Question 1

The correlation of income to party identification is increasingly weakening among all Americans, regardless of race.

Accepted Answer

Studies and data show that income still plays a significant role in party identification among Americans, but the relationship can vary by race and other factors. While there are shifts in party alignment due to various social and political issues, income levels continue to influence party identification, with higher income individuals more likely to identify with the Republican Party and lower income individuals more likely to identify with the Democratic Party. However, the influence of income on party identification can be complex and intersect with other demographic factors.

Question 2

The best evidence that those in power are responsive to the voice of the people is that what the people want and what government does are congruent.

Accepted Answer

When the actions of the government align with the desires and needs of its citizens, it indicates that the government is listening to and acting upon the voice of the people, demonstrating responsiveness.

Question 3

__________ ensures that each member of a population has an equal chance of being selected.

Accepted Answer

The answer of __________ ensures that each member of a...

Question 4

Although conservatives and liberals both generally argue otherwise, government policy and public opinion seem to be independent of each other.

Accepted Answer

Government policy and public opinion are often intertwined and can influence each other. For example, public opinion can lead to changes in government policy through elections or advocacy efforts. Similarly, government policies can shape public opinion through media coverage and messaging.

Question 5

Although multilateralists believe that the protection of American interests requires continuous engagement in the world, they that think that the United States has the resources to accomplish its ends without the cooperation of other nations.

Accepted Answer

Multilateralists believe that cooperation and alliances with other countries are crucial for the protection of American interests and that the United States cannot act alone in achieving its goals.

Question 6

Most Americans share certain __________ about the nature of human beings, society, and the political order.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most Americans share certain __________ about the...

Question 7

A majority of adult Americans identify with the political party of their parents.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that a majority of adult Americans  identify with the political party of their parents. This is often referred to as political socialization, where individuals learn political values and opinions from their family and upbringing.

Question 8

The religiously committed, only if they are Protestant, are more likely than other Americans to vote Republican and to hold conservative views, particularly on social issues.

Accepted Answer

While Protestants, particularly white evangelical Protestants, are more likely to vote Republican and hold conservative views on social issues, the statement that only religiously committed Protestants are more likely to do so is false. Other religious groups, including some Catholics, Mormons, and members of other faiths, can also be more likely to vote Republican and hold conservative views, depending on various factors such as ethnicity, region, and specific religious beliefs.

Question 9

The family, popular culture, and schools all serve as important agents of __________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The family, popular culture, and schools all...

Question 10

Political scientists refer to the process by which individuals acquire core beliefs and political attitudes as political assimilation.

Accepted Answer

Political scientists refer to this process as political socialization, not political assimilation. Political socialization is the process through which individuals learn and frequently internalize a political lens framing their perceptions of how power is arranged and how the world around them is (and should be) organized; those perceptions, in turn, shape and define individuals’ definitions of who they are and how they should behave in the political and economic institutions in which they live.

Question 11

A generational effect seen in the American electorate is the tendency for people to participate more in politics as they adopt more economically conservative views after college.

Accepted Answer

The statement incorrectly suggests that economic conservatism is correlated with increased political participation. However, research has shown that political participation varies with a variety of factors, including education level, income, and age, and is not necessarily linked to a particular ideological position.

Question 12

Findings from a random sample of 1,500 people have a 90 percent chance of accurately reflecting the views of the whole population within about 9 or 10 percentage points.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Findings from a random sample of 1,500...

Question 13

If some element of the population is underrepresented or overrepresented in a sample, researchers can __________ the relevant population group, giving it more or less importance in the total sample, so that the mix of elements in the final sample closely matches the general population.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If some element of the population is...

Question 14

Americans generally divide along two dimensions when it comes to government: one related to government's role in the economy, the other related to government's role in society.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Americans tend to have differing views on the extent to which the government should be involved in the economy, such as taxation and regulation, as well as the extent to which the government should be involved in social issues, such as healthcare and education. These dimensions often overlap, but they represent two main areas where people have varying opinions on the role of government.

Question 15

Only 40 percent of Americans know that our main source of electricity comes from __________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Only 40 percent of Americans know that...

Question 16

The best estimates suggest that about __________ percent of people in the United States are Muslim.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The best estimates suggest that about __________...

Question 17

"Open-ended" or "forced-choice" questions are essentially the same thing.

Accepted Answer

Open-ended questions allow for a variety of responses and do not provide predetermined answer options, while forced-choice questions offer a limited number of answer options for the respondent to choose from.

Question 18

Representativeness in public opinion polling is best achieved when the people being interviewed are chosen through random sampling.

Accepted Answer

Random sampling ensures that every individual in the target population has an equal chance of being selected for the survey, increasing the likelihood of a representative sample.

Question 19

Public opinion refers to certain core beliefs that most American share about the nature of human beings, society, and the political order.

Accepted Answer

Public opinion refers to the collective attitudes or beliefs of the population or segments of the population about issues, situations, or public figures, rather than core beliefs about human nature, society, and the political order.

Question 20

Internet polling tends to capture samples that are very unrepresentative of the American population.

Accepted Answer

Internet polling relies on voluntary participation and is not randomized, leading to self-selection bias and unrepresentative samples.

Quiz 5: Public Opinion