I am what I am and that's all that I am
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
American political culture includes all of the following beliefs EXCEPT:
A. Equality of Opportunity
B. Equality of Outcome
C. Individualism
D. Liberty
B. Equality of Outcome
Explanation: Equality of outcome - where all individuals receive the same results - is not a major element of American political culture.
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
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.
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.
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 Donald Trump 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 Donald Trump is doing his job as president?
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.
If Taylor Swift decides to run in the Democratic primary for president, the type of polling her campaign would initiate to gauge support to see if primary voters would be in their voting era and support her would be which type of poll?
A) Exit Poll
B) Tracking Poll
C) Benchmark Poll
D) Opinion Poll
B. Benchmark Poll
Explanation: This type of polling is done at the start of a potential campaign to help begin to understand the support a candidate might have.
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.
Select the pair that best represents the ideological positions of the two major parties.
Democratic Party Republican Party
D-Increase the minimum wage
R-Increase environmental regulations
D-Oppose the death penalty
R Increase taxes for the middle class
D-Protect the rights of the accused
R- Ban abortion
D-Expand school-choice programs
R- Oppose affirmative action
c. Protect the rights of the accused Ban abortion
Critics of the Supreme Court decision last summer that granted presidents wide-sweeping presidential immunity from prosecution for actions taken as president point to this as a violation of this long-standing American core value
a) Limited government
b) Free Enterprise
c) Rule of Law
d) Equality of Opportunity
c) Rule of Law
Explanation: The rule of law focuses on equal treatment under law, and the law applying equally to Americans no matter of status, wealth or condition.
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
This is NOT a main way political opinion polls are used by political campaigns.
A) To help a candidate work out their stance on particular issues
B) Better understand what issues society at large prioritizes
C) Test out what level of support voters give to a candidate's prioritized issues
D) Incorporate a political opponent's issues into alignment with the candidate's own views
D) Incorporate a political opponent's issues into alignment with the candidate's own views
Explanation: Opinion polls can give voice to voters views and preferences on political issues that matter to them or their level of support for candidates.
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
Which of the following describes how the Federal Reserve System influences the economy?
a. The Federal Reserve can raise rates to slow down the economy and cool inflation
b. The Federal Reserve can lower rates to try to stimulate the economy and encourage spending & borrowing
c. The Federal Reserve can increase or decrease the money supply through money creation/taking out of circulation or the buying/selling of government bonds.
d. All of the Above
d. All of the Above
Explanation: The Federal Reserve can both raise and lower the federal funds rate which it charges banks interest for letting them borrow money, which in turn impacts the interest rates consumers pay on loans. They also can add or detract from the money supply and use bond sales to bring money into or take money out of supply.
Which generation would be considered the most conservative of these four, generally speaking?
a) Gen Alpha
b) Millenials
c) Gen Z
d) Baby Boomers
d) Baby Boomers
Explanation: Each generation tends to be more liberal than the preceding generation and Baby Boomers (born 1945-1960) are the oldest generation represented in the question.