first semester final APGOV

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

• Do you agree or disagree with the unjustified shooting of unarmed American citizen

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

• Do you agree or disagree with the way Donald Trump is doing his job as president

• Would you support a tax plan that benefits the rich at the expense of the poor

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

• The poll results are valid because respondents were selected at random

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

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

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

Which of the following best explains why it was more difficult for the polls to predict the outcome of the 2016 presidential election than it had been in the past

• Fewer polls were taken

• The media relied on exit polls, instead of public opinion polls

• The voters surveyed were not representative of those who voted

• The wording of the polls favored Hillary Clinton, overestimating her support

With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed. Consequently he who molds public sentiment, goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions. He makes statues and decisions possible or impossible to be executed. ~~~~Abraham Lincoln 1858

Which of the following views about public opinion is conveyed in the quote?

• Public opinion plays a powerful role in shaping the policy agenda

• It is important to use opinion polls to determine the public's view on a issue.

• Officials fail to lead when they rely too much on public opinion

• Public opinion frequently shafts, making it hard for the government to create new policies

The cartoon illustrates which of the following terms

• political culture

• political ideology

• political indoctrination

• political socialization

Which of the following strengthens transparency and the rule of law

• The freedom of Information Act allows citizens to request information kept by the government

• Judges may impose different sentences for criminal defendants depending on the circumstances

• under the system of federalism, states have independent powers that the federal government may not take away

• The government may use prior restraint to prevent publication of news stories that are critical of its actions.

The cartoon reflects which of the following viewpoints

• Poll results are influenced by the organization conducting the poll

• There is not such thing as a valid, scientific, public opinion poll

• Polls done by conservative media organizations are more accurate than polls done by liberal media organizations

• The media uses polls in a attempt to measure public opinion

The cartoon expresses which of the following viewpoints

• The Republican and Democratic parties cannot agree on the basic nature of the budget deficit

• The deficit is caused by the pork-barrel spending projects

• The Republican and Democratic parties both agree that the deficit is a serious problem

• The deficit is caused by disagreements between Democratic and Republican parties

. . . But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department, the necessary constitutional means, and personal motives, to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defence must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate [corresponding] to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. . . . — James Madison, The Federalist No. 51, 1788

In this passage, James Madison argues for the governing principle known as

• checks and balances

• representative government

• executive privilege

• popular sovereignty

Which statement best illustrates the meaning of federalism?

• All citizens enjoy the basic rights of freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly

• The Constitution delegates certain powers to the national government but reserves other powers for the states

• The Constitution can be changed by amendments ratify by Congress.

• The House of Representatives has the power to impeach the president, and the Senate has the power to conduct an impeachment trial.