Exam 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization: Shaping the Peoples Voice

A) Franklin Roosevelt had little faith that public opinion would preserve the social security program,and he expected it to be dismantled within a few decades.
B) Public opinion on the usefulness of the social security system tends to swing back and forth dramatically with the health of the national economy.
C) George W.Bush attempted to privatize aspects of social security,only to back down in the face of determined resistance.
D) Franklin Roosevelt attempted to increase the size of the social security system,but backed down in the face of strong public opinion against any expansion.
E) Ronald Reagan refused,against the wishes of his party,to propose reform of the social security system,because he knew public opinion would oppose it.

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A) accurate,since Americans are one people and indivisible.
B) less accurate than a view of public opinion based on the majority,since the political system operates on the principle of majority rule.
C) less accurate than the idea that Americans form many publics,which differ greatly in such things as the level of attention they pay to politics.
D) less accurate than a view of public opinion based on what the news media are saying about the public.
E) accurate,because there is little diversity in American public opinion.

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A) Idaho
B) Georgia
C) Utah
D) Washington
E) Texas

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A) a much larger sample size will be required.
B) the sample requirements will be nearly the same.
C) a smaller sample size will be required.
D) less randomization will be needed because the sample size will be larger.
E) a larger sampling error can be accepted.

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A) Schools are the most influential agent of political socialization,and political socialization is strongest during childhood.
B) Family is the strongest agent of political socialization,and political socialization is strongest during high school and college.
C) Political socialization is cumulative,and it is most heavily developed during childhood.
D) Political socialization is transitory,and it is most heavily developed during young adulthood.
E) Political socialization occurs primarily among educated populations,and it is most heavily developed during adulthood.

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A) stronger environmental regulations.
B) affirmative action.
C) religious teaching in public schools.
D) strengthening social security.
E) the use of military force.

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A) polling,even when done scientifically,cannot be trusted because it is in people's nature to be dishonest in response to political questions.
B) the dominance of polling has brought about an ideological shift toward the more radical ends of the political spectrum among elected representatives.
C) polling had provided political parties with even more entrenched power,reducing the influence of third party candidates.
D) effective government cannot be run by politicians that base their public opinions on poll results.
E) pollsters have had more effect on the outcome of presidential elections in recent decades than have the people who do the voting.

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A) the lack of importance in measured public opinion for the political process
B) the status of the family as a secondary agent of socialization instead of a primary agent
C) the relatively small influence that government propaganda has on the individual
D) the lack of religion as a defining frame of reference
E) the lack of crosscutting between groups

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A) workers in the service sector
B) factory workers
C) small farmers
D) white-collar workers
E) workers in the skilled crafts

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Political ideology is a general belief o...

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A) determines specific government actions.
B) is unrelated to government action.
C) sets limits on government action.
D) generally affects government action only on election issues.
E) is strongest during a presidential election.

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A) they favor government activism in the area of distribution of economic benefits.
B) they prefer a smaller role for government in upholding social and cultural traditions.
C) they favor more government spending for the poor.
D) they believe lifestyle choices should be left to the individual.
E) they believe that government should be used to promote traditional values.

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A) conservatism.
B) an ideology.
C) socialization.
D) politicization.
E) None of these answers is correct.

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A) the poorer American classes still had enough material wealth to be happy with their station.
B) American workers lacked sufficient class consciousness.
C) the government was already providing substantial financial assistance to the working class.
D) the Social Security system provided workers with a safety net not available to workers in Europe.
E) the government of the U.S.was too militantly anti-communist and would not allow propaganda to spread.

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A) give what they regard as the socially correct response.
B) are asked about familiar issues.
C) have an opinion and reveal it.
D) admit they are not familiar with an issue and offer no opinion.
E) None of these answers is correct.

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A) question order.
B) unrepresentative samples.
C) respondents' lack of knowledge or interest in the issue.
D) question wording.
E) All these answers are correct.

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A) Libertarian
B) Democratic
C) Republican
D) Populist
E) Green

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A) Liberalism and conservatism have such imprecise meanings that it is not useful to think about politics in these terms.
B) Americans overwhelmingly identify themselves as liberals.
C) Americans are highly sophisticated in their political thinking.
D) Only a minority of Americans can be classified as true ideologues.
E) Americans are highly consistent in their political thinking.

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