Public Opinion #3
1) Only rarely, argues the text, does the general public have which of the following?
a) A dominant opinion on an issue
b) A chance to learn and examine the facts about an issue
c) The opportunity to obtain formal power
d) Problems with official decisions on issues
2) The preamble to the U.S. Constitution lists all of the following goals of government except
a) Union.
b) Justice.
c) Liberty.
d) Democracy.
3) One reason why 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) While public opinion is easy to gauge, public policy is not.
d) Public opinion tends to change much more slowly than public policy.
4) One reason why public policy often differs from public opinion is that
a) Public opinion polling is not always accurate.
b) Public opinion polling tends to express the opinions of a political elite.
c) Public opinion is easier to gauge than public policy.
d) Public opinion tends to be more stable than public policy.
5) Redundant question
6) The validity of public opinion polls may be affected by several factors, including
a) Poll overrepresentation of the views of a political elite.
b) The fact that public opinion tends to be relatively stable over time.
c) The public’s general ignorance of political issues.
d) Poll overrepresentation of political culture factors such as liberty and civic duty.
7) The validity of public opinion polls may be affected by several factors, including
a) Poll overrepresentation of the views of a political elite.
b) The fact that public opinion tends to be relatively stable over time.
c) The wording of questions on a poll.
d) Poll overrepresentation of political culture factors such as liberty and civic duty.
8) How often does the public as a whole have an opinion on a particular issue?
a) All of the time
b) Only rarely
c) Most of the time
d) As often as not
9) The validity of public opinion polls may be affected by several factors, including
a) Poll overrepresentation of the views of a political elite.
b) The fact that public opinion tends to be relatively stable over time.
c) Rapid shifts in public opinion.
d) Poll overrepresentation of political culture factors such as liberty and civic duty.
10) Some 60 percent of adults adopt the party preference of their
a) Peers.
b) Employers.
c) Teachers.
d) Parents.
11) Young people are most inclined to agree with their parents on the issue of
a) Political efficacy.
b) Party identification.
c) Policy preferences.
d) Civil liberties.
12) Redundant question
13) In adulthood, people claim the party identification learned from their parents about ______
percent of the time.
a) 90
b) 60
c) 30
d) 10
14) Not a good question
15) A man who differs with his father on party identification is most likely to
a) Strongly identify with the opposite party, Democrat or Republican.
b) Describe himself as an independent.
c) Have no political interests of any kind.
d) Loosely identify with the opposite party, Democrat or Republican.
16) In recent years, the ability of the family to promote a partisan identification has
a) Stayed about the same.
b) Declined, then risen.
c) Risen.
d) Declined.
17) Not a good question
18) The transference of political beliefs from parent to child is most likely to take place in what type
of family?
a) One in which the parents have different party identifications
b) One in which the parents’ political views are strongly held
c) One in which the parents purposely downplay the importance of politics in everyday life
d) One in which the parents call themselves independents
19) White Protestants are the group least likely to display which of the following?
a) Racial prejudice
b) Mistrust of government
c) Conservative attitudes
d) Liberal attitudes
20) Liberal preferences on various policy issues are displayed least often by
a) Jews.
b) White Protestants.
c) Blacks.
d) White Catholics.
21) Which religious group is most likely to have liberal political attitudes?
a) Jews
b) Protestants
c) Catholics
d) No significant difference exists among these three groups.
22) Different immigrant experiences seem to have led religious groups in the United States to have
different
a) Degrees of political trust.
b) Political ideologies.
c) Theological doctrines.
d) Degrees of religious assimilation.
23) The political orientations of religious groups in the United States seem to relate most closely to
a) The content of their religious traditions.
b) Their adherents’ experiences as immigrants.
c) Both of the above.
d) Neither of the above.
24) Compared with someone who believes the Bible is God’s word, someone who believes the Bible
was not inspired by God would be more likely to favor
a) Equal roles for men and women.
b) Organized prayer in schools.
c) Greater defense spending.
d) A ban on abortion.
25) Compared with someone who believes the Bible was not inspired by God, someone who
believes the Bible is God’s word would be more likely to favor
a) A ban on abortion.
b) A ban on school prayer.
c) Equal roles for men and women.
d) A cut in defense spending.
26) Not a good question
27) A gender gap is most likely to occur in an election in which the major issue is
a) War.
b) Women’s rights.
c) Gun control.
d) Political ethics.
28) Recently, the Democratic party has been the party most likely to benefit from
a) Direct mail contributions.
b) Paid political advertising.
c) The votes of independents.
d) The gender gap.
29) Not a good question
30) Which of the following statements about the gender gap is the most accurate, according to the
text?
a) Men have “deserted” Democratic candidates for Republican ones. The gender gap is also a
party gap.
b) The gender gap has remained constant in the past four elections.
c) Women voters tend to identify more strongly than men with the Republican party.
d) Most analysts agree about the electoral significance of the gender gap.
31) Outdated question
32) Which organization was founded by Pat Robertson in the early 1990s?
a) The Moral Majority
b) Consumer Watch
c) The Christian Coalition
d) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
33) What effect does attending college have on political attitudes?
a) Students generally become more liberal.
b) Students generally become more conservative.
c) College has only a minimal effect on students’ attitudes.
d) Students’ political attitudes depend on their socioeconomic status.
34) Which of the following students is most likely to be politically conservative?
a) A junior college student
b) A high school student
c) A student at a large state university
d) A student at a small, liberal arts college
35) The clearest liberalizing influence on individuals comes from
a) The Democratic party.
b) The mass media.
c) Higher education.
d) Organized religion.
36) Which of the following students is most likely to be politically liberal?
a) A senior psychology major at an elite, liberal arts college
b) A sophomore physics major at a small state college
c) A freshman engineering major at a large state university
d) A senior at a suburban, Midwestern high school
37) Not a good question
38) All of the following are correlated with a conservative political ideology except
a) Driving a Buick.
b) Graduating from college.
c) Believing the Bible is the word of God.
d) Having parents who are conservative.
39) Which of the following is not true of college professors?
a) They are more liberal than the population as a whole.
b) Those at prestigious schools are more conservative than those at less prestigious schools.
c) Those in social sciences are more liberal than those in engineering or business.
d) They tend to develop a lifestyle that reveals their political convictions.
40) Why should college professors tend to be more liberal than other professional groups?
a) Because professors are more affluent, and affluence is closely associated with liberalism
b) Because professors tend to come from families with parents who hold strong political
beliefs
c) Because intellectuals tend to be more critical of accepted values and existing institutions
d) Because professors tend to come from families with parents who hold strong religious
beliefs
41) Not a good question
42) The term cross-cutting cleavages in public opinion refers to
a) People’s lack of relevant information.
b) Multiple divisions along different principles.
c) Competition among organized interest groups.
d) Issues that tend to divide people by geography.
43) The general pattern of public-opinion cleavages in this country has been
a) Horizontal, based on class.
b) Vertical, based on many variables.
c) Cross-cutting, based on many variables.
d) Impossible to analyze clearly.
44) Cleavages in public opinion are more common in the United States than in many other countries
because the United States
a) Has a socially heterogeneous population.
b) Is a relatively classless society.
c) Has a high degree of religious freedom.
d) Places a high value on social equality.
45) Which of the following is NOT a source of cleavage in public opinion?
a) Race and ethnicity
b) Class
c) Religion
d) The family
46) In polling, a random sample is one that
a) Is generated by a computer using complex algorithms.
b) Gives each person an equal chance of being in the sample.
c) Bases its participants on social class.
d) Just happens, with no control by any outside force.
47) Given a sampling error of 3 percent, if 47 percent of respondents say they will vote for a specific
candidate, we can infer that
a) Between 44 and 50 percent of the voters will vote for that candidate.
b) The likelihood of 47 percent voting for that candidate is 97 percent.
c) 3 percent of the respondents are falsifying their intentions.
d) That candidate will lose the election narrowly 97 times out of 100.
48) One reason why the results of last-minute polls often differ from the actual results of an election
is
a) The use of a large random sample in polling.
b) Stratification in polling.
c) Sampling error in polling.
d) The absence of experimental controls in polling.
49) Today, occupation is less important in explaining political opinions than in the past because
a) Of the changing effects of education.
b) More Americans are middle class.
c) Fewer Americans hold blue-collar jobs.
d) Corporations have less influence over employees’ political views.
50) Which of the following do workers in the United States have far less of than their counterparts
in Europe?
a) Income
b) Mobility
c) Class consciousness
d) Trust in government
51) Most workers in Great Britain and France describe themselves as __________, while most
workers in the United States describe themselves as ___________.
a) Working class, middle class
b) Middle class, working class
c) Proletarian, bourgeoisie
d) Bourgeoisie, proletarian
52) 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.
53) One great equalizer of socioeconomic class differences in the United States is
a) Religion.
b) Gender.
c) Region.
d) College.
54) An individual’s choice of political philosophy today is most likely to be based on one’s
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 and religious beliefs.
55) Over the past several decades, the influence of race on political attitudes has
a) Become less important.
b) Become more important.
c) Stayed about the same.
d) Increased, then declined.
56) African-Americans are more likely to be
a) Republican.
b) Democrat.
c) Overwhelmingly Democrat.
d) Independent.
57) Whites are more likely to be
a) Republican.
b) Democrat.
c) Overwhelmingly Democrat.
d) Independent.
58) An issue that divides blacks and whites is
a) Affirmative action.
b) The treatment of drug traffickers.
c) Legalized abortion.
d) Legalization of marijuana.
59) Not a good question
60) African-Americans aged 26 to 35 as opposed to those aged 51 to 64 are more likely to identify
themselves as
a) Democrats.
b) Strong Democrats.
c) Republicans.
d) Independents.
61) Majorities of both whites and blacks are opposed to all of the following except
a) Affirmative action.
b) Greater use of the death penalty.
c) Making abortion legal in all cases.
d) The courts getting tougher on criminals.
62) Among the following groups, the group that is most likely to hold political views that are similar
to Anglo-whites are
a) Blacks.
b) Hispanics.
c) Asian-Americans.
d) Latinos.
63) Recent data comparing the political views of white Protestants in the South and in other parts of
the country show
a) Great differences on economic issues.
b) Very little difference on all issues.
c) Great differences on all issues.
d) Great differences on civil liberties issues.
64) Voters in the South have become progressively less attached to
a) The Democratic Party.
b) The Republican Party.
c) Liberal ideology.
d) Conservative ideology.
65) On which of the following issues is one likely to find the least amount of difference of opinion
between northerners and southerners?
a) Right to abortion
b) Homosexual rights
c) Reducing military spending
d) Increasing Social Security
66) Two issues that threatened the traditional coalition between southern and northern Democrats
were
a) Race and liberty.
b) Economic policy and personal freedom.
c) States’ rights and tax reform.
d) Social equality and economic equality.
67) Compared with the 1950s, the number of southerners calling themselves Democrats in the
1980s was
a) About the same.
b) Slightly larger.
c) Much smaller.
d) Much larger.
68) A coherent and consistent set of beliefs about who should rule and how is referred to as
a) Political efficacy.
b) Public opinion.
c) Pragmatism.
d) Political ideology.
69) Let’s say that you have a patterned set of beliefs about what kind of policies the government
should pursue, and that this set of beliefs is politically conservative. Conservatism is your
a) Political ideology.
b) Political culture.
c) Political opinion.
d) Political ethic.
70) Redundant question
71) Which of the following is not true concerning Americans’ ideological thinking?
a) Most Americans describe themselves as either liberal or conservative.
b) Only a small minority of Americans take ideologically consistent views on political issues.
c) People often express opinions at odds with the ideological label they attach to themselves.
d) Ideological thinking may be greater in some years than in others.
72) Redundant question
73) Redundant question
74) Redundant question
75) A leading criticism of studies on voters’ ability to hold consistent sets of political positions is that
a) The notion of what is consistent is often arbitrary.
b) Many of the samples are stratified instead of random.
c) Regional differences are often not considered.
d) Many of the samples are random instead of stratified.
76) An individual with an inconsistent political ideology, in the view of the text, would be someone
who believed in both legalizing marijuana and
a) Providing compensatory programs for minorities.
b) Desegregating schools.
c) Greater defense spending.
d) A regulated rather than a free market.
77) Which of the following statements about political ideology in the United States is correct?
a) Americans tend to be more ideological in their political thinking than are, for example, the
British.
b) Most Americans label themselves liberal or conservative, and they are consistent in their
ideology.
c) In the United States, political ideology is not influenced by political culture.
d) Most Americans do not think about politics in an ideological manner.
78) Originally, a person who was labeled a liberal was most likely to be in favor of
a) Welfare programs.
b) Civil liberties.
c) Isolationism.
d) Free markets.
79) Redundant question
80) The term liberal came to mean someone who favored an active national government around the
time of
a) Thomas Jefferson.
b) Abraham Lincoln.
c) Franklin Roosevelt.
d) Lyndon Johnson.
81) Around the time of Franklin Roosevelt, liberal began to mean one who favored
a) An active national government.
b) A controlled economy.
c) A greater degree of social freedom.
d) Desegregation and civil rights.
82) Redundant question
83) A congressman is opposed to additional spending on medical care, opposed to legalized
marijuana, and in favor of the death penalty. This congressman is most likely a
a) Liberal.
b) Conservative.
c) Independent.
d) Populist.
84) Today, a conservative would be more likely than a liberal to oppose
a) A strong military presence abroad.
b) Deregulation of airlines.
c) Stricter abortion laws.
d) A tax increase.
85) Today, a conservative would be more likely than a liberal to oppose
a) A strong military presence abroad.
b) Deregulation of airlines.
c) Stricter abortion laws.
d) Minority hiring quotas.
86) Today, a liberal would be more likely than a conservative to oppose
a) The gold standard for the U.S. dollar.
b) A reduction in defense spending.
c) School busing to achieve desegregation.
d) Legalizing marijuana.
87) Not a good question
88) You favor minimum wage legislation but are opposed to outlawing abortion. On the basis of
these two issues, you would be best classified as a
a) Pure liberal.
b) Pure conservative.
c) Libertarian.
d) Populist.
89) Not a good question
90) You want to reinstitute prayer in the public schools and also to make Social Security optional for
all Americans. On the basis of these two issues, you would be best classified as a
a) Pure liberal.
b) Pure conservative.
c) Libertarian.
d) Populist.
91) Not a good question
92) You would like to see drug use made a matter of private conscience and also to have the
government reduce its spending in all areas. On the basis of these two issues, you would be best
classified as a
a) Pure liberal.
b) Pure conservative.
c) Libertarian.
d) Populist.
93) A libertarian would be more likely than a pure liberal to vote for
a) Lower taxes.
b) Abortion rights.
c) Criminal rights.
d) Business regulation.
94) You want government to keep Japanese cars out of the country and also to close down massage
parlors in your town. On the basis of these two issues, you would be best classified as a
a) Pure liberal.
b) Pure conservative.
c) Libertarian.
d) Populist.
95) Not a good question
96) A populist would be more likely than a pure conservative to vote for
a) Tighter business controls.
b) School prayer.
c) Tough crime laws.
d) Limits on free speech.
97) Compared to the average citizen, political activists are usually more
a) Conservative.
b) Liberal.
c) Ideological.
d) Nonpartisan.
98) Which of the following statements about political elites is correct?
a) They exist only in modern societies.
b) They exist in all societies.
c) They exist only in authoritarian societies.
d) They exist in all societies where private property is allowed.
99) The text argues that every society has an elite because
a) Government officials always have more power than others.
b) Men are stronger than women.
c) Some people have more money than others.
d) Democracy could not function without an elite.
100)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Political activism is correlated most closely with
Political conservatism.
Libertarian politics.
Ideological consistency.
Class differentiation.
101)
One reason why members of a political elite 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.
102)
Which of the following groups are liberal regarding economic matters and conservative
on social matters?
a) Libertarians
b) Pure liberals
c) Pure conservatives
d) Populists
103)
Which of the following groups is most likely to display a consistently liberal or
consistently conservative ideology?
a) Libertarians
b) Political elites
c) Individualists
d) Women
104)
Of the following factors, the one that is most closely correlated with a liberal ideology
among the political elite is
a) A Ph. D.
b) A home in the suburbs.
c) Churchgoing.
d) A college education.
105)
Whereas the traditional middle class drew its strength from _________, the new middle
class draws its strength more from _________.
a) Business, government
b) Government, business
c) Parties, unions
d) Unions, parties
106)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The theory of the new class holds that power and status are increasingly based on
The movement of minority groups into the middle and upper classes.
Inherited economic advantage.
Wealth.
Education and technical skills.
107)
a)
b)
c)
d)
According to the text, many well-off individuals are liberal because of their
Dependence on government as a power base.
Post-graduate education.
Both of the above.
Neither of the above.
108)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Members of the new class are likely to be all of the following except
Young.
Urban.
Liberal.
Conservative.
109)
Members of the new middle class are more likely than members of the traditional
middle class to
a) Live in suburbs.
b) Vote Republican.
c) Have a church affiliation.
d) Be critical of business.
110)
Members of the traditional middle class are more likely than members of the new
middle class to
a) Vote Democratic.
b) Live in major urban centers.
c) Attend church.
d) Be liberal on social issues.
111)
Compared to the average voter, members of Congress, bureaucrats, and judges tend to
be all of the following except
a) Male.
b) College educated.
c) Well paid.
d) Catholic.
112)
Business executives, college graduates, and young, high-status whites all became more
Democratic than the average voter during
a) World War II.
b) The 1950s.
c) The 1960s.
d) The 1970s.
113)
Not a good question
114)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The tendency toward ideological thinking is characteristic of voters who are
Conservative on economic and social issues.
Well educated and politically informed.
Members of minority groups.
Critical of political elites.
115)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The emergence of the new middle class has created strains on
The solid South.
The traditional middle class.
The Republican Party.
The Democratic Party.
116)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The Democratic Party in particular has suffered from
Regionalized economic suffering.
The emergence of the new class.
The growth of media influence on politics.
The awakening of public opinion.
117)
The differences between new-class and old-class Democrats would probably be smallest
on the issue of
a) Abortion.
b) Unemployment.
c) Environmental protection.
d) Civil rights.
118)
Political elites are able to have a disproportionate influence on public issues in the
United States for all of the following reasons except
a) They identify many new public issues for action.
b) They define the terms of new public issues.
c) They state the norms by which issues are settled.
d) They define most economic and social problems.
119)
a)
b)
c)
d)
One important reason why political elites are important is that they
Provide a counter to the more activist views held by average citizens.
Play an important role in defining both economic and social problems.
Have a disproportionate influence on public policy.
Reflect a single, unified opinion on important political issues.
120)
According to the text, a disproportionate role in identifying defining public policy issues
is performed by
a) Political elites.
b) The public through public opinion surveys.
c) Elected officeholders.
d) Bureaucrats.
121)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Which of the following would political elites be least likely to raise as a new public issue?
Acid rain
Birth control and planned parenthood
Disinvestment in South Africa
Unemployment
122)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Economic issues are most likely to be placed on the public agenda by
Political elites.
Public opinion.
Economic analysts.
Regulatory commissions.
123)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The fact that numerous elites exist in the United States means that
They will ordinarily work behind the scenes.
They will invariably control the national agenda.
Their influence on mass opinion will not be uniform.
Their influence will be fairly easy to analyze.
124)
Not a good question
ANSWERS
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
21)
22)
23)
24)
25)
26)
27)
28)
29)
30)
31)
32)
33)
34)
35)
36)
37)
38)
39)
40)
A
D
A
A
N/A
C
C
B
C
D
B
N/A
B
N/A
B
D
N/A
B
D
B
A
B
C
A
A
N/A
C
D
N/A
A
N/A
C
A
B
C
A
N/A
B
B
C
41)
42)
43)
44)
45)
46)
47)
48)
49)
50)
51)
52)
53)
54)
55)
56)
57)
58)
59)
60)
61)
62)
63)
64)
65)
66)
67)
68)
69)
70)
71)
72)
73)
74)
75)
76)
77)
78)
79)
80)
81)
82)
N/A
B
C
A
D
B
A
C
A
C
A
C
D
A
B
C
A
A
N/A
D
A
C
B
A
D
A
C
D
A
N/A
A
N/A
N/A
N/A
A
C
D
D
N/A
C
A
N/A
83) B
84) D
85) D
86) A
87) N/A
88) A
89) N/A
90) B
91) N/A
92) C
93) A
94) D
95) N/A
96) A
97) C
98) B
99) A
100)
101)
102)
103)
104)
105)
106)
107)
108)
109)
110)
111)
112)
113)
114)
115)
116)
117)
118)
119)
120)
121)
122)
123)
124)
C
D
D
B
A
A
D
C
D
D
C
D
D
N/A
B
D
B
B
D
C
A
D
B
C
N/A