Deck 8: Public Opinion, Participation, and Voting

Question 1

Undecided voters are also often called ________ voters.

A)committed
B)partisan
C)clueless
D)swing
E)competitive

Answer 1

D

Question 2

________________ voting is voting based on what a candidate pledges to do in the future about an issue if elected.

A)Candidate appeal
B)Prospective issue
C)Straight-ticket
D)Retrospective issue
E)Platform issue

Answer 2

B

Question 3

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the need for homeland security became a widely shared and consciously held view among Americans.This is an example of a(n)

A)conceding consensus.
B)polarization.
C)private position.
D)manifest opinion.
E)public opinion.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Votes are counted in the United States primarily according to

A)city law.
B)county law.
C)state law.
D)national law.
E)administrative law.

Question 5

People who are rarely interested in politics or public affairs and seldom vote are called political know-nothings.

Question 6

Approximately 25% of the population is interested in politics most of the time.They are called the

A)smart ones.
B)public-spirited people.
C)attentive public.
D)core constituents.
E)disillusioned minority.

Question 7

The 40% of the people who selectively participate in elections are called

A)apathetic public.
B)representative citizens.
C)core constituents.
D)the attentive public.
E)part-time citizens.

Question 8

The most powerful socializing agent is family.

Question 9

All governments in all nations must be concerned with public opinion.

Question 10

Protest is the most common form of political participation.

Question 11

Issues that motivate particular segments of the electorate to vote, and on which the opposing candidate or party has a less popular position, are often called

A)exploitive issues.
B)prospective issues.
C)losing issues.
D)wedge issues.
E)popular issues.

Question 12

Compared to other countries, America holds elections

A)much less frequently.
B)about as frequently.
C)more frequently.
D)a little less frequently.
E)at more irregular times.

Question 13

Compared to most other democracies, turnout in American elections

A)is about the same.
B)is significantly higher.
C)is impossible to measure.
D)is lower.
E)is a little bit higher.

Question 14

The Literary Digest poll of 1936 is an example of a random sample.

Question 15

Holding an incumbent responsible for past performance on issues is referred to as what?

A)Prospective issue voting
B)Retrospective issue voting
C)Respective issue voting
D)Wedge voting
E)None of the above

Question 16

In a random sample,

A)individuals are chosen for the sample based on their proportion in the population.
B)only a neutral, independent party may select individuals for the sample.
C)the probability of any person being chosen for the sample is impossible to determine.
D)only individuals with real opinions are eligible for being selected.
E)every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

Question 17

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs is called

A)learning.
B)education.
C)political socialization.
D)indoctrination.
E)behavioral programming.

Question 18

The distribution of individual preferences or evaluation of a given issue, candidate, or institution within a population is called

A)cumulative attitudes.
B)public opinion.
C)individual preference.
D)distribution.
E)consensus.

Question 19

How strongly people hold beliefs, or the degree to which those beliefs are held, is termed

A)reliability.
B)intensity.
C)fervor.
D)patriotism.
E)consistency.

Question 20

When two or more Democrats compete against one another to try to become their party's nominee, they compete in a ________ election.

A)primary
B)recall
C)liberal
D)corrupt
E)retention

Question 21

In most states persons must be registered voters in order to vote and voters are expected to vote in designated voting places.

Question 22

Individuals choosing to access media with which they agree, or avoiding media with which they disagree, is called

A)tendency reinforcement.
B)stereotype challenging.
C)limited attention.
D)selective exposure.
E)discriminating analysis.

Question 23

What percentage of the United States population has indicated that they are interested in politics "only now and then" or "hardly at all"?

A)2%.
B)8%.
C)25%.
D)33%.
E)52%.

Question 24

Approximately __________ of the population is interested in politics most of the time.

A)90%
B)50%
C)2%
D)25%
E)75%

Question 25

When every individual in a population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample, it is said to be

A)open ended.
B)a random sample.
C)specific sampling.
D)appropriate.
E)a weighted sample.

Question 26

Information held by the general public concerning congressional names and issues indicate

A)few people know the names of their congressmen.
B)most constituents know where their members of Congress stand on important issues.
C)most people had a surprisingly high level of information.
D)most people know the names of both candidates in congressional elections.
E)most people can provide detailed information about the backgrounds of their members of Congress.

Question 27

The most powerful socializing agent is

A)the family.
B)the Internet.
C)peers.
D)television.
E)schools.

Question 28

The voting age was lowered to 18 with the ratification of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment in 1971.

Question 29

A consciousness of the nation-state and of belonging to that entity is called

A)patriotism.
B)nationalism.
C)loyalty.
D)inclusion.
E)fanaticism.

Question 30

People who are rarely interested in politics or public affairs and seldom vote are called

A)the attentive public.
B)irrational residents.
C)political know-nothings.
D)in-betweeners.
E)part-time citizens.

Question 31

Internet ballots are increasingly being used in states to make it easier for voters to participate in elections.

Question 32

A conservative friend of yours avoids reading The New York Times because she believes it is a liberal newspaper.This is an example of

A)discriminating analysis.
B)limited attention.
C)tendency reinforcement.
D)stereotype challenging.
E)selective exposure.

Question 33

Voters tend to vote against an incumbent during a bad economy.

Question 34

The proportion of the population that holds one opinion or viewpoint, as compared to those with opposing opinions or those with no opinion at all, is termed

A)public opinion.
B)individual preference.
C)difference of viewpoints.
D)distribution.
E)consensus.

Question 35

Prospective issue voting is voting based on what a candidate pledges to do.

Question 36

Sources of American public opinion include

A)mass media.
B)religious and ethnic heritage.
C)schools.
D)families
E)All of the above

Question 37

Which of the following is true?

A)Opinion on abortion tends to be highly unstable.
B)The percentage of people with favorable opinions of President Bush changed over his time in office.
C)Pro-choice opinions rose dramatically in the 1980s.
D)President Bush was more popular in office than was President Clinton.
E)None of the above

Question 38

Political attitudes can first be measured

A)in infancy.
B)in young children.
C)in teenagers.
D)in young adults.
E)at age 21.

Question 39

The Literary Digest poll of 1936

A)predicted that Alf Landon would win the presidential election.
B)predicted the outcome of the election within one percentage point.
C)was the first survey to obtain a truly random sample.
D)had a 100% response rate.
E)All of the above

Question 40

Political attitudes may stem from religious, racial, gender, ethnic, or economic beliefs and values, but all are formed

A)individually.
B)without thought or reflection.
C)based on media influences.
D)in groups.
E)in college.

Question 41

Figure 8-3 shows that approximately ________ of people watch campaigns on television.

A)100%
B)50%
C)25%
D)5%
E)85%

Question 42

A widely shared and consciously held view is called a

A)polarized position.
B)tragic consensus.
C)manifest opinion.
D)random sample.
E)manifest destiny.

Question 43

Survey questions asking people how strongly they feel about an issue or about a politician are often called

A)dichotomies.
B)true/false questions.
C)closed-ended questions.
D)parameters.
E)scales.

Question 44

Automatic registration is practiced by

A)only the United States.
B)most of the world's democracies.
C)all authoritarian countries.
D)no countries in the world.
E)None of the above

Question 45

In order to achieve a margin of error of plus or minus 3%, a sample should be at least ______ individuals.

A)100
B)1 million
C)100,000
D)1,000
E)250

Question 46

Elections in which voters elect officeholders are called

A)primary elections.
B)referenda.
C)caucuses.
D)general elections.
E)turnout elections.

Question 47

Survey questions asking people how strongly they feel about an issue or about a politician are designed to measure

A)intensity.
B)consistency.
C)fervor.
D)reliability.
E)patriotism.

Question 48

Voter turnout in presidential elections

A)is the same every year.
B)was lowest in the 1910s.
C)was highest in the early 1800s.
D)has steadily risen since 1920.
E)was highest in the late 1800s.

Question 49

Compared to other countries, Americans hold

A)more elections for more offices.
B)fewer elections for more offices.
C)fewer elections for fewer offices.
D)more elections for fewer offices.
E)the same number of elections for the same number of offices.

Question 50

President ___________________ signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act into law.

A)George W.Bush
B)Abraham Lincoln
C)Lyndon Johnson
D)Ronald Reagan
E)Richard Nixon

Question 51

Political opinions that exist but have not been fully expressed are said to be

A)latent.
B)uninformed.
C)salient.
D)random.
E)salient.

Question 52

The extent to which people feel issues are relevant to them is called

A)informed.
B)latent.
C)intensity.
D)salience.
E)important.

Question 53

When a substantial percentage of a sample of the population agree on an issue there is a

A)preference.
B)belief.
C)consensus.
D)fervor.
E)majority mentality.

Question 54

A system designed to reduce voter fraud by limiting voting to those who have established eligibility to vote by submitting the proper documents is called

A)voter suppression.
B)Republican strategizing.
C)voter registration.
D)voter qualification.
E)citizen verification.

Question 55

Support for gay marriage is highest among

A)liberals.
B)people living in the Midwest.
C)people attending church every week.
D)African Americans.
E)men.

Question 56

Support for gay marriage is lowest among

A)people living in the Northeast.
B)women.
C)whites.
D)liberals.
E)people attending church every week.

Question 57

Open-ended questions

A)are easier to record and compare than closed-ended questions.
B)permit respondents to answer in their own words rather than by choosing responses from set categories.
C)make it difficult for respondents to express their views clearly.
D)can never provide deep insight into respondents' thinking.
E)are impossible to administer on surveys.

Question 58

When a large portion of opposing sides feels intensely about an issue (such as the Vietnam War), opinion is said to be

A)uninformed.
B)distinct.
C)undemocratic.
D)polarized.
E)consensual.

Question 59

Support for gay marriage is

A)the same for all regions, age groups, and gender.
B)higher among younger individuals than older.
C)higher in the South than in other regions.
D)higher among Republicans than Democrats.
E)higher among married couples than singles who have never been married.

Question 60

American voters determine party nominees for the general election in __________ elections.

A)referendum
B)retention
C)recall
D)general
E)primary

Question 61

The reason most commonly cited for people NOT voting in elections is

A)being too busy.
B)forgetting.
C)not caring who wins.
D)not having transportation.
E)being out of town.

Question 62

The proportion of the voting-age public that votes is the typical measure of

A)public opinion.
B)political interest.
C)the census.
D)voter turnout.
E)citizen activism.

Question 63

Issues that motivate particular segments of the electorate to vote, and on which the opposing candidate or party has a less popular position, are often called

A)exploitive issues.
B)prospective issues.
C)losing issues.
D)wedge issues.
E)popular issues.

Question 64

Which of the following is true about voter turnout rates?

A)Men tend to vote more than women
B)Hispanics vote more than African Americans
C)African Americans vote more than whites
D)Hispanics vote more than whites
E)None of the above

Question 65

If one were to divide the number of ballots cast in an election by the voting-age public, one would be calculating

A)presidential approval.
B)voter turnout.
C)the census.
D)political interest.
E)public opinion.

Question 66

How voters feel about a candidate's background, personality, leadership ability, and other personal qualities is known as candidate

A)identification.
B)incumbency.
C)advantage.
D)voting.
E)appeal.

Question 67

Elections held in years when presidential candidates are on the ballot are called

A)midterm elections.
B)special elections.
C)off-year elections.
D)primary elections.
E)presidential elections.

Question 68

Midterm elections elect

A)presidents.
B)about one-third of senators.
C)one-half of Representatives.
D)all governors.
E)All of the above

Question 69

This-including competence, integrity, and energy-is something more important in an election than issues.

A)Candidate grace
B)Positive candidate opinion
C)Public opinion
D)Candidate appeal
E)None of the above

Question 70

Holding incumbents (usually the president's party) responsible for their records on issues, such as the economy or foreign policy, is known as

A)retrospective issue voting.
B)candidate appeal voting.
C)straight-ticket voting.
D)irrational voting.
E)prospective issue voting.

Question 71

Those rejecting the class bias argument about nonvoting content that the attitudes of nonvoters

A)do not vary significantly from voters' attitudes.
B)are impossible to know since they don't vote.
C)are dangerous to the continuation of democracy.
D)should not matter since they don't vote.
E)are much more favorable to Republicans than to Democrats.

Question 72

Those who believe that nonvoting is a critical problem cite the "class bias" of those who do vote.This means that

A)upper and middle class voters have no sympathy for the poor.
B)voter registration requirements in the U.S.create greater burdens for the rich.
C)the social makeup and attitudes of voters are different from nonvoters.
D)elected officials pay disproportionate attention to citizens who do not participate in politics.
E)All of the above

Question 73

Which of the following is true about "Pure Independents?"

A)They typically have lower turnout than Democrats and Republicans
B)They usually vote for the loser in elections
C)They compose about 40% of the American electorate
D)They are often more loyal to a party in their voting than are individuals identifying themselves as Democrats or Republicans
E)They are not permitted by most states to vote in general elections

Question 74

Which of the below is the response LEAST often given to why people forgo voting?

A)They were too busy
B)They were ill.
C)They forgot to vote.
D)There were bad weather conditions.
E)They had registration problems.

Question 75

Which of these voters are a major focus of mobilization efforts?

A)Strong Democrats
B)Strong independents
C)Swing voters
D)White males
E)Conservative Republicans

Question 76

In 2002 Congress passed the _______________ to modernize voting procedures and mandating that states maintain accurate statewide voter registration lists.

A)Help America Vote Act
B)Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
C)Motor Voter Act
D)National Election Modernization Act
E)Voting Fairness Act

Question 77

________________ voting is voting based on what a candidate pledges to do in the future about an issue if elected.

A)Candidate appeal
B)Prospective issue
C)Straight-ticket
D)Retrospective issue
E)Platform issue

Question 78

All of the following are true concerning voter turnout EXCEPT

A)voter turnout is highest in presidential elections.
B)voter turnout is higher in general elections than in primary elections.
C)voter turnout is higher in local elections than in national elections.
D)voter turnout is higher in primary elections than in special elections.
E)voter turnout is higher in other countries than in the United States.

Question 79

The process by which campaigners learn which issues matter to potential voters and which candidates these voters prefer by conducting interviews on the telephone or in person is called a(n)

A)canvass.
B)focus group.
C)strategy session.
D)exploratory committee.
E)testing trial.

Question 80

Elections held midway between presidential elections are known as

A)off-year elections.
B)primary elections.
C)special elections.
D)midterm elections.
E)registration elections.