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CHAPTER 7
Public Opinion
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. According to the results from a fiU.S. Citizenship Test” administered by Newsweek magazine, only
__________ of the test takers knew that the U.S. House of Representatives had 435 members.
a.
75 percent
b.
25 percent
c.
14 percent
d.
4 percent
e.
48 percent
2. James Madison felt that direct popular participation in the decisions of government was
a.
a recipe for disaster.
b.
an eventual goal of the new republic.
c.
to be achieved by amending the Constitution.
d.
the problem with the British form of government.
e.
the desire of his political enemies.
3. U.S. Senators were not popularly elected until the __________ Amendment.
a.
Fourteenth
b.
Tenth
c.
Sixteenth
d.
Seventeenth
e.
Nineteenth
4. The Framers created a government for the purpose of
a.
unifying citizens.
b.
achieving certain substantive goals.
c.
efficiency in the administration of justice.
d.
accomplishing the will of the people.
e.
ensuring that the will of the majority would be realized.
5. The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution lists all of the following goals of government EXCEPT
a.
union.
b.
justice.
c.
liberty.
d.
democracy.
e.
tranquility.
6. One reason that public policy often differs from public opinion is that
a.
the U.S. Constitution places many checks on the influence of public opinion.
b.
public opinion polling tends to express the opinions of a political elite.
c.
public opinion is easy to gauge, whereas the effectiveness of public policy is not.
d.
public opinion tends to change much more slowly than public policy.
e.
public opinion is rarely informed at the beginning of the policymaking process.
7. During a local and national survey by the University of Cincinnati, researchers asked individuals
whether they favored passage of the Monetary Control Bill and found that
a.
public opinion was deeply divided.
b.
public opinion unanimously condemned the legislation.
c.
many people expressed views about the legislation, although it was entirely fictitious.
d.
the legislation was still pending.
e.
Congress had passed the legislation only two days before the surveys were conducted.
8. The first major studies of public opinion and voting, published in the 1940s, found that
a.
most Americans were well informed about politics even though they did not
vote regularly.
b.
most Americans voted regularly and were well informed about politics.
c.
a small group of Americans voted but were not well informed about politics.
d.
a small group of Americans were informed, but most Americans were not.
e.
it was difficult to generalize about Americans when it came to politics.
9. The Framers knew that in a nation as large and diverse as the United States there would rarely be any
such thing as fipublic opinion;” rather there would be
a.
no organized opinion.
b.
one determining point of view of most issues.
c.
many fipublics” holding many opinions.
d.
one powerful interest group dominating the debate.
e.
chaos of opinion.
10. Which best describes the Framers’ opinion on the role of public opinion in government?
a.
The Framers thought that public opinion should play only a limited and indirect role in
making public policy.
b.
The Framers favored a direct role for the public in policy making.
c.
The Framers felt that our experience as colonies of Great Britain showed us that the public
needs to vote on most major issues of government.
d.
The Framers wanted the United States to be a direct democracy.
e.
The Framers felt that the public’s role should be limitless.
11. Although early studies of American public opinion and voting found low information levels, they also
found that Americans were pretty good at
a.
working the system to get the policies that they desired.
b.
contacting candidates on a regular basis.
c.
discussing complex political issues.
d.
employing cues to select policies, parties, and candidates that most nearly reflected their
values and interests.
e.
explaining the workings of government and major currents in law.
12. In his analysis of public opinion concerning school vouchers, Terry M. Moe found that citizens
supplied with basic information can
a.
have an in-depth understanding of the issue.
b.
participate in a very knowledgeable debate regarding the issue.
c.
adopt their positions for good substantive reasons.
d.
fail to understand the issue.
e.
become more trustful of the government.
13. If properly conducted, a survey of public opinion can capture opinions of 300 million citizens by
interviewing as few as __________ respondents.
a.
300
b.
500
c.
1,000
d.
1,500
e.
3,000
14. If any given voter has an equal chance of being in a survey, the sample is best described as a
__________ sample.
a.
random
b.
stratified quota
c.
split
d.
two-stage
e.
bifurcated
15. Through a process called __________, the pollster makes a list of all the geographical units in the
country and groups them by size of their population.
a.
stratified or multistage sampling
b.
bifurcated sampling
c.
snowball sampling
d.
convenience sampling
e.
split sampling
16. The difference between the results of two surveys or samples is called
a.
research flaws.
b.
sampling error.
c.
type one error.
d.
type two error.
e.
confidence error.
17. Since 1952, most major polls have
a.
picked the winner of the presidential election.
b.
sampled fewer people each year.
c.
sampled more people each year.
d.
been administered by mail.
e.
been flawed.
18. Exit polls are conducted
a.
just after a voter registers to vote.
b.
during the national conventions.
c.
on election day at polling places.
d.
after each presidential debate.
e.
when voters change their party identification.
19. A public opinion pollster might need to make as many as __________ phone calls just to get about one
thousand respondents for a survey.
a.
2,000
b.
4,000
c.
6,000
d.
10,000
e.
15,000
20. When people care more about an issue than other people do, they are said to have
a.
opinion curiosity.
b.
opinion policy congruence.
c.
opinion stability.
d.
opinion saliency.
e.
opinion agreement.
21. When the government is out of sync with the popular views on an issue, there is
a.
opinion curiosity.
b.
opinion-policy congruence.
c.
opinion stability.
d.
opinion saliency.
e.
opinion agreement.
22. When using the term fielite,” social scientists are referring to
a.
people who are better than others.
b.
people who have some valued resource, such as money, schooling, prestige, or
political power.
c.
people born into the firight” family.
d.
people with royal titles.
e.
only the people that hold political office.
23. Based on the 2009 survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, this nation had the lowest percentage
of individuals who held a favorable view of the American people.
a.
Pakistan
b.
Jordan
c.
France
d.
South Korea
e.
Turkey
24. __________ is the process by which personal and other background traits influence one’s views about
politics and government.
a.
Political socialization
b.
Political identification
c.
Political memory
d.
Political positioning
e.
Political foundation
25. What trait has been shown to influence one’s political opinions?
a.
Age
b.
Gender
c.
Religion
d.
Race
e.
All of the above have been shown to influence one’s political opinions.
26. The text suggests that our genetic background explains
a.
some of our political ideology.
b.
some of our party identification.
c.
some of our political socialization.
d.
some of our group memberships.
e.
None of the above is true.
27. When researchers compare how identical twins (who are genetically the same) think about politics
with how fraternal twins (who share only half of their genes) think about politics, they found
a.
that both groups held similar political opinions.
b.
fraternal twins held similar political opinions to one another, compared to identical twins.
c.
identical twins are much more likely to have similar political views than fraternal twins.
d.
the partisan view of the parents make up more than genes.
e.
None of the above is true.
28. Studies that have shown that genes affect our political opinions also suggest that
a.
genes do not have much of an effect on our party affiliation.
b.
one can use genetic information to perfectly predict how another may vote.
c.
people are predisposed to one political party.
d.
genes have no effect on part affiliation.
e.
None of the above is true.
29. According to the text, one reason that identification with a party has declined in recent years is that
a.
young voters have weaker party identification.
b.
party identification today is no longer influenced by parents’ party identification.
c.
today, there are more parties with which voters can identify.
d.
voters tend to lose their party identification as they grow older, and today’s population is
aging.
e.
party identification is increasingly seen as a sign of closed-mindedness.
30. Which groups of people were referred to as fired-diaper babies” by commentators in the 1960s?
a.
College radicals who were the children of radicals
b.
Republicans whose parents were communists
c.
Democrats who opposed the use of force in all circumstances
d.
High school students who supported the war in Vietnam
e.
Newspaper editors who were critical of Richard Nixon
31. People of all religions who attend worship services regularly are more likely to vote
a.
Republican.
b.
Independent.
c.
Democrat.
d.
Green Party.
e.
Constitutional Party.
32. Today, adults under 30 differ markedly from senior citizens (persons age 65 and older) in their
opinions on
a.
social change.
b.
religiosity.
c.
immigration.
d.
civic engagement.
e.
All of the above are true.
33. The __________ to the U.S. Constitution ensures that women have the right to vote.
a.
Seventeenth Amendment
b.
Eighteenth Amendment
c.
Nineteenth Amendment
d.
Twentieth Amendment
e.
Twenty-First Amendment
34. Which statement regarding the voting habits of men/women is incorrect?
a.
Both men and women voting reflect distinct differences in points of view.
b.
The gender gap that is evident between their points of view is not new.
c.
Men have forsaken the Democratic Party.
d.
Women have forsaken the Republican Party.
e.
Women have forsaken the Green Party.
35. Women are more likely than men to favor all of the following EXCEPT
a.
universal health care.
b.
environmental protection regulations.
c.
more military spending.
d.
anti-poverty programs.
e.
activist government.
36. Cleavages in public opinion are more common in the United States than in many other countries
because the United States
a.
has a socially diverse population.
b.
is a relatively classless society.
c.
has a high degree of religious freedom.
d.
places a high value on social equality.
e.
is more protective of freedom of press.
37. An individual’s choice of political philosophy today is most likely to be based on his or her
a.
position on social issues such as abortion or environmentalism.
b.
geographic region and socioeconomic class.
c.
position on economic issues such as taxation or minimum wage.
d.
gender.
e.
religious beliefs.
38. Most blue-collar workers in the United States think of themselves as
a.
working-class.
b.
lower-class.
c.
middle-class.
d.
upper-class.
e.
elites.
39. Most blue-collar workers in Great Britain and France think of themselves as
a.
working-class.
b.
lower-class.
c.
middle-class.
d.
upper-class.
e.
elites.
40. Americans speak of fisocial class” with
a.
pride.
b.
embarrassment.
c.
contempt.
d.
lack of knowledge.
e.
None of the above is true.
41. V. O. Key’s classic research in the 1950s found that differences in public opinion were closely
associated with
a.
ethnicity.
b.
race.
c.
gender.
d.
occupation.
e.
religion.
42. Compared with European countries such as Great Britain, France, and Germany, class voting in the
United States has
a.
also risen sharply.
b.
remained relatively steady.
c.
also declined sharply.
d.
always been more common.
e.
increased slightly.
43. Unskilled workers are more likely than affluent white-collar workers to be
a.
Republicans.
b.
Independents.
c.
members of the upper class.
d.
Democrats.
e.
Green Party members.
44. According to the text, African Americans are
a.
somewhat Republican.
b.
largely Republican.
c.
generally Independent.
d.
somewhat Democratic.
e.
overwhelming Democratic.
45. African Americans are more likely than whites to
a.
support affirmative action.
b.
think the criminal justice system is biased against them.
c.
to oppose the use of military force.
d.
to doubt that we should all be willing to fight for our country.
e.
All of the above are true.
46. __________ are today the nation’s largest minority group with more than 50 million people.
a.
African Americans
b.
Latinos
c.
Asian Americans
d.
Native Americans
e.
Persians
47. Most studies on Latino voting show that people from Mexico vote heavily __________, and Latinos
from Cuba mostly vote __________.
a.
Republican; Democrat
b.
Independent; Republican
c.
Democrat; Republican
d.
Independent; Independent
e.
Democrat; Democrat
48. No Democratic candidate for president has won a majority of white southern votes since
a.
Bill Clinton
b.
Jimmy Carter
c.
John Kerry
d.
Al Gore
e.
Lyndon Johnson
49. A coherent and consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue is
referred to as
a.
political efficacy.
b.
public opinion.
c.
pragmatism.
d.
realism.
e.
political ideology.
50. When an individual’s views are consistently conservative or liberal, we say that person is ideologically
a.
tuned.
b.
constrained.
c.
aligned.
d.
placed.
e.
sealed.
51. Pollsters have to be concerned about ideological self-identification in polls because
a.
many Americans do not know what liberalism and conservatism mean.
b.
many Americans do not feel the need to be ideologically consistent.
c.
some respondents will hide what they think to be socially unacceptable self-
identifications.
d.
the desire to hide self-identifications might inflate responses of fidon’t know” or
fimoderate.”
e.
All of the above are true.
52. Increasingly, pollsters
a.
do not even attempt to measure ideology.
b.
measure political ideology by self-identification.
c.
measure political ideology by looking for constraint.
d.
see political ideology as irrelevant to politics.
e.
research ideology in presidential, but not congressional, elections.
53. In America, we often refer to political elites as
a.
activists.
b.
special interests.
c.
politicos.
d.
socialites.
e.
the ruling class.
54. Political activism is correlated most closely with
a.
political conservatism.
b.
libertarian politics.
c.
gender.
d.
class differentiation.
e.
ideological consistency.
55. One reason that political elites are more consistent in their ideological beliefs than the average citizen
is that they are
a.
less influenced by peers.
b.
less influenced by factors such as religion and family.
c.
smarter.
d.
better informed.
e.
more influenced by religion.
56. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
a.
Democratic members of Congress tend to be consistently liberal.
b.
Republican members of Congress tend to be consistently conservative.
c.
Democratic members of Congress tend to be more liberal than Democratic voters.
d.
Republican members of Congress tend to be more conservative than Republican voters.
e.
The policy preferences of Democratic and Republican voters are generally the same.
57. Studies of opinion-policy congruence suggest that the rate at which the government adopts policies
supported by majorities in polls has
a.
remained the same over the last four decades.
b.
slightly increased in recent years.
c.
increased significantly in recent years.
d.
been declining since 1980.
e.
been declining since the beginning of the Bush administration.
58. Economic issues are most likely to be placed on the public agenda by
a.
political elites.
b.
public opinion.
c.
economic analysts.
d.
regulatory commissions.
e.
economic theorists.
59. Elites have probably influenced, if not led, public opinion on all of the following topics EXCEPT
a.
racism.
b.
sexism.
c.
HIV/AIDS.
d.
environmentalism.
e.
perceptions of crime.
60. Which of the following statements about the opinions of political elites is correct?
a.
They may shape economic policies, but they do not define economic problems.
b.
They may shape foreign affairs policies, but they do not define foreign affairs problems.
c.
They both define the problems and shape the policies on social issues such as crime
and drugs.
d.
They tend to reflect the views of a single, unified elite.
e.
They tend to reflect the views of middle America.
TRUE/FALSE
1. Public policy is invariably consistent with public opinion.
2. The Founding Fathers believed that most average citizens lacked the time, information, energy,
interest, and experience to decide on public policy.
3. Based on public opinion research, the American public is highly knowledgeable about government.
4. Early academic studies of public opinion found that voters were generally informed about issues and
governmental processes.
5. When it came to civil liberties and civil rights, Madison and the other Framers were not willing to
empower even persistent majorities or subject fundamental freedoms to a popular vote.
6. The text suggests that it is increasingly more difficult to conduct reliable polling.
7. We have recently learned that our genetic background explains much of our political ideology.
8. A person’s age tends to not have much effect on that individual’s political opinions.
9. The ability of the family to inculcate a strong sense of party identification has declined in recent years.
10. The proportion of citizens who claim to be independents has declined in recent years.
11. One way in which the family forms and transmits political beliefs is by its religious tradition.
12. The gender gap in U.S. public opinion has existed for a long time.
13. The Democratic advantage among female voters is obvious.
14. Most blue-collar workers in America think of themselves as fiworking class.”
15. Social class is probably a better indicator of political attitudes in Great Britain or France than in the
United States.
16. In recent years, economic issues have become much more important than noneconomic issues in
shaping political attitudes.
17. In the 2012 presidential elections, a large majority of Latinos voted Republican.
18. Most Americans do not employ the words filiberal” or ficonservative” when explaining their political
beliefs and preferences.
19. The more informed a person is about politics, the more likely he or she is to be ideologically consistent
in his or her thought.
20. Studies suggest that staunch conservatives lean toward the Republican Party.
Chapter 7: Public Opinion 117
ESSAY
1. What role did the Framers think public opinion should play in government?
2. Discuss what early and later studies of public opinion and voting revealed about the American public.
Have the studies on specific issues identified a pattern?
3. Describe how polls are conducted.
4. What factors influence a person’s political opinions (political socialization)?
5. What have we learned over the years about the differences between men and women when it comes to
political participation, opinions, and political preferences?
6. Discuss how social class affects public opinions in America.
7. Discuss how political opinions differ by region, in particular the role of the South in politics.
8. Explain why the use of self-identification in surveys on political ideology is somewhat questionable.
9. Explain why activists are much more likely to exhibit clear ideological consistency than the average
member of the public.
10. Discuss the manner in which elite opinion influences (or is not likely to influence) public opinion.
