unit 2, conclusion

ESSAY.  Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper.
1)  Explain why the family is central to individuals' political socialization. Describe how patterns of party identification across generations are consistent with this, using evidence from the National Election Study. 

2)  How do the American people feel about the scope of the federal government? What does it mean to say that the Americans are ideological conservatives and operational liberals? How have public attitudes on the size of government changed over time, and how does it affect public policy? 

3)  What is the effect of ideology on public opinion in America? Do people really think in ideological terms? Does the liberal-conservative dimension adequately capture how Americans feel about political issues? 

4)  Explain how public opinion is measured. What factors affect the accuracy of public opinion polls? 

5)  Present a critique of public opinion polling. What effect might public opinion polls have on the democratic process in the United States? 

6)  Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the present primary and caucus system of selecting national convention delegates. Would you favor a move to a different system, or prefer to keep the process as is? Be specific, and explain. 

7)  Explain how a political action committee works. How are political action committees regulated? Evaluate the influence of political action committees. 

8)  For what purpose do America's major parties hold national conventions? How have they changed over the last few decades, and why? Are they still worth holding? Why, or why not? Explain. 

9)  Why does the text refer to George W. Bush's first term as polarizing, and how was this reflected in the 2004 election results? 

10)  How does the voter turnout rate in the United States compare to the other industrialized nations of the world? Why is this so? What evidence is there that easing voter registration would increase turnout? Would you take any specific steps to raise voter turnout? Explain. 

11)  Compare and contrast the different agents of political socialization. What effect do they have on political learning? 

12)  Compare and contrast the presidential elections of 1800, 1896, and 2004. What factors made each election unique and important? What were some of the major changes between these elections? 

13)  To what extent does political participation reflect a bias in favor of the privileged? Should this matter? Why? 

14)  Comment on some of the many ways in which elections have changed throughout American history. Give examples to illustrate your answer.