FRQs: Public Opinion & Political Action
1. Political socialization is the way voters tend to create their beliefs and actions about
government.
a) Identify three forms of political socialization.
b) Explain the three forms.
c) Identify the most important form of political socialization.
2. Citizens often choose to participate in the political process in ways other than voting.
a) Identify two forms of participation in the political process other than voting.
b) Explain two advantages of each form of participation you identified in (a).
3. Public opinion polls are a way to link the public with elected officials. Members of
Congress often use polls to understand the views of their constituents, but they must
also pay attention to other political considerations.
a) Identify two characteristics of a valid, scientific, public opinion poll.
b) Explain why each of the following enhances the influence of public opinion on the
voting decisions of members of Congress.
 Strong public opinion as expressed in polling results
 Competitive re-elections
c) Explain why each of the following limits the influence of public opinion on the voting
decisions of members of Congress.
 Legislators’ voting records
 Party leadership
4. The U.S public tends to view political polls in a positive light, while leaders tend to have
negative opinion of polls.
a) Explain two ways the public views use and results of polls.
b) Explain two ways leaders see the same polls in a negative light.