Political polling is primarily used to:
A) Select political candidates
B) Influence policy decisions
C) Predict election outcomes
D) Determine campaign slogans
Answer: C) Predict election outcomes
Which method involves randomly calling phone numbers to conduct political polls?
A) Focus groups
B) Exit polls
C) Random sampling
D) Robocalling
Answer: D) Robocalling
A sample in political polling refers to:
A) A single poll question
B) The entire population
C) A subset of the population
D) Polling data analysis
Answer: C) A subset of the population
What is the margin of error in a political poll?
A) The difference between candidates’ ages
B) The likelihood of a candidate winning
C) The range within which the true value may fall
D) The number of respondents in the poll
Answer: C) The range within which the true value may fall
Which type of poll is conducted immediately after voters cast their ballots?
A) Tracking poll
B) Exit poll
C) Benchmark poll
D) Straw poll
Answer: B) Exit poll
What is a “push poll” in political polling?
A) A poll conducted only in swing states
B) A poll that influences respondents’ opinions
C) A poll focused on voter demographics
D) A poll conducted during debates
Answer: B) A poll that influences respondents’ opinions
Which demographic factor is commonly used to categorize poll respondents?
A) Height
B) Blood type
C) Age
D) Hair color
Answer: C) Age
“Likely voters” in political polling refer to:
A) Voters who have already cast their ballots
B) Voters who are undecided
C) Voters who are unlikely to vote
D) Voters who are expected to vote in an election
Answer: D) Voters who are expected to vote in an election
Which term describes the difference in responses between a sample and the entire population?
A) Sampling error
B) Margin of error
C) Response bias
D) Confidence interval
Answer: A) Sampling error
“Registered voters” in political polling refer to:
A) Voters who have already cast their ballots
B) Voters who have not registered to vote
C) Voters who are eligible to vote
D) Voters who are ineligible to vote
Answer: C) Voters who are eligible to vote
Which type of poll is conducted over a period of time to track changes in public opinion?
A) Benchmark poll
B) Exit poll
C) Tracking poll
D) Straw poll
Answer: C) Tracking poll
“Sampling bias” in political polling refers to:
A) The tendency to sample likely voters
B) The randomness of the sample
C) The margin of error in the poll
D) The influence of the pollster’s bias
Answer: A) The tendency to sample likely voters
Which term describes the degree of confidence that the poll’s findings are accurate?
A) Confidence interval
B) Sampling error
C) Margin of error
D) Response bias
Answer: A) Confidence interval
What is a “straw poll” in political polling?
A) A poll of likely voters
B) A poll conducted after an election
C) A poll of political experts
D) An informal poll of a small group
Answer: D) An informal poll of a small group
“Sampling frame” in political polling refers to:
A) The questions used in the poll
B) The group of respondents selected for the poll
C) The method used to conduct the poll
D) The margin of error in the poll
Answer: B) The group of respondents selected for the poll
Which term refers to the tendency of some respondents to give socially acceptable answers rather than their true opinions?
A) Sampling bias
B) Response bias
C) Confidence interval
D) Sampling error
Answer: B) Response bias
Which term refers to a poll conducted to predict the outcome of an election?
A) Exit poll
B) Benchmark poll
C) Tracking poll
D) Election poll
Answer: D) Election poll
Which polling method involves asking respondents a series of questions to gauge their opinions?
A) Push poll
B) Benchmark poll
C) Exit poll
D) Survey
Answer: D) Survey
“Confidence interval” in political polling refers to:
A) The range within which the poll’s findings may fall
B) The likelihood of a candidate winning an election
C) The sample size of the poll
D) The margin of error in the poll
Answer: A) The range within which the poll’s findings may fall
“Response rate” in political polling refers to:
A) The rate at which respondents provide incorrect answers
B) The rate at which pollsters conduct surveys
C) The rate at which respondents participate in the poll
D) The rate at which poll results change over time
Answer: C) The rate at which respondents participate in the poll
Which term refers to the difference between a poll’s sample and the entire population it represents?
A) Confidence interval
B) Sampling bias
C) Margin of error
D) Sampling frame
Answer: B) Sampling bias
What is an “open-ended question” in political polling?
A) A question with no correct answer
B) A question that only allows “yes” or “no” responses
C) A question that prompts respondents to provide their own answers
D) A question that has multiple correct answers
Answer: C) A question that prompts respondents to provide their own answers
“Nonresponse bias” in political polling refers to:
A) The bias of the pollster conducting the survey
B) The tendency of respondents to provide inaccurate answers
C) The influence of media on poll results
D) The bias introduced when some respondents don’t participate
Answer: D) The bias introduced when some respondents don’t participate
What is a “focus group” in political polling?
A) A large sample of respondents
B) A method to conduct exit polls
C) A small group discussion to gauge opinions
D) A type of benchmark poll
Answer: C) A small group discussion to gauge opinions
“Weighting” in political polling refers to:
A) Adding or subtracting respondents to balance the sample
B) Increasing the number of questions in the poll
C) Asking respondents about their weight and height
D) Focusing on specific demographic groups
Answer: A) Adding or subtracting respondents to balance the sample
What is a “benchmark poll” in political polling?
A) A poll conducted before an election to establish voter preferences
B) A poll focused on specific policy issues
C) A poll conducted immediately after an election
D) A poll of political experts
Answer: A) A poll conducted before an election to establish voter preferences
Which term refers to the extent to which the sample accurately represents the population?
A) Sampling bias
B) Confidence interval
C) Margin of error
D) Representativeness
Answer: D) Representativeness
Which term describes the process of randomly selecting individuals for a poll?
A) Focus grouping
B) Polling bias
C) Sampling
D) Bias analysis
Answer: C) Sampling
What is the “bandwagon effect” in political polling?
A) The tendency of respondents to provide the most common answer
B) The tendency of respondents to avoid extreme positions
C) The tendency of respondents to follow the opinions of others
D) The tendency of pollsters to favor certain candidates
Answer: C) The tendency of respondents to follow the opinions of others
“Confounding variables” in political polling refer to:
A) Variables that are intentionally manipulated by pollsters
B) Variables that affect the relationship between variables being studied
C) Variables that are irrelevant to the study
D) Variables that have a consistent relationship with each other
Answer: B) Variables that affect the relationship between variables being studied
Which polling method involves asking respondents a single question about their vote preference?
A) Tracking poll
B) Benchmark poll
C) Straw poll
D) Exit poll
Answer: C) Straw poll
What is the “shy voter effect” in political polling?
A) The tendency of respondents to avoid answering poll questions
B) The tendency of respondents to exaggerate their political preferences
C) The tendency of respondents to be dishonest about their voting intentions
D) The tendency of respondents to hide their true opinions due to social desirability
Answer: D) The tendency of respondents to hide their true opinions due to social desirability
“Confirmation bias” in political polling refers to:
A) The tendency of respondents to confirm their voter registration
B) The tendency of pollsters to confirm their own opinions
C) The tendency of respondents to select poll options that match their beliefs
D) The tendency of respondents to provide accurate responses
Answer: C) The tendency of respondents to select poll options that match their beliefs
Which polling method involves asking respondents about their opinions on a series of policy issues?
A) Benchmark poll
B) Exit poll
C) Tracking poll
D) Issue poll
Answer: D) Issue poll
“Leading question” in political polling refers to:
A) A question that prompts respondents to answer in a specific way
B) A question that provides several answer choices
C) A question that is too complex for respondents to understand
D) A question that is vague and unclear
Answer: A) A question that prompts respondents to answer in a specific way
“Polarization effect” in political polling refers to:
A) The tendency of pollsters to exaggerate differences between candidates
B) The tendency of respondents to avoid answering poll questions
C) The tendency of respondents to select extreme options in a poll
D) The tendency of pollsters to focus on moderate respondents
Answer: C) The tendency of respondents to select extreme options in a poll
What is a “quota sample” in political polling?
A) A sample that is selected without any predetermined characteristics
B) A sample that ensures equal representation of different demographic groups
C) A sample of only registered voters
D) A sample that focuses on a specific issue
Answer: B) A sample that ensures equal representation of different demographic groups
Which term refers to the number of respondents in a poll?
A) Confidence interval
B) Margin of error
C) Sample size
D) Response rate
Answer: C) Sample size
“Halo effect” in political polling refers to:
A) The tendency of pollsters to favor certain candidates
B) The tendency of respondents to exaggerate their political preferences
C) The influence of media on poll results
D) The tendency of respondents to attribute positive qualities to candidates they like
Answer: D) The tendency of respondents to attribute positive qualities to candidates they like
“Cross-tabulation” in political polling refers to:
A) A method to combine data from multiple polls
B) A method to analyze polling data by cross-referencing variables
C) A method to track polling results over time
D) A method to conduct exit polls
Answer: B) A method to analyze polling data by cross-referencing variables
“Likert scale” in political polling refers to:
A) A method to determine the likelihood of voter turnout
B) A method to measure the intensity of political beliefs
C) A method to track the effectiveness of campaign ads
D) A method to predict election results
Answer: B) A method to measure the intensity of political beliefs
Which term refers to a question with a range of response options, from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”?
A) Open-ended question
B) Closed-ended question
C) Leading question
D) Polarizing question
Answer: B) Closed-ended question
“Convenience sample” in political polling refers to:
A) A sample of respondents selected based on their convenience
B) A sample of respondents who are randomly selected
C) A sample that is only collected during convenient hours
D) A sample that is obtained from a specific geographic location
Answer: A) A sample of respondents selected based on their convenience
What is a “push poll” in political polling?
A) A poll conducted by campaign volunteers
B) A poll that asks leading questions to influence respondents
C) A poll that focuses on policy issues
D) A poll that asks only one question
Answer: B) A poll that asks leading questions to influence respondents
“Battleground states” in political polling refer to:
A) States with a high number of registered voters
B) States with the highest voter turnout
C) States that are closely contested in an election
D) States with a low number of electoral votes
Answer: C) States that are closely contested in an election
Time-series analysis” in political polling refers to:
A) Analyzing data collected at different times
B) Analyzing data collected in different states
C) Analyzing data collected from specific demographic groups
D) Analyzing data collected during exit polls
Answer: A) Analyzing data collected at different times
Which term refers to the process of comparing polling data with actual election results?
A) Confidence interval analysis
B) Margin of error calculation
C) Post-election evaluation
D) Validation analysis
Answer: C) Post-election evaluation
“Gallup Poll” is an example of:
A) A type of push poll
B) A specific polling method
C) A leading polling organization
D) A type of exit poll
Answer: C) A leading polling organization
What is “likely voter modeling” in political polling?
A) A method to predict voter turnout
B) A method to predict the election winner
C) A method to analyze nonresponse bias
D) A method to analyze cross-tabulation
Answer: A) A method to predict voter turnout
“Voter suppression” in political polling refers to:
A) The use of push polls to manipulate voter preferences
B) Efforts to prevent certain groups from voting
C) The tendency of voters to exaggerate their political preferences
D) The practice of influencing voters through campaign ads
Answer: B) Efforts to prevent certain groups from voting
