What does “public opinion” refer to in a political context?
a) The views of politicians
b) The views of government officials
c) The collective preferences and attitudes of the general population
d) The opinions of international leaders
Answer: c
Which term describes the process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and attitudes?
a) Opinion formation
b) Political affiliation
c) Electoral process
d) Government influence
Answer: a
What is the term for a survey question designed to elicit a specific response in order to influence public opinion?
a) Neutral question
b) Leading question
c) Open-ended question
d) Biased question
Answer: b
What is the margin of error in a public opinion poll?
a) The percentage of respondents who declined to answer
b) The difference between the sample size and the total population
c) The range within which the true population parameter is likely to fall
d) The number of undecided respondents
Answer: c
Which factor can lead to non-response bias in public opinion polling?
a) Asking leading questions
b) Having a large sample size
c) Including a diverse range of respondents
d) Some groups being less likely to participate
Answer: d
What is the “bandwagon effect” in the context of public opinion?
a) The influence of political parties on public opinion
b) The tendency of individuals to conform to popular trends and opinions
c) The role of the media in shaping public opinion
d) The impact of opinion leaders on public sentiment
Answer: b
Which term describes the phenomenon where people seek out and pay attention to information that aligns with their existing beliefs?
a) Selective exposure
b) Public perception
c) Opinion polarization
d) Political ideology
Answer: a
In polling terminology, what does “random sampling” refer to?
a) Surveying only individuals from a particular demographic
b) Surveying a small sample size
c) Surveying individuals without their consent
d) Surveying individuals selected by chance from the population
Answer: d
What is the “primacy effect” in relation to public opinion?
a) The tendency for recent information to have a stronger impact on opinions
b) The tendency for the first information encountered to have a lasting influence
c) The influence of political leaders on public perception
d) The effect of social media on public opinion
Answer: b
Which factor can lead to a “skewed” or unrepresentative sample in a public opinion poll?
a) Using random sampling techniques
b) Including a diverse range of respondents
c) Surveying a large sample size
d) Non-response from certain groups
Answer: d
What is the term for the difference between the results of a sample and the true values in the population being studied?
a) Sampling bias
b) Margin of error
c) Non-response bias
d) Sampling error
Answer: d
What is the “spiral of silence” theory in the context of public opinion?
a) The tendency for people to remain silent in the face of aggressive opinions
b) The tendency for media to exaggerate public sentiment
c) The influence of political leaders on public opinion
d) The tendency for people to conform to popular opinions for fear of isolation
Answer: d
What term describes a phenomenon where respondents in a survey provide socially desirable answers instead of their true opinions?
a) Random sampling
b) Self-reporting bias
c) Primacy effect
d) Confirmation bias
Answer: b
What role do exit polls play in the context of elections and public opinion?
a) They help predict the outcomes of elections before voting ends
b) They encourage citizens to vote
c) They analyze voter preferences during campaigns
d) They measure the effectiveness of political ads
Answer: a
Which term describes the process of public opinion shifting over time due to changing circumstances or events?
a) Socialization
b) Political polarization
c) Opinion evolution
d) Opinion dynamics
Answer: d
What is the “tyranny of the majority” in the context of public opinion?
a) The influence of a minority group on public sentiment
b) The danger of allowing public opinion to dictate policy without safeguards for minority rights
c) The role of opinion leaders in shaping public perception
d) The dominance of social media in shaping public sentiment
Answer: b
Which term refers to a situation where a sample is not representative of the population, leading to inaccurate conclusions?
a) Sampling error
b) Margin of error
c) Non-response bias
d) Sampling bias
Answer: d
What is the “echo chamber” effect in the context of public opinion?
a) The tendency for public opinion to become more diverse over time
b) The impact of media censorship on public sentiment
c) The reinforcement of existing beliefs by exposure to like-minded opinions
d) The influence of foreign governments on domestic public opinion
Answer: c
Which term describes the process of individuals forming opinions based on the opinions of others they respect or admire?
a) Bandwagon effect
b) Social validation
c) Opinion polarization
d) Confirmation bias
Answer: b
What does “opinion leadership” refer to in the context of public opinion?
a) The role of politicians in shaping public sentiment
b) The influence of mass media on public perception
c) The tendency for individuals to follow the crowd in forming opinions
d) The impact of respected individuals in shaping the opinions of others
Answer: d
Which term describes the phenomenon where individuals are more likely to trust information from sources that align with their existing beliefs?
a) Selective exposure
b) Confirmation bias
c) Media bias
d) Social influence
Answer: a
What role does “opinion polling” play in understanding public sentiment?
a) It predicts the outcomes of elections with high accuracy
b) It shapes public opinion by presenting leading questions
c) It provides insights into the views and preferences of the population
d) It generates revenue for political campaigns
Answer: c
Which term describes a situation where a survey sample includes an unrepresentative proportion of a particular group?
a) Sampling error
b) Overrepresentation
c) Non-response bias
d) Underrepresentation
Answer: b
What is the “halo effect” in the context of public opinion?
a) The tendency for people to form opinions based on political advertisements
b) The influence of popular celebrities on public sentiment
c) The tendency for positive traits to influence perceptions of unrelated qualities
d) The impact of social media on public perception
Answer: c
Which term describes the process of individuals adopting political beliefs and opinions from their families and social surroundings?
a) Political polarization
b) Socialization
c) Opinion evolution
d) Media influence
Answer: b
What role does the media play in shaping public opinion?
a) It directly controls public sentiment through censorship
b) It reinforces existing opinions without influencing new ones
c) It serves as a primary source of information and can influence perceptions
d) It has no impact on public sentiment
Answer: c
What is the “availability heuristic” in relation to public opinion?
a) The tendency to overestimate the significance of recent events
b) The influence of opinion leaders on public sentiment
c) The impact of media censorship on public perception
d) The reinforcement of existing beliefs through selective exposure
Answer: a
Which term describes a situation where individuals have contradictory opinions on different issues?
a) Opinion inconsistency
b) Cognitive dissonance
c) Opinion polarization
d) Echo chamber effect
Answer: b
What does “issue framing” refer to in the context of public opinion?
a) The influence of politicians on public sentiment
b) The role of mass media in shaping public perception
c) The way in which an issue is presented and interpreted, affecting public opinion
d) The process of opinion leaders guiding public sentiment
Answer: c
Which term describes the process of individuals seeking out information that confirms their existing beliefs while avoiding conflicting information?
a) Selective exposure
b) Confirmation bias
c) Opinion polarization
d) Media bias
Answer: a
What is the “attitude-behavior gap” in relation to public opinion?
a) The inconsistency between individuals’ expressed attitudes and their behavior
b) The difference in opinions between various demographic groups
c) The tendency for political parties to exaggerate their policy positions
d) The influence of opinion leaders on public sentiment
Answer: a
Which term describes a situation where a person’s opinions on multiple issues are consistent with a particular ideology?
a) Opinion inconsistency
b) Cognitive dissonance
c) Opinion polarization
d) Ideological consistency
Answer: d
What role does “political socialization” play in the formation of public opinion?
a) It reinforces existing opinions without shaping new ones
b) It determines public sentiment by promoting a single ideology
c) It shapes individuals’ political beliefs and values through social interactions
d) It has no impact on public opinion
Answer: c
What term is used to describe a situation where a survey question is phrased in a way that influences respondents’ answers?
a) Sampling bias
b) Non-response bias
c) Response bias
d) Leading question
Answer: d
Which term describes a situation where individuals’ political beliefs become more extreme over time?
a) Opinion moderation
b) Political polarization
c) Cognitive dissonance
d) Echo chamber effect
Answer: b
What does “agenda-setting” refer to in the context of public opinion?
a) The role of politicians in shaping public sentiment
b) The influence of opinion leaders on public perception
c) The impact of the media in influencing which issues are considered important
d) The tendency for individuals to avoid discussing controversial topics
Answer: c
Which term describes a situation where a survey sample accurately reflects the demographic composition of the population?
a) Sampling error
b) Margin of error
c) Non-response bias
d) Representative sample
Answer: d
What is the “hostile media effect” in relation to public opinion?
a) The tendency for media outlets to present information in a biased manner
b) The tendency for individuals to perceive media coverage as biased against their own views
c) The influence of foreign media on domestic public sentiment
d) The impact of media censorship on public perception
Answer: b
Which term describes a situation where people with similar political beliefs form close social connections?
a) Political polarization
b) Selective exposure
c) Echo chamber effect
d) Non-response bias
Answer: c
What does “opinion stability” refer to in the context of public opinion?
a) The tendency for public opinion to remain unchanged over time
b) The fluctuation of public sentiment due to political events
c) The impact of media censorship on public perception
d) The influence of opinion leaders on public sentiment
Answer: a
Which term describes a situation where individuals adopt moderate views that balance opposing perspectives?
a) Political extremism
b) Opinion moderation
c) Echo chamber effect
d) Confirmation bias
Answer: b
What role does the “framing effect” play in the formation of public opinion?
a) It reinforces existing opinions without shaping new ones
b) It shapes individuals’ opinions by presenting information in a particular way
c) It determines public sentiment through social interactions
d) It has no impact on public opinion
Answer: b
Which term describes a situation where a person’s opinions are consistent with the policy positions of a particular political party?
a) Party loyalty
b) Opinion polarization
c) Cognitive dissonance
d) Ideological alignment
Answer: d
What is the “false consensus effect” in relation to public opinion?
a) The tendency for people to overestimate the popularity of their own beliefs
b) The tendency for media to exaggerate public sentiment
c) The influence of opinion leaders on public perception
d) The tendency for people to conform to popular opinions
Answer: a
Which term describes a situation where individuals’ political beliefs are influenced by their socioeconomic status?
a) Selective exposure
b) Confirmation bias
c) Socioeconomic polarization
d) Socioeconomic status bias
Answer: c
What role does “political advertising” play in shaping public opinion?
a) It has no impact on public sentiment
b) It shapes public opinion through unbiased information
c) It influences public sentiment by presenting partisan viewpoints
d) It serves as a platform for public debates
Answer: c
Which term describes a situation where individuals hold inconsistent opinions on related political issues?
a) Opinion inconsistency
b) Cognitive dissonance
c) Opinion polarization
d) Echo chamber effect
Answer: a
What does “opinion leadership” refer to in the context of public opinion?
a) The influence of political parties on public sentiment
b) The impact of media censorship on public perception
c) The process of respected individuals shaping the opinions of others
d) The role of government officials in shaping public sentiment
Answer: c
Which term describes a situation where public opinion is divided along racial or ethnic lines?
a) Racial polarization
b) Selective exposure
c) Confirmation bias
d) Ideological alignment
Answer: a
What is the “sleeper effect” in relation to public opinion?
a) The tendency for media to exaggerate public sentiment
b) The delayed impact of persuasive messages on public opinion
c) The influence of opinion leaders on public perception
d) The impact of social media on public sentiment
Answer: b
