Chapter 6 gov.

The typical margin of error in a sample survey of 1,500 respondents is

3 percent

Based on recent polling data, what percentage of Americans disagreed with the statement "any group should be allowed to hold a rally for a cause"?

55 percent

Which of the following statements best describes perceptions of racism among blacks and whites?

Blacks are more likely than whites to believe racism is very common in the United States today.

Which organizations are committed to developing and marketing conservative ideas and policies?

The Heritage Foundation, the Hoover Institute, and American Enterprise Institute

Which of the following statements about the marketplace of ideas is true?

Very few ideas emerge and spread in the marketplace spontaneously.

A political ideology is best defined as

a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the government.

A liberal would most likely support

an increase in the federal military budget

Political ideas

are not allowed to return to the marketplace of ideas if they fail to be productive.

Freedom from government control is what most Americans call

liberty

Question formats can cause errors in polling that affect the polls'

validity

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

values are liberal while attitudes are conservative

The various attitudes that citizens possess toward political issues, events, and people are called

public opinions

People's underlying beliefs and ideologies

tend to automatically color their perceptions and opinion about politics.

Each of the following is a liberal organization except

the Chamber of Commerce

Recent studies by political scientists have shown that

the average American exhibits little knowledge about political institutions, processes, or leaders.

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

Conservatives; liberals

What is the key difference between those who have gone to college and those who have not?

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

What did James Madison identify as the greatest source of political conflict for the United States?

differences between the rich and poor

The term gender gap refers to

differences in voting behavior between men and women

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

liberty, equality, and democracy

In public opinion surveys, a sample of the total population

must be representative in that the views of those in the sample must be accurately and proportionately relflect the views of the whole population.

While an individual's underlying beliefs help shape his opinions on particular issues, two other important factors are

one's knowledge of political issues and the outside influences affecting that person's views.

The famous Lincoln- Douglas debates took place

outside, in the cornfields and town squares of Illinois.

The "spiral of silence" describes

people who silence or modify their opinions in order to conform to their peer group's beliefs.

The ability of citizens to influence their government through an awareness of and interest in politics is

political efficacy

Liberalism and conservatism are good examples of

political ideologies

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

If a person does not know anything about a proposed piece of legislation but supports it because Barack Obama endorsed it, we would say the person

reached their decision through the use of an informational shortcut.

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

sample

When pollsters are given a list of people to be surveyed, this list is called the

sampling frame

Conservatives are more likely than liberals to support

school prayer

In 1936, pollsters at the Literary Digest were guilty of ____ when they mistakenly predicted a presidential victory of Alf Landon over Franklin Roosevelt by polling people whose names came from the telephone book and automobile registration records.

selection bias

The practice of push polling involves

the procedure of asking loaded questions in order to subtly shape the respondent's opinion.

People's political party preferences are primarily acquired through the influence of

their families