Question 1

Unscientific polls that are often conducted by newspapers and politicians to determine who is ahead in a political race are called ______ polls.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Unscientific polls that are often conducted by...

Question 2

With respect to constructing survey questions,all of the following statements are true EXCEPT this one:

Accepted Answer

A)  Respondents are often willing to give opinions on subjects about which they know little or nothing. 
B)  Questions should not be ambiguous. 
C)  Similar questions can yield surprisingly different answers. 
D)  The order in which questions are asked can change the results. 
E)  Surveys tend to underestimate the racial tolerance of the American people. 
A)  Respondents are often willing to give opinions on subjects about which they know little or nothing. 
B)  Questions should not be ambiguous. 
C)  Similar questions can yield surprisingly different answers. 
D)  The order in which questions are asked can change the results. 
E)  Surveys tend to underestimate the racial tolerance of the American people.

Question 3

The portion of the population selected to participate in a poll is known as the ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  population 
B)  public 
C)  focus group 
D)  deliberative group 
E)  sample 
A)  population 
B)  public 
C)  focus group 
D)  deliberative group 
E)  sample

Question 4

Tracking polls are significant because they ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  are able to catch daily changes in public opinion that other horse race polls cannot 
B)  help candidates devise their campaign strategies 
C)  have caused the public to question the accuracy of polls 
D)  are inexpensive to conduct 
E)  allow pundits to make predictions on Election Day 
A)  are able to catch daily changes in public opinion that other horse race polls cannot 
B)  help candidates devise their campaign strategies 
C)  have caused the public to question the accuracy of polls 
D)  are inexpensive to conduct 
E)  allow pundits to make predictions on Election Day

Question 5

The process by which we learn our political orientations and allegiances is called political adherence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

A plebiscite is ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  a proposed constitutional convention to update the Constitution 
B)  a law that grants ex-felons the right to vote 
C)  an amendment to the Constitution 
D)  a parliamentary system to replace the current system of separation of powers 
E)  a popular vote on national policy issues 
A)  a proposed constitutional convention to update the Constitution 
B)  a law that grants ex-felons the right to vote 
C)  an amendment to the Constitution 
D)  a parliamentary system to replace the current system of separation of powers 
E)  a popular vote on national policy issues

Question 7

In recent years,the influence of ideology and partisanship on political divisions in American society has changed.Define these two terms,and then discuss how they influence political divisions today.

Accepted Answer

Students should define ideology as a set

Question 8

When politicians try to determine public opinion by listening to their supporters and friendly interest groups,they are likely to face the problem of ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  erroneous data 
B)  sampling error 
C)  sample bias 
D)  push polling 
E)  straw men polling 
A)  erroneous data 
B)  sampling error 
C)  sample bias 
D)  push polling 
E)  straw men polling

Question 9

The textbook identifies four characteristics of ideal citizenship and concludes that only some Americans live up to them.The authors argue,however,that Americans as a group behave in a much more rational manner than one would expect from their failure to meet the characteristics.Name the four characteristics,and discuss the evidence for the authors' conclusion that most Americans do not meet the standards.Explain how Americans as a group can behave so rationally if they are not rational as individuals.

Accepted Answer

The four characteristics include being a

Question 10

A survey question such as "How many times in the past few months have you used drugs?" is problematic because ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  the question is confusing 
B)  it is likely that few people have thought about the issue 
C)  the question is not balanced 
D)  the question is worded as a double negative 
E)  the question is ambiguous and loaded 
A)  the question is confusing 
B)  it is likely that few people have thought about the issue 
C)  the question is not balanced 
D)  the question is worded as a double negative 
E)  the question is ambiguous and loaded

Question 11

A survey question such as,"Do you support or oppose being allowed to take the Lifetime Learning Credit during years in which you pay for postsecondary education with a distribution from an education IRA?" is problematic because ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  the question is loaded 
B)  the question is not balanced 
C)  it is likely that few people have thought about the issue 
D)  the question is worded as a double negative 
E)  the question is ambiguous 
A)  the question is loaded 
B)  the question is not balanced 
C)  it is likely that few people have thought about the issue 
D)  the question is worded as a double negative 
E)  the question is ambiguous

Question 12

The authors of the textbook argue that public opinion matters because ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  it should matter 
B)  the public has far more power to influence events than politicians realize 
C)  the public is too knowledgeable for politicians to ignore 
D)  the news media covers public opinion and thereby gives it more importance than politicians would prefer 
E)  politicians and the media treat public opinion as if it matters 
A)  it should matter 
B)  the public has far more power to influence events than politicians realize 
C)  the public is too knowledgeable for politicians to ignore 
D)  the news media covers public opinion and thereby gives it more importance than politicians would prefer 
E)  politicians and the media treat public opinion as if it matters

Question 13

Self-interest is a source of ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  agreement in society 
B)  manipulation by politicians in society 
C)  the lack of support for good public policies only by the uneducated in society 
D)  divisions in society 
E)  socialization in society 
A)  agreement in society 
B)  manipulation by politicians in society 
C)  the lack of support for good public policies only by the uneducated in society 
D)  divisions in society 
E)  socialization in society

Question 14

When politicians try to determine public opinion by listening to their supporters and friendly interest groups,they are likely to face the problem of _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When politicians try to determine public opinion...

Question 15

The gender gap is especially large on issues of ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  pay 
B)  violence 
C)  voting 
D)  education 
A)  pay 
B)  violence 
C)  voting 
D)  education

Question 16

The textbook does NOT argue the following:

Accepted Answer

A)  Self-interest is a source of division in public opinion. 
B)  Self-interest is a source of agreement in public opinion. 
C)  The major focus of self-interest is economic well-being. 
D)  Many people express opinions that seem to run counter to concerns over self-interest. 
E)  Self-interest is one of several factors affecting opinions. 
A)  Self-interest is a source of division in public opinion. 
B)  Self-interest is a source of agreement in public opinion. 
C)  The major focus of self-interest is economic well-being. 
D)  Many people express opinions that seem to run counter to concerns over self-interest. 
E)  Self-interest is one of several factors affecting opinions.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT true regarding polling?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sampling bias is not generally a problem that plagues pollsters. 
B)  A sample of 1,000 to 2,000 respondents can be very representative of the entire U.S. population. 
C)  How the question is worded can lead a person to give significantly different answers. 
D)  Few differences exist between those who choose to participate in polls and those who do not. 
E)  A poll that showed Candidate A with 48 percent of the vote and Candidate B with 45 percent of the vote, with a sampling error of 3 percent, means that we can be 95 percent sure that Candidate A is leading. 
A)  Sampling bias is not generally a problem that plagues pollsters. 
B)  A sample of 1,000 to 2,000 respondents can be very representative of the entire U.S. population. 
C)  How the question is worded can lead a person to give significantly different answers. 
D)  Few differences exist between those who choose to participate in polls and those who do not. 
E)  A poll that showed Candidate A with 48 percent of the vote and Candidate B with 45 percent of the vote, with a sampling error of 3 percent, means that we can be 95 percent sure that Candidate A is leading.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an argument put forth by the textbook's authors?

Accepted Answer

A)  The higher the level of education, the more tolerance people tend to demonstrate on surveys. 
B)  Education may be related to knowing the right answers rather than actually being more tolerant. 
C)  There are important cases in American history in which the educated elites were the leaders of intolerant behavior. 
D)  In many ways, less educated people are more tolerant than educated people. 
E)  Some observers argue that elites are the protectors of our democratic values. 
A)  The higher the level of education, the more tolerance people tend to demonstrate on surveys. 
B)  Education may be related to knowing the right answers rather than actually being more tolerant. 
C)  There are important cases in American history in which the educated elites were the leaders of intolerant behavior. 
D)  In many ways, less educated people are more tolerant than educated people. 
E)  Some observers argue that elites are the protectors of our democratic values.

Question 19

The danger of majority tyranny in a democracy most likely would result from ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  majority rule without the tempering influence of debate and discussion 
B)  the growing influence of the media 
C)  the tendency of citizens to vote emotionally in elections 
D)  too many procedural restraints on Congress 
E)  an uninformed public 
A)  majority rule without the tempering influence of debate and discussion 
B)  the growing influence of the media 
C)  the tendency of citizens to vote emotionally in elections 
D)  too many procedural restraints on Congress 
E)  an uninformed public

Question 20

______ are instrumental in designing campaign strategy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ______ are instrumental in designing campaign strategy....

Unscientific polls that are often conducted by newspapers and politicians to determine who is ahead in a political race are called ______ polls.

With respect to constructing survey questions,all of the following statements are true EXCEPT this one:

The portion of the population selected to participate in a poll is known as the ______.

Tracking polls are significant because they ______.

The process by which we learn our political orientations and allegiances is called political adherence.

A plebiscite is ______.

In recent years,the influence of ideology and partisanship on political divisions in American society has changed.Define these two terms,and then discuss how they influence political divisions today.

When politicians try to determine public opinion by listening to their supporters and friendly interest groups,they are likely to face the problem of ______.

A survey question such as "How many times in the past few months have you used drugs?" is problematic because ______.

A survey question such as,"Do you support or oppose being allowed to take the Lifetime Learning Credit during years in which you pay for postsecondary education with a distribution from an education IRA?" is problematic because ______.

The authors of the textbook argue that public opinion matters because ______.

Self-interest is a source of ______.

When politicians try to determine public opinion by listening to their supporters and friendly interest groups,they are likely to face the problem of _______.

The gender gap is especially large on issues of ______.

The textbook does NOT argue the following:

Which of the following is NOT true regarding polling?

Which of the following is NOT an argument put forth by the textbook's authors?

The danger of majority tyranny in a democracy most likely would result from ______.

______ are instrumental in designing campaign strategy.

Politics: Who Gets What, and How?

American Citizens and Political Culture

Politics of the American Founding

Federalism and the U.S.Constitution

Fundamental American Liberties

The Struggle for Equal Rights

Congress

The Presidency

The Bureaucracy

The American Legal System and the Courts

Political Parties

Interest Groups

Voting, Campaigns, and Elections

The Media

Social and Environmental Policy

Economic Policy

Foreign Policy

Filters

Exam 11: Public Opinion

Unscientific polls that are often conducted by newspapers and politicians to determine who is ahead in a political race are called ______ polls.

With respect to constructing survey questions,all of the following statements are true EXCEPT this one:

The portion of the population selected to participate in a poll is known as the ______.

Tracking polls are significant because they ______.

The process by which we learn our political orientations and allegiances is called political adherence.

A plebiscite is ______.

In recent years,the influence of ideology and partisanship on political divisions in American society has changed.Define these two terms,and then discuss how they influence political divisions today.

When politicians try to determine public opinion by listening to their supporters and friendly interest groups,they are likely to face the problem of ______.

A survey question such as "How many times in the past few months have you used drugs?" is problematic because ______.

A survey question such as,"Do you support or oppose being allowed to take the Lifetime Learning Credit during years in which you pay for postsecondary education with a distribution from an education IRA?" is problematic because ______.

The authors of the textbook argue that public opinion matters because ______.

Self-interest is a source of ______.

When politicians try to determine public opinion by listening to their supporters and friendly interest groups,they are likely to face the problem of _______.

The gender gap is especially large on issues of ______.

The textbook does NOT argue the following:

Which of the following is NOT true regarding polling?

Which of the following is NOT an argument put forth by the textbook's authors?

The danger of majority tyranny in a democracy most likely would result from ______.

______ are instrumental in designing campaign strategy.

Politics: Who Gets What, and How?

American Citizens and Political Culture

Politics of the American Founding

Federalism and the U.S.Constitution

Fundamental American Liberties

The Struggle for Equal Rights

Congress

The Presidency

The Bureaucracy

The American Legal System and the Courts

Political Parties

Interest Groups

Voting, Campaigns, and Elections

The Media

Social and Environmental Policy

Economic Policy

Foreign Policy

Filters