AP Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs (2)

Which of the following best describes an exit poll?

• A poll that asks voters at randomly selected voting places whom they voted for so that election results can be predicted more quickly

• A poll conducted by having a computer randomly select phone numbers from around the country

• An opinion poll that is used to intentionally sway people’s opinions by using false or misleading information in the conversation

• A poll that randomly samples a population to capture public opinion at a given time

Which of the following sets of policies appears to be most influenced by a libertarian ideology?

• Increase income taxes on the wealthy to raise revenue for social security benefits.

• Legalize the commercial sale of marijuana and reduce government spending on prisons.

• Eliminate the estate tax and promote government-funded prekindergarten education.

• Expand the welfare state and reduce spending on national defense.

Which of the following scenarios best reflects the process of political socialization?

• An individual takes a civics course in school and develops opinions about politics.

• Members of Congress increasingly vote the same way as other members of their party.

• A group is able to attract new members by offering access to a broad network of people.

• As media choices increase, individuals expand their media consumption to new sources.

In a public opinion poll, a polling company used an online survey tool to randomly contact respondents who did not have telephone lines in addition to contacting people over the phone. Which of the following best explains this decision?

• The company saved money because it did not need to hire as many telephone interviewers to conduct the poll.

• The company was establishing a benchmark poll at the beginning of a campaign.

• The company was interested in asking different questions to different individuals.

• The company wanted to ensure that the sample of the population was truly random.

In a public opinion poll of a representative sample of a population, 1200 people were asked to agree, disagree, or express neutrality toward the following statements.

Statement A: The government should spend more money on welfare.

Result: 35 percent of the respondents agreed.

Statement B: The government should spend more money on helping the poor.

Result: 60 percent of the respondents agreed.

Which of the following most likely accounts for the different results?

• The questions were not open-ended.

• There were no welfare recipients in the sample.

• The sample size was not large enough to be reliable.

• The questions contained a difference in wording.

Which of the following policies is most likely to cause tension between the competing values of individualism and equality of opportunity?

• Expanding the national defense system

• Reducing environmental regulations

• Decreasing funding for space exploration

• Implementing affirmative action programs

Which of the following measures would a president adhering to Keynesian economic principles most likely employ during an economic recession?

• An executive order to increase the amount of money in circulation in the economy

• A budget with significant increases in spending for unemployment benefits and public works projects

• Legislation to cut individual and corporate income tax rates and decrease regulation of the economy

• A national budget with dramatic cuts in federal spending on entitlement programs like Social Security

Which of the following illustrates an economic policy most likely supported by an ideologically liberal individual?

• The Federal Reserve increasing interest rates

• Congress increasing the minimum wage

• A bill that would decrease funding for the food stamp program

• A state lowering income taxes to attract businesses

In which of the following situations would public opinion polls most likely affect the way a member of the House of Representatives from New York votes on legislation?

• Nationwide polling indicates that Americans overwhelmingly favor passage of the legislation.

• Polling within New York indicates that voters support passage of the legislation.

• Public opinion polls within the member's New York district reflect shifting opinions on the legislation.

• A public opinion poll in the member's New York district indicates that voters oppose the legislation.

Which of the following represents a typical liberal viewpoint on the right to privacy?

• The right to privacy is not expressly outlined in the Constitution and should be overturned in future precedent.

• The right to privacy should apply to one's home and internet usage, but not to birth control or abortion.

• The right to privacy is implied in the Constitution and should be protected from birth control to cell phones.

• The federal government should be able to monitor a citizen's activity at all times through computers, cameras and phones.