Civics Chapter 10 Public Opinion and Government

1.  Which of the following is a way in which the public opinion of the people is influenced?

• public interest groups
• mass media
• opinion polls
• all of these influence public opinion

Ideas and attitudes that most people in the country hold about politics and government officials

• endorsements
• public opinion
• social policy
• mass media

Which of the following is NOT one of the most popular presidents of all time?

• George W. Bush
• George Washington
• Theodore Roosevelt
• John F. Kennedy

Public opinion does not matter to a president because once he is elected, he holds all of the power and there is nothing the people can do.

• TRUE
• FALSE

Public opinion varies greatly in the United States because

• all citizens like the decisions of the Congress
• Most people agree with Supreme Court rulings
• Americans hold different opinions and disagree about everything
• all of the above are correct

Which of the following factors determines a person opinions about political issues?

• personal background
• mass media
• public officials
• all of these shape an individual's opinions

An elderly person votes for a Senator who promises to fight for increased Medicare coverage.  This would be an example of:

• a person's income level shaping their public opinion
• a person's religion shaping their public opinion
• a person's age shaping their public opinion
• none of these answers provide and example

In what way does mass media influence public opinion?

• packs an emotional impact
• shows political information in a direct way
• allows viewers to witness events at home and abroad
• all of these are ways in which mass media influenced public opinion

How strongly a person feels about the issue is referred to as:

• direction
• intensity
• stability
• all of these

When measuring public opinion, which of the following methods is the most reliable:

• Polling people from many age groups, ethnic backgrounds and regions of the country
• Using past voting information to determine how people feel about an issue 
• Polling people from your city
• Polling people from many nations of the world