Chapter 5 / Public Opinion Test Bank

1. The preamble to the U.S. Constitution lists all of the following goals EXCEPTa. union b. justicec. liberty d. democracye. tranquility

2. Some 60% of adults adopt the party preference of theira. peers b. employersc. teachers d. physicianse. parents

3. Liberal preferences on various policy issues are displayed LEAST often bya. Jews b. white Protestantsc. African-American d. white Catholicse. African-American Catholics

4. The Christian Coalition had strength in all of the following regions EXCEPTa. the South b. the Midwestc. the West d. the Northeaste. A and B

5. One reason that public policy often differs from public opinion is thata. public policy may reflect the views of an elite segment of the general publicb. public opinion tends to be more stable than public policyc. public opinion polling tends to express the opinions of only the political elited. public opinion is easier to gauge that public policy

6. Which religious group is MOST likely to have liberal political views?a. Jews b. Protestantsc. White Southern Baptists d. Catholicse. white Protestants

7. The clearest liberalizing influence on individuals come froma. the Democratic party b. mass mediac. higher education d. organized religione. news magazine shows

8. Giving a sampling error of 3%, if 47% of respondents say they will vote for George W. Bush, we can infer that

a. between 44% and 50% of the voters will vote for Bushb. the likelihood that 47% will vote for Bush is 97%c. 3% of the respondents are falsifying ther intentionsd. Bush will lose the election 97 times out of 100e. None of the above

9. African-Americans are more likely to bea. slightly more Republicanb. slightly more Democraticc. overwhelming Democratic d. overwhelming Republicane. independent

10. Compared with the 1950's, the number of southerners calling themselves Democrats in the 1980's was a. about the same b. slightly larger c. much larger d. slightly smaller

e. much smaller

11. An individual with an Inconsistent political ideology would be someone who believed in both legalizing marijuana and

a. providing compensatory programs for minoritiesb. desegregating schoolsc. greater defense spendingd. a regulated rather than a free markete. raising taxes, especially on the very rich

12. Today, a conservative would be more likely than a liberal to opposea. a strong military presence abroadb. deregulation of airlinesc. a free market systemd. a tax increasee. the death penalty

13. Today, a liberal would be more likely than a conservative to opposea. the death penaltyb a reduction in defense spendingc. school using to achieve desegregationd. legalizing marijuanae. raising taxes, especially on the rich

14. You favor minimum wage legislation but are opposed to outlawing abortion. On the basis of these two issues, you would best be described as

a. pure liberal b. pure conservativec. libertarian d. populiste. neo-populist

15. 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 best be described as

a. pure liberal b. pure conservative

c. libertarian d. populiste. neo-populist

16. 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 best be described as

a. pure liberal b. pure conservativec. libertarian d. populiste. neo-populist

17. You want a 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 best be described as

a. pure liberal b. pure conservativec. libertarian d. populiste. neo-libertarian

18. Of the following factors, the one that is most closely correlated with a liberal ideology among the political elite is

a. a Ph. Db. a home in the suburbsc. churchgoingd. a high school educatione. an interest in car racing

19. Which of the following statements about Democrats and Republicans is NOT true?a. City dwellers are more likely to call themselves Democrats than Republicans.b. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to label themselves "conservative."c. Blacks, Jews, and Hispanics typically vote for the same major party - the

Democratsd. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that adequate medical care should be guaranteed by the federal governmente. People in working-class occupations are more likely to call themselves Democrat

20. A useful public opinion poll requires all of the following EXCEPTa. a representative sampleb. carefully constructed questionsc. an accurate statistical analysisd. meticulous planninge. face-to-face interviewing

21. Given that a "gender gap" exists in politics, it would be more likely for a woman rather than a man to say all of the following EXCEPT

a. "I am pro-choice on abortion."b. "Equal pay for equal work is a valid concept."c. "I strongly believe in the death penalty."

d. "Government-provided day care is a good idea/"e. "The environment should come before the profit margin."

2010 additions

22. A poll conducted over the internet is of questionable accuracy because A. the participants were not randomly selectedB. the margin of error is over _/+ 3%C. the sample is biased in favor of the more affluentD. the sample is too largeE. questions are typically not worded clearly

23. In light of the “graying of America” which issues are likely to get attention from elected officials?

A. deregulation of the energy industryB. missile defense programsC. term limits for members of CongressD. patients’ Bill of RightsE. gun control

24. Which of the following statements about political ideology in the U.S. are accurate?I. Political movements on the extreme right and extreme left have had

little supportII. People who identify themselves as conservatives always oppose

laws restricting abortionsIII. Most Americans consider themselves moderatesIV. Consistency is not essential to political ideology

A. I only B. II only C. I and III onlyD. II and IV only E. IV only

25. Data collected on the political attitudes of ethnic/racial groups shows thatA. all minorities tend to take liberal positions on major policy questionsB. African Americans are shifting back to the Republican PartyC. the views of African Americans are not significantly affected by incomeD. Asian American support for the Democratic Party is strongE. Hispanic Americans are the most consistently liberal group

26. Women are more likely than men to favorA. capital punishmentB. gun control legislation C. no increase in the federal minimum wageD. less spending on public housingE. abortion

27. Libertarians support all of the following EXCEPTA. an end to tax breaks for large corporationsB. a prescription drug plan for seniors paid by the federal governmentC. the repeal of laws restricting gun ownershipD. the legalization of marijuana and other similar drugsE. full exercise of freedom of speech, including materials considered “obscene”

28. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between an individual’s income and attitudes toward government spending?

A. Lower income groups support spending for social programsB. There is no correlation between income and views on government spendingC. Economic self-interest requires wealthy Americans to back more government

spending for jobsD. Minorities approve of higher defense spendingE. Higher income Americans tend to support the Democratic party.

29. Despite migration from the rust belt to the sunbelt, the SouthI. is a more conservative region than the NortheastII. is a stronghold for the religious rightIII. remains committed to the Democratic Party

A. I only B. II only C. I and II onlyD. III only E. II and III only

30. A politician who advocates raising the minimum wage, cutting spending on new weapons systems, and increasing the budget for the EPA is considered a

A. populist B. liberalC. conservative D. radicalE. libertarian

31. In recent years, occupation has become less significant in determining political attitudes because

A. few Americans are blue collar workersB. Americans are more mobile than in the pastC. education is a more important factorD. political parties do not frame issues in terms of classE. workers adopt the views of their union

32. Which of the following is NOT a conservative position?A. support for prayer in the public schoolsB. support for voucher plans for private schoolsC. support for increases in corporate and income taxesD. support for deregulation of big businessE. support for limits on affirmative action programs

33. Which of the following is LEAST likely to have an impact on political attitudes?

A. race/ethnicityB. marital statusC. genderD. educationE. class/income

34. Which of the following statements about voting patterns is NOT true?A. Non-whites are more likely to vote Democratic than whitesB. Women are more likely to vote Democratic than menC. Low income Americans are more likely to vote Democratic than upper-incomeD. Fundamentalists are more likely to vote Democratic than are non-religious

AmericansE. Homosexuals are more likely to vote Democratic than are heterosexuals