Advanced Placement Government and Politics Review Questions: Political Culture and Public Opinion A poll conducted over

the Internet is of questionable accuracy because: A. The participants were not randomly selected B. The margin of error is over +/- 3% C. The sample is biased in favor of the poor D. The sample is too large E. Questions are typically not worded clearly In light of the graying of America, which issues are likely to get attention from elected officials? A. Deregulation of the energy industry B. Missile defense programs C. Term limits for members of Congress D. Medicare coverage for prescription benefits E. Gun control Which of the following statements about political ideology in the United States are accurate? I. Political movements on the extreme right and the extreme left have had little support. II. People who identify themselves as conservatives always oppose laws restricting abortions. III. Most Americans consider themselves moderates. IV. Consistency is not essential to political ideology. A. B. C. D. E. I only II only I, III, and IV only II and IV only IV only

Political socialization refers to: A. Why a person identifies with a political party B. How an individuals political views are developed C. The measure of the publics attitude on national issues D. A persons position on social questions such as abortion E. The role of government in promoting national identity Data collected on the political attitudes of ethnic and racial groups shows that: A. All minorities tend to take liberal positions on major policy questions B. African Americans are shifting back to the Republican Party C. The views of African Americans are not significantly affected by income D. Asian American support for the Democratic Party is strong E. Hispanic Americans are the most consistently liberal group

Answers: A, D, C, B, C

Two days before a primary election, a poll shows the following breakdown in a three-candidate race:

Candidate A 45% Candidate B 32% Candidate C 23% The margin of error is +/- 3%. What conclusions can we draw from the data about the outcome of the election? A. Candidate A will get a majority of the votes cast. B. Candidate C will drop out of the race because of limited support. C. The election is too close to call because of the margin of error. D. No conclusion can be drawn because the election is still a month away. E. There will be a runoff between candidate A and candidate B Women are more likely than men to favor: A. Capital punishment B. Gun control legislation C. No increases in the federal minimum wage D. Less spending on public housing E. Abortion Libertarians support all of the following except: A. An end to tax breaks for large corporations B. A prescription drug plan for seniors paid for by the government C. The repeal of laws restricting gun ownership D. The legalization of marijuana and similar drugs E. Full exercise of freedom of speech, including materials considered obscene. Despite migration from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt, the South: I. Is a more conservative region then the Northeast II. Is a stronghold for the religious fundamentalists III. Remains committed to the Democratic Party A. B. C. D. E. I only II only I and II only III only II and III only

The political party an individual identifies with is largely determined by: A. Mass media B. Peers C. Teachers D. Parents E. Employers

Answers: A, B, B, C, D

A politician who advocates raising the federal minimum wage, cutting spending on new weapons systems, and increasing the budget for the Environmental Protection Agency is considered a: A. Populist B. Liberal C. Conservative D. Libertarian E. Reactionary Which of the following is not a conservative position? A. Support for prayer in the public schools B. Support for voucher plans in private schools C. Support for increases in corporate and income taxes D. Support for deregulation of business E. Support for limits on affirmative action programs. Politicians are concerned about the graying of America because: A. Older Americans do not contribute as much as they can to political campaigns B. Older Americans are politically engaged and vote in high numbers C. Older Americans are single-issue voters and care only about foreign policy D. Older Americans are apathetic and do not bother to vote E. Older Americans are not well organized politically compared to other groups Even a scientifically conducted telephone poll can include a sample bias for all of the following reasons except: A. Many people refuse to participate in political surveys B. A higher percentage of minority groups do not have telephones C. People confuse pollsters with telephone solicitations D. People prefer face-to-face interviews E. Telephone interviews do not poll random samples The Contract with America refers to: A. The 2000 Democratic party platform B. Ralph Naders campaign slogan for the Green Party C. The 1994 Republican legislative agenda calling for devolution of federal power D. The strong economic ties between the United States and the European Union E. The foreign aid package the Clinton Administration proposed for Africa No poll is one hundred percent accurate. This is reflected in the concept of: A. Sampling error B. Question bias C. Random sampling D. Margin of error E. Ideological bias

Answers: B, C, B, B, C, D

The most accurate way to measure public opinion is generally through: A. A stratified or quota sample B. A study of letters to the editor C. A random sample D. A mailed sample E. Talking with a neighbor Which of the following increases in its impact on political socialization of American voters as they age? A. Political allegiance of their parents B. Peers C. Educational level D. Economic issues E. Mass media Which of the following demographic changes is the most likely to affect public policy in the future? I. Graying of America II. Shift of population from the North and Midwest to the South and West III. Growth of a minority-majority population IV. The larger number of younger people versus older A. I only B. II only C. I, II, and III only D. II and III only E. I and III only Watergate, Vietnam, Iran Contra and the economic downturn of the late 1970s have all resulted in: A. An increased reliance on the media B. A belief in the economic vulnerability of the marketplace. C. A decline of trust in government. D. Distrust of the military. E. A higher percentage of registered voters going to the polls All of the following can affect the accuracy of a public opinion poll except: A. The margin of error B. The underdog effect C. The wording of the questions D. The interpretation of the results E. The issues that are the subject of the survey

Answers: C, B, C, C, B

The development of political culture is influenced by: I. Beliefs in political efficacy II. Religious beliefs III. Levels of political tolerance IV. The media V. Political activities A. I only B. I, II, and IV only C. I, II, IV, and V D. II, III, IV only E. I, II, III, and IV only The most significant agent of political socialization is: A. Religion B. Education C. The Media D. Race and ethnicity E. Family Polling techniques that produce the most reliable or accurate results are: A. Random samples B. Skewed samples C. Two-staged least sample squares D. Exit poll samples E. Survey samples Which of the following statements about the stability of public opinion is correct? A. Public opinion is unstable and fluxuates B. Public opinion is frequently stable for many years C. The opinions of women tend to be more stable than those of men D. Opinion is generally more stable in the west than in the East E. Public opinion is more stable than elite opinion All of the following beliefs are held by conservatives except: A. Taxes should be low for everyone B. Prayers in public schools should not be banned C. Abortion is the murder of a fetus D. The federal government should actively encourage equality for minorities E. The United States needs a strong defense budget

Answers: E, E, A, A, D

An American with a generally liberal political philosophy would most likely have the least amount of political tolerance toward the actions of: A. Feminist organizations organizing a march for equal pay B. Atheists demonstrating against prayers in government ceremonies and meetings C. Students organizing a protest against a universities admissions policy D. Members of the KKK rallying to support a white man accused of a racist crime E. Environmentalists protesting the use of animals in testing All of the following characterize a liberal political ideology except: A. Support of a smaller central government B. Emphasis of protection of individual rights and liberties C. Emphasis on human rights in issues regarding foreign aid D. De-emphasis of military spending E. Higher tax rates for the rich than for the poor Most studies show that the largest percentage of Americans would characterize their political ideology as: A. Liberal B. Slightly liberal C. Slightly conservative D. Conservative E. Moderate Assume that an opinion poll conducted in a 1998 Congressional race found that on election eve, 54% of the voters supported Congressman Smith and 44% supported Challenger Levy. Also assume that the poll had a margin of error of +/- 3%. What would the pollster be able to safely predict? A. Congressman Smith would defeat Challenger Levy B. Challenger Levy would probably win because challengers almost always pick up last minute support C. The election is too close to call D. Congressman Smith would win by a landslide E. Congressman Smith would win, provided turnout is good. All of the following characterize political tolerance in America except: A. Most Americans believe themselves to be fairly tolerant B. Americans are willing to allow many people with whom they disagree to do a great deal politically. C. Americans have become more tolerant over the last few decades D. Liberals are more tolerant than conservatives E. Most people dislike one or another group strongly enough to deny certain political rights As Americans age, which of the following factors decreases in its affects on the political socialization of American voters? A. Family B. Peers C. Educational level D. Economic issues E. Mass Media Answers: D, A, E, A, E, A

Among the common set of fundamental political beliefs and opinions that Americans hold is a belief in: A. Affirmative action B. Freedom for the individual C. The value of government solutions over private sector solutions D. The status quo E. Deregulation of industry Public Opinion is: I. II. III. IV. The sum total of the opinion of everyone in the nation. Representative of the views of several segments of a random sample of the public. Related to a specific issue at a specific time Tentative since it fluctuates often

A. I only B. II only C. III only D. II, III, and IV only E. I, III, and IV only The development of American political culture is influence by which of the following: I. Social and cultural diversity II. Growing mistrust of the government III. Levels of Political Tolerance IV. Beliefs in political efficacy A. I and II only B. II, II, and IV only C. I, II, III, and IV D. II and III only E. II only The term gender gap refers to: A. The greater proportion of men to women in Congress than in the population as a whole. B. The greater support of female candidates by women and of male candidates by men. C. The difference in the percentages of men and women who participate in politics. D. The difference between Democrats and Republicans in defining womens rights. E. The difference in the percentage of women versus the percentage of men supporting a particular candidate or issue. The validity of a poll is best determined by: A. A sample that represents more than half of the people in a population polled B. A large gap between the time the poll is taken and the time the results are released. C. Partisan groups taking and reporting the results of the poll. D. Complex questions to be answered by the people being polled. E. A sampling error under 4% Answers: B, D, C, E, E

An example of political socialization includes which of the following statements: A. Parents who vote democratic influencing their children to vote Democratic B. Children adopting the political party preference of their teachers C. College graduates deciding to attend law school in order to run for office. D. Political parties influencing voters through political ads. E. A newspaper running an editorial that suggests that a politician should resign. To say that the American people tend to be ideologically conservative but operationally liberal means that: A. Americans favor conservative moral values but also favor the latest management techniques to supervise government bureaucracy. B. Americans are both conservative and liberal. C. Americans are likely to support limited government in theory but support social programs in practice. D. Americans are likely to talk about the need for social welfare programs but vote legislators who will restrain government spending. E. Ideology has little impact on American politics. Conservatives would most likely support which of the following Supreme Court decisions? A. Upholding the Miranda rule B. A ban on school prayer led by students at high school football games. C. Striking down a law banning partial-birth abortions D. A decision to hear an appeal from a death row inmate E. Upholding a law that allowed federal money to be used to purchase computers for parochial school students Which of the following is less a predictor of ones political ideology than it once was? A. Gender B. Religion C. Social Class D. Ethnicity E. Age An older population of voters would most likely not support which of the following proposals? A. An increase in Medicare benefits B. Government subsidies to public education C. Health care reform D. Cost of living increases for Social Security recipients E. Campaign finance reform The process through which a person acquires his or her political orientation is defined as: A. Social intelligence B. Political intelligence C. Political socialization D. Political ideology E. Political science

Answers: A, C, E, C, B, C

Push polling: A. Is done on the day of the election to help get out the vote. B. Is another name for random sampling. C. Is used by candidates to determine which issues to focus on during a campaign. D. Provides negative information about a candidates opponent in hopes of shaping peoples perceptions of that person. E. Is a technique in which respondents are chosen whose characteristics most closely match the general population in certain demographics such as age and gender? All of the following are basic beliefs that Americans hold about their government except: A. Preserving the general welfare B. Equality of outcome C. Majority rule and minority rights D. Equality of opportunity E. Individual liberty Which of the following groups is least likely to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate? A. Women B. Catholics C. Protestants D. Labor E. Urbanites Which of the following is not an accurate statement about political polling? A. A public opinion poll can gauge the intensity of peoples attitudes towards a person or an issue. B. A public opinion poll is a picture of peoples attitudes at a given point in time. C. A public opinion poll can show the extent of consensus or polarization ion an issue or a person. D. By exposing peoples real wants, needs, and hopes, public opinion polls can help leaders fashion public policy to satisfy these concerns. E. Public opinion may understate the salience of an issue. In the United States, the term political culture refers to: A. The environmental influences that shape a persons party affiliation. B. A persons interest group and association memberships C. Societal consensus around the values of Democracy, liberty, and equality. D. The full spectrum of political ideologies from radical to reactionary. E. The trend towards negative campaigning and mudslinging.

Answers: D, B, C, E, C

Inconsistent public opinion can result from which of the following: I. A lack of knowledge about public affairs II. A small sampling error within +/-4% point III. Small polling samples A. II only B. II, II, and IV only C. IV only D. I, II, and IV only E. I only The definition of political ideology is: A. The belief that government is best that governs least B. Beliefs about which candidates to support in the general election. C. Beliefs and attitudes about the functioning of the legislative and executive branches of government D. Beliefs about the ideal political system, economic order, social goals, and moral values. E. Attitudes and beliefs about government and the political process. In recent years the influence of the family on party identification has: A. Decreased B. Increased C. Stayed the same D. Disappeared E. Doubled Which religious group is most likely to have liberal political attitudes? A. Jews B. Protestants C. Catholics D. Hispanics E. Muslims Which group displays the most consistency in political attitudes? A. African Americans B. Jews C. Manual workers D. Political elites E. Moderates The least important agent in molding public opinion among the young would be: A. Older family members B. School curriculum C. Members of peer groups D. Socio-economic groups E. Religious role models

Answers: E, D, A, A, D, A

All of the following are characterizations of public opinion except: A. It reflects the attitudes of a majority of the population B. It involves attitudes about public issues C. It influences the decision of public officials D. It is measured by pollsters E. It is an important component of any society All of the following are values basic to the American political system except: A. The rule of law B. Individualism C. Equality of outcome D. Equality of opportunity E. Liberty Women are more likely than men to: A. Vote in general elections B. Affiliate with the Democratic Party C. Support defense spending D. Consider politics irrelevant E. Support female candidates for office Which of the following factors is probably the most important determinant of an individuals political party affiliation? A. Family, particularly his or her mothers and fathers party affiliation B. Gender C. Ideological conviction D. Religion E. Social Class All of the following factors complicate the accuracy of public opinion polls except: A. If interview procedures are not carefully constructed, the poll results can be invalid. B. Even if carefully constructed, different wordings of the same question can produce radically different results. C. Interview samples are usually too small; a sample of 1200-1500 participants cannot accurately reflect the views of millions of people. D. People are often not well informed about the issues, so their responses can skew results E. Random samples usually must be divided into sub-groups of the population in order to insure accurate representation. Which of the following most accurately describes recent trends in American citizens trust in the government? A. Americans have always trusted their government, except for a brief period in the 1960s. B. Trust levels were high in the 1950s and early 1960s, took a dip in the late 1960s and 1970s, but have again reached high levels of trust. C. Americans have almost always distrusted their government, a reflection of the basic American value of individualism D. Trust levels were high until the early Clinton administration, and have dipped significantly since then. E. Trust levels were high in the 1950s and early 1960s but since the mid-1960s trust in government has declined significantly. Answers: A, C, B, C, E

The cartoon above makes reference to: A. The Republican Party symbol B. The process of political socialization C. Age as the major determinant in acquiring political party affiliation. D. Tradition as an important factor in party identification E. The importance of family income in choosing ones political party.

The chart above reflects all of the following patterns except: A. Few Americans identify themselves as ideological extremists B. The percentage of self-identified moderates has increased substantially since 1972 C. Between one-fourth to over one-third of those surveyed either do not know of have not thought about their ideological leanings. D. Over the years, a somewhat larger percentage of people identify themselves as conservative rather than liberal. E. Over the years, approximately on-half of all those surveyed identify themselves as either moderate, slightly liberal, or slightly conservative.