American Democracy Now 4th Edition Harrison Test Bank 1

Chapter 06 - Political Socialization and Public Opinion
American Democracy Now 4th Edition Harrison

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Chapter 06
Political Socialization and Public Opinion
Multiple Choice Questions
1. (p. 190) The process by which individuals acquire their opinions is called
A. popular culture.
B. social communication.
C. socioeconomic change.
D. political socialization.
E. political assimilation.
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Critical Thinking: Understand
Difficulty: 1
Teaching Emphasis: Political Socialization and Public Opinion
Text Answer Hint: Political Socialization and Civic Participation
6-1
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McGraw-Hill Education.
2. (p. 191) Studies indicate that children whose parents participate in civic life are ________ to
do so themselves.
A. about as likely
B. more likely
C. less likely
D. much less likely
E. None of these answers is correct.

Difficulty: 1
6-2
3. (p. 191) Which of the following political socialization agents has the overall greatest impact
on forming political beliefs?
A. demographic characteristics
B. political leaders
C. groups
D. peers
E. school

Difficulty: 1
4. (p. 191) Which factors have social scientists argued exert the strongest influence on political
socialization?
A. family and school
B. family and the media
C. school and the media
D. school and civic participation
E. civic participation and the media

Difficulty: 1
5. (p. 192) Which socialization agent has the first major impact on a child?
A. peers
B. church
C. political leaders
D. family
E. community leaders

Critical Thinking: Remember
Difficulty: 2
6-3
6. (p. 193) Since 1956, the first- through twelfth-grade Weekly Reader student poll has correctly
predicted the outcome of every presidential election. What is the best explanation for this?
A. Children mimic that behavior of their parents.
B. The media have a strong influence on children.
C. Stratified sampling is used.
D. It is a highly effective random sample.
E. Children are likely to vote like the majority of their community, therefore making the poll
an accurate predictor.

Difficulty: 2
Text Answer Hint: Agents of Socialization
7. (p. 193) Which of the following is NOT a way in which the media contributes to political
socialization of Americans?
A. The media aid in shaping societal norms.
B. The media help determine the national agenda.
C. The media educate the public about policy issues.
D. The media play a stronger role than any other agent of socialization.
E. The media can skew people's perception of public policy priorities.

Difficulty: 2
8. (p. 193) When are children in the United States first exposed to socialization by being
encouraged to believe in democracy and express patriotism?
A. preschool
B. kindergarten
C. elementary school
D. middle school
E. high school

Difficulty: 2
6-4
9. (p. 193) White Protestants are MOST likely to vote

A. Independent.
B. Democrat.
C. Republican.
D. Libertarian.

Difficulty: 2
10. (p. 194) Among white voters, a large proportion of highly religious people are
A. Republican.
B. Democrat.
C. Independent.
D. inactive in politics.
E. more likely to switch back and forth between parties.

Difficulty: 2
11. (p. 194) No matter how religious they are, ________ are likely to identify themselves as
Democrats.
A. white Americans
B. African Americans
C. Asian Americans
D. Hispanic Americans
E. Native Americans

Difficulty: 2
6-5
12. (p. 194) The largest proportion of nonreligious Americans are

A. Republican.
B. Democrat.
C. Independent.
D. inactive in politics.
E. more likely to switch back and forth between parties.

Difficulty: 2
13. (p. 195) According to the Gallup poll cited in the text, when asked if they considered
themselves pro-choice or pro-life,
A. most respondents did not give a preference.
B. a substantial majority of respondents stated they were pro-choice.
C. a substantial majority of respondents stated they were pro-life.
D. the respondents were about evenly split between pro-choice and pro-life.
E. most respondents did not understand the question.

Difficulty: 2
14. (p. 196) The primary function of peers as socialization agents is to

A. challenge our ingrained perspectives from childhood.
B. prompt us to conform to societal norms.
C. lead us to embrace diversity.
D. encourage us to explore new ways of thinking.
E. reinforce existing beliefs and attitudes.

Difficulty: 3
6-6
15. (p. 196) The increased priority among average Americans for wage equality demonstrates the
prominent role that the ________ plays in shaping Americans' views.
A. speaker of the House
B. House majority leader
C. House minority leader
D. president
E. vice president

Difficulty: 1
16. (p. 196) Whites, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans hold ________ political
views.
A. identical
B. very similar
C. somewhat similar
D. different

Difficulty: 2
17. (p. 197) Out of the following groups, which youth cohort is the most politically engaged?
A. whites
C. Native Americans
D. Latinos
E. Asian Americans

Difficulty: 2
6-7
18. (p. 197) Out of the following groups, which youth cohort is more likely to be involved in
community activities?
A. whites
C. Native Americans
D. Latinos
E. Asian Americans

Difficulty: 2
19. (p. 197) Which youth cohort, out of the following groups, is the most likely to have engaged
in political protests?
A. whites
C. Native Americans
D. Latinos
E. Asian Americans

Difficulty: 2
20. (p. 198) Which youth cohort, out of the following groups, is LEAST likely to have engaged
in political protests?
A. whites
C. Native Americans
D. Latinos
E. Asian Americans

Difficulty: 2
6-8
21. (p. 198) Public polls and voting behavior indicate that men and women have ________ views
on many issues.
A. largely identical
B. very similar
C. somewhat similar
D. somewhat different
E. very different

Difficulty: 2
22. (p. 198) Which presidential election first revealed the existence of the gender gap?
A. 1968
B. 1976
C. 1980
D. 1984
E. 1992

Difficulty: 2
23. (p. 198) Women are more likely to vote than men in every age group EXCEPT
A. those under 25.
B. those aged 25-34.
C. those aged 35-44.
D. those aged 45-54.
E. those over 55.

Difficulty: 2
6-9
24. (p. 198) On the issue of _______, men's and women's opinions differ very little.
A. gun ownership
B. abortion
C. government activism
D. gender equality
E. women's rights

Difficulty: 2
25. (p. 198) Men are about ________ more likely to favor the death penalty than women.
A. 5 percent
B. 10 percent
C. 15 percent
D. 20 percent
E. 25 percent

Difficulty: 2
26. (p. 198) In which of the following years was President Obama's approval rating the highest?
A. 2009
B. 2010
C. 2011
D. 2012
E. 2013

Difficulty: 2
6-10
27. (p. 198) Polls measuring approval of the way President Obama handles his job show that
A. men consistently give the president a higher rating than women do.
B. women consistently give the president a higher rating than men do.
C. men and women give the president essentially the same approval rating.
D. men gave the president a higher approval rating than women did until 2011, when the trend
switched.
E. women gave the president a higher approval rating than men did until 2011, when the trend
switched.

Difficulty: 2
28. (p. 199) As compared to men, women are more likely to be attracted to all of these forms of
activism EXCEPT
A. volunteering.
B. running, walking, and biking.
C. charity fund-raising activities.
D. neighborhood and community mediation.
E. persuading others to vote.

Difficulty: 2
29. (p. 199) Generational effects tend to be felt most strongly by which group?
A. old people
B. women
C. young people
D. men
E. Latinos

Difficulty: 2
6-11
30. (p. 199) Which of these events is a strong example of the generational effect on oldest
Americans?
A. World War II
B. September 11, 2001
C. the Vietnam War
D. the Civil War
E. the Persian Gulf War

Difficulty: 2
31. (p. 200) Among the important regional differences in political outlook in the United States is
that between
A. the Northeast and the South.
B. the Northeast and the West.
C. the Midwest and the West.
D. the South and the Midwest.
E. the South and the West.

Difficulty: 2
32. (p. 200) Which regions tend to favor the Democrats?

A. the Northeast and the Midwest
B. the West Coast and the South
C. the South and the West Coast
D. most major cities and the West
E. the Northeast, the West Coast, and most major cities

Difficulty: 1
6-12
33. (p. 200) Which regions tend to favor the Republicans?

A. the West and most major cities
B. the West Coast and the South
C. the South and most major cities
D. the Midwest and the Northeast
E. the South, the West, and the Midwest

Difficulty: 1
34. (p. 200) Which region is the most Protestant compared to other regions in the United States?
A. the West
B. the West Coast
C. the South
D. the Midwest
E. the Northeast

Difficulty: 2
35. (p. 200) Which region has the largest Catholic and Jewish populations compared to other
regions in the United States?
A. the West
B. the West Coast
C. the South
D. the Midwest
E. the Northeast

Difficulty: 2
6-13
36. (p. 201) Which region has the largest population of those without a religious affiliation,
compared to other regions in the United States?
A. the West
B. the major cities
C. the South
D. the Midwest
E. the Northeast

Difficulty: 2
37. (p. 201) Public opinion and ________ are inextricably linked because the latter is the prism
through which people view all political issues.
A. tradition
B. ideology
C. religion
D. family dynamics
E. personal belief

Critical Thinking: Analyze
Difficulty: 3
Text Answer Hint: Measuring Public Opinion
38. (p. 201) Which of the following are examples of manifestations of popular opinion?
A. public demonstrations
B. looting and destruction of public property
C. writing letters to the editor in local newspapers
D. writing to congressmen and other federal officials
E. public demonstrations; writing letters to the editor in local newspapers; and writing to
congressmen and other federal officials

Difficulty: 2
6-14
39. (p. 201) Which of the following is the EARLIEST example of American politicians trying to
shape public opinion?
A. the publication of The Federalist Papers
B. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
C. William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech in the 1890s
D. Franklin D. Roosevelt's fireside chats during the Depression
E. Abolitionist newspapers published in the years before the Civil War

Difficulty: 2
40. (p. 201) Which of the following statements about public opinion is NOT true?
A. Public opinion is itself a socializing agent.
B. Public opinion is measured in part through the act of voting.
C. Public opinion is used to craft policies to help politicians gain reelection.
D. Public opinion is only recently important to American politics.
E. Public opinion is manifested in many ways.

Difficulty: 2
41. (p. 201) Which of the following BEST describes a straw poll?
A. representative
B. unscientific
C. credible
D. random
E. stratified

Difficulty: 2
6-15
42. (p. 201) Which presidential election destroyed the credibility of the Literary Digest poll?
A. 1924 election
B. 1928 election
C. 1932 election
D. 1936 election
E. 1940 election

Difficulty: 2
43. (p. 202) What was the main reason why the Literary Digest eventually failed to predict the
outcome of a presidential election?
A. poorly worded question
B. small sample size
C. stopping polling too far away from the election
D. unrepresentative sample
E. math error

Critical Thinking: Analyze
Difficulty: 2
44. (p. 202) Who founded the American Institute of Public Opinion in 1935?
A. Alf Landon
B. Herbert Asher
C. Walter Lippmann
D. George Gallup
E. Thomas E. Dewey

Difficulty: 2
6-16
45. (p. 202) Which was the only presidential election in which the Gallup poll erred badly?
A. 1928 Hoover-Smith
B. 1936 Roosevelt-Landon
C. 1948 Truman-Dewey
D. 1964 Johnson-Goldwater
E. 2000 Bush-Gore

Difficulty: 2
46. (p. 203) According to the British Broadcasting Company survey in the text, in which of the
following countries is there the MOST support for equal rights for women?
A. Iran
B. Nigeria
C. India
D. Russia
E. Mexico

Difficulty: 2
47. (p. 203) According to the British Broadcasting Company survey in the text, in which of the
following countries is there the LEAST support for equal rights for women?
A. United States
B. Argentina
C. China
D. India
E. France

Difficulty: 2
6-17
48. (p. 203) What is the first thing someone who is conducting a poll needs to do?
A. construct unbiased questions
B. determine a target population
C. select a sample
D. pick a survey measurement instrument
E. group participants by ideology

Difficulty: 2
49. (p. 204) Because it is impossible to measure everyone's opinions, pollsters frequently rely on
A. random sampling.
B. quota sampling.
C. stratified sampling.
D. qualitative sampling.
E. quantitative sampling.

Difficulty: 2
50. (p. 204) Pollsters that structure a sample so that it is representative of the characteristics of a
target population are using what type of sampling?
A. random sampling
B. quota sampling
C. stratified sampling
D. qualitative sampling
E. quantitative sampling

Difficulty: 2
6-18
51. (p. 204) For the purposes of stratified sampling, how many sampling regions are there in the
United States?
A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five
E. six

Difficulty: 2
52. (p. 205) Most national polling organizations rarely poll more than ________ respondents.
A. 100
B. 150
C. 500
D. 1,000
E. 1,500

Difficulty: 2
53. (p. 205) When polling a state or congressional district, a polling organization will typically
use a sample size of
A. 80-100.
B. 150-200.
C. 300-500.
D. 800-1,000.
E. 1,000-1,500.

Difficulty: 3
6-19
54. (p. 205) The key to a successful sample is to have a sample that
A. accurately reflects the population.
B. is exactly five percent of the population that is being polled.
C. is under 100 participants.
D. each participant is hand selected according to political views.
E. is polled only when it is ensured that they have enough time to answer the questions.

Difficulty: 2
55. (p. 206) Currently, pollsters are focused on this as a promising source of public opinion
measurement in the future:
A. the landline telephone.
B. face-to-face interviews.
C. Postal Service mail.
D. the Internet.
E. interactive television.

Difficulty: 2
56. (p. 206) A poll that measures changes in public opinion over time is known as a
A. straw poll.
B. Gallup poll.
C. tracking poll.
D. push poll.
E. exit poll.

Difficulty: 2
6-20
57. (p. 206) A poll that provides campaigns with information on candidate strengths and
weaknesses, and also tries to skew public opinion is a
A. straw poll.
B. Gallup poll.
C. tracking poll.
D. push poll.
E. exit poll.

Difficulty: 2
58. (p. 206) A poll of which type would be most likely to ask the following question? "If you
found out that Representative Jones participated in several unsavory financial transactions,
would it affect your vote?"
A. straw poll
B. Gallup poll
C. tracking poll
D. push poll
E. exit poll

Difficulty: 2
59. (p. 207) ________ are frequently sponsored by news organizations on election days, who use
them to help predict outcomes of presidential or other national races.
A. Straw polls
B. Gallup polls
C. Tracking polls
D. Push polls
E. Exit polls

Difficulty: 2
6-21
60. (p. 207) Since 2008, which of the following issues has been identified by respondents as the
"most important problem" facing the country?
A. jobs
B. the housing market
C. the economy
D. foreign wars
E. the threat of terrorism

Difficulty: 2
Text Answer Hint: What Americans Think about Politics
61. (p. 209) The recent decline in trust in the institution of the presidency is closely related to
A. anxiety over the direction of America's foreign policy.
B. concerns over whether the executive branch can be a force for positive change.
C. worries over government corruption and waste.
D. public approval of individual presidents.
E. public perceptions of America's economic health.

Difficulty: 2
62. (p. 209) Which branch of the federal government consistently scores higher in levels of
public trust than others?
A. federal bureaucracy
B. executive branch
C. judicial branch
D. legislative branch
E. Department of Justice

Difficulty: 2
6-22
Essay Questions
63. Identify the two main influences of political socialization that we experience from early
childhood.
Historically, social scientists have identified the family and school as the two major
influences on political socialization. Our families teach us that it is—or is not—valuable to be
an informed citizen, and they coach us in civic participation. Schools influence our political
socialization by teaching us shared cultural values. Both family and schools establish within
us our foundations of political and civic awareness.
64. Discuss the ways in which the media act as an agent of political socialization.
As ever-present fixtures in our daily lives, and particularly in the lives of young Americans,
the media contribute to our political socialization in several ways. They help shape social
norms, and impart and distribute values. They also help determine the national agenda, help
educate people about public policy issues, and can skew people's perception of public policy
priorities and challenges.
65. Explain the relationship between peer groups, diversity, and norms and values.
Friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other peers influence political socialization, particularly at
younger ages. Through peers, we learn about community, political climate, and local values.
Most research indicates peers reinforce our pre-existing values, largely because we tend to
select peers with similar norms and values.
66. Define the gender gap and provide examples of its visibility on certain issues.
The gender gap is the term used to describe the differences in views and voting patterns
between men and women. Public opinion polls and voting data confirm this gap, which
indicates that men and women hold very different views on certain issues. Voter turnout
patterns increase the effect of the gap. Issues where it is visible include the optimal role of
government, terrorism policy, and foreign military conflicts.
6-23
67. Identify the role geographic region plays in forming public opinion.
Geographic region plays a significant role in shaping political attitudes. These differences
stem from historical migration patterns and reveal significant regional differences, such as
that between the Northeast and the South. Along with migration, religious affiliation plays a
role in shaping these regional differences, with Protestants dominant in the South, and large
numbers of Jews and Catholics in the Northeast.
68. Explain the role of the public opinion poll in American politics.
Public opinion polls are used for various purposes in the United States. Defined as surveys of
a given population's opinion on an issue at a particular point in time, public opinion polls are
used by policy makers, political candidates, the general public, and the media. All these
groups see public opinion polls as indicators of public approval or disapproval of policy and
governance.
69. Define quota sampling and explain its uses.
Quota sampling is a form of sampling used in public opinion polls. This method is considered
more statistically accurate than random sampling; it structures the sample so that it is
representative of the target population. This method is particularly useful in diverse
demographic environments such as cities. Pollsters and others routinely rely on quota
sampling.
70. Identify issues associated with Internet sampling techniques.
Although Internet polls are becoming increasingly popular, they present their own set of
obstacles, including issues associated with equal access—not everyone owns or has access to
Internet-ready devices—and multiple repeat responses. Internet polls can also be skewed due
to their use as part of "membership" programs, which reward respondents for completing
surveys that help create representative samples of target populations.
6-24
71. Identify the types of information that can be derived from tracking polls, and which
organizations or individuals employ them.
Tracking polls measure changes in public opinion over the course of days, weeks, and months
by repeatedly asking respondents the same questions and measuring changes in opinion. They
have been seen as an accurate indicator in presidential elections since 1992. They are also
useful in indicating the effectiveness of media strategies and campaigning, or whether the
campaign's message is working.
72. Outline how Americans have changed their responses to the "most important problem"
question in public opinion polls between 2001 and 2014.
Between 2001 and 2014, respondents to the "most important problem" facing America
question have shifted their emphases. Early in the decade, foreign wars, such as those in Iraq
and Afghanistan, were the most common responses. However, since 2008, the economy has
eclipsed foreign entanglements as the most commonly cited response to this question. Other
problems cited include immigration, terrorism, health care, and gas prices.
6-25

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Chapter 06 - Political Socialization and Public Opinion

American Democracy Now 4th Edition Harrison

Multiple Choice Questions

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9. (p. 193) White Protestants are MOST likely to vote

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12. (p. 194) The largest proportion of nonreligious Americans are

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14. (p. 196) The primary function of peers as socialization agents is to

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32. (p. 200) Which regions tend to favor the Democrats?

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33. (p. 200) Which regions tend to favor the Republicans?

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