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Chapter 6: The Politics of Public Opinion

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Chapter 6: The Politics of Public Opinion

10 problems · 0 figures

6-1 §6.1 source ↗

Which of the following is not an agent of political socialization?
  1. a.
    a family member
  2. b.
    a religious leader
  3. c.
    a teacher
  4. d.
    a U.S. senator

Answer

D. a U.S. senator

6-3 §6.1 source ↗

________ political content is given by a media source that lets the reader or viewer know upfront there is a political bias or position.
  1. a.
    Overt
  2. b.
    Covert
  3. c.
    Explanatory
  4. d.
    Expository

Answer

A. Overt

6-5 §6.1 source ↗

Which agents of socialization will have the strongest impact on an individual?

Answer

Family and/or school are the agents of socialization that have the strongest impact on an individual.

6-7 §6.2 source ↗

Which of the following is not part of a scientific poll design?
  1. a.
    a leading question
  2. b.
    a random sample
  3. c.
    a representative sample
  4. d.
    a low margin of error

Answer

A. a leading question

6-9 §6.2 source ↗

Why do pollsters interview random people throughout the country when trying to project which candidate will win a presidential election?

Answer

If a pollster interviews only a certain type of person, the sample will be biased and the poll will be inaccurate.

6-11 §6.3 source ↗

Why are social policies controversial?
  1. a.
    They require people to accept the authority of the government.
  2. b.
    They require government to balance the rights and liberties of different groups.
  3. c.
    They require the government to increase spending.
  4. d.
    They require a decrease in regulations and laws.

Answer

B. They require government to balance the rights and liberties of different groups.

6-13 §6.3 source ↗

Which institution has the highest average public approval ratings?
  1. a.
    the presidency
  2. b.
    the U.S. House of Representatives
  3. c.
    the U.S. Senate
  4. d.
    the Supreme Court

Answer

D. the Supreme Court

6-15 §6.3 source ↗

When are social and economic issues more likely to cause polarization in public opinion?

Answer

When the issues balance two controversial concerns, such as a limited budget and personal financial needs, or religious liberty and equality.

6-17 §6.4 source ↗

Presidential approval ratings ________ over a president’s term of office.
  1. a.
    increase
  2. b.
    decline
  3. c.
    stay relatively stable
  4. d.
    seesaw

Answer

B. decline

6-19 §6.4 source ↗

Why would House of Representative members be more likely than the president to follow public opinion?

Answer

Representatives run for election every two years and must constantly raise campaign money. They abide by public opinion because do not have time to explain their actions or mend fences before each election.

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Problems and answers are adapted from American Government 4e by Glen Krutz and Sylvie Waskiewicz, OpenStax, and are used under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/american-government-4e/pages/1-introduction. Illustrations: Copyright Rice University, OpenStax, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. This adaptation is released under the same licence, is non-commercial, and is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by OpenStax or Rice University.