POLIT CHAP 8

. Today, the most reputable polls sample between _____ and _____ people. a. 1,500; 2,000 b. 8,000; 9,500 c. 12,500; 15,000 d. 20,000; 25,000 e. 35,000 ;40,000

a. 1,500; 2,000

Some political analysts believe that the political gender gap became a major determinant of voter decision making in the _____ election. a. 1980 (Reagan) b. 1976 (Carter) c. 2012 (Obama) d. 2008 (Obama) e. 2000 (Clinton)

a. 1980 (Reagan)

. In the 2012 presidential elections, ____ of voters age 30 to 44 voted for Romney. a. 45 percent b. 51 percent c. 78 percent d. 35 percent e. 60 percent

a. 45 percent

Voter turnout in presidential elections has hovered at about _____ in the last decades of the twentieth century. a. 55 percent b. 58 percent c. 61 percent d. 42 percent e. 70 percent

a. 55 percent

Among the votes cast nationwide, about _____ use paper ballots. a. 66 percent b. 75 percent c. 50 percent d. 33 percent e. 5 percent

a. 66 percent

Which of the following is true of contemporary polling techniques? a. A satisfactory sample can be obtained by phone polling. b. In-person interviews continue to be the preferred means of polling. c. The size of reputable samples is from 8,000 to 9,500 people. d. Internet surveys are replacing phone surveys, and accuracy is greater than before. e. The use of Internet phone systems and cell phones has complicated sampling.

a. A satisfactory sample can be obtained by phone polling.

Laws that disenfranchise felons disproportionately impact the right to vote of _____. a. African Americans b. women c. white males d. youth e. Hispanics

a. African Americans

The true result of a poll is . a. a range of probabilities. b. a single figure. c. a house effect. d. a statistical model. e. sampling error.

a. a range of probabilities.

In survey research, a group of people typical of the general population is called _____. a. a sample b. a straw poll c. the electorate d. a subgroup e. a town hall

a. a sample

. A law that requires citizens to cast a ballot in an election is known as a. compulsory voting. b. the Australian ballot. c. preferential voting. d. a "get out the vote" law e. a "donkey vote" law

a. compulsory voting.

Among the factors affecting voter turnout, __________ appears to be the most important. a. educational attainment b. ethnicity c. income level d. race e. religion

a. educational attainment

All of the following affect the outcome of polls EXCEPT a. international pressure. b. house effects. c. the timing of polls. d. question framing. e. statistical modeling

a. international pressure.

The most important principle in public opinion poll sampling is ____. a. randomness b. specificity c. focus on one particular group d. statistical noise e. biased

a. randomness

Voters often base their decisions on ______ of the candidate rather than on their qualifications or policy positions. a. the perceived character b. the gender c. the age d. the educational background e. the marital status

a. the perceived character

In the earliest days of scientific polling, interviewers typically a. went door-to-door, conducting in-person interviews. b. interviewed people by telephone. c. went to local shopping areas to conduct in-person interviews. d. used mail-in forms. e. interviewed men using public transportation to and from their job

a. went door-to-door, conducting in-person interviews.

Literacy tests a. were used in many southern states to restrict African American participation in elections. b. are given to newly eligible voters when they register to vote. c. are required by the Constitution; they are used to ensure that voters can read and write. d. were used in many northern states before they were prohibited by the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution. e. are required if voters choose to vote by mail

a. were used in many southern states to restrict African American participation in elections.

In the 2012 presidential elections, Barack Obama won _____ of female voters. a. 45 percent b. 55 percent c. 63 percent d. 70 percent e. 85 percent

b. 55 percent

In the 2012 presidential elections, _____ of voters with a total family income under $30,000 voted for Obama. a. 35 percent b. 63 percent c. 44 percent d. 93 percent e. 52 percent

b. 63 percent

In the 2012 presidential elections, _____ of voters with no religious affiliation voted for Obama. a. 26 percent b. 70 percent c. 21 percent d. 48 percent e. 64 percent

b. 70 percent

Which of the following agents of political socialization teaches young people citizenship skills through rules and regulations? a. Family b. Schools c. Media d. Opinion leaders e. Peer Groups

b. Schools

The use of literacy tests as a qualification for registering to vote was prohibited by the a. Civil Rights Act of 1957. b. Voting Rights Act of 1965. c. Supreme Court's decision in Smith v. Allwright (1944). d. Fifteenth Amendment. e. Twenty-fourth Amendment.

b. Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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.

b. left the power to set suffrage qualifications to the individual states.

Public opinion polls show that _____ Americans agrees that benefits provided by Medicare and Social Security ought to be trimmed. a. a majority of b. one in ten c. roughly half of d. three in five e. one in three

b. one in ten

Women were guaranteed suffrage in _____. a. 1870 b. 1915 c. 1920 d. 1944 e. 1965

c. 1920

. Since 1970, no state can impose a residency requirement for voting of more than a. 10 days. b. 14 days. c. 30 days. d. 2 months. e. 6 months.

c. 30 days.

Which of the following statements best defines a straw poll? a. A survey of the public's opinion on a particular topic at a particular moment b. In the context of opinion polling, a group of people selected to represent the population being studied c. A nonscientific poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population d. In the context of opinion polling, a sample in which each person within the entire population being polled has an equal chance of being chosen e. In the context of opinion polling, the difference between what the sample results show and what the true results would have been had everybody in the relevant population been interviewed

c. A nonscientific poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population

. In recent years, voters with post-graduate degrees have tended to vote ____. a. Republican b. Libertarian c. Democratic d. less often e. for third parties

c. Democratic

The _____ guaranteed suffrage to African American males. a. Thirteenth Amendment b. Fourteenth Amendment c. Fifteenth Amendment d. Nineteenth Amendment e. Twenty-third Amendment

c. Fifteenth Amendment

Two of the organizations that predicted Roosevelt's victory in 1936, _____, are still at the forefront of the polling industry. a. Gallup and Literary Digest b. Roper and Landon c. Gallup and Roper d. Roper and Literary Digest

c. Gallup and Roper

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. Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982 b. Drive-Thru Voter Law of 1976 c. National Voter Registration Act of 1993 d. Twenty-sixth Amendment to the Constitution e. Help America Vote Act of 2002

c. National Voter Registration Act of 1993

The _____ requires that states allow mail-in voter registration. a. Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1982 b. Voting Rights Act extension (2006) c. National Voter Registration Act of 1993 d. Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution e. Help America Vote Act of 2002

c. National Voter Registration Act of 1993

The _____ prohibited discrimination in voting on the basis of gender. a. Fourteenth Amendment b. Fifteenth Amendment c. Nineteenth Amendment d. Twenty-third Amendment e. Twenty-sixth Amendment

c. Nineteenth Amendment

Which of the following statements is accurate? a. Wealthy people tend to be underrepresented among regular voters. b. Racial and ethnic minorities traditionally have been overrepresented among the ranks of voters. c. Voting participation likely increases with age because older people tend to be more settled, are already registered, and have had more experience with voting. d. Generally, younger voters turn out to vote more regularly than older voters do, although participation tends to increase among the very elderly. e. High school graduates vote more often than those who have also finished college.

c. Voting participation likely increases with age because older people tend to be more settled, are already registered, and have had more experience with voting.

In the 2012 election, many major polling firms a. weighted independent turnout too heavily. b. deliberately skewed the results. c. overestimated Republican turnout. d. said the election was too close to call. e. did not use random sampling

c. overestimated Republican turnout.

An emotional attachment to a political party is known as _____. a. partisan bias b. voter perception c. party identification d. policy voting e. policy voting

c. party identification

For established voters, _____ is one of the most important and lasting predictors of how a person will vote. a. income level b. occupation c. party identification d. gender e. religion

c. party identification

The Twenty-fourth Amendment outlawed _____ in national elections. a. grandfather clauses b. literacy tests c. poll taxes d. discrimination based on race e. white primaries

c. poll taxes

A(n) _____ poll is a campaign tactic used to feed false or misleading information to potential voters, under the guise of taking an opinion poll. a. straw b. exit c. push d. tracking e. Internet

c. push

Public opinion can best be defined as a. the learning process through which most people acquire their political attitudes, opinions, beliefs, and knowledge. b. people and institutions that influence the views of others. c. the views of the citizenry about politics, public issues, and public policies. d. a survey of the public's opinion on a particular topic. e. the views of politicians and former politicians with views that are radically different from what most Americans believe.

c. the views of the citizenry about politics, public issues, and public policies.

24. Solid South was a term used to describe the tendency of the southern states to a. vote Republican before 1960. b. keep African Americans from voting before Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, so that political power in the South could remain solidly white. c. vote Democratic for a century after the Civil War. d. vote for southerners for the presidency. e. be a stronghold for third party candidates throughout much of the 1950s.

c. vote Democratic for a century after the Civil War.

The number of people residing in the United States who are at least 18 years of age, is known as a. the vote eligible population (VEP). b. the disenfranchised population. c. voting age population (VAP). d. the electorate. e. the voting age citizens (VAC).

c. voting age population (VAP).

8. In _____, the U.S. Supreme Court prohibited the use of the grandfather clause in state election laws as a technique to prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote. a. 1828 b. 1850 c. 1870 d. 1915 e. 1924

d. 1915

Which of the following statements best defines a random sample? a. A poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population b. In the context of opinion polling, a group of people selected to represent the population being studied c. An atypical subgroup of the population d. In the context of opinion polling, a sample in which each person within the entire population being polled has an equal chance of being chosen e. A campaign tactic used to feed false or misleading information to potential voters, under the guise of taking an opinion poll

d. In the context of opinion polling, a sample in which each person within the entire population being polled has an equal chance of being chosen

Residents of the District of Columbia were given the right to vote for president and vice president in the a. Fourteenth Amendment. b. Fifteenth Amendment. c. Nineteenth Amendment. d. Twenty-third Amendment. e. Twenty-sixth Amendment

d. Twenty-third Amendment.

The family is an important agent of political socialization because a. most families deliberately set out to form their children's political ideas and beliefs. b. parents are responsible for registering their children to vote. c. there are no other agents of political socialization. d. a child first sees the political world through the eyes of his or her family. e. schools are prohibited from engaging in political socialization.

d. a child first sees the political world through the eyes of his or her family.

Sampling error is the a. error that results when random sampling is used. b. difference between what the push poll results show and what the exit poll results show. c. result of the way the questions are phrased. d. difference between what the poll shows and what the results would have been if everyone in the relevant population had been interviewed. e. error that is introduced when polls create public opinion instead of measuring it.

d. difference between what the poll shows and what the results would have been if everyone in the relevant population had been interviewed.

In the United States today, citizens who are at least _____ years of age and who are not felons have the right to vote. a. fifteen b. sixteen c. seventeen d. eighteen e. twenty-one

d. eighteen

Mosts people acquire their political attitudes, opinions, beliefs, and knowledge through a complex learning process known as _____. a. imprinting b. indoctrination c. agency d. political socialization e. opinion leading

d. political socialization

The 2002 Help America Vote Act a. required states to use the same style of paper ballots so that all voting procedures would be uniform across all fifty states. b. simplified the voter registration process by establishing a policy of registering all persons born in the United States at the same time their birth certificates are processed. c. required states to allow early voting at polling places that opened weeks before Election Day. d. provided funds to the states to help them purchase new electronic voting equipment. e. required that all electronic voting systems have voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) printers.

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

Problems with public opinion polls include all of the following, except a. house effects. b. wieghting. c. misleading questions. d. random sampling. e. yes or no questions

d. random sampling.

. In politics, the term gender gap a. refers to the underrepresentation of women in the U.S. Senate. b. refers to the length of time it took women to gain the right to vote. c. describes the differences in the campaign styles of male and female candidates. d. refers to the difference between the percentage of votes cast for a particular candidate by women and the percentage of votes cast for the same candidate by men. e. describes the difference in voter turnout between men and women.

d. refers to the difference between the percentage of votes cast for a particular candidate by women and the percentage of votes cast for the same candidate by men.

In recent years, _____ have favored Republican Party candidates by substantial margins. a. African American protestant voters b. Muslims of Middle Eastern background who live in major urban areas c. females of all races and ages d. white, Christian voters who attend church regularly e. younger voters

d. white, Christian voters who attend church regularly

Grandfather clauses in state laws had the effect of restricting the franchise to those a. who were male. b. who could prove their grandfathers were alive. c. who were grandfathers. d. whose ancestors had voted before the 1860s. e. whose ancestors had held political office before the Civil War.

d. whose ancestors had voted before the 1860s.

In the 2012 presidential elections, ____ of female voters voted for Romney. a. 52 percent b. 71 percent c. 25 percent d. 13 percent e. 44 percent

e. 44 percent

In the 2012 presidential elections, Mitt Romney had the solid support of white, working class voters only in the _____ of the United States. a. East and West coasts b. Western region c. Northeastern region d. Midwestern region e. Southern region

e. Southern region

In 1971, the _____ reduced the minimum voting age to eighteen. a. Fourteenth Amendment b. Fifteenth Amendment c. Nineteenth Amendment d. Twenty-third Amendment e. Twenty-sixth Amendment

e. Twenty-sixth Amendment

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. by phone. d. at polling places located in supermarkets. e. by mail.

e. by mail.

Most political socialization is informal, and it usually begins a. after college. b. in college. c. in high school. d. during adolescence. e. during early childhood.

e. during early childhood.

When people vote for candidates who share their positions on particular issues, they are engaging in _____ voting. a. socioeconomic b. ideological c. allegiance d. perception e. policy

e. policy

6. A sample in which each person within the entire population being polled has an equal chance of being chosen is a _____ sample

random sample