Exam 2
Let's say a polling firm is conducting a poll via telephone. In order to assess whether the results are reputable, you should check to see that the sample is obtained through what?
Random digit dialing of both cell phones and landlines
In what year was the interpretation of the Civil Rights Act's ban on sex-based discrimination expanded to included transgendered individuals?
2015
Which of the following situations comes closest to the definition of quid pro quo sexual harassment?
A boss tells her employee that if he agrees to go on a date with her, she'll consider giving him a raise
Roughly what percentage of the American public identifies as a "true" Independent?
10%
Which of the following requires a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license in order to legally broadcast in the United States?
over-the-air television stations
Which of the following terms best describes the reason why pollsters incorrectly predicted the outcome of the 1936 presidential election?
selection bias
The fact that survey respondents overreport voting in elections and the frequency of their church attendance is an example what effect?
social desirability
In what year were poll taxes abolished?
1964
States were constitutionally permitted to ban firearms until what year?
2010
Roughly what percentage of Americans say they rely on social networking sites for political information?
36
As of 2015, roughly what percentage of the American public say that the gap in economic inequality between the rich and the poor is problematic?
70
Roughly what percentage of Americans use social media?
70
Roughly what percentage of Americans own a television?
95
You see that CNN has just published a story covering the results of a recent poll. Where are you most likely going to find the information to help you decide if the poll was reputable?
A link in the story to a PDF with the sampling method and question wording
You log onto Twitter and see that ABC News has published a new poll regarding the 2016 election. Which of the following should you NOT do?
Accept that the results indeed accurately reflect the opinion of the general population since ABC is a credible news source
When making decisions about politics, what is one of the benefits of partisanship?
It allows us to correctly infer all of a candidate's positions not sure
Which of the following terms describe America's fundamental political values?
liberty, equality of opportunity, and democracy
What is "niche journalism"?
news reporting targeted for a demographic of readers based on content or ideological presentation
A website devoted entirely to reporting on climate change and other environmental issues would be an example of what type of journalism?
niche
Which group is the LEAST likely to have high-speed Internet access at home?
non-English-speaking Hispanics
Research into public opinion and public policy has shown what?
More affluent and more educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and public policy decisions.
Which of the following statements about voter decision-making is true?
Most voters rely on shortcuts to make decisions
What is the margin of error?
Our uncertainty about polling estimates derived from not asking every person in the population
What was the first major project of the National Organization of Women?
Picketing the EEOC for refusing to ban sex-segregated employment ads
What is the primary goal of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act (1964)?
Prevent gender discrimination in education
Which of the following statements about the marketplace of ideas is true?
Private groups and the news media play important roles in shaping opinions in the marketplace of ideas
Let's say you work for a polling firm and you are tasked with coming up with an accurate picture of what Americans think about the current presidential candidates. How should you collect your sample?
Random digit dialing of phone numbers in the United States
Imagine that you work for the Trump re-campaign and that you are tasked with coming up with a poll that makes your candidate look good. Who should you mostly include in your sample?
Republicans
What is the primary source for most of our values?
Socialization
Most Americans obtain their news from which source?
TV
According to the Pew video on polling methods, you engage in random sampling every time you do what?
Taste soup to see if it needs more salt
Which statement about the FCC is correct?
The FCC does not regulate newspapers
Which organization was central to bringing the landmark case Brown vs. Board of Education to the Supreme Court?
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Which of the following best describes priming?
The process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue.
If a person supports a candidate because he or she is the front-runner in a poll, it is an example of what?
bandwagon effect
The term public opinion is used to describe what?
beliefs and attitudes toward different issues, events, and people.
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 use of the term "Obamacare" rather than Affordable Care Act is an example of which phenomenon?
framing
Which of the following statements accurately describes the consequences of the Fair Housing Act of 1968?
had little effect on housing segregation because its enforcement mechanisms were very weak
The belief that government is wasteful and should be limited to as few activities as possible is an example of which concept?
ideology
Why was Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (2007) was significant?
led Congress to pass a new law giving workers expanded rights to sue in cases where they learn of discriminatory treatment well after it has started
Which of the following is NOT one of the potential disadvantages of shifting away from traditional media and toward digital media?
less "horse race" coverage during elections
What do we call the process by which political values are formed?
political socialization.
The fact that only 63 percent of high school graduates have broadband Internet access at home while almost 90 percent of college graduates do is an example of what concept?
the "digital divide"
What is the "social desirability effect"?
the fact that respondents report what they think the interviewer wishes to hear or whatever they think is socially acceptable, rather than what they actually believe
What did the Supreme Court rule in the case involving the Pentagon Papers?
the government could not block the release of the papers
A person's political party preferences are primarily acquired through the influence of what?
the person's family.
What did the Supreme Court uphold in Red Lion Broadcasting Company v. FCC (1969)?
the right of rebuttal.
Why do pollsters use random digit dialing?
there is not a complete list of all Americans that can be used to identify the population.
Which of the following is true about public opinion regarding the Affordable Care Act versus Obamacare?
Americans are significantly more supportive of the Affordable Care Act than they are of Obamacare
The rights of disabled individuals to access public businesses is guaranteed by which entity?
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Which of the following would a liberal most likely support?
An expansion in governmental social services
Which of the following is true regarding Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act?
Both Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act refer to the same policy
Which of the following accurately describes the nature of civil rights and liberties?
Civil liberties are protections from the government; civil rights are protections by the government
Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public is the most accurate?
Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans are greater today than during any other period in the last 40 years.
Which U.S. president promoted his policy agenda to the American people through "fireside chats"?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Which of the following statements about sampling a broader population are true?
The sample must proportionately make up the views and backgrounds of the broader popluation
You want to try to guess how someone will vote in the upcoming election. What is the most useful piece of information to know about them?
Their value structure-no Their partisan identification-maybe
Which of the following best describes a libertarian ideology?
There should be an emphasis on freedom and voluntary association with small government
Imagine that you ask someone what their partisan identification is. First, they tell you they are an Independent. Then, you ask if they lean toward either the Democratic or Republican parties. They tell you they identify as a Democrat. Which of the following is most likely to be true about their voting behavior?
They likely vote for all of the Democrats on their ballot
What is the key difference between political values and political attitudes?
Values are basic principles, while attitudes are specific preference
Why do observers claim that the Supreme Court's decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (2007) represent the "end of the Brown vs. Board of Education era"?
declared one of the few public strategies left to promote racial integration unconstitutional.
True or false: There are more truly independent voters today than there were forty years ago
false
During the 2000 South Carolina Republican primary, George W. Bush supporters telephoned conservative white voters to ask if they would be more or less likely to vote for John McCain if they knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child. This was an example of what tactic?
push polling
In Parks and Rec, Joan Callamezzo asks regarding the Harvest Festival: "On a scale of 9 to 10, how big of a disaster will this be?" This is an example of which of the following?
push polling
All of the following account for why many 2016 polls incorrectly predicted a win for Hillary Clinton EXCEPT which?
push pulling
What is the small group selected by pollsters to represent the entire population?
sample
What did the Supreme Court ruled in Lau v. Nichols (1974)?
school districts have to provide education for students whose English is limited
The media's failure to cover the water crisis in Flint, Michigan for the first year speaks to what phenomenon?
selection bias
The concept of a marketplace of ideas refers to what?
the competition between varying opinions and ideas that are aired in public forums
The Equal Rights Amendment was aimed at guaranteeing equal rights for which group?
women