chapter 5 questions and vocab

Social institutions, including families and schools, that help to shape individuals' basic political beliefs and values

Agents of socialization

Variables such as income, education, race, gender, and ethnicity

Help explain differences of political opinion in America.

Which of the following statements is true with regard to Latino Americans?

Latino Americans are less likely than African Americans to perceive that America is a racist society.

Freedom from governmental control

Liberty

A cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government

Political Ideology

The induction of individuals into the political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based

Political Socialism

the process by which Americans learn political beliefs and values is called

Political Socialization

A familiar polling problem is the "bandwagon effect", which occurs when

Polling results influence people to support the candidate marked as the probable victor in the campaign.

Citizens attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events

Public opinion

A small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population

Sample

A method used by pollsters to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent

Simple random Sample( or Probability sample)

The fact that Democratic Party leaders have become more liberal and Republican Party leaders more conservative is important because

partisans in the public tend to rely on party leaders for cues on the appropriate positions to take on major political issues.

When men and women respond differently to issues of public policy, this difference is an example of

The Gender Gap

The term public opinion is used to describe

The beliefs and attitudes that people have about issues.

The small group selected by pollsters to represent the entire population is called the ________.

sample

A push poll is a poll in which

the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion rather than measure the respondent's opinion.

The public forum in which beliefs and ideas are exchanged and complete

Market Place of ideas

Which of the following is the term used in public-opinion polling to denote the small group representing the opinions of the whole population?

Sample

Polling error that arises based on the small size of the sample

Sampling error (or margin of error)

Polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in overrepresentation or underrepresentation some opinion

Selection bias (Surveys)

The term public opinion is used to describe

beliefs and attitudes toward different issues, events, and people.

A specific preference on a particular issue

Attitude (or opinion)

A shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public- opinion polls reports as the front-runner

Bandwagon effect

Which of the following best characterizes the Clinton administration's attempts to influence public opinion?

Clinton administration officials used techniques similar to those used in election campaigns to bolster popular enthusiasm for White House initiatives.

Today this term refers to those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulae and economic arrangements; conservatives believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens' freedom

Conservative

A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

Democracy

A widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

Equality of Opportunity

A distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

Gender Gap

Today this term refers to those who generally support social and political reform; governmental intervention in the economy and more economic equality; the expansion of federal social services; and greater concern for consumers and the environment

Liberal

Today, the term _____________ refers to an ideology that supports social and political reform, greater economic equality and expansion of government social services

Liberalism

Which of the following is not an agent of socialization?

Political attitudes

Scientific instruments for measuring public opinion

Public-opinion polls

A poll technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion

Push polling

A polling method in which respondents are selected at random from a list of 10-digit telephone numbers, with every effort made to avoid dias in the construction of the sample

Random digit dialing

The effect that results when respondents in a survey report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear rather than what they believe

Social Desirability effect

Which of the following are the most important external influences on how political opinions are formed in the marketplace of ideas?

The government, private groups, and the news media

What is one of the main differences between those who have gone to college and those who have not?

There is a higher level of political participation among those with a college education.

Basic principles that shape a person's opinions about political issues and events

Values (Beliefs)

The fact that the public is inattentive to politics and must frequently rely on informational shortcuts has which of the following effects on American democracy?

Weakens it by making it easier for various institutions and political actors to manipulate the political process

Opposition to legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________ while support for legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________.

conservatives; liberals

The social desirability effect refers to the

fact that respondents report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear or whatever they think is socially acceptable rather than what they actually believe or know to be true.

The belief that government is a wasteful and dangerous institution and should be limited to as few activities as possible is an example of a political ________.

ideology

The fact that Americans strongly support the idea that governmental interference with individuals' lives and properties should be kept to a minimum illustrates their commitment to ________.

liberty

Which of the following terms describe America's fundamental political values?

liberty, equality of opportunity, and democracy

The complex set of beliefs and values that, as a whole, form a general philosophy about the government is called ________.

political ideology

The process by which underlying political values are formed is known as ________.

political socialization

The difference between a political value and a political attitude is that values are

specific preferences while attitudes are basic principles.

The concept of a marketplace of ideas refers to

the competition between varying opinions and ideas that are aired in public forums.