QUIZ NO 7
Since we will be talking about public opinion and in particular
about the public's "competence" and "interest" in self-government,
I would like you to explore briefly opinions about various social
issues and how closely the public follows news coverage of
various issues.
DUE FRIDAY MARCH 12 IN CLASS.
Name (PRINTED!!!) ___________________________________
Student number: ________________________________
Take the poll
"
Social Issues and Interest in Politics"
Answer these two questions. (Note everyone's answer will be different.)
-
What percent of your classmates feel the laws covering the sale of
firearms should be made more strict?
-
Percent who say "More Strict"_________
-
What percent of your classmates feel it should be legal to burn an
American flag?
- Percent who choose "Should be legal to burn" _____________
Now go the
"Issues Facing the Nation"
page of the Polling Report.
Click on the appropriate categories to find the answers to these questions.
- What percent of the respondents answer
"Legal under any circumstances"
to the question Do you think abortions should be
legal under any
circumstances, legal under only certain
circumstances, or illegal in all circumstances?
- Percent who chose "Legal under any circumstances:" ____________________
- What percent of the respondents in 1999 answered
"More strict" in answer to the question "In general, do you feel
that the laws covering the sale of firearms should be made
more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now?"
- Percent (in 1999) who chose "More strict": ______________
- What percent of the respondents choose "Should be legal to burn"
in answer to the question
"Do you think it should be legal or illegal to
burn the American flag?
If answered "Illegal": Is it worth amending the U.S. Constitution to make
flag burning illegal, or not worth it?
- Percent who choose "Should be legal to burn": _____________
Finally, what kinds of issues do people seem to pay attention to?
Go the
Pew Research Center poll
to find the answers to these questions.
(Hint: use the "Find in page" feature
of your browser to locate the items.)
- What "PERCENT FOLLOWED VERY CLOSELY" these issues?
1.) The Crash of a Paris-Bound TWA Plane off the Coast of
New York (July 96) __________
2.) Little girl in Texas who was rescued after falling into a well (Oct
87) _______
3.) Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger (July 86) ________
4.) The Outcome of the 1996 Presidential Election (Dec 96) __________
5.) Allegations of Sexual Misconduct Against Bill Clinton (March 98)________
6.) The Debate in Washington about the Federal Budget (Aug 97) ________
7.) News about Candidates and Election Campaigns in
Your State and District (June 98) __________
8.) Economic Problems in Russia (Aug 98) _________
9.) The Expansion of NATO to Include Poland,
Hungary, and the Czech Republic (March 98) ___________
10.) The Debate in Washington about How to Reform the
Medicare System (Feb 97) ____________
Okay, what's the bottom line? Are Americans
sufficiently interested in
politics to be entrusted with the reins of power?
Would you want your neighbors,
friends, coworkers to make life-and-death decisions
for the country?
Why do people seem so disinterested in public affairs?
REMEMBER: TURN THIS IN TO TED DURING CLASS BY MARCH 12.
Go to Notes page
Go to American Political System page
Go to H. T. Reynolds page