Political Socialization + Public Opinion

DIRECTIONS: Select the BEST answer from the following.

1. The study of public opinion is especially complex for each of the following reasons EXCEPT
(a) there are many groups with a great variety of opinions. (b) the measurement of public opinion is difficult.
(c) people are often not well-informed about the issues. (d) an overwhelming majority participate in US elections.
(e) the American society is too heterogeneous.
2. The process by which people acquire their political orientations is called
(a) a demographic trend. (b) policy splitting. (c) reapportionment. (d) political participation. (e) political
socialization.
3. Which of the following statements about political learning is false.
(a) Citizens learn much about the nuts and bolts of government in formal settings.
(b) Americans do most of their political learning without teachers and classes.
(c) Evidence suggests that formal learning about politics is long lasting.
(d) Studies have shown that for the vast majority of white teenagers, taking political science classes made virtually
no difference in their political attitudes and beliefs.
(e) If they could vote, teenagers tended to vote the same party as their parents.
4. As one becomes more socialized with age, ones political orientations
(a) grow firmer. (b) fluctuate more. (c) become less important. (d) lack commitment.
(e) tend to become more radical.
5. According to many political observers, the new parent in the socialization process has become
(a) friends and peers. (b) day care workers. (c) schools. (d) interest groups. (e) the mass media.
6. In general, liberal ideology supports
(a) a small, less active governments that gives freer reign to the private sector. (b) public and government ownership
of the means of production. (c) a strong central government that sets policies to promote equality. (d) strong local
and state governments that are closer to the people. (e) a strong political elite that guarantees the purity of the
masses.
7.The most common form of political participation in the United States is
(a) writing letters to public officials. (b) voting in presidential elections.
(c) belonging to a political party. (d) working on a political campaign. (e) sending soft money to a specific political
candidate.
8. Computer and telephone technology has made political surveying
(a) less accurate. (b) less expensive. (c) less commonplace. (d) more annoying.
(e) more dependent on cellular technology.
9. A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen as representative of the whole is called a(n)
(a) population. (b) census. (c) error. (d) sample. (e) diminutive distribution.
10. The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of
(a) population density. (b) census parameter. (c) population error. (d) sampling error. (e) interview error.
11. The process of political learning in the United States is
(a) normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree.
(b) highly structured; children are subjected to an intense system of government-mandated political indoctrination.
(c) highly effective; Americans are the best informed citizens in the world. (d) extremely narrow; most Americans
get nearly all their opinions from a single source. (e) uniform; there are almost no differences in the opinions of
various groups, such as northerners and southerners.

12. The American political culture affects public opinion primarily by

(a) providing precise responses to emerging policy problems. (b) influencing Americans views of what is politically
desirable and acceptable. (c) creating a public dialogue about the proper goals of government.
(d) encouraging close attention to news of political issues. (e) stressing the importance of political knowledge in the
United States.
13. A consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a basic underlying belief is called
(a) conservatism. (b) an ideology. (c) socialization. (d) politicization. (e) political culture.
14. Liberals are correctly described by which of the following statements?
I. They favor government activism in the area of economic security.
II. They strongly support civil liberties.
III. They favor more government spending for the poor.
IV. They strongly favor a national defense policy to support isolationism
V. They believe that traditional values should be upheld even at a considerable cost to those citizens who
disagree with those values.
(a) I only (b) I + III (c) I + II + III (d) I + IV (e) IV + V
15. If the sampling error in a properly conducted poll is plus or minus 4 percent, and the poll predicts that
candidate X will receive 60 percent of the vote, then the candidate will likely receive
(a) between 52 and 68 percent of the vote. (b) between 56 and 64 percent of the vote. (c) between 58 to 62 percent of
the vote. (d) between 50 to 70 percent of the vote. (e) 60 percent of the vote.
16. As a reference point for their opinions on particular issues, people are most likely to rely on
(a) ideology. (b) a group to which they belong or with which they strongly identify. (c) the editorial position of the
local newspaper. (d) beliefs acquired while in high school. (e) positions taken by the president.
17. In general, public opinion
(a). determines government action. (b). is unrelated to government action. (c) sets broad limits on government
action. (d) affects government action only on election issues. (e) is only important during a presidential election.
18. As an influence on Americans political opinions, religious differences are
(a) most evident in the context of economic issues, such as poverty programs. (b) not a significant factor.
(c) most evident in the context of foreign policy, as evidenced by Americans support for Christian nations
and opposition to Islamic fundamentalism. (d) most evident in the context of social policy issues, such as school
prayer and abortion, where Americans of different religious beliefs hold substantially different opinions.
(e) most evident in the context of space exploration and travel.
19. The fact that Americans want more government services but also want tax reduction shows that
opinions are frequently
(a) motivated by emotion. (b) contradictory. (c) consistent. (d) based upon careful thought. (e) based on extensive
research
20. The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of a sampling error. Therefore the larger the sample
(a) the larger the sampling error. (b) the smaller the sampling error. (c) the sampling error is insignificant.
(d) the sampling error cannot be measured because of the large sample. (e) increases the randomness of the poll
which doesnt affect the sample error.