COLEMAN



Public Opinion

1. How are most public opinion surveys conducted?

a. in person, door to door

b. in person, by telephone

c. through the mail

d. over the Internet

e. at the polls

2. What effect did the election of Barack Obama have on the political attitudes of African Americans?

a. Since 2008, African Americans are now more likely than white Americans to support Republican candidates and policies.

b. Since 2008, African Americans are now more skeptical than white Americans of government.

c. Since 2008, African Americans are now more likely than white Americans to think of voting as a duty.

d. Since 2008, African Americans are now less likely than white Americans to be the victims of violent crime.

e. Since 2008, African Americans are now less likely than white Americans to think that voting makes a difference.

3. On which federal program does the government currently spend the most?

a. K-12 education

b. unemployment insurance

c. farm subsidies

d. Medicare

e. Medicaid

4. Of the following, which is something about which people are likely to hold and express political attitudes?

a. property

b. newspaper print runs

c. political parties

d. expensive gifts

e. correspondence

5. Why is public opinion particularly important in a democracy?

a. because political attitudes expressed by ordinary people are unusually coherent

b. because the public’s passions are capable of infringing on others’ liberties

c. because what the people want should be directly challenged by government action

d. because grave doubts about the wisdom of the public would otherwise be ignored

e. because democracy is be fundamentally about the rule of the people

6. What is the secret to making sure that the people interviewed in public opinion polls are representative of the whole population?

a. random sampling

b. indexing

c. question format

d. sample size

e. response rate

7. Why is polling people by Internet likely to produce a non-random sample?

a. not all people who are part of a prospective random sample own cell phones

b. not all people who are part of a prospective own computers

c. not all people who are part of a prospective random sample will answer open-ended questions

d. not all people who are part of a prospective random sample have opinions on issues of interest to researchers

e. not all people who are part of a prospective random sample have opinions on controversial issues

8. How is political ideology best defined?

a. as a system of words and symbols representing concepts about an individual’s long-term potential

b. as a system of class inequalities that focuses on socioeconomic status

c. as a system for arguing about things that most Americans consider vital

d. as a system of guidelines that outlines what is considered moral and acceptable behavior

e. as a system of interrelated and coherently organized political beliefs and attitudes

9. Which of the following is likely to contribute to a negative presidential approval rating?

a. falling inflation

b. rising unemployment

c. rising employment

d. rising confidence about the future

e. rising living standards

10. Which of the following statements is more likely than the others to be a cause of concern for Republican candidates for office with respect to the Hispanic vote?

a. Most Hispanic Americans are likely to be Catholic.

b. Most Hispanic Americans have conservative social values.

c. Republican sponsorship and support for laws that crack down on illegal immigrants has been neutralized in some states by their opposition to English-only legislation.

d. Hispanics, the fastest-growing ethnic group and largest minority group in the United States, voted for Barack Obama in record numbers.

e. Hispanic Americans, despite their common ancestry, are remarkably dissimilar in their political outlook.

11. If you agree that public opinion plays a crucial role in democratic government, what also must you believe for your views to be considered consistent?

a. that public opinion is a threat to the needs of the majority

b. that public opinion is a threat to core political beliefs

c. that public ignorance is a threat core political beliefs

d. that the public must have its voice heard by those in government

e. that politicians must have their voices heard by the public

12. When conducting surveys, why is the wording of questions a concern?

a. How a question is worded can unintentionally, but not intentionally, skew results.

b. How a question is worded can intentionally, but not unintentionally, skew results.

c. How a question is worded can affect how it is answered.

d. How a question is worded can generate a low degree of consensus.

e. How a question is worded can increase participation rates.

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