CHAPTER 6: PUBLIC OPINION AND POLITICAL ACTION

________________________________________
Multiple Choice Questions
1.

Public opinion is
a.
the study of population changes.
b.
the distribution of the populations beliefs about politics and policy issues.
c.
an actual enumeration of the population conducted every ten years.
d.
an overall set of values widely shared within society.
e.
the process through which individuals in a society acquire political attitudes, views, and
knowledge.

2.

The largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States is

a.
African Americans.
b.
Asian Americans.
c.
Native Americans.
d.
Hispanics.
e.
African Americans and Hispanics are tied in size.

3.

The fastest growing age group in the United States is defined by the ages
a.
1825.
b.
2539.
c.
4065.
d.
65+.
e.
80+.

4.

Which of the following statements about political socialization and age is TRUE?
a.
Aging increases political participation as well as the strength of party attachment.
b.
Aging decreases political participation as well as the strength of party attachment.
c.
Aging increases political participation and decreases the strength of party attachment.
d.
Aging decreases political participation and increases the strength of party attachment.
e.
Aging neither increases nor decreases political participation or the strength of party attachment.

5.

Because it would be prohibitively expensive to ask every citizen his or her opinion on a whole range of
issues, polls rely on what is called a(n) ________ of the population.
a.
extraction
b.
sample
c.
census
d.
slice
e.
demography

6.

Random sampling is considered

a.
desirable, but not necessary, for an accurate poll of public opinion.
b.
an unsophisticated way of measuring public opinion, but one that sometimes yields accurate
results.
c.
highly unreliable, but the cheapest way to measure public opinion.
d.
the key to the accuracy of opinion polls.
e.
a dangerous way to measure public opinion.

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7.

Public opinion polls are only estimates because

a.
samples of fewer then one million people are too small.
b.
all surveys have a sampling error.
c.
pollsters sometimes have to make educated guesses about the results.
d.
random-digit dialing has replaced person-to-person interviewing.
e.
samples are not representative.

8.

Whereas liberals tend to favor ____________, conservatives tend to favor ___________.

a.
less military spending; more military spending
b.
free markets; less government regulation of the economy
c.
prayer in schools; affirmative action
d.
lower government spending; more government spending for the poor and other social services
e.
tighter penalties for criminals; stronger defendants rights

9.

Ideology is determined more by _______ within religious groups than by religious denomination itself.
a.
religiosity
b.
religious sect
c.
gender
d.
age
e.
race

10.

Which of the following differences is an example of the patterns referred to as the gender gap?
a.
Men are more likely than women to support democratic candidates.
b.
Women are more likely than men to support democratic candidates.
c.
Women are more likely than men to support abortion and to be pro-choice.
d.
Men are more likely than women to support abortion and to be pro-choice.
e.
None of these is correct.

11.

The authors of The American Voter would agree with each of the following statements EXCEPT the
following:
a.
It is a misnomer to speak of election results as indicating a movement of the public either left or
right.
b.
For most people, the terms liberal and conservative are not as important as they are for the
political elite.
c.
People who think in ideological terms are most likely to switch parties from one election to the
next.
d.
People who think in ideological terms are least likely to switch parties from one election to the
next.
e.
Eisenhowers two election victories represented a shift in the conservative direction during the
1950s.

12.

Which of the following seems to confirm Morris Fiorinas argument about the extent to which Americans
are or are not involved in a cultural war?
a.
There is a growing acceptance of homosexuals among liberals, moderates, and conservatives.
b.
There is a growing disapproval of homosexuals among liberals, moderates, and conservatives.
c.
Almost one-quarter of Americans say they have no ideological preference at all.
d.
The ideological gap between Protestants and Catholics is smaller than the gender gap.
e.
The new Christian Right consists of Catholics and Protestants who consider themselves
fundamentalists.

13.

Martin Luther King, Jr.s Letter from a Birmingham Jail is a classic defense of
a.
protest.
b.
violence.
c.
civil disobedience.
d.
law and order.
e.
antiwar philosophy.

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14.

Which of the following statements about Americans political participation is FALSE?

a.
Rates of political participation are unequal among Americans.
b.
Citizens of higher socioeconomic status participate more in politics than citizens of lower
socioeconomic status.
c.
Among blacks and whites of equal levels of education, blacks participate in politics more than do
whites.
d.
Among people without a high school diploma, blacks are more likely to vote than are whites.
e.
Across all levels of income and education, whites are more likely to participate than are blacks.

15.

When it comes to questions about the scope of government,

a.
more Americans today believe that government is getting too powerful compared to Americans in
the mid-1960s.
b.
most Americans report never having thought about the scope of government power.
c.
a plurality of Americans support more government spending on programs such as education,
health care, protecting the environment, and fighting crime.
d.
many Americans oppose big government in principle but favor it in practice.
e.
All of the above are true.

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Multiple Choice Questions

1.

Demography refers to
a.
the science of population changes.
b.
the science of public opinion.
c.
the science of democracy.
d.
the U.S. census planning process.
e.
constitutional rules governing reapportionment of Congress.

2.

The most valuable method for understanding demographic changes in America is the
a.
Statistical Abstract of the United States.
b.
public opinion poll.
c.
U.S. census.
d.
turnout in presidential elections.
e.
Internal Revenue Service statistical tax abstracts.

3.

________ is the distribution of the populations beliefs about politics and policy issues.
a.
Random sampling
b.
Direct mail
c.
Political socialization
d.
Public opinion
e.
Political ideology

4.

Public opinion is defined in the text as

a.
opinions that are expressible in public, as opposed to the more truthful private opinions that most
individuals are reluctant to state publicly.
b.
beliefs about government held by a majority of people.
c.
opinions solicited from a random sample of the public.
d.
the distribution of the populations beliefs about politics and policy.
e.
widely held beliefs about the publics role in politics and policy.

5.

Who said America is not merely a nation but a nation of nations?

a.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
b.
John F. Kennedy
c.
Ronald Reagan
d.
Bill Clinton
e.
George W. Bush

6.

Which of the following statements about immigration in the U.S. is TRUE?

a.
Federal law permits up to 1 million new immigrants to be legally admitted to the U.S. every year.
b.
Federal law permits up to 5 million new immigrants to be legally admitted to the U.S. every year.
c.
In recent years, illegal immigrants have outnumbered legal immigrants.
d.
Few immigrants, only about 5 percent, in the U.S. have become American citizens.
e.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 30 percent of the nations population is comprised of
immigrants.

7.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately what percentage of the nations population is
constituted by immigrants?
a.
5 percent
b.
8 percent
c.
12 percent
d.
20 percent
e.
25 percent

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8.

The _________ refers to the emergence of a non-Caucasian majority, as compared with a white, generally
Anglo-Saxon, majority.
a.
melting pot
b.
minority majority
c.
immigrant population
d.
population explosion
e.
majority minority

9.

Hispanics account for approximately ____ percent of the U.S. population, African Americans ____ percent,
and Asian Americans _____ percent.
a.
15, 13, 5
b.
13, 15, 5
c.
5, 15, 13
d.
2, 3, 1
e.
20, 30, 10

10.

Approximately what percentage of non-Hispanic whites lives below the poverty line?
a.
2 percent
b.
9 percent
c.
15 percent
d.
20 percent
e.
30 percent

11.

The most recent wave of immigration since World War II has consisted primarily of
a.
Africans.
b.
Hispanics and Asians.
c.
northwestern Europeans.
d.
southern and eastern Europeans.
e.
refugees from communist countries.

12.

African Americans comprise what percentage of the American population, approximately?

a.
5 percent
b.
7 percent
c.
13 percent
d.
17 percent
e.
27 percent

13.

Hispanics comprise approximately what percentage of the American population?

a.
3 percent
b.
15 percent
c.
23 percent
d.
33 percent
e.
43 percent

14.

The ________ Act required that as of 1987, employers document the citizenship or legal immigrant status
of their employees or face substantial criminal penalties for failing to do so.
a.
National Origins
b.
Simpson-Mazzoli
c.
National Labor Relations
d.
Hatch
e.
Immigrant Employment

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15.

Reapportionment occurs after every census to reallocate seats in

a.
the Senate.
b.
the presidents cabinet.
c.
the Supreme Court.
d.
the House of Representatives.
e.
both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

16.

In 1960, there were ________ workers per retiree; today there are ____ workers per retiree.
a.
2; 3
b.
3; 2
c.
5.7; 3
d.
3; 5.7
e.
1; 5.7

17.

The process through which an individual acquires his or her particular political orientations, including his
or her knowledge, feelings, and evaluations regarding his or her political world, is known as
a.
political orientation.
b.
demography.
c.
political socialization.
d.
political ideology.
e.
political indoctrination.

18.

Which of the following statements about political socialization is FALSE?

a.
As people become more socialized with age, their political orientations grow weaker.
b.
As people become more socialized with age, their political orientations grow stronger.
c.
Governments aim their socialization efforts primarily at the young.
d.
Americans obtain most of their political socialization from their families and their teachers.
e.
All of the above are false.

19.

Which of the following statements about processes of political socialization is TRUE?

a.
Average school age children spend more time each week at school than they spend watching TV.
b.
The older children get, the more television displaces parents as the chief source of information.
c.
Todays young Americans are more likely than older Americans to read newspapers.
d.
Todays young Americans are more likely than older Americans to pay attention to the news.
e.
Todays young Americans are more likely than older Americans to participate in politics.

20.

Scientific public opinion polling first began in 1932 by

a.
George Gallup.
b.
the Democratic Party.
c.
Louis Harris.
d.
the Associated Press.
e.
Henry Luce.

21.

In public opinion polling, a sample as small as about ________ people can faithfully represent the
universe of Americans.
a.
500
b.
1,500
c.
5,000
d.
10,000
e.
50,000

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22.

The key to the accuracy of public opinion polls is

a.
political ideology.
b.
polygraphs.
c.
random sampling.
d.
the larger the size of the sample, the better.
e.
political socialization.

23.

Sampling error describes

a.
how many samples a survey estimate is based on.
b.
what percentage of the sample provided answers to the questions.
c.
how close a sample estimate is to the real population value.
d.
how often a sample statistic is correct.
e.
how many samples are incorrect.

24.

The technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers is
called
a.
censusing.
b.
sampling.
c.
random-digit-dialing.
d.
cold calling.
e.
push polling.

25.

Random sampling in public opinion polling operates on the principle that

a.
the answers to include in aggregate poll results must be selected by chance in order to maximize
accuracy.
b.
everyone should have an equal probability of being selected.
c.
the questions to be asked of a given respondent must be selected randomly so that all respondents
are asked the same question the same number of times.
d.
the larger the number of people who are polled, the greater the accuracy of the poll.
e.
Both b and c are true.

26.

The 1936 Literary Digest poll underestimated the vote for President Franklin Roosevelt by 19 percent
because
a.
the sample was drawn from telephone books and motor vehicle records.
b.
the literary intelligentsia as a group never did like Roosevelt.
c.
the sample was too small.
d.
not enough women were interviewed.
e.
people did not tell the truth.

27.

A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen as representative of the whole is called a(n)
a.
quota.
b.
population.
c.
census.
d.
sample.
e.
cohort.

28.

Concerns about reliance of pollsters on telephone surveys have recently been caused by
a.
decreased chances of finding people at home.
b.
increased use of random-digit dialing.
c.
increased nonlisting of phone numbers.
d.
increased use of cell phones.
e.
a decrease in no-call lists.

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29.

Which of the following statements about public opinion polling is FALSE?

a.
Public opinion polling started in 1932 with George Gallup.
b.
Sample sizes are getting smaller, not larger.
c.
The amount of public opinion polling has increased in recent years.
d.
Public opinion polling is a uniquely American phenomenon.
e.
A sample of 1,500 people is enough to relatively accurately reflect the universe of American
people.

30.

In their research on politicians use of public opinion polling, Jacobs and Shapiro found that
a.
politicians track public opinion to make public policy.
b.
politicians do not really track public opinion.
c.
politicians track public opinion to help them craft public presentations and win public support for
their parties.
d.
politicians track public opinion to identify centrist positions that will have their broadest popular
appeal when it comes to public policy.
e.
politicians spend so much time tracking public opinion that they have little time to spend on
actually leading the country.

31.

Voters who support a political candidate merely because they see others doing so is called the _____ effect.
a.
bandwagon
b.
pollster
c.
horse race
d.
nuts-and-bolts
e.
random sampling

32.

The paradox of mass politics refers to the fact that

a.
the American political system works fairly well despite Americans lack of political knowledge.
b.
more Americans can name the three stooges than can name the three branches of government.
c.
young Americans score poorly on measures of knowledge of world geography.
d.
Americans distrust public opinion polls but expect their elected leaders to be responsive to them.
e.
politicians distrust public opinion polls but nonetheless rely on them to develop campaign and
policy strategies.

33.

The procedure for conducting ____________ includes randomly selected voting places around the country
and asking every tenth person how they voted.
a.
absentee balloting
b.
a referendum
c.
the U.S. Census
d.
reapportionment
e.
an exit poll

34.

A political ideology is
a.
the process through which an individual acquires his or her political skills.
b.
a relatively small proportion of people who are chosen as representative of the whole.
c.
the distribution of the populations beliefs about politics and policy issues.
d.
the set of courses that a political science student must complete to attain a degree.
e.
a coherent set of values and beliefs about public policy.

35.

Which of the following is TRUE about most liberals in American politics?

a.
They favor keeping taxes and government spending low.
b.
They believe we should guard carefully the rights of defendants in criminal cases.
c.
They are supportive of prayer in public schools.
d.
They oppose abortion.
e.
They oppose gun control legislation.

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36.

Which of the following statements about the differences between liberals and conservatives is FALSE?
a.
Liberals generally think we should spend less on military spending; conservatives are more likely
to support maintaining higher levels of military strength.
b.
Liberals seek to tax the rich more; conservatives seek to maintain the free market and tax the rich
less.
c.
Liberals are more likely to favor military intervention around the globe; conservatives are less
willing to commit troops to action.
d.
Liberals generally believe that we can solve the problems that cause crime; conservatives believe
that we should stop coddling criminals.
e.
Liberals tend to support affirmative action; conservatives tend to oppose it.

37.

Conservatives would tend to support each of the following EXCEPT

a.
affirmative action.
b.
low taxes.
c.
increased military spending.
d.
free-market solutions.
e.
the right to life.

38.

Which of the following statements about Americans political ideology is FALSE?

a.
More Americans choose the ideological label of conservative over liberal.
b.
Among people under the age of 30, there are just as many liberals as conservatives.
c.
The younger the individual, the more likely that person is to be conservative.
d.
More Americans identify as moderates than identify as liberals.
e.
Groups with political clout tend to be more conservative than those who lack access to political
power.

39.

The regular pattern by which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates than men is known
as
a.
the feminine mystique.
b.
the gender gap.
c.
reverse discrimination.
d.
affirmative action.
e.
liberal bias.

40.

Which of the following demographic groups in the most liberal group in America?
a.
Women
b.
Jews
c.
Catholics
d.
Protestants
e.
Muslims

41.

Which of the following statements regarding religion and ideology is FALSE?

a.
Most Jews tend to be more conservative than liberal.
b.
The ideological gap between Catholics and Protestants is smaller than the gender gap.
c.
Born-again Christians are the most conservative demographic group.
d.
People who have no religious affiliation are more liberal then conservative.
e.
None of the above; all statements are true.

42.

Which of these groups tends to be the most conservative?

a.
Groups with political clout
b.
Women
c.
Younger voters
d.
African Americans
e.
Hispanics

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43.

According to the classic study, The American Voter, done in the 1950s, most Americans fell into the
category of
a.
group benefits voters.
b.
ideologues.
c.
no-issue-content voters.
d.
anti-ideologues.
e.
nature-of-the-times voters.

44.

According to the categories used in the classic study The American Voter, those who voted for a party out
of routine or judged candidates strictly by their personalities were classified as
a.
group benefits voters.
b.
nature-of-the-times voters.
c.
ideologues.
d.
personalistic voters.
e.
no-issue-content voters.

45.

If the exact same methods are used to update the analysis of The American Voter study, one finds
a.
there are more no-issue-content voters than group benefit voters in 1988.
b.
a dramatic increase in the number of authoritarian personalities since 1956.
c.
only some increase in the percentage of ideologues in 2000 compared to 1956.
d.
half as many nature-of-the-times voters in 1988 than in 1956.
e.
ideologues became a plurality in 1988.

46.

According to Morris Fiorina,

a.
the views of most Americans are extreme, polarized, unconditional, and dogmatic.
b.
the U.S. is not in the midst of a major political culture war but, rather, is surrounded by a culture
war between a small group of liberal and conservative elites.
c.
differences between conservatives and liberals among the citizenry have never been greater.
d.
Americans really are ideological, contrary to what The American Voter argued several decades
ago.
e.
America is in the midst of a major cultural war, defined primarily by the debate over same-sex
marriage and gay rights.

47.

Which of the following is NOT supported by empirical data on attitudes toward gays and lesbians?
a.
Public support for gays and lesbians has increased since the 1980s.
b.
Public support for gays and lesbians has declined since the 1980s.
c.
Liberals have consistently been more supportive of gays and lesbians since the 1980s.
d.
Support for gays and lesbians is reflective of a political culture war in which liberals and
conservatives are completely opposed to one another.
e.
Young people within each ideological group express more favorable views of gays and lesbians.

48.

Which of the following is TRUE in regard to the voting habits of African Americans and Hispanic
Americans?
a.
They have always voted about as much as whites despite legal barriers.
b.
The gap between their voter turnout and that of whites has widened considerably over the past
thirty years.
c.
Members of these groups are less likely to vote the higher their income.
d.
Members of these groups are more likely to vote than whites of the same income level.
e.
Among people without high school diplomas, whites are more likely than blacks to vote.

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49.

Which of the following is true of income and political participation?

a.
People with higher incomes are more likely to donate money to campaigns, to contact politicians,
to attend public meetings, and to sign petitions than individuals at lower income levels.
b.
People at higher income levels are more likely to sign petitions and attend meetings than to
contact politicians or donate money to campaigns.
c.
Donating money is the most frequent form of political participation regardless of income.
d.
All of these are true.
e.
None of these is true.

50.

Which of the following statements is FALSE when it comes to ideology and the scope of government?
a.
Central to the ideology of the Republican Party is the belief that the scope of American
government has become too wide.
b.
For much of the America population, questions about the scope of the government have elicited no
opinion at all.
c.
Although most Americans think the government is too big, a plurality has consistently called for
more spending on programs such as education.
d.
Central to the ideology of the Democratic Party is the belief that the scope of American
government has become too wide.
e.
The average American is not well informed about crucial issues, including the scope of
government.

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