Chapter 5 - Public Opinion Quiz

At what point in a person's life does political socialization occur?

Throughout one's lifetime

Which of the following questions has the most neutral phrasing?

"Do you favor government efforts to reduce smoking?"

Which of the following accurately describes American attitudes toward patriotism and optimism about the direction of the country?

Americans express pride in their country but dissatisfaction with its practical ability to accomplish important objectives.

What is public opinion?

Attitudes expressed by ordinary people on various political topics

Why does the timing of an election poll matter?

If the poll is conducted too far away from the election, the results may not be accurate.

When the variability of individual public opinion is taken and averaged out, what can be said about overall public opinion over time?

The general stability and consistency of opinions indicates a rational public.

Pollsters try to interview samples of Americans in a way that ensures that each American has the same probability of being interviewed. Which of the following best describes their ability to achieve this?

This goal cannot be perfectly met in practice.

The Applying the Framework pyramid in this chapter notes that one reason gun control legislation is rarely enacted is that _________.

although most Americans support gun control measures, they do not see these measures as a high priority

Americans' levels of trust in government

are lower than they have been in decades.

At least until recently, in the United States social class

has usually not played a central role in political conflicts.

Over the past several decades Americans' attitudes about government spending

have been mostly stable, but have changed sensibly in response to major world events.

Greater education levels are strongly associated with _________.

higher rates of participation in politics

If you were reading an article in Time magazine about public opinion on the president's proposal to eliminate the estate tax, you should be attentive to

how the question was phrased.

In a true democracy, there must be a close match between __________, government policies, and actions, at least in the long run.

public opinion

An example of taking a liberal stance on an issue would be

supporting government provided health care.