Question 1

Which of these statements about the role of race and ethnicity in politics is the most accurate?
A)The party loyalties of ethnic groups rarely change.
B)Politics based on ethnicity have the potential to be fluid and change over time.
C)Religion is much more important than race and ethnicity in shaping public opinion.
D)Ethnic consciousness has little effect on public opinion in heterogeneous nations like the United States.

Accepted Answer

While there may be some level of party loyalty among certain ethnic groups, research has shown that politics based on ethnicity can change over time depending on a variety of factors such as economic status and generational differences. Religion is also important in shaping public opinion, but race and ethnicity can still play a significant role. Additionally, studies have shown that ethnic consciousness can have an effect on public opinion even in diverse nations like the United States.

Question 2

Survey results show that __________ Americans tend to be more tolerant and more in favor of civil rights than the public as a whole.
A)wealthy
B)rural-dwelling
C)college-educated
D)strongly religious

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that college-educated Americans tend to be more tolerant and in favor of civil rights than those without a higher education level.

Question 3

A person's dedication to her organic vegetable garden would not be considered part of public opinion but her __________ would be.
A)crop output
B)eating habits
C)views on food industry
D)activities at the farmer's market

Accepted Answer

Public opinion refers to the views, attitudes, and opinions held by a significant portion of the population on a particular issue or topic. Views on the food industry, which affects many people and can spark debate or legislative action, can be considered part of public opinion. The other options are more individualistic and do not necessarily have a widespread impact or significance.

Question 4

Which statement explains why public opinion is an important consideration for both democratic and authoritarian governments?
A)Public opinion provides leaders with smart policy ideas.
B)Manipulating public opinion is necessary to maintain social control.
C)Every society needs to have uniformity of public opinion to remain strong.
D)Strong public dissent can lead to an electoral defeat or the collapse of the regime.

Accepted Answer

Strong public dissent can lead to an electoral defeat or even the collapse of an authoritarian regime. In a democratic government, public opinion is a crucial factor in shaping policy decisions and ultimately deciding the outcome of elections. Therefore, both types of governments need to pay attention to public opinion.

Question 5

The 2008 U.S.financial bailouts were met with public opposition despite the fact that they staved off a depression and were being repaid.This illustrates that __________.
A)opinion polls have no impact on government decisions
B)elected officials often misunderstand what opinion polls show
C)mass opinion should play a greater role in economic policy making
D)the public is often swayed by emotional rather than rational considerations

Accepted Answer

This illustrates the fact that the public's opposition was based on emotional rather than rational considerations because despite the bailouts being successful in preventing a depression and being repaid, the public still opposed them. This implies that their opposition was not based on the effectiveness or outcome of the bailouts, but rather on emotional factors such as mistrust of government and a sense of unfairness or inequality.

Question 6

A well-constructed public opinion poll __________.
A)poses the simplest questions possible
B)separates conservative from liberal opinions
C)distinguishes between elite and mass opinions
D)attempts to quantify respondents' subjective responses

Accepted Answer

The answer of A well-constructed public opinion poll __________.
A)poses the...

Question 7

Mahatma Gandhi's movement in India illustrated that __________.
A)peaceful movements are more likely to succeed than violent ones
B)a government always responds to the public opinion of the population
C)a government responds to public opinion when its image is threatened
D)public opinion must be shaped into a non-violent protest movement to be successful

Accepted Answer

Gandhi's movement showed that the British government responded to public opinion when its international image was threatened by the non-violent protests.

Question 8

Why might a government go ahead with a policy or action that the majority of citizens oppose?
A)Public opinion does not always reflect what is best for the nation.
B)The public probably will have forgotten all about it by the next election.
C)The government rarely has an accurate way of knowing what the people think.
D)The public would rather see decisive action that it opposes than no action at all.

Accepted Answer

Public opinion may not always reflect what is best for the nation. Government officials may have access to information or expertise that the general public does not, and they may believe that a particular policy or action is in the best interest of the country, even if it is not immediately popular with the majority of citizens.

Question 9

The fact that most Americans turned against the Iraq War after learning that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction (WMD)illustrates __________.
A)that public opinion is often based on misinformation
B)how strongly public opinion shapes government policy
C)the fact that public opinion rarely influences government policy
D)the limitations on government's ability to create the public opinion it desires

Accepted Answer

The answer of The fact that most Americans turned against...

Question 10

Which of the following lends support to the political generations theory of public opinion?
A)Young voters went strongly to Obama in the 2008 and 2012 elections.
B)Younger people are better educated about political issues than older people.
C)Older people are better informed about political issues than younger people.
D)Many people who lived through the Great Depression are life-long supporters of welfare programs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following lends support to...

Question 11

What does public opinion polling provide that election results cannot?
A)the popularity of specific candidates
B)insight into citizens' views on specific issues
C)a clear indication which political party is dominant
D)information about candidates' real views on the issues.

Accepted Answer

Public opinion polling provides insight into citizens' views on specific issues, whereas election results only provide information about who won the election. Polling helps to gauge public opinion on a range of issues, which can be helpful for politicians as they make decisions, develop policies, and communicate with their constituents.

Question 12

What is the most significant way in which television coverage turned public opinion in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1965?
A)Images of police brutality toward African Americans sparked widespread outrage.
B)Interviews with job applicants showed widespread racial discrimination in the hiring process.
C)Speeches in Congress broadcast on television convinced voters that the law had bipartisan support.
D)Coverage of segregated classrooms convinced Americans that separate-but-equal education was not really equal.

Accepted Answer

Television coverage of police brutality, particularly during events such as the Selma to Montgomery marches, showed the brutal and violent response of law enforcement towards peaceful African American protesters. These images stirred widespread outrage and sympathy for the Civil Rights movement, leading to increased public pressure on lawmakers to pass legislation protecting the rights of African Americans.

Question 13

Which statement explains why the life cycle theory does not always hold true?
A)People tend to get more conservative as they get older.
B)Americans are more likely to move to the suburbs when they graduate college.
C)Political engagement tends to increase as a person gets older and more successful.
D)Major events during young adulthood can affect people's political views for a long time.

Accepted Answer

The life cycle theory assumes that people's political views change predictably based on their age, but major events during young adulthood, such as war or economic downturns, can have a lasting impact on a person's political beliefs that deviates from the expected trajectory.

Question 14

Which statement can explain why a public opinion poll taken in 2006 found that large numbers of Americans still believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and significant links to Al Qaeda?
A)The poll was deliberately constructed to make Americans look uninformed.
B)People often hold onto impressions even after the facts have been shown to them.
C)Americans knew that the weapons of mass destruction would eventually be found.
D)The polling sample included a disproportionate number of people who supported the Iraq War in 2002.

Accepted Answer

People tend to hold onto their beliefs and impressions even after the facts have been disproven or changed, which could explain why large numbers of Americans still believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and significant links to Al Qaeda despite evidence to the contrary.

Question 15

After interviewing a citizen about his support for the new health care bill,a newspaper concludes that there is widespread support for the new legislation in town.This is an example of __________.
A)saliency
B)objective reporting
C)anecdotal evidence
D)government propaganda

Accepted Answer

The newspaper concluded based on the interview of just one citizen, which is not enough evidence to make a broad generalization about the entire town. This type of reasoning based on a single case is known as anecdotal evidence, which may not be representative of the population as a whole.

Question 16

Based on opinion polls in other areas,one could conclude that an American with a college education is likely to support __________.
A)restrictions on women's reproductive rights
B)a reduction of welfare benefits
C)repealing affirmative action
D)guarantees for same-sex marriage

Accepted Answer

The answer of Based on opinion polls in other areas,one...

Question 17

In recent decades,women were several percentage points more likely than men to vote for a __________ presidential candidate.
A)Democratic
B)Green Party
C)Libertarian
D)Republican

Accepted Answer

According to research and exit polls conducted during recent presidential elections, women have consistently been more likely to vote for Democratic candidates than men. This trend can be attributed to a variety of factors, including differences in policy preferences and the increasing alignment of the Democratic party with women's rights and gender equality issues.

Question 18

Which of the following is a plausible explanation for the polls' prediction that Dewey would defeat Truman in 1948?
A)Pollsters assumed that the country was significantly more Republican than the actual poll data indicated.
B)Pollsters had assumed that all respondents who said they were unlikely to vote would,in fact,stay home.
C)Pollsters had assumed that non-respondents would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had responded.
D)Pollsters had assumed that respondents who said they were undecided would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had already decided.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is a plausible...

Question 19

Elections rarely show __________.
A)how voters feel about specific issues
B)how politically engaged the population is
C)which areas of the country have the highest turnout
D)a clear electoral mandate for the winning candidates

Accepted Answer

Elections often focus on the candidates and their personal qualities rather than specific issues. It is possible for voters to support a candidate for reasons other than their stance on specific issues, making it difficult to determine how voters feel about these issues.

Question 20

Which factor contributed most to the collapse of regimes such as those in the Soviet Union?
A)ineffective security forces
B)a lack of sustained public support
C)deviation from true Marxist ideology
D)lack of decisive policy making by government officials

Accepted Answer

A lack of sustained public support contributed most to the collapse of regimes such as those in the Soviet Union. The regimes were unable to meet the needs and desires of the public over an extended period of time, resulting in a loss of faith and support from the citizens. This led to increased resistance, protest, and ultimately the collapse of the regimes. The other factors listed may have played a role, but they were not the primary cause of the collapse.

Quiz 7: Public Opinion

Which of these statements about the role of race and ethnicity in politics is the most accurate?

Survey results show that __________ Americans tend to be more tolerant and more in favor of civil rights than the public as a whole.

A person's dedication to her organic vegetable garden would not be considered part of public opinion but her __________ would be.

Which statement explains why public opinion is an important consideration for both democratic and authoritarian governments?

The 2008 U.S.financial bailouts were met with public opposition despite the fact that they staved off a depression and were being repaid.This illustrates that __________.

A well-constructed public opinion poll __________.

Mahatma Gandhi's movement in India illustrated that __________.

Why might a government go ahead with a policy or action that the majority of citizens oppose?

The fact that most Americans turned against the Iraq War after learning that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction (WMD) illustrates __________.

Which of the following lends support to the political generations theory of public opinion?

What does public opinion polling provide that election results cannot?

What is the most significant way in which television coverage turned public opinion in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1965?

Which statement explains why the life cycle theory does not always hold true?

Which statement can explain why a public opinion poll taken in 2006 found that large numbers of Americans still believed Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and significant links to Al Qaeda?

After interviewing a citizen about his support for the new health care bill,a newspaper concludes that there is widespread support for the new legislation in town.This is an example of __________.

Based on opinion polls in other areas,one could conclude that an American with a college education is likely to support __________.

In recent decades,women were several percentage points more likely than men to vote for a __________ presidential candidate.

Which of the following is a plausible explanation for the polls' prediction that Dewey would defeat Truman in 1948?

Elections rarely show __________.

Which factor contributed most to the collapse of regimes such as those in the Soviet Union?