Name: __________________
1
Class:
Date: _____________
Which political figure claimed that "our government rests on public opinion?"
a. Abraham Lincoln
b. George W. Bush
c. Thomas Jefferson
d. Franklin Roosevelt
2
Which of the following presidents was the only president to receive an approval rating higher
than 90 percent?
a. Franklin Roosevelt
b. Ronald Reagan
c. John Kennedy
d. George W. Bush
3
________ is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs about certain issues or officials, and
it is the foundation of any democracy.
a. Efficacy
b. Polarization
c. Public opinion
d. Political trust
4
Which term refers to the extent to which people believe their actions affect the course of
government?
a. political trust
b. efficacy
c. conceptualization
d. confidence interval
5
________ is the extent to which people believe the government acts in their best interests.
a. Political trust
b. Polarization
c. Rationality
d. Efficacy
PAGE 1
Name: __________________
6
Class:
Date: _____________
Which president had his staff clip newspaper articles for him to read and gauge the public's
thinking?
a. George Washington
b. Ronald Reagan
c. William McKinley
d. George W. Bush
7
Which of the following public opinion surveys were conducted by newspapers and other
organizations in the 1800s to assess public opinion, but were of limited help because it was
unclear who was being surveyed?
a. straw polls
b. exit polls
c. tracking polls
d. push polls
8
Who founded the American Institute of Public Opinion in 1935, and correctly predicted the
outcome of the 1936 election by generating a random sample of people to participate in
surveys?
a. George Gallup
b. John Zogby
c. V. O. Key
d. Walter Cronkite
9
Which university founded the Survey Research Center and is now the academic center for all
sorts of polling?
a. University of Michigan
b. University of Texas
c. University of Illinois
d. University of Iowa
10 Which type of polling may be biased against older and poor Americans?
a. telephone
b. Internet
c. push
d. write-in
PAGE 2
Name: __________________
Class:
Date: _____________
11 Which type of poll is conducted as voters are leaving the voting booth?
a. push
b. tracking
c. exit
d. absentee
12 The process by which our attitudes are shaped is called
a. socialization.
b. efficacy.
c. polarization.
d. ideology.
13 If Joni's parents are Democrats, what is the likelihood that Joni also identifies herself as a
Democrat?
a. about 10 percent
b. about 25 percent
c. about 90 percent
d. about 65 percent
14 What have preliminary studies of twins suggested about the formation of political attitudes?
a. Early family socialization plays no role in the formation of political attitudes
b. Genetics may play a role in the formation of political attitudes
c. Genetics are irrelevant to the formation of political attitudes
d. Political attitudes are not influenced by either socialization or genetics.
15 The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were a defining event that caused Americans to
change their views on national security and express a willingness to give up some personal
freedom to reduce the threat of terrorism. This is an example of
a. a generational effect.
b. polarization.
c. a level of conceptualization.
d. a non-attitude.
PAGE 3
Name: __________________
Class:
Date: _____________
16 Jean was a Democrat when she was young, but as she got older and began making more
money she became a Republican because Republicans have pursued tax policies that protect
individual wealth. In this case, Jean is choosing a political ideology based upon
a. political trust.
b. self-interest.
c. socialization.
d. civic-interest.
17 Lola has always called herself a Democrat. This is an example of her
a. political trust.
b. rationality.
c. party identification.
d. self-interest.
18 Liberals tend to be ________ , and conservatives tend to be ________ .
a. Republicans; Democrats
b. Democrats; Republicans
c. Libertarians; Democrats
d. Libertarians; Independents
19 How did the Framers feel about the public's capacity to be politically informed and make good
choices?
a. They completely trusted the public's ability to make political decisions.
b. They felt that most of the public was trustworthy, although there were a few "bad eggs."
c. They were unsure about the public's ability but felt the public deserved a chance to
participate in a true and complete democracy regardless.
d. They were concerned about the public's ability to make good political decisions.
20 When differences between parties are so stark that disagreement fuels controversy and
personal attacks, it is called
a. ideology.
b. saliency.
c. efficacy.
d. polarization.
PAGE 4
Name: __________________
Class:
Date: _____________
21 Working-class people who support the Republican party because they believe in a conservative
social agenda and a decreased role for government welfare-based programs are known as
a. Reagan Democrats.
b. Nixon Republicans.
c. Bush Republicans.
d. Yellow Dog Democrats.
22 Overall, ________ tend to be more politically conservative than Catholics or Jews.
a. Protestants
b. Buddhists
c. Atheists
d. Hindus
23 Which of the following terms does the text use to describe the differences in political attitudes
among men and women?
a. glass door
b. gender gap
c. polarization
d. quid pro quo
24 In 2012, what percentage of whites favored affirmative action policies, specifically preferences
for hiring blacks?
a. 1 percent
b. 25 percent
c. 14 percent
d. 50 percent
25 How do college graduates differ in their perspective about immigration reform when compared
with those who have a high school education or less?
a. College graduates are more in favor of allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens.
b. College graduates feel about equal to those with a lower education about immigration.
c. College graduates are more opposed to allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens.
d. College graduates are less likely to be knowledgeable about this issue.
PAGE 5
ANSWER KEY
Copy of
1. a
10. b
19. d
2. d
11. c
20. d
3. c
12. a
21. a
ANSWER KEY - Page 1
4. b
13. d
22. a
5. a
14. b
23. b
6. c
15. a
24. c
7. a
16. b
25. a
8. a
17. c
9. a
18. b