AP Government Review Unit 2: Political Behavior Chapters: “American Political Culture”, “Public Opinion”, “Participation” AP Government Review Unit 2: Political Behavior

Sample Questions All of the following are important elements in the American View of the political system EXCEPT Americans believe they should be able to do pretty much as they please Americans think government officials should be accountable to the people Americans believe that individuals are responsible for their own actions Americans believe that government should try to equalize the property and living conditions of citizens Americans feel people ought to help out in their communities

Sample Questions One core American attitude about the economic system is A widely held commitment to individualism and personal responsibility The belief that social welfare policies should be expanded The belief that women and minorities should have preferential treatment in hiring A commitment to help all citizens, whether or not they are truly in need The belief that wages should be based on economic need, as well as hard work

Sample Questions In comparison with most other nations Americans have less confidence in public and private institutions Americans gave less confidence in private institutions and more confidence in public institutions Americans have more confidence in public and private institutions Americans have less confidence in public institutions and more confidence in private institutions This is impossible to measure due to diversity of views that Americans hold

Sample Questions All of the following are true about religion in America EXCEPT Americans are more likely than Europeans to believe in a higher power Religiosity has increased in the past two decades Religious people donate over three times as much money to charity as secular people Religious people are less likely than secular people to donate to nonreligious charities Americans are more likely than Europeans to pray everyday

Sample Questions Which of the following is NOT a major source of cultural disagreement in America? Abortion Legal rights of homosexuals Legalization or decriminalization of drugs Federal funding for the arts Socialism and communism

Sample Questions Which of the following statements best describes the trend in Americans’ trust in government? Americans have had a high level of trust in the government officials since World War II Americans now trust government officials more than they did during the 1950s Beginning with the Watergate scandal, there has been a steady decline in Americans’ trust in government officials Americans’ trust in government officials has declined at a fairly steady rate since the 1950s Americans’ trust in government officials drops in wartime and rises in peacetime

Sample Questions All of the following are true about political tolerance in America EXCEPT Americans are more tolerant of members of different religious groups than they are of atheists Lawyers and judges are more tolerant of specific political activities than most citizens are Americans are willing to allow many people with whom they disagree to participate in the political process Americans have become more tolerant over the years Americans will support liberties for all groups both in theory and in practice

Sample Questions Which of the following statements best describes the gender gap? Women are more likely than men to vote for a female candidate Women are more likely than men to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate Men are more likely than women to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate Women change their ideologies more than men do when they marry Unmarried men are more likely to vote for a female candidate than married men

Sample Questions What is the effect of social class on political attitudes? In the U.S., there is little correlation between social class and voting patterns People who run their own businesses tend to vote more as independents because they think more ideologically There is a growing gap between the voting pattern of the upper and lower classes Working class people tend to describe themselves as liberal Professionals tend to be socially conservative and support Republicans

Sample Questions Which of the following voters will most likely prefer a Republican candidate? A black woman with a college degree and high income A middle-class Asian man who belongs to a labor union A southern white male business owner An Hispanic employee of the federal government A white “soccer mom” who lives in the suburbs

Sample Questions A Conservative would support which of the following measures? Less government regulation of the economy Affirmative Action programs for underrepresented groups Increased spending on social programs such as welfare The death penalty

Sample Questions All of the following are characteristics of an accurate random sample EXCEPT The questions must be asked in clear, unemotional language People must have some knowledge of the things they are asked about The sample must include at least 10 percent of the population Each person must have an equal change of being interviewed Even the most accurate polls have some sampling error

Sample Questions Which of the following serve as checks on public opinion? Federalism House of Representatives An independent judiciary Separation of powers

Sample Questions Which of the following has the greatest impact on political socialization? Peers The Media The community Parents College professors

Sample Questions All of the following are true about political elites EXCEPT They are more likely to be activists They are better informed about politics than the general public They tend to associate with people that agree with them They tend to be ideologically consistent They tend to have moderate beliefs

Sample Questions Which of the following is the best explanation for low voting turnout? More than half of all Americans are apathetic toward politics Mail-in ballots are difficult to obtain Most potential voters do not identify with a political party The burden of registering falls on the individual It is difficult for many voters to get enough information about the candidates to vote with confidence

Sample Questions All of the following were used to keep blacks from voting EXCEPT Segregation Literacy tests Poll taxes Grandfather clauses Intimidation and threats

Sample Questions Which of the following citizens is most likely to vote? A 65-year old African American high school graduate A 35-year old white college educated woman A 70-year old white college professor A 40-year old Hispanic with an Associate’s degree An 18-year old African American just starting college

Sample Questions What is the impact on religion on political participation? Religious people are less likely to vote Religious people are more likely to give money to charities, but less likely to vote Being active in a religious organization increases the likelihood of charitable volunteer work as well as voting Being active in religious organizations increases participation in nonpolitical activities but does not increase the likelihood of voting Religion has no measurable impact on the likelihood of voting

Sample Questions How do the number and frequency of elections in the United States differ from those in most other countries? The U.S. holds fewer elections because the President is only elected every 4 years The U.S. holds more elections because of the federal system The U.S. holds more elections but they are less frequent occurring every 2 years The U.S. holds about the same amount of elections as most other countries Most countries elect officials every year, which is more frequent than elections in the U.S.

Key Vocabulary Civic Duty Civil Society Culture War Political Culture Political Ideology Political Subculture Social Capital Work Ethic Conservative

Key Vocubulary Liberal Moderate Political Cleavages Political Elite Political Ideology Political Socialization Public Opinion Activist Fifteenth Amendment

Key Vocabulary Grandfather Clause Literacy Test Motor-Voter Law Nineteenth Amendment Participation (Conventional and Unconventional) Poll Tax Registered Voters 26th Amendment Voting Rights Act of 1965