Public Opinion: Crash Course Government and Politics

The video explores the distinction between politics and government, focusing on public opinion's role in democracy. It discusses skepticism about public knowledge, rational ignorance, and theories on collective opinion. The video examines how public opinion should influence government actions and the challenges of polling, including sampling errors and selection bias. It concludes with a reflection on public opinion's impact on governance.

How does the video describe the difference between politics and government?

• Politics and government are the same, focusing on the 'where' and 'when'.

• Politics is about the 'why', while government is about the 'what', 'who', and 'how'.

• Politics is about the 'who', while government is about the 'why'.

• Politics is about the 'what', 'who', and 'how', while government is about the 'why'.

What is a key reason the framers of the Constitution were skeptical about the average American's influence on public policy?

• They believed Americans were too informed.

• They thought Americans were uninterested in politics.

• They wanted more direct influence over the Senate.

• They doubted Americans' ability to understand complex issues.

What does the concept of 'rational ignorance' suggest about public engagement in politics?

• It is irrational to be informed about politics.

• Being less informed can be a rational choice due to the high cost of being informed.

• Ignorance is never rational in a democracy.

• Rational ignorance means being fully engaged in all political issues.

What does Condorcet's Jury Theorem suggest about group decision-making?

• A single juror is more reliable than a group.

• A larger group is more likely to make the correct decision than an individual.

• Groups are always less reliable than individuals.

• Individual opinions are more stable than group opinions.

How do politicians often use public opinion polling?

• To craft messages that are more acceptable to the public.

• To determine election outcomes.

• To directly implement policies based on poll results.

• To ignore public opinion entirely.

What is a common issue with online polls?

• They are only conducted by news organizations.

• They are always more accurate than phone polls.

• They tend to have a selection bias.

• They never include demographic information.

Why is the framing of questions important in polls?

• It ensures that all respondents answer the same way.

• It can significantly alter the results of the poll.

• It has no impact on the poll's accuracy.

• It makes the poll more entertaining.