Study guide 229What is public opinion?
Define public opinion and explain why it matters in
American politics. (Pages 200–202)Summary
What the population thinks about politics and government matters
for three reasons: people’s political actions are driven by their
opinions; there is a strong linkage between people’s opinions and
political actors’ behavior; and public opinion helps us understand
how specific policy outcomes are achieved. Although early research
was skeptical that people held meaningful opinions, current
research shows that people do have real and meaningful policy
positions.Practice Quiz Question
- What does it mean that most political judgments are latent
opinions?
a Most Americans have preformed opinions.
b Most Americans have well-thought-out reasons for preferring
a policy.
c Most Americans do not have any meaningful political attitudes.
d Most Americans form their opinions only as needed.
e Most opinions are not accurate.
Where do opinions
come from?
Explain how people form political attitudes and
opinions. (Pages 203–211)Summary
Political opinions are influenced by a number of factors. The belief
systems of parents and relatives influence our opinions early on,Key terms
public opinion (p. 200)
liberal or conservative ideology
(p. 201)latent opinion (p. 201)and our social groups influence our perspectives later in life. Personal
events such as attending college or moving to a new city may also
influence how we think about politics, as do national events such as the
attacks on September 11, 2001. Even debates among political elites and
party leaders shape our political attitudes.Practice Quiz Questions
- Which of the following is not true regarding considerations?
a Well-informed and poorly informed people use them in forming
opinions.
b Opinions on morally complex issues do not involve considerations.
c Political events can become considerations.
d They may be contradictory.
e Party identification is often used in considerations. - The theory of political socialization says that people’s opinions
are influenced first by.
a what they learned from their parents
b the way political parties change over time
c genetic and biological factors
d their personality traits
e politicians - An event or some other new information is most likely to
change an individual’s opinion when.
a the individual is highly informed about the issue
b the individual holds strong opinions
c the individual is strongly partisan
d the individual does not have a set of preexisting principles with
which to interpret the event
e the individual does not watch the news - The idea that individuals will rely on others who “look like”
them for opinions relates to.
a party identification
b political socialization
c group identity
d political events
e generational effects - Which phrase best completes the following statement
regarding the sources of public opinion? “Politicians and other
political actors work to public opinion.”
a respond to
b ignore
c disregard
d stabilize
e shape
Key term
political socialization (p. 203)Study Guide
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