4.5 Measuring Public Opinion

What is public opinion defined through?

• Government reports

• Public debates

• Media coverage

• Surveys

What role do polls play in a democratic government?

• They are essential for maintaining democracy

• They are optional

• They are irrelevant

• They are detrimental

How can opinion polls shape public opinion?

• By changing economic policies

• By presenting a specific viewpoint as the majority

• By enforcing laws

• By direct voting

What can the media's selective reporting of polls lead to?

• More accurate polling

• Decreased voter turnout

• Increased transparency

• Skewed public perception

What is a benchmark or tracking poll used for?

• Measuring public opinion over time

• Studying geological changes

• Predicting weather patterns

• Tracking animal migrations

How can entrance/exit polls influence voter behavior?

• By providing information about other voters' opinions

• By restricting voting times

• By changing election laws

• By offering financial incentives

What is a potential issue with online surveys?

• They are too quick

• They may not reflect opinions of those without internet access

• They are too expensive

• They are fully confidential

What type of sampling gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected?

• Cluster sampling

• Quota sampling

• Stratified sampling

• Random sampling

What can cause a sampling error?

• Non-representative sample

• Over-representation of opinions

• Too many questions

• Lack of funding

What type of questions allows respondents to express their opinions in their own words?

• Open-ended questions

• Closed-ended questions

• Multiple choice questions

• True or false questions