Poli Sci Exam 2

True or False Someone who does not have any religious affiliation is more likely to self-identify as a liberal.

True

True or False Americans are not very well informed about their political system.

True

According to the video, Americans users use social media platforms to get their political news. Which of the following platforms is considered to be one of the most used platforms? A. Facebook B. Snapchat C. Twitter D. YouTube

A. Facebook

Which statement best characterizes the level of political knowledge for the average American? A. Most Americans are ignorant about key principles of political life. B. Most Americans are better informed than citizens in other nations. C. Most Americans are aware of the ins and outs of U.S. politics. D. Most Americans are aware of events and issues that do not get as much media coverage.

A. Most Americans are ignorant about key principles of political life.

Which statement accurately describes how the American public received their news prior to the 1960s? A. Most people read a locally printed newspaper for news. B. News was readily available day or night. C. Most people watched the evening television news. D. News was only available to the well-educated upper classes.

A. Most people read a locally printed newspaper for news.

______ means that any member of the population has an equal chance of being selected to participate in a poll. A. Random sampling B. Sampling error C. Nonresponse bias D. Weighting

A. Random sampling

Matt has a high-stress job that requires him to work between 50 and 60 hours a week. Due to the nature of his work, Matt does not have the time or energy to thoroughly examine political information so he listens to public radio and political podcasts during his commute. This is an example of ______. A. a two-step flow of information B. online processing C. rational ignorance D. a nonresponse bias

A. a two-step flow of information

All of the following are considered solutions to the challenges inherent in social media news reporting EXCEPT ______. A. allowing the sale of data to third-party companies B. ensuring that sites do not create echo chambers C. easier reporting practices for problematic stories and check ad sources D. new laws to prevent user's private data from being used in manipulative ways

A. allowing the sale of data to third-party companies

Someone who knows more about certain topics than we do and whose advice we trust and follow is known as ______. A. an opinion leader B. a pundit C. an on-line processor D. a rational voter

A. an opinion leader

Members of Congress most often use which method for learning about public opinion? A. public opinion polls B. personal contact with constituents C. social media D. surveys

B. personal contact with constituents

Although social media allows increasing communication between political leaders and voters, more traditional media sources are important because they use ______ as a check on government power. A. investigative reporting B. blog posts C. press conferences D. viewer polls

A. investigative reporting

A website that compiles content from other digital sources is known as a ______. A. news aggregator B. gatekeeper C. news organization D. clickbait site

A. news aggregator

The differences in political attitudes of Black and white people are mostly due to the ______. A. racial discrimination historically experienced by African Americans B. economic inequity historically experienced by African Americans C. cultural differences between the two groups D. religious differences between the two groups

A. racial discrimination historically experienced by African Americans

Which Constitutional amendment allowed citizens to vote for the U.S. Senate? A. the Seventeenth Amendment B. the Nineteenth Amendment C. the Sixth Amendment D. the Thirteenth Amendment

A. the Seventeenth Amendment

A mental shortcut that allows individuals to receive political information from better informed opinion leaders is ______. A. the two-step flow of information B. online processing C. rational ignorance D. the spiral of silence

A. the two-step flow of information

How is public opinion measured? A. through various polling methods B. through academic guesses C. through analyzing voter trends D. through psychological analysis

A. through various polling methods

What is one benefit of online polling? A. People can take an online poll more than once. B. More people choose to participate. C. Their results usually contest those from phone surveys. D. They rely on strict probability samples.

B. More people choose to participate.

Which of the following statements regarding public opinion is true? A. Personal experiences do not play a role in public opinion. B. People can form opinions based on their demographic factors. C. The entertainment media can influence people more than family or friends. D. Everyone with the same background has the same views.

B. People can form opinions based on their demographic factors.

Which of the following statements pertaining to social media is true? A. Social media platforms are transparent in their practices. B. There are few regulations in place to ensure accountability in social media. C. Social media has gone above and beyond to protect their uses private information. D. Various social media platforms have to abide by the same federal regulations as traditional news sources.

B. There are few regulations in place to ensure accountability in social media.

This type of poll is taken early on as part of a campaign strategy to set a baseline for which later polls are compared. A. straw polls B. benchmark polls C. exit polls D. push polls

B. benchmark polls

Jen supports a government that is strictly representational. She believes that the majority of Americans are poorly informed and do not have the intellectual capacity to influence major political decisions. Jen is most likely a(n) ______. A. advocate for direct democracy B. elitist C. pluralist D. advocate for participatory democracy

B. elitist

The tendency of men and women to disagree on some political issues is known as the ______. A. feminist gap B. gender gap C. marriage gap D. political gap

B. gender gap

Americans with ______ show greater levels of political participation. A. lower income B. higher income C. lower levels of education D. smartphones

B. higher income

Which definition accurately describes online processing? A. the individuals who know more about certain topics and whose advice can be trusted B. the ability to receive and evaluate information as events happen C. the process by which citizens take their political cues from more well-informed opinion leaders D. the state of being uninformed about politics because of the cost in time and energy

B. the ability to receive and evaluate information as events happen

Which describes the phenomenon of the spiral of silence? A. the tendency of men and women to differ in their political views on some issues while agreeing on others B. the process by which a majority opinion becomes exaggerated because minorities do not feel comfortable speaking out in opposition C. the skewing of data that occurs when there is a difference in opinion between those who choose to participate and those who do not D. the individuals whose political views have been shaped by the common events of their formative years

B. the process by which a majority opinion becomes exaggerated because minorities do not feel comfortable speaking out in opposition

The emergence of media conglomerates means which of the following for ownership of traditional media outlets? A. Advertisers are becoming less and less interested in buying space in all forms of media. B. Individuals employed by traditional media outlets have editorial decision-making power. C. All traditional media sources are owned by only a few different companies. D. Many different companies now own traditional media.

C. All traditional media sources are owned by only a few different companies.

______ are election-related surveys administered right after citizens vote. A. Push polls B. Benchmark polls C. Exit polls D. Tracking polls

C. Exit polls

______ refers to the tendency of media to tell the story of politics as a competition rather than exploring the differences between candidates. A. The gate keeper B. Yellow journalism C. Horse-race journalism D. The revolving door

C. Horse-race journalism

______ refers to the complex relationship and practice of journalists, public officials, and lobbyists switching between jobs in government and private industries. A. Commercial bias B. Mass media C. The revolving door D. The gate keeper

C. The revolving door

______ are a series of continuing surveys that follow changes in public opinion about a particular candidate or issue over time. A. Exit polls B. Benchmark polls C. Tracking polls D. Push polls

C. Tracking Polls

Who declared that democracy is nonsense "unless mass views have some place in the shaping of policy"? A. Thomas Jefferson B. Abraham Lincoln C. V. O. Key D. M. Kent Jennings

C. V. O. Key

______ occurs when a survey is adjusted so that demographic groups are represented according to available census data. A. Bias B. Sampling C. Weighting D. Miscalculation

C. Weighting

What term describes the tendency of media to produce news based on what will attract the biggest audience possible? A. mass media B. gatekeeping C. commercial bias D. media convergence

C. commercial bias

Public opinion is a factor of American politics as citizens tend to measure, record, and react to it. In this way, public opinion is ______. A. intentional B. normative C. empirical D. unsolicited

C. empirical

The 1934 Federal Communications Act provision that ensures public stations give free airtime to issues of public importance is called the ______. A. right of rebuttal B. deregulation of media C. fairness doctrine D. equal time rule

C. fairness doctrine

In today's modern world, how is information transmitted to the upper reaches of the political world, as well as everyday citizens? A. Twitter B. presidential speeches C. mass media D. periodicals

C. mass media

The idea that public opinion is important because we believe that public opinion should influence what the government does makes public opinion ______. A. empirical B. unreliable C. normative D. subjective

C. normative

The sum of all individual's attitudes is referred to as ______. A. political socialization B. political participation C. public opinion D. cognitive development

C. public opinion

Which media outlet is generally responsible for daily agenda setting? A. newspaper B. web C. television D. radio

C. television

Although the growing media landscape has some negative implications for the democratic process, it also can increase citizen engagement in politics by increasing ______. A. trust B. knowledge C. compromise D. access

D. access

In modern terms, what is the role of the pundit? A. creator of news stories B. someone who checks the facts of politicians C. someone with great wisdom D. commentator on politics

D. commentator on politics

In research about how education influences citizenship, ______ refers to a citizen's ability to understand that politics requires compromise, while ______ refers to citizens' ability to understand how to pursue their own political interests. A. egalitarian education; egalitarian participation B. democratic engagement; democratic enlightenment C. egalitarian participation; egalitarian education D. democratic enlightenment; democratic engagement

D. democratic enlightenment; democratic engagement

In the most recent national elections, the gender gap is largest among those aged ______. A. thirty to forty-nine B. fifty to sixty-five C. sixty-five and older D. eighteen to twenty-nine

D. eighteen to twenty-nine

The merging of traditional media with digital communication technologies is known as ______. A. the information bubble B. an obsolete media takeover C. narrowcasting D. media convergence

D. media convergence

In contrast to ______, radio and television provide political leaders with more control over media messages. A. social media B. the internet C. pamphlets D. newspapers

D. newspapers

Which term describes a strong emotional attachment to a political community? A. political socialization B. political generation C. partisanism D. patriotism

D. patriotism

The process of acquiring views from influences and experiences throughout life is referred to as ______. A. cognitive development B. political participation C. public opinion D. political socialization

D. political socialization

The collective attitudes and beliefs of individuals on certain issues are known as ______. A. political socialization B. sample bias C. patriotism D. public opinion

D. public opinion

Since the civil rights movement of the mid-twentieth century, tolerance has ______. A. plateaued B. declined C. disappeared D. risen

D. risen

If a poll overrepresents a portion of the population, then it has a ______. A. sampling error B. problem with tracking C. problem with weighting D. sample bias

D. sample bias

Which definition accurately describes rational ignorance? A. the individuals who know more about certain topics and whose advice can be trusted B. the process by which citizens take their political cues from more well-informed opinion leaders C. the ability to receive and evaluate information as events happen D. the state of being uninformed about politics because of the cost in time and energy

D. the state of being uninformed about politics because of the cost in time and energy

According to recent research, which group tends to be more politically tolerant? A. wealthier individuals B. those who are less politically informed C. people younger than twenty years old D. those with higher levels of education

D. those with higher levels of education

Why is it important to know key political figures? A. so you can make sure you vote for the correct person B. to identify their policies C. so you recognize them when they are featured in media D. to hold them accountable

D. to hold them accountable

True or False Lack of advertisers has contributed to a steep decline in traditional print newspapers.

True

True or False Online processing allows people to make quick political decisions without engaging in extensive research.

True

True or False Public opinion is what the public thinks about a certain issue, candidate, or policy.

True