Deck 10: Political Socialization and Public Opinion

Question 1

That Americans value individualism highly is reflected in

A) our commitment to capitalism.
B) the wording of the U.S. Constitution.
C) our government's active involvement in heath care and poverty, relative to the actions of governments in Europe.
D) both our commitment to capitalism and the wording of the U.S. Constitution.
E) both the wording of the U.S. Constitution and our government's active involvement in heath care and poverty, relative to the actions of governments in Europe.

Answer 1

our commitment to capitalism.

Question 2

In Federalist No. 68, Hamilton argues in favor of

A) the use of political parties.
B) the need for an independent court.
C) the retention of power by the states.
D) the indirect election of the president.
E) the need to balance liberty against order.

Answer 2

the indirect election of the president.

Question 3

The attitudes of individuals regarding their political leaders and institutions, as well as political and social issues are referred to as

A) public opinion.
B) political knowledge.
C) political values.
D) olitical culture.
E) political efficacy.

Answer 3

public opinion.

Question 4

The Brady Bill was a bill that

A) imposed gun control.
B) limited free speech.
C) imposed term limits.
D) restricted abortion rights.
E) increased penalties for drug possession.

Question 5

Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign was a part of the

A) "War on Drugs."
B) campaign against teenage pregnancy.
C) movement against welfare spending.
D) anti-regulation movement.
E) gun control campaign.

Question 6

Most gradual change in public opinion can be explained by

A) cyclical economic change.
B) the process of social enlightenment.
C) cohort replacement.
D) the march of progress.
E) elite power struggles.

Question 7

It is estimated that 50 percent of the electorate is replaced every _____ years through cohort replacement.

A) 5 years
B) 10 years
C) 15 years
D) 20 years
E) 25 years

Question 8

According to most public opinion surveys on the topic,

A) the majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal under any circumstances.
B) the majority of Americans believe abortion should be restricted but legal.
C) the majority of Americans believe abortion should be illegal under all circumstances.
D) there is no clear public opinion on the topic of abortion.
E) American public opinion on the topic of abortion is evenly divided.

Question 9

The phrase "glass ceiling" refers to

A) cutting-edge materials used in construction of earthquake-proof buildings.
B) discriminatory factors that undermine homosexuals' involvement in politics.
C) discriminatory factors keeping women from the highest levels of leadership in the corporate world.
D) discriminatory factors that undermine the participation of African American in politics.
E) discriminatory factors that undermine the involvement of African Americans in the business world.

Question 10

Individuals who support using government to promote social and cultural change while protecting civil liberties would usually be classified ideologically as

A) liberals.
B) conservatives.
C) communists.
D) anarchists.
E) libertarians.

Question 11

The consistent set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy regarding the proper goals, purposes, functions, and size of government is referred to as

A) political culture.
B) political ideology.
C) political efficacy.
D) political values.
E) political systems.

Question 12

Adults with college education tend to be more _____ on social issues than the less educated.

A) conservative
B) populist
C) liberal
D) apathetic
E) socialistic

Question 13

The political views of African Americans and other minority groups in the United States tend to be

A) very similar.
B) radically different.
C) less strongly held than those of whites.
D) more strongly held than those of whites.
E) similar to those held by whites.

Question 14

Basic political knowledge is most often transmitted through

A) the family.
B) peer groups.
C) the schools.
D) television and the media.
E) specific historical events.

Question 15

Gender roles and racial attitudes are most effectively transmitted through

A) the media.
B) family.
C) peer groups.
D) specific historical events.
E) television and the media.

Question 16

The term _____ is used to explain how two or more factors work against each other to influence an individual's political worldview.

A) bifurcation quotient
B) duality
C) heterogeneous variables
D) dual values
E) crosscutting cleavages

Question 17

Before the civil rights movement, black participation in twentieth-century American politics was

A) common in northern cities.
B) unheard of.
C) generally quite limited.
D) common in southern cities.
E) common in the northern countryside.

Question 18

A poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points and the confidence level is 95 percent. If 48 percent of respondents indicate they favor a particular candidate, this means that the actual level of support for that candidate

A) will be between 45 and 51 percent 95 percent of the time.
B) will be between 45 and 95 percent 3 percent of time.
C) will be between 48 and 95 percent 95 percent of time.
D) will be between 13 and 31 percent 3 percent of time.
E) cannot be accurately measured.

Question 19

An exit poll is a(n)

A) sample using a target population that is split into subgroups.
B) form of telemarketing disguised as a poll intended to give information (usually false) with the goal of influencing public opinion.
C) poll conducted on election day to try and predict election outcomes before the votes are counted.
D) nonprobability sample in which the researcher randomly invites respondents to participate in the survey.
E) unscientific mechanism to gauge public opinion.

Question 20

A telephone poll that excludes people who rely on cell phones for their only phone service will most likely underrepresent the opinions of

A) the elderly.
B) college students.
C) African Americans.
D) women.
E) people with college degrees.

Question 21

In crafting the new constitutional system, the founders sought to increase the responsiveness of the government to public opinion.

Question 22

Individualism is a fundamental component of American political culture.

Question 23

Political culture refers to the attitudes of individuals regarding their political leaders and institutions, as well as political and social issues.

Question 24

Liberals tend to support governmental action to promote equality and tend to support governmental intervention in the economy.

Question 25

Political socialization refers to the conscious and unconscious transmission of political culture and values from one generation to another.

Question 26

Schools play little role in political socialization.

Question 27

Support for affirmative action is highest among white men.

Question 28

In examining polls' impact on the public and on leaders, Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann developed the theory of a "spiral of silence," in which dissenters are pressured to remain silent when the public learns about the majority view on something or someone.

Question 29

Asking television viewers to call in or text to vote for their favorite contestant is an example of the probability sampling technique.

Question 30

Confidence level refers to the probability that the results found in a given sample represent the true opinion of the entire public under study.

Question 31

Contemporary political leaders and political scientists tend to view the participation of citizens in governmental decision making

A) as a source of legitimacy for our political system.
B) as a source of instability.
C) through an elitist lens.
D) as both a source of legitimacy for our political system and as a source of instability.
E) as both a source of instability and through an elitist lens.

Question 32

The belief, common among the framers of our Constitution, that the wealthy, better educated, more informed, and more interested should have more influence than others in our governmental processes, is known as

A) professionalism.
B) elitism.
C) efficacy.
D) reflexivity.
E) superiority.

Question 33

The argument that rational decision making occurs when many active groups become informed about the issues and discuss the many arguments is advanced by

A) elitists.
B) pluralists.
C) Republicans.
D) Machiavelli.
E) Plato.

Question 34

Aristotle was famous for his

A) mistrust of democracy.
B) advocacy for civil liberties.
C) opposition to slavery.
D) influence on the thinking of the founders.
E) belief that collective judgments were wiser than the judgment of a few.

Question 35

Compared to most Europeans, the political view of most Americans tends to emphasize

A) individual over community.
B) a more limited role for the state.
C) patriotism.
D) individual liberties.
E) All of the above

Question 36

The theory usually posited as being in direct opposition to elitism is known as

A) commonality.
B) fragmentism.
C) Unification theory.
D) pluralism.
E) socialism.

Question 37

The Equal Pay Act prohibited discrimination on the basis of

A) race.
B) gender.
C) age.
D) immigration status.
E) veteran status.

Question 38

Affirmative action

A) is a universally accepted means for correcting past injustices.
B) has almost nothing to do with equality of outcome.
C) provides equality of opportunity to groups historically discriminated against.
D) is both a universally accepted means for correcting past injustices and has almost nothing to do with equality of outcome.
E) has both almost nothing to do with equality of outcome and provides equality of opportunity to groups historically discriminated against.

Question 39

In Federalist No. 71, Hamilton argues against the

A) unstable influence of popular participation.
B) unchecked powers of the presidency.
C) dangers of a powerful, unelected court.
D) dominance of the Congress in the new government.
E) transfer of political power from the states to the new federal government.

Question 40

American political values and culture can best be described as

A) liberal.
B) radical.
C) egalitarian.
D) relatively stable.
E) relatively transitory.

Question 41

Which of the following periods was characterized by large and dramatic shifts in public opinion?

A) The 1760s and 1770s
B) The 1840s
C) The 1920s
D) The 1940s
E) The 1980s

Question 42

According to public opinion surveys, since 1975 most Americans have

A) remained in support of legal abortion under any circumstances.
B) remained opposed to legal abortion in all circumstances.
C) remained in support of legal abortion under certain circumstances.
D) shifted from support to opposition to abortion rights.
E) shifted from opposition to support for abortion rights.

Question 43

The catalyst-for-change theory argues that public opinion

A) alters our political culture, thus allowing for change.
B) provides the basis for stability and change in political culture.
C) undermines political stability.
D) both shapes and reflects political culture.
E) reinforces political order and stability.

Question 44

The interactive theory argues that public opinion

A) alters our political culture, thus allowing for change.
B) provides the basis for stability and change in political culture.
C) undermines political stability.
D) both shapes and reflects political culture.
E) reinforces political order and stability.

Question 45

What theory was demonstrated when Jackie Robinson became the first black player in Major League Baseball, causing many people to rethink the common racial stereotypes of the time?

A) Catalyst-for-change theory
B) Interactive theory
C) Crosscutting cleavages
D) Elitism.
E) Barometer of public attitudes.

Question 46

In the case of _____, Wal-Mart was suited for allegedly discriminating against women in promotion practices.

A) Gonzalez v. Wal-Mart
B) Jamison v. Wal-Mart
C) Dukes v. Wal-Mart
D) Wal-Mart v. Harris
E) Wal-Mart v. Sullivan

Question 47

In recent years, women made up approximately what percentage of the U.S. Congress?

A) 5 percent
B) 15 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 33 percent
E) 50 percent

Question 48

The classic American novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by

A) Frederick Douglass.
B) Betty Friedan.
C) W.E.B. Du Bois.
D) Toni Morrison.
E) Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Question 49

The most important difference between liberals and conservatives today centers on

A) the purpose of government actions.
B) the scope of government activity.
C) the nature of the economic system.
D) the nature of democracy.
E) All of the above

Question 50

Individuals who advocate using government power to promote social order and who generally support smaller government and swift and severe punishment for criminals would usually be classified ideologically as

A) liberals.
B) conservatives.
C) communists.
D) anarchists.
E) libertarians.

Question 51

The student group One is Greater than None (1>0) was formed in 2007 by eight Long Island, New York, girls with the goal of

A) helping the relief project after Hurricane Katrina.
B) campaigning for better food aid programs by the U.S. government.
C) ending global poverty.
D) freeing enslaved children in Ghana.
E) helping children in Afghanistan.

Question 52

Which statement regarding political trends since 1974 is true?

A) Both the percentage of people identifying as conservative and as liberal has decreased
B) The percentage of people identifying as undecided has increased
C) Both the percentage of people identifying as conservative and as liberal has increased
D) There has been no significant change in political identifications
E) The percentage of people identifying as conservative has increase, while the percentage of people identifying as liberal has decreased

Question 53

Research indicates parents are most influential in teaching

A) specific political beliefs and party affiliations.
B) the importance of political participation.
C) gender roles and racial attitudes.
D) patriotism.
E) general political attitudes.

Question 54

Political socialization refers to the

A) conscious and unconscious transmission of political culture and values from one generation to another.
B) belief in a strong social welfare state in order to protect society from the vagaries of unfettered markets.
C) libertarian opposition to the interference of the state in the market in the pursuit of social objectives.
D) ideology of democratic state control of the market as practiced in the Scandinavian welfare states.
E) political values and beliefs of an individual.

Question 55

Racial attitudes and perspectives on gender roles are most powerfully transmitted to youth through

A) the family.
B) peer groups.
C) the schools.
D) television and the media.
E) specific historical events.

Question 56

Schools are most effective in teaching

A) core democratic values.
B) students to be politically engaged citizens.
C) basic political knowledge.
D) gender roles and racial attitudes.
E) social and religious values.

Question 57

Political efficacy refers to the

A) ability of the government to act effectively.
B) belief that an individual can influence the government.
C) opposition to political change.
D) close feelings of alignment with the platform of a specific political party.
E) feelings of political alienation and powerlessness.

Question 58

A college education tends to have a liberalizing effect on

A) all issues.
B) foreign policy issues.
C) religious issues.
D) fiscal issues.
E) nonfiscal social issues.

Question 59

With respect to political socialization, peers tend to

A) exert a greater influence than family and schools.
B) exert a weaker influence than family and schools.
C) exert a strong influence when we are young but a weaker influence as we get older.
D) exert a weak influence when we are young but a stronger influence as we get older.
E) have very little influence.

Question 60

Currently, it is estimated that American children use entertainment media for approximately _____ hours per week.

A) 5
B) 25
C) 40
D) 55
E) 75

Question 61

A 2008 poll by the Pew Research Center found that _____ were the most politically well-informed group.

A) religious radio program listeners
B) Access Hollywood viewers
C) New Yorker readers
D) CBS News viewers
E) National Enquirer readers

Question 62

The term crosscutting cleavages refers specifically to the

A) division of a community into more liberal and more conservative elements.
B) decline of the nuclear family.
C) way in which individuals self-select into peer groups.
D) increasing alienation of individual from community.
E) way in which two or more factors work to influence an individual's political views.

Question 63

In the 1930s, large numbers of African Americans began to

A) switch party allegiance from the Republican to the Democratic.
B) switch party allegiance from the Democratic to the Republican.
C) move away from the Republican Party to becoming independents.
D) move away from the Democratic Party to becoming independents.
E) register to vote for the first time.

Question 64

Which of these is correct regarding the correlation between religion and differences in ideology and support of political parties?

A) Catholics had traditionally been split between liberal and conservative branches but recently have more uniformly supported Democratic candidates
B) White evangelicals largely support Republican candidates
C) Mainline Protestants tend to support Republican candidates more than evangelicals do
D) Americans who say they are not part of an organized religion are more likely to support Republican candidates
E) Jews largely support Republican candidates

Question 65

In a 2008 survey, the highest percentage of those who favored banning abortion came from the group with what level of educational attainment?

A) Less than a high school diploma
B) Some college education
C) A college degree
D) An advanced degree
E) There was no significant difference in support by education

Question 66

According to a 2008 survey, which of the following groups were most likely to hold liberal social views, including strengthening gun control laws, allowing gays in the military, and allowing gays to adopt?

A) Those who did not complete high school
B) Those who graduated from high school
C) Those who attended college but did not graduate
D) Those who obtained a college degree
E) Those who obtained an advanced degree

Question 67

In the 2008 presidential election, white evangelical Christians

A) voted disproportionately for the Democratic candidate.
B) were split evenly between the Republican and Democratic candidates.
C) voted disproportionately for the Republican candidate.
D) voted disproportionately for third-party candidates.
E) voted in lower numbers than the rest of the electorate.

Question 68

Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann uses the concept of the _____ to explain the unwillingness of individuals to challenge popular opinion.

A) "cone of silence"
B) "spiral of silence"
C) "political efficacy"
D) "restricted effectuality"
E) "actor apathy"

Question 69

Polls are sometimes problematic because they may

A) reflect the effectiveness of an elected official or government policy.
B) silence members of the public who hold minority views.
C) influence rather than report public opinion.
D) both reflect the effectiveness of an elected official or government policy and silence members of the public who hold minority views.
E) both silence members of the public who hold minority views and influence rather than report public opinion.

Question 70

The tendency for individuals to agree with the candidate or opinion that polls show garners the greatest level of support or receives the greatest amount of media attention is known as the

A) bandwagon effect.
B) salience hypothesis.
C) marginal attitude theory.
D) originality hypothesis.
E) lemming theory.

Question 71

When done correctly, the purpose of sampling is to get as

A) uniform a set of responses as possible.
B) diverse a set of responses as possible.
C) random a set of responses as possible.
D) representative a set of responses as possible,
E) rapid a set of responses as possible.

Question 72

The probability that the results found in the sample represent the true opinion of the entire public under study is known as the

A) margin of error.
B) regression curve.
C) confidence level.
D) chi square.
E) support level.

Question 73

If a poll has a margin of error of 3 percent and a confidence level of 95 percent, this means that

A) 95 percent of the time, actual opinion will be within plus or minus three points of the reported results.
B) 95 percent of the time, the report will be accurate within three points of reported results.
C) 3 percent of the time, the report will be more than 95 percent off from the actual results.
D) the actual opinion will be within 3 and 95 percent of the reported results.
E) the study has been incorrectly reported; you cannot have a confidence level of 95 percent with a margin of error of 3 percent.

Question 74

According to research data, people who call in to radio talk shows tend to be

A) less religious than the average American.
B) wealthier than the average American.
C) more politically involved than the average American.
D) better educated than the average American.
E) more politically extreme than the average American.

Question 75

In 1976, Jimmy Carter angered Democrats by

A) conceding the election three hours before polls on the West Coast closed.
B) refusing to campaign during the last two weeks of the election.
C) encouraging Democrats to vote against their own party.
D) refusing to endorse Democrats further down the ticket.
E) asking Ronald Reagan to form a bipartisan ticket.

Question 76

Pollsters have been criticized for encouraging the media to treat election races as a "_____," focusing on who is gaining and who is falling behind in the polls.

A) dog and pony show
B) canary
C) horse race
D) catfight
E) timid mouse

Question 77

Concerns have been raised regarding the number of people who rely exclusively on cell phones and how they may affect the composition of the polling sample because they are

A) more likely to participate in polls.
B) more likely to refuse participation in polls.
C) not representative of the American population.
D) usually excluded from samples.
E) All of the above

Question 78

Pseudo-polls are

A) polls taken at polling places asking voters how they voted and why.
B) polls that use a sample rather than surveying every member of a population.
C) polls conducted over the telephone, excluding cell phone users.
D) polls that have a margin of error of over 5 percent.
E) nonscientific call-in and Internet polls

Question 79

Elitism is the belief that a select few-better educated, more informed, and more interested-should have more influence than others in the governmental process.

Question 80

Public culture is generally stable, while public opinion tends to shift over time.