 POLITICS IS CONFLICTUAL
The fact that Americans agree on the cause of a problem does not mean that they will agree on how to address the problem. Do you agree with this statement? Using the links below to survey results from the American National Election Studies, provide examples in your answer.
http://electionstudies.org/nesguide/toptable/tab4a_5.htm
http://electionstudies.org/nesguide/toptable/tab4a_3.htm
Provide examples to support or refute it. |
| 1. What about when people support general principles or ideas, such as whether or not an individual supports increased government services and spending? Does that opinion necessarily translate into increased government spending on, say, health care? Why or why not? Use the links above in answering the question to provide examples.
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 POLITICAL PROCESS MATTERS
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| 2. Campaigns, elections, and governing translate public opinion into public policy. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? |
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| 3. Do you think political candidates or office holders pay much attention to polls such as the following one, linked to the Rasmussen Report presidential approval poll? |
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| 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages to political operatives of analyzing such survey results? |
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 POLITICS IS EVERYWHERE
Spend some time exploring Gallup’s WorldView application.
Test yourself by trying to answer the following questions: |
| 5. In which countries do less than 20 percent of the population own cellular phones? |
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| 6. In which countries do fewer than 30 percent of respondents not have confidence in their military? |
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| 7. In which countries do fewer than 50 percent of people believe that corruption is widespread in businesses? |
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| 8. Did any of the answers surprise you? Why? What is the value of having this kind of information? What are the limitations of this kind of information? |
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| 9. Can you think of any ways this information could be misused? What problems may have faced the investigators trying to collect the data that went in to making Gallup WorldView? Think about the challenges involved in collecting data from individuals generally, and from working in certain political, geographic, or technological environments. |
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