using the term "assistance to the poor." The former survey finds much lower support than the latter. This discrepancy shows that __________. a. public opinion surveys are generally unreliable b. pollsters should avoid questions dealing with social policy c. a misinformed public will provide inconsistent survey answers d. pollsters must be careful to word questions in ways that avoid biased responses

d

The annual income of the average convention delegate is __________ the annual income of the average voter. a. much higher than b. slightly higher than c. about the same as d. slightly lower than

a

What is one advantage of social media that is not shared by television or print media? a. The Internet reaches a wider demographic spectrum. b. Blogs can recycle content from the Associated Press. c. The Internet often catches stories the mass media overlooks. d. It is easier to get people to read an in-depth story when it is presented online.

c

Which country is a present-day example of a totalitarian regime? a. China b. Iran c. North Korea d. Vietnam

c

Which country has recently become more authoritarian? a. China b. Cuba c. Spain d. Venezuela

d

All public opinion polls pose questions to a group of randomly selected individuals without considering their age, gender, or location.

FALSE

Even in the long-term, most presidents who shrug off public opinion remain vilified.

FALSE

Minorities can be integrated into mainstream society voluntarily or through overt measures of political socialization. The U.S. has traditionally pursued the latter.

FALSE

Only leaders in democratic nations are vulnerable to changes in public opinion.

FALSE

The parents of peers are a recognized influence in the formation of most people's political values.

FALSE

The relationship between education and social class is weak.

FALSE

American presidents tend to experience high public opinion ratings during their honeymoon period and after rally events such as the Iran hostage crisis.

TRUE

Beginning with the work of Karl Marx, scholars have treated social class as an important factor in public opinion.

TRUE

France bans the publication of polls close to election day.

TRUE

Of the many sources of political socialization, the family's influence usually outweighs the others.

TRUE

The ability to function in business and governance using only one language has contributed to China's recent economic growth.

TRUE

The caste system is embedded in India's political culture.

TRUE

The government bank bailouts in response to the 2008 financial crisis illustrate the gap between elites and mass public opinion.

TRUE

The labels "conservative" and "liberal" have different meanings for different groups of voters.

TRUE

. Elections rarely show __________. a. how voters feel about specific issues b. how politically engaged the population is c. which areas of the country have the highest turnout d. a clear electoral mandate for the winning candidates

a

1. Which of these can be considered an example of direct democracy? a. Citizens voting on a ballot referendum b. The media openly criticizing elected officials c. Political candidates from different parties running for office d. A government holding free and fair elections at regular intervals

a

What is one direct consequence of people demanding their "rights" in the absence of a corresponding sense of responsibility? a. Demands placed on government become impossible to meet. b. Disgruntled voters start dangerous, extremist political movements. c. Voters stop attending church regularly. d. Membership in the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts increases dramatically.

a

Wallonia in Belgium and Basque country in Spain are examples of center-periphery tensions.

TRUE

. A well-constructed public opinion poll __________. a. poses the simplest questions possible b. separates conservative from liberal opinions c. distinguishes between elite and mass opinions d. attempts to quantify respondents' subjective responses

b

. What German thinker argued that any organization, no matter how democratic its intent, ends up run by a small elite? a. Thomas Hobbes b. Robert Michels c. Wright Mills d. Robert Dahl

b

Which of these statements about the role of race and ethnicity in politics is the most accurate? a. The party loyalties of ethnic groups rarely change. b. Politics based on ethnicity have the potential to be fluid and change over time. c. Religion is much more important than race and ethnicity in shaping public opinion. d. Ethnic consciousness has little effect on public opinion in heterogeneous nations like the United States.

b

Which type of distribution curve is the most dangerous for a democracy? a. bell-shaped b. bimodal c. rightward-skewed d. unimodal

b

. Recent Supreme Court decisions loosened restrictions on campaign spending, allowing billionaires to exert unprecedented influence over U.S. elections. Which statement represents the way an elite theorist would most likely evaluate this development? a. The Supreme Court should not have a say over campaign finance rules. b. This is evidence of greater political competition in an increasingly open society. c. The Supreme Court has undermined democracy by tilting elections in favor of moneyed interests. d. This is evidence that elections are becoming more expensive as campaigns get more sophisticated.

c

Elite theorists and pluralists differ on whether or not __________. a. elite rule produces economic growth b. the concentration of power is inevitable c. any single group has a monopoly on the influence over government policies d. democratic government produces better policies than authoritarian government

c

Surveys indicate that faith in democracy is __________ in the United States than in other modern democracies, such as France and Germany. a. more ridiculed b. more erratic c. weaker d. stronger

d

The act of __________ is merely the starting point for political participation. a. a. voting b. joining a political party c. spreading awareness about political issues d. running for political office

a

. Which pair of independent and dependent variables cannot reasonably be reversed? a. race (independent) and annual income (dependent) b. annual income (independent) and level of education (dependent) c. weekly TV consumption (independent) and party affiliation (dependent) d. weekly TV consumption (independent) and level of education (dependent)

a

Andrew Jackson's 1828 victory over John Quincy Adams is widely considered to be __________. a. one of the dirtiest media campaigns in history b. a model for the positive use of the media in campaigning c. a product of wealthy backers paying for expense advertisements d. an example of how establishment candidates fail to use the media effectively

a

Franklin D. Roosevelt won popular support for his policies through __________. a. weekly radio addresses b. televised debate victories c. backroom power brokering d. numerous personal appearances

a

How do published exit polls affect the outcome of presidential elections in the United States? a. They have not been shown to have any impact. b. They have been shown to significantly influence undecided voters. c. They had a significant impact, which is why publishing exit polls are now illegal. d. They have led to lower voter turnout, since people already know who is likely to win.

a

How does political competence compare with political efficacy? a. Political competence is concerned with knowing how to have a political impact, whereas political efficacy is concerned with feeling one has at least some power to have such a political impact. b. Political competence is concerned with knowing why political events occur, whereas political efficacy is concerned with feeling one has at least some power to have a political impact. c. Political competence is concerned with being able to pass a citizenship test about national history, whereas political efficacy is concerned with making sure no one in society feels powerless. d. Political competence is concerned with knowing those who have a political impact, whereas political efficacy is concerned with feeling one has at least some power to have a political impact.

a

In the United States, a liberal would likely support __________, while a conservative would likely support __________. a. increasing the minimum wage; banning same-sex marriage b. increasing the minimum wage; banning prayer in schools c. increasing military spending; banning lifetime limits on health insurance coverage d. increasing military spending; banning unlimited campaign donations

a

In the United States, the press is often referred to as the "fourth branch of government" because __________. a. of its key role in keeping government accountable to citizen demands b. of its constitutional obligation to keep citizens informed about public affairs c. of the cooperative arrangements made between the media and the other three branches d. it is considered equally as powerful as the other three branches in its impact on government decisions

a

Modern elite theorists are __________. a. social critics b. neoconservatives c. evangelical Christians d. self-proclaimed libertarians

a

Political culture changes __________. a. more than was once assumed b. less than was once assumed c. automatically with new elections d. only through deliberate effort by politicians

a

Political culture is a combination of deeply held values and __________. a. reactions to current events b. political cynicism c. the size of the civil society d. the prosperousness of a nation's elite

a

The results of a poll can be skewed by __________. a. the way the questions are worded b. the importance of the poll to policy makers c. the number of people who study the results d. the amount of time the media takes to report the results

a

Totalitarianism began with __________. a. Lenin's seizure of power in Russia b. Mussolini's seizure of power in Italy c. Hitler's accession to the chancellorship of Germany d. Mao Zedong's rise to leadership of the Chinese Communist Party

a

What do authoritarian leaders seek from their citizens? a. passivity and obedience b. enthusiastic participation c. acceptance of the state religion d. acceptance of the official ideology

a

What is one reason mass media yields a greater voter-opinion return than face-to-face communication? a. Mass media reaches a larger audience. b. People who attend live events tend to be highly skeptical. c. Mass media appeals to a more politically engaged demographic. d. Face-to-face communication occurs without technological mediation.

a

What is the most significant way in which television coverage turned public opinion in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1965? a. Images of police brutality toward African Americans sparked widespread outrage. b. Interviews with job applicants showed widespread racial discrimination in the hiring process. c. Speeches in Congress broadcast on television convinced voters that the law had bipartisan support. d. Coverage of segregated classrooms convinced Americans that separate-but-equal education was not really equal.

a

Which of the following viewpoints is most consistent with elite political culture? a. Running for office is viable and realistic. b. Voting is a waste of time. c. The political bureaucracy is impossible to navigate. d. Politicians are all lawyers who will say whatever they think you want to hear.

a

Why might a government go ahead with a policy or action that the majority of citizens oppose? a. Public opinion does not always reflect what is best for the nation. b. The public probably will have forgotten all about it by the next election. c. The government rarely has an accurate way of knowing what the people think. d. The public would rather see decisive action that it opposes than no action at all.

a

__________ has grown in the political cultures of most advanced democracies. a. Cynicism b. Optimism c. Ideological rigidity d. Religious evangelism

a

A country's political culture tends to be __________. a. homogenous b. multifaceted c. permanent d. easily quantifiable

b

Because they can be voted out of office if the people are galvanized, politicians usually work to keep the public __________. a. passionately interested b. passive and quiet c. voting and well-informed d. weak but well-educated

b

Convention delegates tend to be more __________ than average voters. a. apathetic b. educated c. religious d. mainstream

b

More than half the world's nations are at least somewhat __________. a. authoritarian b. democratic c. oligarchic d. theocratic

b

One benefit of a system with frequent alternation in power is __________. a. a guarantee of economic growth b. effective control over corruption c. peaceful use of civil disobedience d. high citizen engagement in politics

b

Studies of __________ look for basic, general values regarding politics and government. a. political theory b. political culture c. public opinion d. political radicalization

b

The work of Karl W. Deutsch demonstrated that __________. a. policy makers are more influenced by opinion polls than they admit b. the political system and the communication system parallel each other c. free media tends to hurt establishment candidates more than help them d. elites understand the role of the media better than the general public does

b

Venezuela is which type of authoritarian regime? a. military b. personalistic c. dominant-party d. limited monarchy

b

What does public opinion polling provide that election results cannot? a. the popularity of specific candidates b. insight into citizens' views on specific issues c. a clear indication which political party is dominant d. information about candidates' real views on the issues.

b

Which of the following reforms would move a regime from a totalitarian system to an authoritarian system? a. the regime created a written constitution b. power shifted from one leader to a small group c. the regime turned over control of the economy to the free market d. the regime allowed more than one political party to compete in elections

b

A person's dedication to her organic vegetable garden would not be considered part of public opinion but her __________ would be. a. crop output b. eating habits c. views on food industry d. activities at the farmer's market

c

According to Almond, the elite might play to the attentive public because the attentive public tends to __________. a. accept elite views b. represent the view of the society as a whole c. pass on views that mobilize the general public d. take a more negative view on elite control than the general public does

c

After interviewing a citizen about his support for the new health care bill, a newspaper concludes that there is widespread support for the new legislation in town. This is an example of __________. a. saliency b. objective reporting c. anecdotal evidence d. government propaganda

c

Churches, clubs, businesses, and soccer leagues are all elements of __________. a. political culture b. political trust c. civil society d. civic duty

c

Elites are wealthier, better educated, and more influential than the average citizen. Politically, elites are more likely to __________ than the rest of the population. a. reject ideology b. be members of the Tea Party c. run for office d. be Democrats

c

Face-to-face communication is the most effective means of altering political opinions because __________. a. politicians are usually very charming people b. audiences tend to trust words more than images c. it allows for dialogue to occur between people who disagree d. most people interact with others more often than they consume media

c

Gun control opponents tend to be __________ than the rest of the population. a. more affluent b. less politically engaged c. more intense about the issue d. less likely to answer poll questions

c

How has the content of local newspapers changed over the past few decades? a. It has become less editorial. b. It has become less biased and more objective in its reporting. c. It has moved from politics and world affairs to more human-interest stories. d. It has moved away from reliance on national news organizations like the Associated Press.

c

Imagine that you are the editor-in-chief of a newspaper seeking to attract younger audiences. What type of content should you place an emphasis on providing? a. more financial news b. more objective political news c. more sports and feature articles d. more conservative political news

c

In Iraq, governance is complicated and sometimes violent because people from different __________ tend to vote for different parties. a. genders b. age brackets c. religious groups d. economic classes

c

Mahatma Gandhi's movement in India illustrated that __________. a. peaceful movements are more likely to succeed than violent ones b. a government always responds to the public opinion of the population c. a government responds to public opinion when its image is threatened d. public opinion must be shaped into a non-violent protest movement to be successful

c

Polls designed to influence respondents' opinions are known as __________ polls. a. anecdotal b. focus c. push d. salience

c

States with which type of government regularly use organized terror and violence against citizens to maintain control and achieve goals? a. socialism b. oligarchy c. totalitarianism d. illiberal democracy

c

The years of Watergate, the Vietnam War, and inflation correlated with a __________ in citizens' trust in the U.S. government. a. sharp rise b. barely noticeable rise c. sharp decline d. barely noticeable decline

c

What is the relationship between alternation in power and democratic elections? a. Neither one is usually accompanied by peaceful protest. b. Both are heavily dependent on religion playing a minimal role. c. Both must have an element of uncertainty and fluidity. d. Both depend upon groups of citizens voting automatically for a given party.

c

Which of these is a difference between newspapers and blogs? a. Newspapers have less impact than blogs. b. Blogs offer more verified data than newspapers. c. Newspapers offer more objective coverage than blogs. d. Blogs are more likely to include lengthy investigative reporting pieces.

c

Which statement best characterizes the partisan orientation of newspapers? a. Few newspapers attempt to be neutral and objective. b. Most newspapers present the news with a conservative slant. c. Few newspapers present the news in an obviously partisan manner. d. Most newspapers slant their coverage in the direction of the current president's political party.

c

Which statement best supports the assertion that "fewer Americans today are interested in news than they were one or two generations ago"? a. Terrorist attacks generate copious media attention. b. Today's newspapers are less neutral than they once were. c. Only about a third of people watch television news or read newspapers. d. Polls show that viewers prefer news stories about violence over stories about policy.

c

Which statement explains how Nate Silver was able to predict an Obama win in 2012 more confidently than many pollsters? a. His poll asked clearer, more useful questions than other polls did. b. He carefully aggregated polls, taking swing state trends into account. c. He polled a more representative sample of voters than other pollsters did. d. He knew that the electorate was more liberal than most polls at the time were suggesting.

c

. Which statement explains why democracies tend to fail in poor countries? a. Majorities in poor countries are fundamentally intolerant of other ethnic groups, and this is reinforced by poor educational standards. b. The income of politicians is too low for them to produce positive social change and governments themselves are poorly structured. c. Totalitarian government places a much lower cost burden on society, and poorer citizens tend to favor dictators for the order they can impose. d. Poor countries tend to lack a vibrant middle class, education levels are low, pluralism functions poorly, and people have yet to be shaped by markets that normalize behavior.

d

An oligopoly occurs when __________. a. a single person owns and controls an entire industry b. the government owns and controls an entire industry c. a single corporation owns and controls an entire industry d. a small number of corporations own and control an entire industry

d

In the United States, some affluent suburbs are quite liberal, while poorer country dwellers are conservative. What does this suggest about Karl Marx's theories on class consciousness? a. His prediction regarding the collapse of capitalism was inaccurate. b. His predictions regarding the impact of religion and propaganda were accurate. c. His prediction regarding the salience of social class for U.S. citizens was correct. d. His prediction regarding the salience of social class does not apply to the United States

d

Lower levels of education, along with corresponding lower incomes, reduce the likelihood that people will __________. a. support democracy as a concept b. hold nationalist views c. feel powerless d. participate in politics

d

Suppose you are an advisor to a U.S. president whose approval ratings are sagging. What advice could you give to the president to help boost public approval? a. Propose a bill increasing farm subsidies. b. Visit a local school to talk about education policy. c. Criticize Congress over its handling of the economy. d. Schedule a meeting with prominent foreign leaders to discuss a foreign policy crisis.

d

The fact that most Americans turned against the Iraq War after learning that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction (WMD) illustrates __________. a. that public opinion is often based on misinformation b. how strongly public opinion shapes government policy c. the fact that public opinion rarely influences government policy d. the limitations on government's ability to create the public opinion it desires

d

The main way that democratic governments are held accountable is through __________. a. ballot initiatives b. civil disobedience c. dissident movements d. regular electoral challenge

d

The opinion of the general public tends to have little impact on government decision making because __________. a. corporate propaganda skews the results b. opinion surveys tend to show widely variable results c. elected officials know that they will not be held accountable for their actions d. indifference and fragmentation make it difficult to discern what the public truly thinks

d

What can be concluded from the fact that such a large proportion of the American public identifies as conservative? a. The American people have repudiated traditional forms of individualism. b. Opinion distributions in the United States are becoming increasingly unimodal. c. The Republican Party is likely to hold control of Congress for decades to come. d. Many people have an ideological identification that goes against their position on the issues.

d

What do studies on political culture and public opinion have in common? a. They are always snapshots in time, and therefore have no long-term relevance. b. They deal exclusively with qualitative data. c. They are notoriously inaccurate and flawed. d. Responses are often tracked over time to find patterns.

d

What evidence would pluralists most likely cite to support their claims that elites are ultimately accountable? a. the comparative wealth of most members of Congress b. tax cuts given to the richest 1 percent of the population c. the millions spent by corporations to back the major political parties d. the millions of dollars that tobacco firms have paid out in lawsuits and settlements

d

What is the main difference between autocratic regimes of the past and twentieth-century totalitarian regimes? a. Autocratic regimes prevented citizens from owning firearms, whereas totalitarian regimes preferred to arm the citizenry. b. Autocratic regimes allowed more than one political party, whereas totalitarian regimes allowed only one. c. Autocratic regimes relied on organized terror to keep citizens obedient, whereas totalitarian regimes relied on official ideology. d. Autocratic regimes demobilized their populations, whereas totalitarian regimes demanded mass mobilization and widespread participation by citizens.

d

Which condition suggests that a state's elections are rigged? a. Socialist candidates almost always win. b. Elections are held more than once a year. c. The ruling party wins several consecutive elections. d. The regime controls most or all of the press in the country.

d

Which of the following is a plausible explanation for the polls' prediction that Dewey would defeat Truman in 1948? a. Pollsters assumed that the country was significantly more Republican than the actual poll data indicated. b. Pollsters had assumed that all respondents who said they were unlikely to vote would, in fact, stay home. c. Pollsters had assumed that non-respondents would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had responded. d. Pollsters had assumed that respondents who said they were undecided would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had already decided.

d

Which of the following is most likely to result in a pollster recording a non-attitude response for a participant? a. asking the participant his opinion on a religious issue b. asking the participant about an issue that he is passionate about c. asking the participant his opinion on crime in his neighborhood d. asking the participant his opinion on an especially complex issue

d

Which of the following lends support to the political generations theory of public opinion? a. Young voters went strongly to Obama in the 2008 and 2012 elections. b. Younger people are better educated about political issues than older people. c. Older people are better informed about political issues than younger people. d. Many people who lived through the Great Depression are life-long supporters of welfare programs.

d

Which of these following countries could be labeled a "fake democracy"? a. Brazil b. Germany c. Iran d. Russia

d

Which statement explains why public opinion is an important consideration for both democratic and authoritarian governments? a. Public opinion provides leaders with smart policy ideas. b. Manipulating public opinion is necessary to maintain social control. c. Every society needs to have uniformity of public opinion to remain strong. d. Strong public dissent can lead to an electoral defeat or the collapse of the regime.

d

Which statement explains why the life cycle theory does not always hold true? a. People tend to get more conservative as they get older. b. Americans are more likely to move to the suburbs when they graduate college. c. Political engagement tends to increase as a person gets older and more successful. d. Major events during young adulthood can affect people's political views for a long time.

d

Which statement provides evidence for the usefulness of social media in a democratic system? a. The U.S. press has been called "the fourth branch of government." b. Internet voting would lead to a significant increase in voter turnout. c. Bulletin boards were used by the organizers of the Tiananmen Square protests. d. Text messaging, Twitter, Facebook, and television media helped catalyze the "Arab Spring."

d