Title: Political Culture and Public Opinion
Course: Joni's Quizzes

Q: The usual account of American political culture includes the following commitments:
- Internationalism, science, multiculturalism, gender equality, religious equality.
- Individualism, internationalism, equal opportunity, gender equality, religious equality.
- Egalitarianism, individualism, an expectation of equal opportunity, belief in democracy and market economics.
A: Egalitarianism, individualism, an expectation of equal opportunity, belief in democracy and market economics.

Q: At the general level, the American commitment to market values can be described in the following way:
- The belief that goods and services should be as equally available as possible.
- That government should redistribute wealth in as equitable manner as possible.
- The belief in a free-enterprise system that allows for open business competition, private ownership of property, and limited government intervention in business affairs. Through hard work and perseverance, anyone can be financially successful.
A: The belief in a free-enterprise system that allows for open business competition, private ownership of property, and limited government intervention in business affairs. Through hard work and perseverance, anyone can be financially successful.

Q: The more general commitment to market outcomes is in tension with specific support for:
- The death penalty.
- Massive redistribution of wealth.
- Widespread support for redistributive social welfare policies like Social Security and Medicare.
A: Widespread support for redistributive social welfare policies like Social Security and Medicare.

Q: Rogers Smith's contribution to our understanding of American political culture can be expressed through which of the following terms?
- Liberalism
- Republicanism
- Ascriptive Americanism
A: Ascriptive Americanism

Q: A particular type of political learning whereby people develop the attitudes, values, beliefs, opinions, and behaviors that are conducive to becoming good citizens in their country.
- Propaganda
- Brainwashing
- Political socialization
A: Political socialization

Q: People who have a strong sense of ________ feel that they have the skills and resources to participate effectively in politics and that the government will be responsive to their efforts.
- entitlement
- well-being
- political efficacy
A: political efficacy

Q: Which of the following are agents of socialization?
- Books, the Internet, the YMCA, psychiatrists
- Political scientists, the president, Congress, the Chief Justice of the United States
- Family, school, peer groups, media
A: Family, school, peer groups, media

Q: People who pay close attention to government and politics in general are categorized as belonging to:
- The issue public.
- The masses.
- The attentive public.
A: The attentive public.

Q: Which is true about the concept of public opinion?
- Scholars agree that public opinion should be thought of as whatever issue position has majority support at any particular time.
- Scholars agree that the best way to put public opinion to work in a democracy is to have voters cast direct votes on each policy question no matter how small.
- Scholars do not agree on a single definition. The concept means different things depending on how one defines “the public” and assumptions about whose opinion should or does count the most—individuals, groups, or elites.
A: Scholars do not agree on a single definition. The concept means different things depending on how one defines “the public” and assumptions about whose opinion should or does count the most—individuals, groups, or elites.

Q: The mass media rely heavily on ________ when covering foreign policy and domestic issues, such as the economy and employment.
- majority opinion
- the issue public
- elites
A: elites

Q: Journalist and scholar Walter Lippmann noted that governing by popularity is not always best. Instead, he thought that:
- Drawing on the "public will" through weekly survey questionnaires was the best way to determine what The People wanted and what policy should be.
- Presidents should decide what policies are put into place and if The People don't like those policies they could always vote him out of office.
- Public policy should be grounded in sound principles supported by experts; decision making should not simply be the result of popular will.
A: Public policy should be grounded in sound principles supported by experts; decision making should not simply be the result of popular will.

Q: Martin Gilens' research on political equality suggests what about the average person's influence on public policy?
- The degree to which the average citizen approves or disapproves of a particular policy has a moderate amount of influence over whether that policy will be adopted or not.
- The degree to which the average citizen approves or disapproves of a particular policy has considerable influence over whether that policy will be adopted or not.
- The degree to which the average citizen approves or disapproves of a particular policy has no influence over whether that policy will be adopted or not.
A: The degree to which the average citizen approves or disapproves of a particular policy has no influence over whether that policy will be adopted or not.

Q: ________ is a special type of public opinion where people carefully consider the important issues of the day, contemplate the range of viewpoints, and weigh the consequences of policy prescriptions. Rather than stating positions off the top of their heads, ________ requires people to be knowledgeable about an issue and debate the merits of policies before arriving at an informed opinion.
- Partisanship
- Bipartisanship
- Public judgment
A: Public judgment

Q: Polling suggests what about the views of the top 1% versus the general public?
- The general public holds a much more conservative set of views with regard to questions about public benefits, the role of government in providing jobs, and other such priorities.
- The views of the general public and elite opinion are very similar with regard to questions about public benefits, the role of government in providing jobs, and other such priorities.
- The general public holds a much more progressive set of views with regard to questions about public benefits, the role of government in providing jobs, and other such priorities.
A: The general public holds a much more progressive set of views with regard to questions about public benefits, the role of government in providing jobs, and other such priorities.

Q: As part of an anonymous smear campaign during the 2000 Republican presidential primary, prospective voters in South Carolina were asked “Would you be more or less likely to vote for John McCain for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?” This sort of poll, intended to influence the opinions of respondents rather than gain information about voters, is known as ________.
- a convenience sample.
- robo-polling.
- a push poll.
A: a push poll.

Q: Which of the following best indicates the form and utility of a focus group?
- A facilitator asks questions of a group of around 100 people about the topic. Focus groups not only are useful for gaining in-depth insights into what individuals think but also aid in understanding the group dynamics behind public opinion. Focus groups can reveal when people feel comfortable expressing their beliefs, when they will confront others about their views, when they will withdraw from a discussion, and when they are influenced by the opinions of others.
- A facilitator incorporates negative attacks on a candidate into the questions asked or associating a candidate with a particular issue position which may or may not be accurate. These types of polls are useful as a marketing technique used by political campaigns and issue advocacy groups to influence the opinions of respondents.
- A facilitator asks questions of a group of between eight and twelve people who can engage in a conversation about the topic. Focus groups not only are useful for gaining in-depth insights into what individuals think but also aid in understanding the group dynamics behind public opinion. Focus groups can reveal when people feel comfortable expressing their beliefs, when they will confront others about their views, when they will withdraw from a discussion, and when they are influenced by the opinions of others.
A: A facilitator asks questions of a group of between eight and twelve people who can engage in a conversation about the topic. Focus groups not only are useful for gaining in-depth insights into what individuals think but also aid in understanding the group dynamics behind public opinion. Focus groups can reveal when people feel comfortable expressing their beliefs, when they will confront others about their views, when they will withdraw from a discussion, and when they are influenced by the opinions of others.

Q: Which of the following best describes exit polling?
- Conducted by academic or government researchers. Surveys consist of longer questionnaires designed to examine the foundations and consequences of opinions in some detail. Researchers may administer the survey to thousands of subjects interviewed over an extended period of time.
- Allow respondents to reply to a question in their own words. This type of question elicits more information from respondents and can be useful in gaining insight into sensitive topics. Would ask people to express their own views in response to the question “How do you think things are going in this country?”
- Face-to-face interviews with voters taken as they leave the voting booth to determine their candidate preference in the election and their positions on issues. They are fielded in a small number of voting precincts with states with the goal of acquiring representative data. They are used to predict the outcomes of elections and to determine the characteristics of voters who supported particular candidates. The data can reveal, for example, who female, Latino, Republican voters favored in an election campaign.
A: Face-to-face interviews with voters taken as they leave the voting booth to determine their candidate preference in the election and their positions on issues. They are fielded in a small number of voting precincts with states with the goal of acquiring representative data. They are used to predict the outcomes of elections and to determine the characteristics of voters who supported particular candidates. The data can reveal, for example, who female, Latino, Republican voters favored in an election campaign.