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Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Action

Multiple Choice

Multiple Choice

This activity contains 20 questions.

	A pollster using a representative sample of 1,500 Americans finds that 52 percent support candidate X and 48 percent support candidate Y. The pollster's conclusion should be that   the race is too close to call because of a possible sampling error. X is likely to win. polls are unreliable predictors of political outcomes. the poll should be retaken with a larger sample.

	A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen as representative of the whole is called a(n)   sample. population. census. error.

	According to Russell Neuman, the paradox of mass politics is that the American political system works as well as it does given   the discomforting lack of public knowledge about politics. that most people do not even know what basic values they want upheld. the inability of people to express their opinion on issues and candidates. the fact that elected officials tend to ignore public opinion.

	According to the text, public opinion polls are   unimportant since what people say and what people do are two different things. becoming less important as more people recognize the inaccuracies of public opinion polls. important because policymakers can keep in touch with changing opinions on the issues. important because results can sway people to change their political preferences.

	Critics of polling think   it makes politicians more concerned with following than leading. it gives politicians the wrong information. it could lead to a tyranny of the majority. the public's opinion should not be taken into account.

	In general, liberal ideology supports   a small, less active government that gives freer reign to the private sector. public and government ownership of the means of production. a strong central government that sets policies to promote equality. strong local and state governments that are closer to the people.

	Most Americans learn about government and politics through   high school civics courses. an informal learning process. university political science classes. direct explanation from their parents.

	Nationwide, the fastest growing age group in America is composed of   teenagers. infants. citizens over sixty-five. people in their thirties and forties.

	One of the effects of growing older on political learning and political behavior is that   political participation increases with age. the strength of one's party attachment declines with age. people become more liberal with age. interest in politics decreases with age.

	One of the reasons why the participation gap between minority groups and the national average is no longer enormous is because   the education and income levels of minorities are no longer significantly lower than those of whites. minorities have a group consciousness that gives them an extra incentive to vote. large numbers of minorities are now running for important political offices. education and income are no longer considered good predictors of voting behavior.

	Public opinion polls concerning the Reagan Administration have shown that by fairly substantial margins, most people   disliked Reagan but liked his policies. disagreed with his desire to spend more on defense and less on government services. agreed with Reagan's desire to cut government services. supported Reagan's tough policies toward the Soviet Union.

	Public opinion polls have shown that   most people are well informed about politics but know little about geography. most people can name their representatives but do not know how they generally vote in Congress. people are more likely to recognize slogans from TV commercials than famous political figures. only during an international crisis are people able to locate specific countries involved in the crisis.

	Reapportionment   affects how much federal aid population groups can receive. changes the states' number of representatives in the U.S. Senate. can dramatically shift political power among the states. has most recently increased congressional representation for New England.

	The conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and suffer the consequences is called   protest. civil disobedience. political participation. activation.

	The electoral successes of Reagan and Bush have been attributed to   a public shift in ideology. the lack of support for Democratic Party policies. low voter turnout. nature-of-the-times voters who reacted to years of relative peace and prosperity.

	The most common form of political participation in the United States is   writing letters to public officials. voting in presidential elections. belonging to a political party. working on a political campaign.

	The phrase that refers to the United States as a mixture of cultures, ideas, and peoples is   minority majority. melting pot. immigrant society. ethnic socialization.

	The Simpson-Mazzoli Act   required employers to document the citizenship of their employees. granted amnesty to all illegal aliens. required all immigrants to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. placed a limit on the number of Mexican immigrants allowed in the United States per year.

	The term "minority majority" refers to the fact that   African Americans are the largest minority group in the United States. Hispanic Americans will soon become the largest minority group in the United States. America will soon cease to have a white majority and together the minority groups will become a majority. minority groups have been able to impose their will upon the majority.

	When people vote according to the nature of the times and know little about specific issues   their opinions are not clearly heard. they are not voting wisely. they still hold the president accountable for his actions. they are not making rational choices.

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