Test Bank For We The People Core Tenth Edition

Test Bank for We the People, Core Tenth Edition
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CHAPTER 06: Public Opinion
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The term public opinion is used to describe

a. the president’s collected speeches and writings during his term in office.
b. the analysis of events broadcasted by reporters during the evening news.
c. beliefs and attitudes toward different issues, events, and people.
d. the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions.
e. political debates that take place between citizens in public settings.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: Defining Public Opinion
OBJ: Define public opinion and identify broad types of values and beliefs Americans have about
politics MSC: Remembering
2. ________ encompasses citizens’ attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events.
a. Public opinion d. Political propaganda
b. Geopolitics e. Cultural philosophy
c. Public ideology
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: Defining Public Opinion
3. A political ideology is best defined as

a. the specific preferences individuals contemplate while discussing an issue.
b. the basic principles that shape particular attitudes.
c. a cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about the government.
d. the concrete interests that people try to defend through public policy.
e. the various attitudes that citizens possess toward political issues, events, and people.
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: Defining Public Opinion
4. The complex set of beliefs and values that, as a whole, form a general philosophy about the
government is called ________.
a. public opinion d. political efficacy
b. political ideology e. political sophistication
c. political socialization
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: Defining Public Opinion
5. The difference between a political value and a political attitude is that

a. values are conservative while attitudes are liberal.
b. values are liberal while attitudes are conservative.
c. values are held for a short term while attitudes are held for a long term.
d. values are basic principles while attitudes are specific preferences.
e. values are specific preferences while attitudes are basic principles.
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: Defining Public Opinion
6. The belief that government is a wasteful and dangerous institution and should be limited to as few
activities as possible is an example of a political ________.
a. culture d. truism
b. value e. interest
c. ideology
7. Which of the following statements about political opinions is FALSE?

a. Race, income, and education cause important differences in opinion.
b. The poor are generally more supportive of economic and social programs than the
wealthy.
c. The poor are generally less supportive of economic and social programs than the wealthy.
d. Whites and blacks have differing views on racism.
e. Women are more opposed to military intervention than men.
8. ________ ushered in the tax revolt and the deregulation of many government policies in the 1980s.
a. Jimmy Carter d. George W. Bush
b. Richard Nixon e. Ronald Reagan
c. Mario Cuomo
ANS: E DIF: Medium REF: How We Form Political Opinions
OBJ: Explain the major forces that shape specific individual opinions
MSC: Remembering
9. Which of the following terms describe America’s fundamental political values?

a. liberal and conservative
b. Republican and Democrat
c. internationalist and isolationist
d. independent and moderate
e. liberty, equality of opportunity, and democracy
ANS: E DIF: Medium REF: Defining Public Opinion
politics MSC: Understanding
10. ________ support abortion rights and oppose state involvement with religious institutions.
a. Liberals d. Internationalists
b. Conservatives e. Isolationists
c. Socialists
11. The fact that Americans strongly support the idea that governmental interference with individuals’
lives and property should be kept to a minimum illustrates their commitment to ________.
a. anarchy d. equality
b. democracy e. socialism
c. liberty
politics MSC: Applying
12. ________ is one of the most important mechanisms for obtaining equality of opportunity.
a. Public education d. Commerce
b. Affirmative action e. Health care
c. Transportation
13. ________ is the most important core value of liberalism.

a. Liberty d. Justice
b. Democracy e. Patriotism
c. Equality
14. ________ is the core political value most highly prioritized by American conservatives.
a. Democracy d. Family
b. Liberty e. Justice
c. Equality
15. A socialist is someone who believes that

a. government should be very active in providing universal health care but very inactive in
all other spheres.
b. government should be very active in providing universal education but very inactive in all
other spheres.
c. government should be very active in promoting national defense but very inactive in all
other spheres.
d. government should be very active in many spheres in order to reduce economic and social
inequality.
e. government is wasteful and should be limited to as few spheres of activity as possible.
16. Liberalism and conservatism are good examples of

a. public opinions. d. political interests.
b. political attitudes. e. political preferences.
c. political ideologies.
17. Opposition to legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________ while support for
legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ________.
a. liberals; conservatives d. liberals; libertarians
b. conservatives; liberals e. libertarians; liberals
c. libertarians; conservatives
18. Which of the following statements about the ideological preferences of Americans is FALSE?
a. More Americans have identified themselves as conservatives than as liberals over the last
twenty years.
b. The percentage of Americans identifying themselves as liberals has increased significantly
since the 1990s.
c. More Americans have identified themselves as moderates than as liberals over the last
twenty years.
d. Prior to 2000, there were almost no Americans who identified themselves as liberal.
e. More Americans have identified themselves as libertarians rather than as conservatives
over the last twenty years.
19. Which of the following is true of trust in government?

a. People have more trust in government today than in the 1960s.
b. Republicans have more trust in government than Democrats.
c. Very low trust in government is a reality in contemporary politics.
d. Very high trust in government is a reality in contemporary politics.
e. Americans had more trust in government when George W. Bush was president than during
John F. Kennedy’s tenure.
20. A liberal would most likely support

a. an expansion in governmental social services.
b. an increase in the federal military budget.
c. prayer in the public schools.
d. a ban on abortions.
e. a reduction in foreign aid for poor countries.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: Defining Public Opinion
21. Conservatives are more likely than liberals to support

a. government regulation of business. d. the expansion of government activity.
b. abortion rights. e. gay rights.
c. school prayer.
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: Defining Public Opinion
22. The process by which underlying political values are formed is known as
a. political socialization. d. value enhancing.
b. ideological education. e. attitudinal evolution.
c. brainwashing.
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Remembering
23. People’s political party preferences are primarily acquired through the influence of
a. their families. d. the media they consume.
b. the region of the country they inhabit. e. their occupation.
c. their education.
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Remembering
24. Which of the following statements best describes perceptions of racism among African Americans and
whites?
a. African Americans are more likely than whites to believe that racism is very common in
the United States today.
b. Whites are more likely than African Americans to believe that racism is very common in
c. Large majorities of both African Americans and whites believe there is no racism in the
United States today.
d. Large majorities of both African Americans and whites believe racism is very common in
e. Large majorities of both African Americans and whites have no opinion on whether
racism is common in the United States today.
MSC: Remembering
25. The term gender gap refers to

a. differences in political opinions between men and women.
b. differences in education and income levels for men and women.
c. differing levels of political participation between the genders.
d. differences in fundamental political values held by men and women.
e. differences in the amount of attention elected officials give to men and women in their
campaign speeches.
MSC: Remembering
26. What did the framers identify as the greatest source of political conflict for the United States?
a. racial inequalities
b. geographic differences
c. differences between the rich and poor
d. conflicts between central and local governments
e. conflicts between members of different racial groups
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Remembering
27. A wealthy businessperson who is very liberal is an example of

a. the fact that group memberships always fully explain all of an individual’s political views.
b. the fact that group memberships never fully explain all of an individual’s political views.
c. the power of the bandwagon effect.
d. the negative consequences of the power of the mass media.
e. the impact of political correctness on political attitudes.
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Applying
28. What is one of the main differences between those who have gone to college and those who have not?
a. Those with a college education are less likely to believe that women and men should have
equal roles.
b. Those with a college education are more likely to believe that abortion should never be
allowed.
c. There is a higher level of political participation among those with a college education.
d. There is a lower level of political participation among those with a college education.
e. Those with a college education are more likely to believe that the United States should not
concern itself with other nations’ problems.
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Applying
29. The transition many white southerners made from the Democratic to the Republican Party is a good
example of
a. the changes in political conditions and circumstances in the South, rather than in opinions
or values.
b. the growing conservative ideology in the South.
c. the growing liberal ideology in the South.
d. the rise of labor unions and other associations in the South.
e. the growth in patriotism in the South.
MSC: Applying
30. Which of the following statements about agencies of socialization is FALSE?

a. Family, membership in social groups, and education are all important agencies of
socialization.
b. People’s preference for a political party is primarily acquired through their family.
c. An individual’s religion has no impact on their political views.
d. Attending college makes people more likely to participate in politics.
e. Both involuntary and voluntary social groups have an impact on their members’ political
views.
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Remembering
31. Which of the following statements is true with regard to Latino Americans?
a. Latino Americans are more likely than African Americans to perceive that America is a
racist society.
b. Latino Americans are less likely than African Americans to perceive that America is a
racist society.
c. Immigration policy is not very important to Latino Americans.
d. First generation Spanish-speaking immigrants do not share a group affinity.
e. Second and third generation Latino Americans are more likely to consume
Spanish-language news than first generation Latino Americans.
ANS: B DIF: Difficult REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Remembering
32. The fact that Democratic Party leaders have become more liberal and Republican Party leaders more
conservative is important because
a. it has made the gender gap much smaller.
b. Republicans have become less hawkish over time.
c. Democrats have become more hawkish over time.
d. partisans in the public tend to rely on party leaders for cues on the appropriate positions to
take on major political issues.
e. partisans in the public no longer rely on party leaders for cues on the appropriate positions
to take on major political issues.
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Understanding
33. In recent years, partisan realignment in the South and congressional redistricting have
a. had no noticeable effect on the partisan composition of the Congress.
b. increased the number of conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans in the Congress.
c. reduced the number of conservative Democrats and all but eliminated liberal Republicans
from the Congress.
d. increased the number of conservative Democrats and all but eliminated liberal
Republicans from the Congress.
e. increased the number of liberal Republicans and all but eliminated conservative
Democrats from the Congress.
MSC: Understanding
34. Which of the following statements about the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the
public is most accurate?
a. Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans on a wide
variety of policy questions are smaller today than during any other period in the last forty
years.
b. Differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans on a wide
variety of policy questions are greater today than during any other period in the last forty
years.
c. The differences between the political opinions of Democrats and Republicans have always
been the same throughout American history and have not become more intense over the
last forty years.
d. Republicans and Democrats have similar opinions on all political issues with the exception
of national security.
e. The political opinions of Democrats and Republicans in the public are unaffected by the
opinions of party leaders.
ANS: B DIF: Difficult REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Understanding
35. Which of following phenomena is not an illustration of the gender gap?

a. More women than men vote for Democrats.
b. More women than men tend to favor government measures to protect the environment.
c. Men are more likely to join political parties and other social organizations.
d. Men are more militaristic on issues of war and peace than women.
e. Men are less supportive of government social and health care programs than women.
MSC: Applying
36. Which of the following statements is true?

a. The Tea Party movement is more popular in New England than in the South.
b. The Democratic Party is becoming more popular in the South.
c. California is a solid Republican state today.
d. Latino voters may shift the balance of political power in Texas in the next decade.
e. Political elites are not very polarized today.
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: How We Form Political Opinions
MSC: Applying
37. Which of the following was NOT part of the George W. Bush administration’s effort to maintain
support for its war on terror?
a. presidential speeches
b. press conferences
c. press releases
d. media appearances by administration officials
e. donations to academic institutions
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: Stability of Opinion and Political Knowledge
OBJ: Explore when and why public opinion changes and what role political knowledge plays
MSC: Remembering
38. ________ promoted his policy agenda to the American people through “fireside chats.”
a. Warren Harding d. John Kennedy
b. Franklin Roosevelt e. Ronald Reagan
c. Harry Truman
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: Stability of Opinion and Political Knowledge
MSC: Remembering
39. The concept of a marketplace of ideas refers to

a. important changes in copyright and patent laws that have restricted Americans’ access to
free information.
b. the competition between varying opinions and ideas that are aired in public forums.
c. the use of opinion pollsters who market a politician’s speeches, ideas, and votes.
d. the explosion of information brought on by the Internet and other advances in electronic
communication.
e. the elimination of government regulations on broadcast media such as radio and television.
MSC: Remembering
40. Each of the following organizations has a liberal orientation EXCEPT ________.
a. the Sierra Club d. the Chamber of Commerce
b. the National Organization for Women e. Friends of the Earth
c. World Wildlife Federation
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: Stability of Opinion and Political Knowledge
MSC: Remembering
41. ________ led the exposure of the Watergate scandal.

a. Journalists at the Washington Post d. Journalists at the Los Angeles Times
b. Journalists at the Boston Globe e. Journalists at the Miami Herald
c. Journalists at the Indianapolis Star
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: Stability of Opinion and Political Knowledge
MSC: Remembering
42. Which of the following is true about Latino voters in the United States?
a. Latino voters did not help George W. Bush get reelected in 2004.
b. Latino voters helped George W. Bush get reelected in 2004.
c. Mitt Romney received 70 percent of the Latino vote in the 2012 presidential election.
d. Latinos do not pay much attention to immigration policy.
e. Latinos tend to be highly supportive of the Republican Party.
MSC: Understanding
43. Why does the marketplace of ideas often have a moderating effect on people’s opinions?
a. Given constant exposure to other people’s ideas, it is almost impossible for one not to
modify one’s own viewpoints.
b. Moderate ideas usually have the best financial backing and the greatest publicity.
c. The most popular ideas are usually the most moderate ones.
d. Those who shop in the marketplace of ideas typically start with moderate viewpoints.
e. Moderate ideas are always closest to the truth and, therefore, are most successful in the
marketplace of ideas.
MSC: Understanding
44. Which of the following statements about the marketplace of ideas is true?
a. The English created the marketplace of ideas in the seventeenth century.
b. Private groups and the news media play important roles in shaping opinions in the
c. Exposure to the marketplace of ideas rarely leads people to change their minds about
political issues.
d. Only individuals, not groups or organizations, are allowed to promote ideas in the
e. Government officials are legally prohibited from promoting ideas in the marketplace of
ideas.
MSC: Understanding
45. Which of the following statements about governmental public relations efforts is FALSE?
a. Due to its size and power, the government is always successful at influencing public
opinion.
b. Despite its size and power, the government has trouble influencing public opinion because
the news media frequently disputes its claims.
c. Despite its size and power, the government has trouble influencing public opinion because
interest groups frequently dispute its claims.
d. Despite its size and power, the government has trouble influencing public opinion because
there are often conflicts within the government about what should be done.
e. Modern presidents focus a great deal of attention on shaping public opinion to boost
support for their policy agendas.
MSC: Understanding
46. Which of the following is NOT true about current trends in public opinion?
a. Citizens with more political knowledge can differentiate between information that is
congruent with their political beliefs and information that is not more so than other
citizens.
b. Public opinion can be easily manipulated and fickle.
c. Support for abortion rights has been relatively unchanged over the past decade.
d. More Americans favor gun control today than in the 1990s.
e. A majority of Americans support same sex marriage today.
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: Stability of Opinion and Political Knowledge
MSC: Applying
47. Which of the following statements about public opinion in America is true?
a. Political knowledge is fairly high in America.
b. Citizens with low levels of knowledge are generally better able to evaluate new
information and determine its relevancy to their beliefs.
c. Citizens with high levels of knowledge are generally better able to evaluate new
information to determine its relevancy to their beliefs.
d. Almost 90 percent of Americans can name their U.S. senators and U.S. representatives.
e. Poor Americans are vocal proponents of higher levels of social welfare spending.
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: Stability of Opinion and Political Knowledge
MSC: Applying
48. The fact that many middle-class and lower-middle-class citizens who did not stand to benefit from
President George W. Bush’s tax cuts seemed to favor them is an example of
a. the importance of political knowledge. d. the “spiral of silence.”
b. the importance of self-interest. e. bandwagon effects.
c. the importance of political efficacy.
MSC: Applying
49. Which of the following best characterizes the Clinton administration’s attempts to influence public
opinion?
a. Clinton administration officials used techniques similar to those used in election
campaigns to bolster popular enthusiasm for White House initiatives.
b. No attempts to influence public support for White House initiatives were made by Clinton
administration officials.
c. Clinton refused to employ any political consultants or pollsters in his administration.
d. Clinton administration officials almost never communicated with representatives from
the departments of the executive branch about how to coordinate the president’s public
relations efforts.
e. Despite the advice of some of his supporters, Clinton refused to establish a political “war
room” to plan his administration’s public relations efforts.
MSC: Applying
50. Which of the following statements is true about the news media?
a. The mass media are neutral messengers for ideas.
b. The mass media have an enormous impact on public opinion.
c. National journalists tend to avoid investigating political scandals.
d. Journalists tend to provide negative coverage of a president during times of crises.
e. Journalists tend to avoid investigating political corruption.
MSC: Applying
51. Which of the following statements about the forces that shape public opinion is NOT true?
a. All governments try to influence, manipulate, or manage their citizens’ beliefs.
b. Groups with public or private institutional support are more successful in marketing their
ideas than groups who do not have such support.
c. The news media are not simply neutral messengers for the ideas developed by others.
d. Presidents rarely attempt to influence public support for the policies they are promoting.
e. The ways in which the news media frames or interprets events can have a major impact on
how the public responds to these events.
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: Stability of Opinion and Political Knowledge
MSC: Understanding
52. The increased importance that politicians have placed on public opinion polls over the last 50 years is
due partly to
a. The fact that public opinion polling is provided to political leaders free of charge.
b. The fact that the Supreme Court has struck down a number of state and federal laws that
made public opinion polling illegal.
c. The fact that it has become very difficult for political leaders to experience public opinion
directly.
d. The fact that media organizations no longer cover political issues as much as they once
did.
e. The fact that protections for freedom of speech have increased dramatically.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: Measuring Public Opinion
OBJ: Describe the basic survey methods and other techniques researchers use to measure public
opinion MSC: Understanding
53. Pollsters use random digit dialing to gather national samples for surveys because
a. sampling errors are typically too low when other techniques are used.
b. sampling errors are typically too high when other techniques are used.
c. there is not a complete list of all Americans that can be used to identify the population.
d. it is the only method that allows for push polling.
e. it is the only method that generates high levels of measurement error.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: Measuring Public Opinion
opinion MSC: Understanding
54. “Retail politics” refers to

a. the fact that voters always vote for candidates who best represent their own self-interest.
b. attempts made by political machines in the nineteenth century to buy votes from citizens
through cash payments.
c. debates about how extensively government should regulate the manufacture and sale of
consumer goods.
d. campaigns where candidates meet citizens face-to-face to discuss politics.
e. government-run auctions to sell public property.
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: Measuring Public Opinion
opinion MSC: Remembering
55. The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates took place

a. through a series of competing newspaper editorials.
b. on radio, making it the first political broadcast in the United States.
c. outside, in the cornfields and town squares of Illinois.
d. in Madison Square Garden during the Republican Convention of 1860.
e. in the Senate during 1858.
ANS: C DIF: Medium REF: Measuring Public Opinion
56. The small group selected by pollsters to represent the entire population is called the ________.
a. validity quotient d. quota
b. reliability quotient e. hypothesis
c. sample
57. In public opinion surveys, a sample of the total population
a. must be at least 50 percent of the targeted population.
b. need be only 25 percent of the targeted population.
c. need be only 10 percent of the targeted population.
d. must be representative in that the views of those in the sample must accurately and
proportionately reflect the views of the whole population.
e. must be based on all the registered voters in the targeted population.
58. The typical margin of error in a sample survey of 1,500 respondents is ________.
a. 0.1 percent d. 10 percent
b. 0.5 percent e. 15 percent
c. 2.5 percent
59. The social desirability effect refers to

a. the bias in surveys that comes from the repeated failure of pollsters to interview
respondents who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
b. the strong desire that people have to express their opinions to survey researchers.
c. the fact that respondents report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear or
whatever they think is socially acceptable rather than what they actually believe or know
to be true.
d. the impression conveyed by polls that something is important to the public when actually
it is not.
e. the tendency for people to shift their electoral support to the candidate whom public
opinion polls report as the front-runner.
60. In 1948, election night polls showed that ________ would win the presidential election.
a. Harry Truman d. Adlai Stevenson
b. Franklin Roosevelt e. Thomas Dewey
c. Strom Thurmond
ANS: E DIF: Medium REF: Measuring Public Opinion
61. In 1936, pollsters at the Literary Digest were guilty of ________ when they mistakenly predicted a
presidential victory for Alf Landon over Franklin Roosevelt by polling people whose names came
from the telephone book and automobile registration records.
a. probability sampling d. selection bias
b. illusion of salience e. push polling
c. random dialing
62. The practice of push polling involves

a. polling services like Harris and Gallup attempting to sell their polling data to major news
media organizations at higher prices during election seasons.
b. the system of calling people during dinner and evening hours to ensure that as many
people as possible will be home.
c. the procedure of asking loaded questions in order to subtly shape the respondent’s opinion.
d. the effect of polls having to push politicians into adopting policy proposals they would not
otherwise adopt.
e. the system of repeatedly calling people in the sampling frame until they respond to the
survey.
63. If a person supports a candidate because she or he is the front-runner in a poll, this is an example of
________.
a. the bellwether effect d. the “bounce” effect
b. the illusion of saliency e. push polling
c. the bandwagon effect
64. A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to ________.

a. unresponsiveness d. the increased use of cell phones
b. poorly worded questions e. sampling error
c. push polling
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: Measuring Public Opinion
opinion MSC: Applying
65. One recent survey showed that two-thirds of Americans believe that federal officials are spending “too
little” money on “assistance for the poor.” Yet, another survey conducted at the same time found that
only one-tenth of Americans believe that federal officials are spending “too little” on “welfare.” This
example shows that
a. selection bias must always be considered when interpreting the results from a poll.
b. small differences in the wording of a question can lead to very different response patterns.
c. the findings from some polling agencies should not be trusted.
d. polling can never be used to understand public opinion on any issue.
e. the results from push polls are often inconsistent.
66. Which statement concerning the news media is FALSE?

a. The methods used to report the news help shape the underlying attitudes and opinions of
those consuming the news.
b. In a free democracy, the news media provides information without framing or interpreting
it in any particular way.
c. The news media presented the Bush administration’s military campaigns in Afghanistan
and Iraq, as well as its domestic antiterrorist efforts, in a positive light.
d. The news media has relentlessly investigated the personal and official wrongdoings of
politicians.
e. The media’s continual presentation of corruption in government has fostered cynicism and
distrust in the public.
67. The fact that survey respondents overreport voting in elections and the frequency of their church
attendance is an example of ________.
a. the Hawthorne effect d. the bandwagon effect
b. the coattail effect e. the median voter theorem
c. the social desirability effect
68. In the 2012 presidential election,

a. Latino support for Mitt Romney was over-estimated.
b. African American support for Barack Obama was over-estimated.
c. Caucasian support for Mitt Romney was over-estimated.
d. Native American support for Mitt Romney was over-estimated.
e. Native American support for Barack Obama was over-estimated.
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: Measuring Public Opinion
69. When George W. Bush supporters called conservative white voters during the 2000 South Carolina
Republican primary to ask if they would be more or less likely to vote for John McCain if they knew
that he had fathered an illegitimate black child, it was an example of
a. a push poll. d. a selection bias.
b. a bandwagon poll. e. a nonresponse bias.
c. a saliency illusion.
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: Measuring Public Opinion
70. Research into public opinion and public policy has shown that
a. every citizen has an equally strong influence over politics and public policy decisions.
b. more affluent and more educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics
and public policy decisions.
c. less affluent and less educated citizens have a disproportionate influence over politics and
public policy decisions.
d. nonvoters have a disproportionate influence over politics and public policy decisions.
e. the opinions of members of the public have no influence whatsoever over politics and
public policy decisions.
ANS: B DIF: Medium REF: Public Opinion and Government Policy
OBJ: Analyze the relationship between public opinion and government policies
MSC: Understanding
71. Which of the following statements is true about public opinion in the contemporary time period?
a. Elected officials are more responsive to the poor than the rich.
b. Technology has eliminated the challenges of “filter bubbles” in the United States.
c. The Internet has reduced the amount of political information available to the public.
d. Digital citizenship offers the promise of a more informed electorate.
e. The problem of “bomb-throwers” on the Internet has been eliminated.
ANS: D DIF: Medium REF: Public Opinion and Government Policy
MSC: Understanding
72. Which of the following statements about public opinion is FALSE?

a. Shifts in public opinion on particular issues do not lead to changes in public policy.
b. Elected officials are constrained to some extent by public opinion.
c. Conservative states tend to have more conservative laws.
d. Liberal states tend to have more liberal laws.
e. Public opinion is generally well informed in the United States.
ANS: A DIF: Medium REF: Public Opinion and Government Policy
MSC: Applying
73. Which of the following statements about the relationship between public opinion and government
policy is most accurate?
a. Public opinion always shifts in opposition to government policy once the policy has been
implemented.
b. Public opinion always shifts in favor of government policy once the policy has been
implemented.
c. Shifts in public opinion almost never lead to changes in government policy.
d. Shifts in public opinion always lead to changes in government policy.
e. Although there is no one-to-one correlation between public opinion and government
policy, shifts in public opinion on particular issues frequently lead to changes in
government policy.
ANS: E DIF: Difficult REF: Public Opinion and Government Policy
MSC: Understanding
ESSAY
1. Some contend that while Americans may be divided by ideology or opinion, they are united by
fundamental political values. Describe these core values. How do they serve to unite American public
opinion?
ANS:
Answer will vary
2. How are political views formed? Describe some of the key processes and factors through which
individuals become politically socialized. How do institutions such as families and groups, as well as
personal experiences, come to shape individual opinions?
ANS:
Answer will vary
3. What is the difference between a value and an ideology? Describe some of the characteristics and
beliefs that define both liberalism and conservatism in contemporary American politics. What are the
main differences between these two ideologies in terms of their emphasis on core American values?
What are their points of agreement?
ANS:
Answer will vary
4. Describe how public opinion is measured. What is sampling and what is it meant to accomplish?
Describe some of the problems and biases of polling, such as push polling and question wording. How
do the social desirability effect and the bandwagon effect each distort the measurement of opinion?
ANS:
Answer will vary
5. David Hume said that government rests on public opinion alone. Explain the relationship between
government and opinion. How do governmental actors try to shape opinion? What is the proper
relationship between public opinion and policy? Explain.
ANS:
Answer will vary
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1. The term public opinion is used to describe

3. A political ideology is best defined as

5. The difference between a political value and a political attitude is that

7. Which of the following statements about political opinions is FALSE?

9. Which of the following terms describe America’s fundamental political values?

13. ________ is the most important core value of liberalism.

15. A socialist is someone who believes that

16. Liberalism and conservatism are good examples of

19. Which of the following is true of trust in government?

20. A liberal would most likely support

21. Conservatives are more likely than liberals to support

25. The term gender gap refers to

27. A wealthy businessperson who is very liberal is an example of

30. Which of the following statements about agencies of socialization is FALSE?

35. Which of following phenomena is not an illustration of the gender gap?

36. Which of the following statements is true?

39. The concept of a marketplace of ideas refers to

41. ________ led the exposure of the Watergate scandal.

54. “Retail politics” refers to

55. The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates took place

59. The social desirability effect refers to

62. The practice of push polling involves

64. A frequent cause of measurement error in polls is due to ________.

66. Which statement concerning the news media is FALSE?

68. In the 2012 presidential election,

72. Which of the following statements about public opinion is FALSE?

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