Deck 10: Public Opinion

Question 1

Relatively few parents spend much time teaching their children about politics.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Abundant evidence makes it clear that the citizens of the United States are very polarized in their political views.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Like liberalism, conservatism is a relatively monolithic and unchanging ideology.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Self-interest often affects individuals' political preferences.

Question 5

Surveys often seek to evaluate current circumstances.

Question 6

Expressions of public opinion are easy to interpret.

Question 7

Surveys often seek to evaluate support for public policies.

Question 8

Individuals often consciously or unconsciously adapt their views to those of the groups with which they identify.

Question 9

Latent opinions are about the major issues discussed by politicians and the news media.

Question 10

Children reared in politically liberal households are more likely than not to develop a liberal outlook.

Question 11

Preferences and beliefs are synonymous.

Question 12

Many individuals who are liberal on social issues are conservative on economic issues.

Question 13

According to Condorcet, the majority of a jury will more likely reach the correct decision than will a single individual who hears the same evidence.

Question 14

Preferences are based on what people want.

Question 15

Public opinion is the aggregation of many citizens' views and interests.

Question 16

Expressions of opinion are generally dichotomous, as opposed to expressing a range of possible options.

Question 17

Preferences reflect what people know and how they understand the world and the consequences of their actions.

Question 18

Surveys often seek to evaluate government officials and institutions.

Question 19

According to a 2017 Gallup poll, more Americans describe themselves as "liberals" than "conservatives."

Question 20

Citizens in the United States have only a narrow set of means to express their opinions.

Question 21

A small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population is called a sample.

Question 22

A polling error where the sample is not representative of the population is called measurement bias.

Question 23

Basically, the mass media are neutral messengers for ideas developed by others.

Question 24

Identities are both psychological and sociological.

Question 25

The gender gap has virtually vanished on the abortion issue.

Question 26

According to David Brooks, Americans are divided not so much along cultural lines but rather along the lines of ideologies and interests.

Question 27

Presidential news events typically receive much more news media coverage than similar events by congressional leaders.

Question 28

Interest groups have little influence on public opinion.

Question 29

In terms of political orientation, men tend to be more militaristic.

Question 30

Politicians typically make little to no use of public opinion polls, except during election season.

Question 31

Politicians do not use polls to make decisions because they expect public opinion to follow their decisions.

Question 32

Individuals have many identities.

Question 33

Membership in a social group rarely affects an individual's political orientation.

Question 34

The U.S. government shies away from trying to influence public opinion.

Question 35

The mass media affect public opinion through priming and framing.

Question 36

Regardless of income, nearly all African Americans side with the Democrats and support liberal economic policies.

Question 37

It is impossible to conduct polls over the Internet because there is no guarantee of collecting a random sample of the population.

Question 38

The average American exhibits a great deal of knowledge of political institutions, processes, leaders, and policy debates.

Question 39

Ballot initiatives are one way to reduce discrepancies between government policy and public opinion on an issue.

Question 40

The concept of identity politics is much broader than oppressed groups that seek to assert their rights.

Question 41

Which theorem claims that the sum of many votes produces a better outcome than the decision of one or a small number of individuals?

A)Condorcet's jury theorem
B)the median voter theorem
C)the majority rule theorem
D)the Riker paradox

Question 42

Citizens' attitudes about marriage-and thus public policies-have been fairly constant over the course of American history.

Question 43

What is the difference between preferences and beliefs?

A)Preferences reflect what people know, and beliefs reflect what people want.
B)Beliefs reflect people's views on moral issues, and preferences reflect people's views on economic issues.
C)Preferences reflect people's views on moral issues, and beliefs reflect people's views on economic issues.
D)Beliefs reflect what people know, and preferences reflect what people want.

Question 44

When people choose to watch entertainment shows like Oprah Winfrey or the Daily Show instead of a news broadcast, they learn nothing about politics.

Question 45

________ represent what people know and how they understand the world and the consequences of their actions.

A)Beliefs
B)Doctrines
C)Preferences
D)Aspirations

Question 46

Citizens' political preferences are often affected by the value systems they learn from families, religion, education, and social groups.

Question 47

It is irrational for citizens to evaluate politicians based on their economic interests because government plays a minimal role in the national economy.

Question 48

According to the First Amendment, moral and religious values cannot influence citizens' views on public policy issues.

Question 49

An individual's view about President Donald Trump's handling of the economy is an example of a political

A)belief.
B)dogma.
C)ideology.
D)doctrine.

Question 50

On which two levels should one understand public opinion?

A)ideology and age
B)state and local
C)race and gender
D)aggregate and individual

Question 51

There are separate networks that provide entertainment and political news in Spanish.

Question 52

A person's desire to increase his or her real disposable income is an example of a

A)dogma.
B)belief.
C)preference.
D)choice.

Question 53

Today in America, there is widespread agreement on fundamental political values such as

A)equality of results, liberty, and democracy.
B)equality of opportunity, community support, and tradition.
C)equality of opportunity, liberty, and democracy.
D)liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Question 54

The term public opinion itself refers to

A)an aggregate opinion of the public, which is properly treated as a single entity.
B)an aggregate opinion of the public, which should not be treated as a single entity.
C)individual expressions of preferences, which should be treated as rational.
D)individual expressions of preferences, which cannot be assumed to be rational.

Question 55

Members of the Hispanic community have tended to support the 2010 Affordable Care Act at higher levels than non-Hispanic whites.

Question 56

Since 2007, Democratic voters have been much more likely than Republican voters to say that members of Congress should "stand up for their principles no matter what" rather than "compromise to get things done."

Question 57

The term used to denote the aggregation of many citizens' views and interests is

A)civic attention.
B)public opinion.
C)community spirit.
D)popular culture.

Question 58

In what sense can answering a political survey be considered a form of political action?

A)Pollsters typically finish their polls by transferring citizens to the phones of officeholders.
B)Responding to a survey provides an opportunity for citizens to converse about political topics in a meaningful way.
C)Not answering a poll is a common form of civil disobedience.
D)Surveys often communicate public opinion to politicians so they can respond to their constituents' views.

Question 59

Citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events, when aggregated together, are known as

A)civic attention.
B)public opinion.
C)community spirit.
D)popular culture.

Question 60

What is one way citizens usually express the intensity of their preferences on an issue?

A)donating money to candidates and groups on both sides of the issue to ensure a full public debate
B)refusing to participate in polls on the issue that treat their views as equivalent to those of other citizens
C)buying up votes from other citizens to cast for a preferred candidate
D)taking political action like protesting or volunteering for a campaign

Question 61

In the United States today, people often describe themselves politically by using the labels

A)liberal or conservative.
B)socialist or libertarian.
C)partisan or independent.
D)progressive or populist.

Question 62

If your employer tries to influence the political views of you and your coworkers, that is an example of which of the following?

A)socialization
B)peer pressure
C)harassment
D)collective action

Question 63

The contemporary political ideology that is generally supportive of political and social reform, extensive governmental intervention in the economy, expansion of federal social services on behalf of the poor and the disadvantaged, and greater protection for consumers and the environment is known as

A)liberal.
B)socialist.
C)conservative.
D)libertarian.

Question 64

In today's terms, someone who generally supports political and social reform is known as a

A)libertarian.
B)populist.
C)conservative.
D)liberal.

Question 65

For liberals, the most important core value is

A)liberty.
B)justice.
C)equality.
D)fraternity.

Question 66

Rather than a deeply polarized America, what did political scientists Morris Fiorina, Jeremy Pope, and Sam Abrams find in their research?

A)a largely centrist public but a divided Congress
B)a largely centrist public but a liberal Congress
C)a largely conservative public but a liberal Congress
D)a largely liberal public but a conservative Congress

Question 67

An example of a liberal approach to improving public education would be

A)to fire administrators and teachers from low-performing schools, or even to close such schools.
B)to increase funding for teachers and reduce class size.
C)to close all public schools and provide parents with vouchers they can use at private schools.
D)to rewrite education standards so they are easier to meet.

Question 68

Research studies have suggested that most people first develop party preferences at

A)work.
B)home.
C)church.
D)school.

Question 69

Most people's initial orientation to politics comes from which source?

A)families
B)exposure to news media
C)membership in social groups
D)educational background

Question 70

Which term best describes the set of underlying orientations, ideas, and beliefs through which an individual understands and interprets politics?

A)science
B)ideology
C)party identification
D)preferences

Question 71

In today's terms, someone who generally supports extensive government intervention in the economy is known as a

A)liberal.
B)populist.
C)conservative.
D)libertarian.

Question 72

On most matters that come before the government, the public

A)holds a single view and has great expertise.
B)does not hold a single view and has great expertise.
C)holds a single view and does not generally have great expertise.
D)does not hold a single view and does not generally have great expertise.

Question 73

The process through which underlying beliefs and values are formed is collectively called

A)socialization.
B)persuasion.
C)development.
D)indoctrination.

Question 74

Which political group seeks to expand liberty above all other principles and wishes to minimize government intervention in the economy and the society?

A)liberals
B)libertarians
C)conservatives
D)progressives

Question 75

Individuals' opinions are most strongly affected by their ________ interests.

A)economic
B)altruistic
C)environmental
D)religious

Question 76

One example of a typical liberal policy position is support for

A)tax cuts.
B)school prayer.
C)abortion rights.
D)music censorship.

Question 77

Which agency tracks the American population's housing, family status, employment, and demographic characteristics?

A)Labor Department
B)Central Intelligence Agency
C)Census Bureau
D)Office of Management and Budget

Question 78

Today, someone who generally favors expansion of federal social services is known as a

A)libertarian.
B)Tory.
C)conservative.
D)liberal.

Question 79

During the nineteenth century, a liberal was an individual who favored

A)freedom from state control.
B)expansion of federal social services.
C)extensive government intervention in the economy.
D)greater concern for consumers and the environment.

Question 80

When does membership in social groups affect public opinion?

A)when membership is voluntary only
B)when membership is involuntary only
C)for neither voluntary nor involuntary groups
D)for both voluntary and involuntary groups