We The People An Introduction to American Government 12th Edition by Thomas Patterson

We The People An Introduction to American Government 12th Edition by Thomas Patterson

Chapter 06
Public Opinion and Political Socialization: Shaping the People’s Voice

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In his definition of public opinion, the author states that the opinions of private individuals become public opinion when they
A. first enter people’s heads.
B. are openly expressed.
C. become part of the conflict between the Republican and Democratic parties.
D. are measured in opinion polls.
E. become part of the conflict between populists and libertarians.

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2. The process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called
A. popular culture.
B. social communication.
C. socio-economic change.
D. political socialization.
E. political assimilation.

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3. The process of political socialization in the United States is
A. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree.
B. highly structured; children are subjected to an intense system of government-mandated political indoctrination.
C. highly effective; Americans are the best informed citizens in the world.
D. extremely narrow; most Americans get nearly all their opinions from a single source.
E. usually uniform; there are almost no differences in the opinions of various groups, such as northerners and southerners.

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4. What are the two distinguishing characteristics of political socialization?
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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5. Which of the following is NOT a primary socializing agent?
A. peers
B. school
C. church
D. family
E. None of these are primary socializing agents.

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6. Which of the following would NOT be considered a secondary socializing agent?
A. leaders
B. the media
C. peers
D. church
E. None of these answers is correct, as ALL represent secondary socializing agents.

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7. As an agent of political socialization, the American family has its greatest effect on individuals’
A. party identification.
B. choice and form of higher education.
C. professional career.
D. knowledge of particular public policies.
E. rate of political participation.

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8. Students are MOST likely to hear stories about America’s heroes and greatness when they are in
A. elementary school.
B. middle school.
C. high school.
D. an undergraduate college program.
E. graduate school.

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9. Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann’s “spiral of silence” theory contends that
A. most individuals are reluctant to speak out against the dominant opinion.
B. people tend not to express their views until asked.
C. people holding deviant opinions tend to be more vocal, and hence silence the majority.
D. most individuals like to challenge dominant opinions.
E. All these answers are correct.

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10. Of the following countries, which one has the highest level of national pride?
A. China
B. Britain
C. France
D. United States
E. Germany

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11. Party identification refers to
A. the percentage of polled individuals that claim membership in a particular party.
B. formal membership in a political party.
C. an emotional attachment to a political party.
D. a political party’s platform—the stances on issues that define its beliefs.
E. the ability of individual citizens to identify the major issue positions of the major political parties.

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12. In terms of party identification, about two-thirds of adults call themselves
A. liberals.
B. Republicans or Democrats.
C. Republicans.
D. Independents.
E. Democrats.

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13. Which of the following statements about party identification is true?
A. Pollsters did not measure Independent as a form of identification until early in the twenty-first century.
B. Currently, more people identify as Republicans than as Democrats.
C. Currently, more people identify as Democrats than as Republicans.
D. Over the last several decades, the percentage of people identifying as Republicans has increased substantially.
E. Over the last several decades, the percentage of people identifying as Independents has increased substantially.

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14. Currently, the greatest percentage of Americans identify as
A. Democrats.
B. Republicans.
C. Independents.
D. Libertarians.
E. Populists.

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15. Historically, dramatic change in party identification is uncommon and is almost always a consequence of
A. a change in the policy position of the president.
B. major upheaval.
C. popular satisfaction with a government initiative.
D. a change in the law.
E. a Supreme Court ruling.

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16. Selective perception is primarily a result of
A. economic class.
B. religion.
C. partisanship.
D. race and ethnicity.
E. age and generational beliefs.

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17. Friedrich Engels believed that communism would not take root in the United States because
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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18. A general belief about the role and purpose of government is called
A. conservatism.
B. an ideology.
C. socialization.
D. politicization.
E. None of these answers is correct.

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19. Which of the following statements about Americans and ideology and political thinking is true?
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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20. Which of the following states is solidly Democratic?
A. Idaho
B. Georgia
C. Utah
D. Washington
E. Texas

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21. Which of the following states is solidly Republican?
A. New York
B. Florida
C. Illinois
D. Oregon
E. Alabama

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22. Which of the following states is a competitive state, meaning that it could potentially vote either Democratic or Republican?
A. Florida
B. California
C. Massachusetts
D. Kansas
E. Minnesota

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23. Each of the following statements could be considered true of either economic or social liberals, EXCEPT that
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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24. All of the following ideological types are prevalent in the United States EXCEPT
A. liberals.
B. conservatives.
C. populists.
D. libertarians.
E. communists.

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25. Which of the following ideological types favor government activism in the economic realm?
A. liberals and populists
B. populists and libertarians
C. conservatives and liberals
D. populists and conservatives
E. liberals and libertarians

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26. Libertarians are opposed to governmental intervention
A. in both the economic and social spheres.
B. in the economic but not the social sphere.
C. in the social sphere, but not the economic sphere.
D. in neither the social nor the economic spheres.
E. only with regard to affirmative action.

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27. A conservative is opposed to government intervention
A. in both the economic and social spheres.
B. in the economic but not the social sphere.
C. in the social sphere, but not the economic sphere.
D. in neither the social nor the economic spheres.
E. only with regard to affirmative action.

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28. A person who favors government intervention in both social and economic affairs is a(n)
A. libertarian.
B. liberal.
C. populist.
D. social conservative.
E. economic conservative.

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29. The most powerful religious force in contemporary American society is the
A. Protestants.
B. religious right.
C. Catholics.
D. Jews.
E. Muslims.

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30. Americans who attend religious services at least once a week are most likely to vote for which political party?
A. Libertarian
B. Democratic
C. Republican
D. Populist
E. Green

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31. Which of the following groups in the U.S. shows a higher level of support for collective bargaining?
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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32. You will be LEAST likely to find a “blue state” in the
A. South.
B. Northeast.
C. northern Midwest.
D. West Coast.
E. Pacific Northwest.

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33. According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, young adults are substantially more likely than senior citizens to support
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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34. Women are less likely than men to favor
A. affirmative action.
B. abortion rights.
C. higher levels of education spending.
D. the use of force to settle international disputes.
E. All these answers are correct.

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