U.S. Government Practice Test: Public Opinion, Media and Interest Groups
- Public Opinion, Media and Interest Groups
- 10 questions
- 12 minutes
These 10 questions cover public opinion polls, the news media and the groups that try to influence policy. For polling questions, think about whether every person in the group had a fair chance to be asked.
Tap an option to mark your answer. You can change your mind, or tap the same option again to leave the question blank. The correct answers and explanations appear when you finish the test.Tap an option to answer; tap it again to leave the question blank.
Your result
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Question 1
The process by which people form their political beliefs and values, often starting with the family, is called
Correct answer: A
Family, school, friends, religion and media all shape political views over time; parents are usually the earliest influence. Reapportionment is the redistribution of House seats after a census.
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Question 2
In a scientific opinion poll, what makes a sample random?
Correct answer: D
Random selection makes a fairly small sample likely to reflect the whole population. Online volunteers form a self-selected sample, which can be badly biased.
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Question 3
A poll finds that 52 percent of voters support a ballot measure, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. What does this mean?
Correct answer: B
The margin of error gives a range around the sample result: 52 minus 3 is 49 and 52 plus 3 is 55. Because 49 is below 50, the poll cannot show that the measure will pass.
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Question 4
Representatives of an interest group meet with members of Congress and their staff to argue for a bill. This activity is called
Correct answer: C
Lobbying is the direct effort to persuade officials. Canvassing means going door to door to talk with voters, and filibustering is a Senate tactic to delay votes.
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Question 5
What is the main purpose of a political action committee (PAC)?
Correct answer: A
PACs, often linked to businesses, unions or interest groups, collect donations and give them to candidates within federal limits. The House Rules Committee, not a PAC, controls floor debate.
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Question 6
What did the Supreme Court rule in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)?
Correct answer: B
The Court held that independent spending is protected speech under the First Amendment, which led to super PACs. Direct contributions to candidates are still limited.
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Question 7
An interest group that is not a party to a Supreme Court case wants the justices to hear its arguments. What can it file?
Correct answer: D
Amicus briefs let outside groups present facts and arguments to the Court. A writ of certiorari is the order the Court issues when it agrees to hear a case.
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Question 8
Many people benefit from an environmental group's work for cleaner air without joining or paying dues. Political scientists call this
Correct answer: C
Because the benefits of cleaner air go to everyone, people have little reason to pay for the effort themselves. This makes large groups harder to organize than small ones.
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Question 9
When the news media choose which issues to cover heavily, they influence which problems the public considers most important. This is known as
Correct answer: B
Through agenda setting, the media do not tell people exactly what to think but strongly shape what they think about. Prior restraint is government censorship before publication.
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Question 10
A survey of voters taken as they leave their polling places on Election Day is called
Correct answer: D
Exit polls ask voters how they voted and why, helping news organizations analyze results. A tracking poll repeats the same questions over many days before the election.
Questions you leave blank are not counted as wrong.
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