I am what I am and that's all that I am
Polls, Poles and Pulls
Money trees and the people who plant them
What George warned us about
Wait, that's on the test?
100

 Which of these is the most significant agent of political socialization?

A. Media

B. Schools

C. Friends

D. Family

 

D. Family

Explanation: While each of these is an agent of socialization, family is the primary agent of socialization for most people.

100

Which of the following polls will be least accurate?

A. A national poll based on a random sample

B. A poll conducted by a presidential candidate's campaign

C. A social media poll open to all who wish to respond

D. A local poll based on a random sample

C. A social media poll open to all who wish to respond

Explanation: A poll open to those who wish to respond can be subject to voluntary response bias, which would bias the potential results.

100

That same system has helped lift more people out of poverty across the globe than any government program or competing economic system. The success of America’s . . . system has been a bright beacon of freedom for the world. It has signaled to oppressed people to rise up against their oppressors, and given hope to the once hopeless. 

—Mitt Romney, 2012 Campaign Speech


Which of the following best describes the viewpoint expressed in the quote?

a.    American core values inspire citizens throughout the world.    

b.    Democratic governments have a duty to try to spread their values to help citizens living in authoritarian states.    

c.    The American government has an obligation to reduce poverty among citizens.    

d.    America should fix its own problems before it tries to solve global issues.

a.    American core values inspire citizens throughout the world.  

100

Which of the following best describes an element of conservative ideology?

A. Government should decrease its regulation of businesses

B. Government should increase the minimum wage

C. Government should increase taxes to provide more services

D. Government should not interfere with the right to an abortion

A. Government should decrease its regulation of businesses

Explanation: Conservative ideology typically prefers laissez-faire economic decisions, reducing the government's role in the economy  

100

Which political ideology is not affiliated with a major political party in the United States?

A. Authoritarian

B. Liberal

C. Conservative

D. Libertarian

A. Authoritarian

Explanation: The Democrats (liberal), Republicans (conservative), and Libertarian (libertarian) party are major parties in the US, whereas there is no major party with a stated authoritarian ideology.

200

Most individuals adopt the political party affiliation of:

A. Their teachers

B. Their parents

C. Their friends

D. Their governor

Explanation: Parents are one of the foremost sources of political socialization, and children most often adopt the political beliefs of their parents.

B. Their parents

200

Which of the following would decrease the margin of error on a public opinion poll?

A. Using multiple survey methods (phone, face-to-face, etc.)

B. Increasing the sample size

C. Decreasing the sample size

D. Including only multiple-choice questions

B. Increasing the sample size

Explanation: The larger the sample size, the smaller the margin of error. Polls are more accurate when a greater percentage of the universe is surveyed.

200

Which of the following is the most accurate measure of voter turnout?

a.    The percentage of those registered who vote    

b.    The percentage of the total population that votes    

c.    The percentage of the voting-age population that votes    

d.    The percentage of those living in a country who vote

c.    The percentage of the voting-age population that votes  

200

Which of these views is most likely to be held by a political liberal?

A. Businesses should have the freedom to make any decisions that would benefit their bottom line

B. All Americans should pay the same amount of taxes - regardless of income

C. The government should cut spending on all of its programs in times of economic crisis

D. Minimum wage laws are an important part of economic policymaking

D. Minimum wage laws are an important part of economic policymaking

Explanation: Liberal economic policy emphasizes the importance of government regulations to protect workers, like minimum wage laws.

200

In an effort to measure Americans’ views on the death penalty, students in a high school government class take a poll of every fifth person entering the local coffee shop from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday. Which of the following statements best describes the validity of the poll results?

a.    The poll results are valid because respondents were selected at random.    

b.    The poll results are not valid because the respondents are not representative of the nation.    

c.    The poll results are scientific, as long as the sample size was large enough.    

d.    The poll results are not scientific, because the poll was not conducted by a reputable polling firm.

c.    The poll results are scientific, as long as the sample size was large enough.  

300

American political culture includes all of the following beliefs EXCEPT:

A. Equality of Opportunity  

B. Equality of Outcome

C. Individualism

D. Liberty



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4.0 MC Answers and Review

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Answers and Review for Multiple Choice Practice on American Political Ideologies and Beliefs


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⛔STOP ⛔ Before you look at the answers make sure you gave this practice quiz a try so you can assess your understanding of the concepts covered in Unit 4. Click here for the practice questions: AP US Gov Unit 4 Multiple Choice Questions.

Facts about the test: The AP US Gov exam has 80 multiple choice questions and you will be given 55 minutes to complete the section. That means it should take you around 7 minutes to complete 5 questions.

The following questions were not written by CollegeBoard and although they cover information outlined in the AP US Government Course and Exam Description1. Which of these is the most significant agent of political socialization?

A. Media

B. Schools

C. Friends

D. Family

Explanation: While each of these is an agent of socialization, family is the primary agent of socialization for most people.

📄 Study Unit 4.2: Political Socialization

2. Which of the following would decrease the margin of error on a public opinion poll?

A. Using multiple survey methods (phone, face-to-face, etc.)

B. Increasing the sample size

C. Decreasing the sample size

D. Including only multiple-choice questions

Explanation: The larger the sample size, the smaller the margin of error. Polls are more accurate when a greater percentage of the universe is surveyed.

📄 Study Unit 4.5: Measuring Public Opinion

3. Democrats typically prefer which fiscal policy?

A. Deflationary economics

B. Laissez-Faire economics

C. Keynesian economics

D. Supply-side economics

Explanation: Liberals typically argue in favor of increasing government spending during times of economic downturn, a key feature of Keynesian economics.

🎥 Watch AP Gov Unit 4 Review

4. American political culture includes all of the following beliefs EXCEPT:

A. Equality of Opportunity  

B. Equality of Outcome

Explanation: Equality of outcome - where all individuals receive the same results - is not a major element of American political culture.

300

Public opinion polls are most accurate if they make use of:

A. Loaded Questions

B. Face-to-Face Interaction

C. Random Sampling

D. Exit Polling

C. Random Sampling 

Explanation: Random Sampling is an essential element of accurate polling, as it removes biases from the process of selecting participants

300

Democrats typically prefer which fiscal policy?

A. Deflationary economics

B. Laissez-Faire economics

C. Keynesian economics

D. Supply-side economics

C. Keynesian economics

Explanation: Liberals typically argue in favor of increasing government spending during times of economic downturn, a key feature of Keynesian economics.  

300

Libertarian political ideology favors which of the following?

A. Increased government regulation of the economy

B. Decreased government regulation of the economy

C. Government restrictions on personal activities

D. Government passage of safety-net programs to protect those in need

B. Decreased government regulation of the economy

Explanation: Libertarians prefer a small government - both economically and socially - thus wanting decreased government regulation.

300

Which of the following poll questions is most likely to lead to a valid result, assuming the poll is taken using scientific methods?

a.    Do you agree or disagree with the unjustified shooting of unarmed American citizens?    

b.    Do you agree that stem cell research has the potential to improve outcomes for patients suffering from cancer?    

c.    Do you agree or disagree with the way Joe Biden is doing his job as president?    

d.    Would you support a tax plan that benefits the rich at the expense of the poor?

c.    Do you agree or disagree with the way Joe Biden is doing his job as president?

400

Political culture is best defined as

A. beliefs and attitudes about the political process

B. entertainment performances designed to increase public support for a candidate

C. beliefs and attitudes about the proper role of government

D. personal beliefs that influence one's selection of political party

A. beliefs and attitudes about the political process 

Explanation: Political Culture refers to the collective beliefs about the political process - while political ideology refers to beliefs about the proper role of government.

400

Polls that seek to match representative characteristics of a population make use of:

A. Random Sampling

B. Quantitative Sampling

C. Qualitative Sampling

D. Quota Sampling

D. Quota Sampling

Explanation: Quota sampling ensures that participants are selected in a way that matches the overall characteristics of the universe's population.

400

Supply-side fiscal policy entails:

A. Cutting taxes on the working class

B. Increasing Social Security benefits

C. Cutting taxes on the wealthy

D. Increasing taxes of the top 1%

C. Cutting taxes on the wealthy 

Explanation: Supply-side economics, or trickle-down economics, believes cutting taxes on the wealthy will positively impact the entire economy.

400

Select the pair that best represents the ideological positions of the two major parties.

    Democratic Party    Republican Party    

A. D-Increase the minimum wage   

    R-Increase environmental regulations    


B. D-Oppose the death penalty    

    R Increase taxes for the middle class    


C. D-Protect the rights of the accused    

    R- Ban abortion    


D. D-Expand school-choice programs      

    R- Oppose affirmative action

c.    Protect the rights of the accused    Ban abortion

400

Monetary policy, as carried out by the Federal Reserve, can include all of the following actions except:

A. Increasing the discount rate

B. Raising the reserve requirements

C. Lowering the interest rate

D. Printing additional money

D. Printing additional money

Explanation: The Federal Reserve has a variety of tools it can use to regulate monetary policy, but printing money is not something within its power - that is done by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing

500

Which of the following best represents a conflict between liberty and order?

a.    Providing due process to criminal defendants and protecting the rights of crime victims    

b.    Increasing the minimum wage and providing tax cuts for businesses    

c.    Increasing taxes for the wealthy and providing social welfare for the poor    

d.    Increasing the interest rate on loans and reducing the rate of inflation on consumer goods

a.    Providing due process to criminal defendants and protecting the rights of crime victims

500

Which of the following describes the person most likely to vote, based on the demographic characteristics?

a.    A twenty-five-year-old white male, with a high school diploma    

b.    A sixty-five-year-old Hispanic female, with a PhD    

c.    A thirty-five-year-old African American male, with a bachelor’s degree    

d.    An eighteen-year-old white female, entering college

b.    A sixty-five-year-old Hispanic female, with a PhD  

500

Read the quote to answer the following question(s).


Our true choice is not between tax reduction, on the one hand, and the avoidance of large Federal deficits on the other. It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits . . . it is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now. 

—John F. Kennedy

The quote is most consistent with which policy?

a.    Command-and-control policy    

b.    Keynesian economics    

c.    Monetarism    

d.    Supply-side economics


d.    Supply-side economics

500

Which of the following describes how the Federal Reserve System influences the economy?

a.    The Fed raises interest rates in an attempt to increase the amount of credit available to consumers.    

b.    The Fed increases the amount of money in circulation in an attempt to lower inflation rates.    

c.    The Fed increases the reserve rate in an attempt to raise the amount of money banks keep in deposits.    

d.    The Fed provides Congress and the president with advice about taxing and spending levels in the budget.

c.    The Fed increases the reserve rate in an attempt to raise the amount of money banks keep in deposits.    

500

Which of the following is a constitutional criticism of tuition vouchers?

a.    They violate the First Amendment because they limit freedom of expression and choice.    

b.    They violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because schools receive unequal funding.    

c.    They violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment because tax dollars go to support religious schools.    

d.    They violate the Fourth Amendment right of privacy because they allow schools access to financial information.

c.    They violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment because tax dollars go to support religious schools

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