Question 1

Not only can polls keep track of public opinion, they can also __________.

Accepted Answer

A) alienate politicians 
B) encourage people to run for office 
C) cancel out public opinion 
D) craft public opinion 
A) alienate politicians 
B) encourage people to run for office 
C) cancel out public opinion 
D) craft public opinion

Question 2

Women, in most recent elections, were several percentage points more likely to vote __________ for president than were men.

Accepted Answer

A) Republican 
B) Democrat 
C) Green Party 
D) Libertarian 
A) Republican 
B) Democrat 
C) Green Party 
D) Libertarian

Question 3

__________ people have been shown by survey results to be tolerant, favor civil rights, and understand different viewpoints.

Accepted Answer

A) Religious 
B) Wealthy 
C) College-educated 
D) Rural 
A) Religious 
B) Wealthy 
C) College-educated 
D) Rural

Question 4

__________ can lead or tamper with public opinion.

Accepted Answer

A) Protests 
B) Elections 
C) Interest groups 
D) The church 
A) Protests 
B) Elections 
C) Interest groups 
D) The church

Question 5

Presidents traditionally start with __________ support and then support__________.

Accepted Answer

A) low; rises 
B) high; remains high 
C) high; declines 
D) erratic; stabilizes 
A) low; rises 
B) high; remains high 
C) high; declines 
D) erratic; stabilizes

Question 6

Elections may point to what voters generally think of a candidate overall but __________.

Accepted Answer

A) rarely focus on specific issues 
B) are usually unreliable 
C) rarely actually focus on general issues 
D) tend to be poorly administered 
A) rarely focus on specific issues 
B) are usually unreliable 
C) rarely actually focus on general issues 
D) tend to be poorly administered

Question 7

Why might retired people support economic liberal programs like Social Security and Medicare despite calling themselves conservative?

Accepted Answer

A) Americans are not particularly clear about what they mean by "liberal" or "conservative." 
B) Americans do not particularly care about labels like "liberal" or "conservative." 
C) Retired people tend to have quite unpredictable political positions. 
D) Social Security and Medicare were once considered conservative economic programs. 
A) Americans are not particularly clear about what they mean by "liberal" or "conservative." 
B) Americans do not particularly care about labels like "liberal" or "conservative." 
C) Retired people tend to have quite unpredictable political positions. 
D) Social Security and Medicare were once considered conservative economic programs.

Question 8

How was the following 1965 exchange between a Johnson aid and Lyndon Johnson-who was both escalating the war in Vietnam and a close watcher of the polls-illustrative of the volatility of public opinion: The aid told Johnson: "we have overwhelming public opinion on our side." Johnson replied, "Yes, but for a very underwhelming period of time."

Accepted Answer

A) Two-thirds support for the war in 1965 turned into two-thirds opposition in 1968 
B) Two-thirds opposition for the war in 1965 turned into two-thirds support in 1968 
C) Two-thirds support for the war in 1965 remained two-thirds support in 1968 
D) Two-thirds opposition for the war in 1965 remained two-thirds opposition in 1968 
A) Two-thirds support for the war in 1965 turned into two-thirds opposition in 1968 
B) Two-thirds opposition for the war in 1965 turned into two-thirds support in 1968 
C) Two-thirds support for the war in 1965 remained two-thirds support in 1968 
D) Two-thirds opposition for the war in 1965 remained two-thirds opposition in 1968

Question 9

The killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011 caused President Obama's public support ratings to ________, but only briefly.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The killing of Osama bin Laden in...

Question 10

A "God gap" was brought into U.S.politics by the rise of the __________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A "God gap" was brought into U.S.politics...

Question 11

If the majority of citizens are opposed to a given policy or action why might the government go ahead with that policy or action?

Accepted Answer

A) Politicians tend to be arrogant and believe what they think is right. 
B) In order to rouse the people to action, even if it is action against a government policy. 
C) Citizen preference does not always reflect what is best for the nation, in general. 
D) The government rarely has a way of knowing what the people think. 
A) Politicians tend to be arrogant and believe what they think is right. 
B) In order to rouse the people to action, even if it is action against a government policy. 
C) Citizen preference does not always reflect what is best for the nation, in general. 
D) The government rarely has a way of knowing what the people think.

Question 12

Even in the long-term, presidents who shrug off public opinion remain vilified.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

How was the event of 1971, in which President Nixon announced that he would be the first president to visit China, a positive example of governments creating the public opinion they desire?

Accepted Answer

A) Americans actively protested. 
B) Americans supported the decision. 
C) Americans supported the decision until trip became an embarrassment. 
D) Americans supported the President, but not the trip. 
A) Americans actively protested. 
B) Americans supported the decision. 
C) Americans supported the decision until trip became an embarrassment. 
D) Americans supported the President, but not the trip.

Question 14

Which is a possible explanation for the failure of scientific sampling method in the 1948 U.S.election when Dewey was solidly predicted to defeat Truman?

Accepted Answer

A) The error was in assuming that respondents who said they were decided would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had already undecided. 
B) The error was in assuming that respondents who said they were undecided would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had already decided. 
C) The error was in assuming that non-respondents would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had already decided. 
D) The error was in assuming that Democrats who said they were undecided would wind up voting in the same ratio as those Republicans who had already decided. 
A) The error was in assuming that respondents who said they were decided would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had already undecided. 
B) The error was in assuming that respondents who said they were undecided would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had already decided. 
C) The error was in assuming that non-respondents would wind up voting in the same ratio as those who had already decided. 
D) The error was in assuming that Democrats who said they were undecided would wind up voting in the same ratio as those Republicans who had already decided.

Question 15

Groups are invested in a variety of questions, thus public opinion is __________.

Accepted Answer

A) predictable 
B) fragmented 
C) easily quantifiable 
D) unitary 
A) predictable 
B) fragmented 
C) easily quantifiable 
D) unitary

Question 16

How was American support of the policy of Bush senior on Lithuania, as indicated by a solid majority in a1991 poll, indicative of the concept that public opinion shows widespread ignorance?

Accepted Answer

A) None knew how long Bush had been in office. 
B) Most were more concerned with Latvia. 
C) Most had a negative view of Lithuania. 
D) None knew where Lithuania was located. 
A) None knew how long Bush had been in office. 
B) Most were more concerned with Latvia. 
C) Most had a negative view of Lithuania. 
D) None knew where Lithuania was located.

Question 17

How were veterans' experiences in Vietnam related to their position on the U.S.war in Iraq? They __________ of/in the U.S.war in Iraq.

Accepted Answer

A) were instinctively critical 
B) tended to be uninterested 
C) were adamantly in favor 
D) tended to want to take part 
A) were instinctively critical 
B) tended to be uninterested 
C) were adamantly in favor 
D) tended to want to take part

Question 18

Describe the kind of difficult events which a president faces and which rallies the American people to that president.

Accepted Answer

A) Breaking ground for a new government building 
B) An unsuccessful hunt for an international criminal 
C) International hostage crisis 
D) Personal infidelity 
A) Breaking ground for a new government building 
B) An unsuccessful hunt for an international criminal 
C) International hostage crisis 
D) Personal infidelity

Question 19

What factors affect public opinion? Which factors appear to be most important? Which are least important? Are some factors closely related to others? Explain and provide examples of each factor.

Accepted Answer

1. Assess what factors impact public opi

Question 20

Widespread sympathy can be generated by bringing grievances to national attention, especially __________.

Accepted Answer

A) when scholars monitor those grievances 
B) when only small town politicians are involved 
C) when the media watch 
D) if the church becomes involved 
A) when scholars monitor those grievances 
B) when only small town politicians are involved 
C) when the media watch 
D) if the church becomes involved

Not only can polls keep track of public opinion, they can also __________.

Women, in most recent elections, were several percentage points more likely to vote __________ for president than were men.

__________ people have been shown by survey results to be tolerant, favor civil rights, and understand different viewpoints.

__________ can lead or tamper with public opinion.

Presidents traditionally start with support and then support.

Elections may point to what voters generally think of a candidate overall but __________.

Why might retired people support economic liberal programs like Social Security and Medicare despite calling themselves conservative?

The killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011 caused President Obama's public support ratings to ________, but only briefly.

A "God gap" was brought into U.S.politics by the rise of the __________.

If the majority of citizens are opposed to a given policy or action why might the government go ahead with that policy or action?

Even in the long-term, presidents who shrug off public opinion remain vilified.

How was the event of 1971, in which President Nixon announced that he would be the first president to visit China, a positive example of governments creating the public opinion they desire?

Which is a possible explanation for the failure of scientific sampling method in the 1948 U.S.election when Dewey was solidly predicted to defeat Truman?

Groups are invested in a variety of questions, thus public opinion is __________.

How was American support of the policy of Bush senior on Lithuania, as indicated by a solid majority in a1991 poll, indicative of the concept that public opinion shows widespread ignorance?

How were veterans' experiences in Vietnam related to their position on the U.S.war in Iraq? They __________ of/in the U.S.war in Iraq.

Describe the kind of difficult events which a president faces and which rallies the American people to that president.

What factors affect public opinion? Which factors appear to be most important? Which are least important? Are some factors closely related to others? Explain and provide examples of each factor.

Widespread sympathy can be generated by bringing grievances to national attention, especially __________.

Politics and Political Science

Theories

Political Ideologies

States

Constitutions and Rights

Regimes

Political Culture

Political Communication

Interest Groups

Parties

Elections

Legislatures

Executives and Bureaucracies

Judiciaries

Political Economy

Violence and Revolution

International Relations

Filters

Exam 8: Public Opinion

Not only can polls keep track of public opinion, they can also __________.

Women, in most recent elections, were several percentage points more likely to vote __________ for president than were men.

__________ people have been shown by survey results to be tolerant, favor civil rights, and understand different viewpoints.

__________ can lead or tamper with public opinion.

Presidents traditionally start with __________ support and then support__________.

Elections may point to what voters generally think of a candidate overall but __________.

Why might retired people support economic liberal programs like Social Security and Medicare despite calling themselves conservative?

The killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011 caused President Obama's public support ratings to ________, but only briefly.

A "God gap" was brought into U.S.politics by the rise of the __________.

If the majority of citizens are opposed to a given policy or action why might the government go ahead with that policy or action?

Even in the long-term, presidents who shrug off public opinion remain vilified.

How was the event of 1971, in which President Nixon announced that he would be the first president to visit China, a positive example of governments creating the public opinion they desire?

Which is a possible explanation for the failure of scientific sampling method in the 1948 U.S.election when Dewey was solidly predicted to defeat Truman?

Groups are invested in a variety of questions, thus public opinion is __________.

How was American support of the policy of Bush senior on Lithuania, as indicated by a solid majority in a1991 poll, indicative of the concept that public opinion shows widespread ignorance?

How were veterans' experiences in Vietnam related to their position on the U.S.war in Iraq? They __________ of/in the U.S.war in Iraq.

Describe the kind of difficult events which a president faces and which rallies the American people to that president.

What factors affect public opinion? Which factors appear to be most important? Which are least important? Are some factors closely related to others? Explain and provide examples of each factor.

Widespread sympathy can be generated by bringing grievances to national attention, especially __________.

Politics and Political Science

Theories

Political Ideologies

States

Constitutions and Rights

Regimes

Political Culture

Political Communication

Interest Groups

Parties

Elections

Legislatures

Executives and Bureaucracies

Judiciaries

Political Economy

Violence and Revolution

International Relations

Filters

Presidents traditionally start with support and then support.