Question 1

Which statement concerning the news media is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

In a free democracy, the news media may have diverse viewpoints, but it is not expected to or required to be completely unbiased. The media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion and attitudes, and so it inevitably frames and interprets news stories in a particular way.

Question 2

Research into public opinion and public policy has shown that

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently found that more affluent and more educated citizens have a greater influence on politics and public policy decisions than those who are less affluent and less educated. This is largely due to factors such as greater access to political information, stronger political networks, and greater resources to participate in the political process.

Question 3

In the 2012 presidential election,

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the 2012 presidential election,
...

Question 4

David Hume said that government rests on public opinion alone. Explain the relationship between government and opinion. How do governmental actors try to shape opinion? What is the proper relationship between public opinion and policy? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of David Hume said that government rests on...

Question 5

When George W. Bush supporters called conservative white voters during the 2000 South Carolina Republican primary to ask if they would be more or less likely to vote for John McCain if they knew that he had fathered an illegitimate black child, it was an example of

Accepted Answer

The scenario described is a clear example of a push poll, where the pollsters are not actually trying to gather information but rather attempting to influence or manipulate the responses of the people they are calling.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about public opinion is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Shifts in public opinion on particular issues can lead to changes in public policy. This is because elected officials are often responsive to the views of their constituents in order to maintain their support and win reelection. Furthermore, interest groups and activists can use shifts in public opinion to pressure elected officials to support particular policies.

Question 7

A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to ________.

Accepted Answer

Poorly worded questions can lead to confusion or bias in responses and therefore result in measurement error. Unresponsiveness, push polling, the increased use of cell phones, and sampling error can also contribute to measurement error in polls, but they are not the most frequent cause.

Question 8

The fact that survey respondents overreport voting in elections and the frequency of their church attendance is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

The social desirability effect refers to the tendency of survey respondents to answer questions in a way that is socially desirable or acceptable, even if it may not reflect their true behavior or beliefs. Overreporting of voting and church attendance can be seen as examples of this effect, as people may feel pressure to portray themselves as responsible citizens or religious individuals. The Hawthorne effect refers to changes in behavior that occur due to being observed or studied, the coattail effect refers to the influence of a popular candidate on the election of other candidates from the same party, the bandwagon effect refers to the tendency of people to adopt a belief or behavior because it is popular or widely accepted, and the median voter theorem is a political theory about the importance of appealing to moderate voters in order to win elections.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is true about public opinion in the contemporary time period?

Accepted Answer

Digital citizenship offers the promise of a more informed electorate through increased access to information and resources, as well as the ability to engage in online discussions and activism. While there are still issues with filter bubbles and fake news, the Internet has overall expanded the amount of political information available to the public. The other answer choices are false. Elected officials are generally more responsive to the rich than the poor, technology has not fully eliminated the challenges of filter bubbles, and the problem of "bomb-throwers" (i.e. trolls and hate speech) on the Internet has not been eliminated.

Question 10

In 1936, pollsters at the Literary Digest were guilty of ________ when they mistakenly predicted a presidential victory for Alf Landon over Franklin Roosevelt by polling people whose names came from the telephone book and automobile registration records.

Accepted Answer

The pollsters at the Literary Digest were guilty of selection bias because they only polled people whose names came from the telephone book and automobile registration records, which was not a representative sample of the population. This led to an inaccurate prediction of the election outcome.

Question 11

Some contend that while Americans may be divided by ideology or opinion, they are united by fundamental political values. Describe these core values. How do they serve to unite American public opinion?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some contend that while Americans may be...

Question 12

Describe how public opinion is measured. What is sampling and what is it meant to accomplish? Describe some of the problems and biases of polling, such as push polling and question wording. How do the social desirability effect and the bandwagon effect each distort the measurement of opinion?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how public opinion is measured. What...

Question 13

How are political views formed? Describe some of the key processes and factors through which individuals become politically socialized. How do institutions such as families and groups, as well as personal experiences, come to shape individual opinions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How are political views formed? Describe some...

Question 14

One recent survey showed that two-thirds of Americans believe that federal officials are spending "too little" money on "assistance for the poor." Yet, another survey conducted at the same time found that only one-tenth of Americans believe that federal officials are spending "too little" on "welfare." This example shows that

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates the importance of question wording and how small variations can lead to very different response patterns. The two surveys asked about similar issues but phrased them differently, which resulted in drastically different responses. This emphasizes the need for careful and deliberate wording in survey questions to accurately capture public opinion.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about the relationship between public opinion and government policy is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

While public opinion does not always result in immediate changes to government policy, it does often have an impact. E is the most accurate because it acknowledges that there is a relationship between public opinion and government policy, even if it is not always a direct one.

Question 16

The practice of push polling involves

Accepted Answer

Push polling involves asking loaded questions in order to subtly shape the respondent's opinion, rather than actually gathering information or opinions. It is often used as a political campaign tactic to influence voters by making false or misleading statements about a candidate's opponent.

Question 17

What is the difference between a value and an ideology? Describe some of the characteristics and beliefs that define both liberalism and conservatism in contemporary American politics. What are the main differences between these two ideologies in terms of their emphasis on core American values? What are their points of agreement?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between a value...

Question 18

If a person supports a candidate because she or he is the front-runner in a poll, this is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the bandwagon effect, where people tend to support the candidate who is perceived to be winning or popular among the larger group.

Quiz 6: Public Opinion