AP Gov: Chapter 6 Practice AP Questions

Which of the following public policies is best supported by the notion of free enterprise? a. The government subsidizing the cost of milk b. Congress passing legislation bailing out the automobile industry c. Taxpayers funding a national high-speed railway service d. After a review, the Federal Trade Commission approving a corporate merger of cable providers

d. After a review, the Federal Trade Commission approving a corporate merger of cable providers

In general, public opinion a. has no relation to government action at all b. has an impact on government action only during elections c. constrains only the actions of incumbents in government d. constrains the actions of government

d. constrains the actions of government

Liberals are more likely to support all of the following EXCEPT: a. freedom of choice in abortion b. government regulation c. increased taxes on the rich d. prayer in schools

d. prayer in schools

They degree to which the sample estimates might differ from what the population actually thinks is called a. standard deviation error b. questioning error c. probability error d. sampling error

d. sampling error

Political participation in the government is an essential component of a. freedom b. independence c. free enterprise d. self-government

d. self-government

Sampling error refers to a. the pollster making mistakes in selecting a sample b. the sample not being representative of the population c. coding mistakes that mean that responses are not accurately reported d. the level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll

d. the level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll

Party identification in the United States is most successfully transmitted by which of the following? a. Workplace b. Church c. Educational system d. The media e. Family

e. Family

Which type of poll is most likely to be used by the media to predict the outcome of an election? a. a benchmark poll b. an exit poll c. a matchup poll d. a focus group poll

b. an exit poll

Which of the following polls is most likely to help a candidate evaluate the short-term effect of a certain campaign event? a. an exit poll b. a tracking poll c. a push poll d. a stratified poll

b. a tracking poll

Based on the outcome of the polls, which of the following is likely true about questions that use the agree-disagree format? a. Questions that use the agree-disagree format increase the percentage of respondents who agree with the primary statement. b. Questions that use the agree-disagree format create confusion about what is being asked. c. Questions that use the agree-disagree format reduce support for the public policy that is being surveyed. d. Questions that use the agree-disagree promote considerations of other perspectives.

a. Questions that use the agree-disagree format increase the percentage of respondents who agree with the primary statement.

The nurturing process through which people learn their knowledge, feelings, and evaluations about the political world is called a. political socialization b. political efficacy c. propaganda acquisition d. political ideology

a. political socialization

Most political scientists and political observers assess public opinion primarily through a. polls b. social media blogs c. letters to the editor d. voter registration rolls

a. polls

Which of the following would older Americans be more likely to support than younger Americans? a. protection of social security b. decreased military spending c. gays serving in the military d. increased spending on education

a. protection of social security

A system adopted by the states that requires voters to establish their eligibility to vote in order to reduce or eliminate voter fraud is a. voter registration b. voter verification c. voter certivication d. voter qualification

a. voter registration

Which of the following is most important for getting an accurate measure of public opinion in a survey? a. Surveying only cell phone users b. Selecting a random sample c. Asking leading questions d. Contacting only registered voters e. Conducting the survey online

b. Selecting a random sample

Which of the following is a random sample? a. interviewing people in a non systematic fashion b. a selection mechanism that gives each person an equal chance of being selected c. going up to people on the street and asking for their opinions d. asking every student in the Introduction to Psychology course to fill out a survey

b. a selection mechanism that gives each person an equal chance of being selected

When a child's parents both identify strongly with the same political party, the child will most likely a. identify with the opposing party b. identify with the parents' party c. have a low sense of political efficacy d. become an independent rather than a party identifier e. become alienated from the political system

b. identify with the parents' party

Which of the following is a major weakness of public opinion polls? a. polls can only measure the opinions of political elites b. it is difficult to measure the intensity of feelings about issues c. polls are so fraught with error that their results are nearly meaningless d. all of the above

b. it is difficult to measure the intensity of feelings about issues

A conservative friend of yours avoids watching MSNBC because she beleives it is a liberal news network. Your friend is engaging in a. prejudice questioning b. selective exposure c. infotainment d. stereotype challenging

b. selective exposure

The best description of public opinion is a. the distribution of the public expression of the will of the people b. the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues c. the distribution of media reflection of public attitudes d. the distribution of the public expression of voter attitudes

b. the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues

Which of the following is NOT a core value of United States political culture? a. Legal equality b. Political equality c. Economic equality d. Freedom of religion e. Freedom of speech

c. Economic equality

A person loses his job and refuses to accept any government assistance to get back on his feet, instead relying on savings and seeking a new job immediately. Which of the following core values would this person most relate to? a. Rule of law b. Free enterprise c. Individualism d. Equality of opportunity

c. Individualism

Which of the following political parties would be most likely to oppose reduced sentencing for nonviolent felony offenders? a. The Green Party b. The Libertarian Party c. The Republican Party d. The Democratic Party

c. The Republican Party

Which of the following best explains how the passage relates to the political process? a. Attacks on United States soil can mobilize the public to act and demand changes to the public policy process. b. Public opinion plays an important role in the development of new security measures to protect the United States from internal and external threats. c. There are important political and cultural events that can cause the development of lasting political beliefs across groups of people in society. d. Citizens judge political leaders on how they react to the internal and external threats faced during their time in office.

c. There are important political and cultural events that can cause the development of lasting political beliefs across groups of people in society.

The "gender gap" refers to the idea that women a. are denied equal protection of the law in economic matters in the United States b. cannot take combat roles in the military c. are more likely to vote for Democrats than are men d. are proportionally underrepresented among members of congress

c. are more likely to vote for Democrats than are men

Candidates for political office use public opinion polls for all of the following purposes EXCEPT to a. assess recognition of the candidate's name b. measure voters' support for the candidate's issues c. bring the opposition's opinions into alignment with those of the candidate d. fine-tune policy stands e. identify key issues among the voters

c. bring the opposition's opinions into alignment with those of the candidate

Of the following, the most important role in the political socialization of children is played by a. their peer groups b. their places of worship c. the family d. the media e. the school

c. the family

Voters who characterize themselves as Independents can best be characterized by which of the following descriptions? a. they typically have greater party loyalty to the Independent Party than Democrats and Republicans have to their parties b. they will never cast a vote for a Democrat or a Republican c. they typically have lower voter turnout than Democrats and Republicans d. they typically have higher voter turnout than Democrats and Republicans

c. they typically have lower voter turnout than Democrats and Republicans

Which of the following is the most common form of political participation in the United States? a. expression one's ideas in a public opinion poll b. participating in a mass demonstration c. voting in a presidential election d. contacting a public official regarding a public issue

c. voting in a presidential election