Question 1

What is public opinion?

Accepted Answer

The views of the general public

(shaped by political culture and political socialization)

Question 2

What is an opinion poll?

Accepted Answer

A series of questions (poll) designed to measure public opinion

(measures a representative sample of the population)

Question 3

What is a benchmark poll?

Accepted Answer

The first poll taken in a campaign

Takes a benchmark of support for a candidate/policy

Question 4

What is a tracking poll?

Accepted Answer

A poll that tracks public opinion on a topic by obtaining responses over time (e.g., daily)

Question 5

What are entrance and exit polls?

Accepted Answer

Polls taken immediately before and after voters have entered polling stations

Question 6

What are straw polls?

Accepted Answer

Unofficial ballots to test public opinion

(usually unscientific because they don’t take a representative sample of the general population)

Question 7

What is margin of error?

Accepted Answer

The degree of error in results from a random survey/poll

Surveys with more participants have a lower margin of error

(higher = less reliable results; lower = more reliable results)

Question 8

How can polls decrease the margin of error?

Accepted Answer

Increase the number of people they poll

Question 9

What is saliency?

Accepted Answer

How important an issue is to a particular individual or group

Polling, AP U.S. Government and Politics Flashcards