Question 1

Concerns about media concentration and cross-ownership are based on:

Accepted Answer

A)   government hostility toward privately owned media
B)   interpretations of freedom of the press
C)   public standards about what constitutes quality news programming
D)   the expansion of the Internet and other media technologies
E)   beliefs that it is better for democracy if the press espouses many different views

Question 2

Despite arguments to the contrary,there is no evidence that the Internet contributes to a better informed citizenry.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Which of the following is the best explanation for situations when government policy runs counter to public opinion?

Accepted Answer

A)   It happens when there is no public consensus on what government should do.
B)   It happens when politicians take money from special interests.
C)   It happens when politicians stay in office for many years and become indifferent to public opinion.
D)   It happens when politicians win elections easily and become arrogant.
E)   It happens when party leaders become too powerful and can strong-arm members of Congress to vote with the party rather than with the public. A

Question 4

Most people tend to form their political opinions "on the spot," based on considerations that come to mind immediately.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Most Americans' political judgments are based on latent opinions.What does that mean and what are latent opinions based upon? Provide an example of an issue in which most Americans would base their judgment on a latent opinion.

Accepted Answer

Latent opinions refer to attitudes and b...

Question 6

Opposition to the death penalty increased as media coverage of the death penalty put more emphasis on the possibility that innocent people were being mistakenly executed.This is an example of a phenomenon known as:

Accepted Answer

A)   media bias
B)   conceptualization
C)   realignment
D)   framing
E)   ideological polarization

Question 7

By lowering the costs of publication,the Internet has spawned the growth of:

Accepted Answer

A)   think tanks
B)   homegrown media
C)   op-eds
D)   networks
E)   newspapers

Question 8

The purpose of a mass survey is to:

Accepted Answer

A)   influence the public to support a particular candidate or policy
B)   measure the attitudes of a particular population, such as the residents of a particular congressional district
C)   instruct elected officials on how to vote on legislation
D)   educate and inform the public about details of public policy
E)   predict early in the presidential campaign who will win the election and why B

Question 9

Do Americans tend to trust government? What factors can influence the public's trust in government? Why do some scholars argue that low levels of trust in government can be problematic in a democracy? Do you agree or disagree with these scholars? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The level of trust in the government amo...

Question 10

Research shows that growing up in a homogeneous community:

Accepted Answer

A)   increases an adult's sense of civic duty
B)   decreases the likelihood of voting in an election
C)   increases support for Democrats
D)   increases support for Republicans
E)   makes people more even-handed and moderate in their political attitudes

Question 11

Which of the following terms describes a situation in which people's opinions change as a consequence of the type of considerations mentioned in press stories?

Accepted Answer

A)   priming effect
B)   persuasion effect
C)   filtering effect
D)   framing effect
E)   slant effect

Question 12

An issue scale asks people:

Accepted Answer

A)   to state how closely they are to one of several policy options
B)   how liberal or conservative they feel
C)   why they are Republican or Democrat
D)   what policies are most important to them
E)   to identify their socioeconomic status A

Question 13

Research about media bias shows that:

Accepted Answer

A)   bias favors liberal views
B)   bias favors conservative views
C)   bias is pervasive in all media
D)   bias never occurs
E)   bias is not pervasive and that when it does occur, it is caused by competition in the marketplace

Question 14

What arguments can be made both in support of and in opposition to the proposition that elected officials should decide public policy matters based on public opinion? Which side makes the more persuasive case and why?

Accepted Answer

There are several arguments that can be ...

Question 15

By far the most common way of judging public opinion is through the use of mass surveys.What are the main attributes of mass surveys? What are some of their principal strengths and weaknesses when used to understand public opinion? Are mass surveys,on the whole,a reliable way to understand public opinion? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The main attributes of mass surveys incl...

Question 16

A Pew Research Center survey of 1,500 randomly selected people,with a sampling error of +/-3,showed that 52 percent of the respondents viewed the military effort in Afghanistan to be going well.Based on this result,what percentage of the population views the military effort in Afghanistan to be going well?

Accepted Answer

A)   52 percent
B)   anywhere from 49 to 52 percent
C)   anywhere from 52 to 55 percent
D)   anywhere from 49 to 55 percent
E)   sampling error and the question wording make it impossible to determine

Question 17

Which of the following events illustrates the potential importance of Internet content that comes from homegrown media?

Accepted Answer

A)   video of George Allen's "macaca" comment
B)   Howard Stern's decision to leave daytime radio
C)   Alberto Gonzales's chat with citizens after publishing an op-ed
D)   Chris Matthews's blog, Hardblogger
E)   analysis of Supreme Court decisions on SCOTUSblog

Question 18

One of the most important ways that the media influence people is through their decisions of what to cover.This kind of filtering is practically unavoidable.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The authors of the text conclude that although the average American is not an expert on government policies,a small amount of information can be enough to inform one's beliefs.This is important because:

Accepted Answer

A)   it can influence a person's partisanship and voting behavior
B)   it forces politicians to be more truthful and accountable when campaigning for office
C)   public opinion becomes more stable and is less likely to shift due to new events
D)   it allows the public to hold the mainstream media accountable for slanted or biased news coverage
E)   it can shape government policy, as politicians often behave in accordance with the public's demands

Question 20

Internet polls are usually not reliable because:

Accepted Answer

A)   there is often a liberal bias in these polls
B)   the sample is not random
C)   of the frequency of computer users hitting the wrong key
D)   many older Americans struggle to read from a computer screen and are prone to making errors in their responses
E)   Internet polling firms are new to the business and are more likely to make errors

Exam 5: Public Opinion and the Media

Concerns about media concentration and cross-ownership are based on:

Correct Answer
verified

Despite arguments to the contrary,there is no evidence that the Internet contributes to a better informed citizenry.

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following is the best explanation for situations when government policy runs counter to public opinion?

Correct Answer
verified
A

Most people tend to form their political opinions "on the spot," based on considerations that come to mind immediately.

Correct Answer
verified

Most Americans' political judgments are based on latent opinions.What does that mean and what are latent opinions based upon? Provide an example of an issue in which most Americans would base their judgment on a latent opinion.

Correct Answer
Answered by ExamLex AI
Latent opinions refer to attitudes and b...
View Answer

Opposition to the death penalty increased as media coverage of the death penalty put more emphasis on the possibility that innocent people were being mistakenly executed.This is an example of a phenomenon known as:

Correct Answer
verified

By lowering the costs of publication,the Internet has spawned the growth of:

Correct Answer
verified

The purpose of a mass survey is to:

Correct Answer
verified
B

Do Americans tend to trust government? What factors can influence the public's trust in government? Why do some scholars argue that low levels of trust in government can be problematic in a democracy? Do you agree or disagree with these scholars? Explain.

Correct Answer
Answered by ExamLex AI
The level of trust in the government amo...
View Answer

Research shows that growing up in a homogeneous community:

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following terms describes a situation in which people's opinions change as a consequence of the type of considerations mentioned in press stories?

Correct Answer
verified

An issue scale asks people:

Correct Answer
verified
A

Research about media bias shows that:

Correct Answer
verified

What arguments can be made both in support of and in opposition to the proposition that elected officials should decide public policy matters based on public opinion? Which side makes the more persuasive case and why?

Correct Answer
Answered by ExamLex AI
There are several arguments that can be ...
View Answer

Correct Answer
Answered by ExamLex AI
The main attributes of mass surveys incl...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Which of the following events illustrates the potential importance of Internet content that comes from homegrown media?

Correct Answer
verified

One of the most important ways that the media influence people is through their decisions of what to cover.This kind of filtering is practically unavoidable.

Correct Answer
verified

The authors of the text conclude that although the average American is not an expert on government policies,a small amount of information can be enough to inform one's beliefs.This is important because:

Correct Answer
verified

Internet polls are usually not reliable because:

Correct Answer
verified

Exam 5: Public Opinion and the Media

Concerns about media concentration and cross-ownership are based on:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Despite arguments to the contrary,there is no evidence that the Internet contributes to a better informed citizenry.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is the best explanation for situations when government policy runs counter to public opinion?

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Most people tend to form their political opinions "on the spot," based on considerations that come to mind immediately.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Most Americans' political judgments are based on latent opinions.What does that mean and what are latent opinions based upon? Provide an example of an issue in which most Americans would base their judgment on a latent opinion.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AILatent opinions refer to attitudes and b...View AnswerShow Answer

Opposition to the death penalty increased as media coverage of the death penalty put more emphasis on the possibility that innocent people were being mistakenly executed.This is an example of a phenomenon known as:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

By lowering the costs of publication,the Internet has spawned the growth of:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The purpose of a mass survey is to:

Correct AnswerverifiedB

Do Americans tend to trust government? What factors can influence the public's trust in government? Why do some scholars argue that low levels of trust in government can be problematic in a democracy? Do you agree or disagree with these scholars? Explain.

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe level of trust in the government amo...View AnswerShow Answer

Research shows that growing up in a homogeneous community:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following terms describes a situation in which people's opinions change as a consequence of the type of considerations mentioned in press stories?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

An issue scale asks people:

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Research about media bias shows that:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What arguments can be made both in support of and in opposition to the proposition that elected officials should decide public policy matters based on public opinion? Which side makes the more persuasive case and why?

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThere are several arguments that can be ...View AnswerShow Answer

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe main attributes of mass surveys incl...View AnswerShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following events illustrates the potential importance of Internet content that comes from homegrown media?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

One of the most important ways that the media influence people is through their decisions of what to cover.This kind of filtering is practically unavoidable.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The authors of the text conclude that although the average American is not an expert on government policies,a small amount of information can be enough to inform one's beliefs.This is important because:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Internet polls are usually not reliable because:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
A

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
Answered by ExamLex AI
Latent opinions refer to attitudes and b...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
B

Correct Answer
Answered by ExamLex AI
The level of trust in the government amo...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified
A

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
Answered by ExamLex AI
There are several arguments that can be ...
View Answer

Correct Answer
Answered by ExamLex AI
The main attributes of mass surveys incl...
View Answer

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified

Correct Answer
verified