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Flashcards in 10: Public Opinion and Political Socialization Deck (62)
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1
Q

Which is a critique of public opinion polling?

Pollsters are notoriously partial in their questioning and therefore polling results tend to be insignificant.

Polls are typically not done with any standard frequency, so results tend to not depict the public’s fluctuating opinions.

They are notoriously mercurial in nature and can fluctuate dramatically from week to week.

They are unreliable due to the subjective nature of polling questions.

A

They are notoriously mercurial in nature and can fluctuate dramatically from week to week.

2
Q

Which best describes the relationship between polling and policy?

Polling is used frequently by policy makers, but has undetermined significance.

It is nearly impossible to find any instances wherein polling has not played a significant role in policy-making.

Polling is a reliable tool for assessing public opinion, but it is rarely useful in terms of policy-making.

Polling is an unreliable tool that is largely ineffective in helping policy makers.

A

It is nearly impossible to find any instances wherein polling has not played a significant role in policy-making.

3
Q

Which tool is unlikely to be used by a pollster when taking public opinion?

Political cartoons

Statistical software

Robocall technology

Social media

A

Political cartoons

4
Q

Which best describes the use of public opinion polls today?

The media use public opinion data extensively.

Public opinion polls are generally misused by the media.

Public opinion polls remain a relative rarity due to their exorbitant cost.

Politicians generally consider public opinion polls undignified and refuse to consider what these polls say when crafting policy.

A

The media use public opinion data extensively.

5
Q

Who wrote, “all government rests on public opinion”?

the authors of The Federalist Papers

George Gallup

Thomas Jefferson

John Locke

A

the authors of The Federalist Papers

6
Q

Which is true regarding the relationship between schooling and political socialization?

Children do not tend to show any amount of political influence until they reach college.

Elementary school children do not display any political influence, whereas high school aged children tend to show Republican political influences.

Public schools are increasingly leaning towards removing the citizenship component of education in favor of less national allegiance.

Studies show that college students tend to become more liberal with each year of schooling.

A

Studies show that college students tend to become more liberal with each year of schooling.

7
Q

Which of the following is true about political attitudes?

Political socialization has the largest effect on political independents.

Newspapers are the most influential form of news media on attitude formation.

The president tries to shape public opinion by using the bully pulpit.

Americans are fairly knowledgeable about domestic politics.

A

The president tries to shape public opinion by using the bully pulpit.

8
Q

Which issue has historically revealed some of the bigger gender differences in political attitudes?

campaign finance policy

military policy

transportation policy

agricultural policy

A

military policy

9
Q

Which of the following socializing agents plays the greatest role in our earliest views on political matters?

kindergarten

parents

media

friends

A

parents

10
Q

What is the process through which an individual acquires particular political beliefs and values?

public opinion surveying

political socialization

political acclimation

juvenile politicization

A

political socialization

11
Q

Which are the four functions that contribute to political ideologies?

Evaluation, expression, socioeconomic, liberation

Explanation, evaluation, orientation, political program

Socialization, explanation, evaluation, orientation

Liberal, statist, conservative, libertarian

A

Explanation, evaluation, orientation, political program

12
Q

Which scenario is a conservative most likely to support?

A local government decides to remove a particular piece of curriculum from its public schools’ teachings

A local government asks FEMA for money to help repair roads after tornado

Members of congress form a committee to fight homelessness on a national level

A state’s government increases income taxes on annual incomes of $150K or more

A

A local government decides to remove a particular piece of curriculum from its public schools’ teachings

13
Q

Complete this analogy: Liberal is to conservative as statist is to _______.

Libertarian

Left

Right

Centrist

A

Libertarian

14
Q

Which of the following is a person who considers his- or herself liberal likely to believe?

Limited government

Government should foster development of equality

Fiscal responsibility

Government support of traditional morality

A

Government should foster development of equality

15
Q

Americans are most likely to have opinions on policies that _____.

contribute to a sense of community

benefit society as a whole

affect them personally

expand the power of the government

A

affect them personally

16
Q

In a close election, the _____ can make it difficult to make accurate predictions.

margin of error

political socialization of the candidates

tracking poll

population size

A

margin of error

17
Q

One of the difficulties of conducting and interpreting public opinion polls is ______.

the lack of public interest in many political issues

ensuring that the due process rights of the respondents are protected

the lack of sufficient Internet access

accounting for the political affiliations of those being polled

A

the lack of public interest in many political issues

18
Q

The intent of a push poll is to provide _______.

negative information about a candidate’s opponent

statistics concerning what a candidate’s intent is

accurate results about public opinion on social issues

positive information about comparing candidates in a race

A

negative information about a candidate’s opponent

19
Q

If an interviewer asks you questions immediately after you vote on Election Day, what type of poll are you participating in?

tracking poll

telephone poll

straw poll

exit poll

A

exit poll

20
Q

What is the most rigorous sampling technique?

person- on-the-street

self-selected

quota

stratified

A

stratified

21
Q

Which error occurs due to the level of motivation of those being polled?

Self-selection

Skewed sample

Straw polling

Push polling

A

Self-selection

22
Q

Why is Walter Lippmann credited with spurring the growth of public opinion polling?

Lippmann discovered three fatal errors in the Literary Digest poll that wrongly predicted that Republican Alfred M. Landon would beat incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Lippmann tried to predict the winner of the presidential contest between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams.

Lippmann was a pioneer in the use of the straw poll.

Lippmann wrote a book in which he observed that research on public opinion was far too limited, especially in light of its importance.

A

Lippmann wrote a book in which he observed that research on public opinion was far too limited, especially in light of its importance.

23
Q

American National Election Studies (ANES) surveys are done frequently and ask respondents whom they voted for, their party affiliation, and their opinions of political parties and their candidates. These surveys help political scientists _____.

raise money for political campaigns

understand why people vote the way they do

predict Supreme Court decisions

understand the separation of powers built into the electoral system

A

understand why people vote the way they do

24
Q

What type of poll did Literary Digest use to predict the popular vote in presidential elections?

straw

tracking

entrance

exit

A

straw

25
Q

What is public opinion?

the views of elites on a political issue

the president’s position on a policy proposal

learned political values

what the public thinks about a particular issue at a given point in time

A

what the public thinks about a particular issue at a given point in time

26
Q

Polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate.

A

push polls

27
Q

The process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values.

A

political socialization

28
Q

A variation of random sampling; the population is divided into subgroups and weighted based on demographic characteristics of the national population.

A

stratified sampling

29
Q

A person who takes a relatively centrist or middle-of-the-road view on most political issues.

A

moderate

30
Q

One who believes in extensive government control of personal and economic liberties.

A

statist

31
Q

A subset of the whole population selected to be questioned for the purposes of prediction or gauging opinion.

A

sample

32
Q

Continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate’s daily or weekly rise or fall in support.

A

tracking polls

33
Q

One who favors greater government intervention, particularly in economic affairs and in the provision of social services.

A

liberal

34
Q

Unscientific survey used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues and policies.

A

straw poll

35
Q

One who believes that the government should support and further traditional moral teachings.

A

social conservative

36
Q

The coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals.

A

political ideology

37
Q

Errors resulting from the size or the quality of a survey sample.

A

sampling error

38
Q

What the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time.

A

public opinion

39
Q

A measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll within statistical parameters.

A

margin of error

40
Q

Polls conducted as voters leave selected polling places on Election Day.

A

exit polls

41
Q

Founded in 1952 by researchers at the University of Michigan and Stanford University, this organization collects data on the political attitudes and behavior among voters, such as party affiliation, voting practices, and opinions on parties and candidates.

A

American National Election Studies (ANES)

42
Q

One who believes in limited government interference in personal and economic liberties.

A

libertarian

43
Q

Interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population.

A

public opinion polls

44
Q

One who favors limited government intervention, particularly in economic affairs.

A

conservative

45
Q

A method of poll selection that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected.

A

random sampling

46
Q

The entire group of people whose attitudes a researcher wishes to measure.

A

population

47
Q

One of the earliest developers of scientific methods for public opinion polling and a proponent for a strong role for the voice of the public in politics and government.

A

George Gallup

48
Q

What is a public opinion poll?

a study of what every American thinks about a political issue

a means of gauging politicians’ votes

an interview with a sample of people that is used to estimate the feelings of the population

the public’s feelings on the important political issues of the day

A

an interview with a sample of people that is used to estimate the feelings of the population

49
Q

What caused the Literary Digest to incorrectly predict that Alfred Landon would beat Franklin Roosevelt?

It did not sample a sufficient number of wealthy voters.

It waited until the last minute to survey respondents.

It did not interview enough respondents.

Its predictions were based on an unscientific straw poll.

A

Its predictions were based on an unscientific straw poll.

50
Q

Which survey of the American electorate is funded by the National Science Foundation and conducted by political scientists before and after the midterm and presidential elections?

Harris Interactive Survey

American National Election Studies

National Public Opinion Survey

Barometer of the American Electorate

A

American National Election Studies

51
Q

Which of the following would be most likely to include the question, “If you learned that John Smith has had a lifelong struggle with alcohol, would you be more or less likely to vote for him”?

exit poll

straw poll

Internet poll

push poll

A

push poll

52
Q

Which type of poll is the most common?

exit

in-person

tracking

telephone

A

telephone

53
Q

What do polls show about women and men?

Women are more likely than men to favor the death penalty.

Women are more liberal than men on social issues.

Women are more conservative than men on social issues.

Women are actually less likely than men to support women’s rights.

A

Women are more liberal than men on social issues.

54
Q

African Americans are more likely than whites to support ______.

gun rights

laws protecting the environment

tax cuts

the free market

A

laws protecting the environment

55
Q

Based on the average age of the state’s population, which issue would you expect to be least important to voters in Florida?

regulation of nursing homes

Medicare benefits

public education

prescription drug costs

A

public education

56
Q

Which of the following are Roman Catholics most likely to support?

cuts in spending for the poor

aid to Israel

legalizing abortion

funding for parochial schools

A

funding for parochial schools

57
Q

What can most accurately be said about political knowledge?

Most Americans follow foreign policy fairly closely.

College graduates today have less political knowledge than high school graduates of fifty years ago.

Men and women show little difference in political knowledge.

Most Americans can identify the majority party in the House of Representatives.

A

College graduates today have less political knowledge than high school graduates of fifty years ago.

58
Q

Which is an example from the 2016 presidential election of how public opinion can influence political decisions?

Donald Trump discussed relaxing immigration regulations because public opinion polls showed that most Republicans favored increased rights for immigrants.

The Democratic Party lobbied for increased spending on national defense in order to appease public demands for increased homeland security.

The Republican Party emphasized tax increases to balance the budget due to public opinion polls that repeatedly showed that Americans want the government to operate with a balanced budget.

Hillary Clinton deemphasized her vote to war in Iraq due to negative public opinion on the military campaigns in the Middle East amongst Democrats.

A

Hillary Clinton deemphasized her vote to war in Iraq due to negative public opinion on the military campaigns in the Middle East amongst Democrats.

59
Q

Which of the following is the best indicator that the results of a public opinion poll may be unreliable?

The sample size is 100 people.

The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The survey employs feeling thermometer questions.

Respondents are sampled randomly.

A

The sample size is 100 people.

60
Q

American public opinion on foreign policy is usually volatile and dependent on breaking information because ______.

Americans know relatively little about foreign policy since it does not usually affect their daily lives

foreign policy is not important to the country’s safety

the world is changing so quickly

foreign policy is too difficult a topic for Americans to form opinions

A

Americans know relatively little about foreign policy since it does not usually affect their daily lives

61
Q

_________ is an unintended influence of the questioner on respondents during in-person interviews.

Self-selection

Question bias

Interviewer bias

The margin of error

A

Interviewer bias

62
Q

Which opinion of a President Barack Obama is most likely to be present in an eleven-year-old child who is raised in a politically active Republican household?

Approval of the president

Indifference towards the president

Mistrust of the president

Trust of the president

A

Mistrust of the president