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PSC 131 Assessment Survey - Fall-07

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PSC 131 Assessment Survey
  
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1. INTRODUCTION:  In order to gain a better understanding of the impact of college-level American Government courses, students such as yourself are being asked to complete the following assessment.  While your participation is completely voluntary, we ask that you answer the following questions in a complete and truthful manner.  The best answer is what you really feel.  Your responses will be merged with those of other persons to create statistical tables about political knowledge and attitudes about government.  This merging of information means no one will be able to identify your answers.  Thank you for your time and assistance. Please check the box to confirm that you have read the above statement

 Yes
 86 (99%) 
 
 No
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87

2. Please type the four digit numeric personal ID code provided by your instructor in the below field.

 325
 (1%) 
 
 320
 (1%) 
 
 316
 (1%) 
 
 339
 (1%) 
 
 330
 (1%) 
 
 543
 (1%) 
 
 327
 (1%) 
 
 335
 (1%) 
 
 326
 (1%) 
 
 313
 (1%) 
 
 311
 (1%) 
 
 338
 (1%) 
 
 321
 (1%) 
 
 1,225
 (1%) 
 
 1,201
 (1%) 
 
 1,207
 (1%) 
 
 1,231
 (1%) 
 
 1,205
 (1%) 
 
 1,227
 (1%) 
 
 1,206
 (1%) 
 
 1,232
 (1%) 
 
 1,202
 (1%) 
 
 1,226
 (1%) 
 
 1,222
 (1%) 
 
 1,212
 (1%) 
 
 1,204
 (1%) 
 
 1,208
 (1%) 
 
 1,213
 (1%) 
 
 1,211
 (1%) 
 
 1,209
 (1%) 
 
 1,203
 (1%) 
 
 1,233
 (1%) 
 
 1,215
 (1%) 
 
 1,229
 (1%) 
 
 531
 (1%) 
 
 503
 (1%) 
 
 504
 (1%) 
 
 513
 (1%) 
 
 1,221
 (1%) 
 
 508
 (1%) 
 
 521
 (1%) 
 
 517
 (1%) 
 
 509
 (1%) 
 
 528
 (1%) 
 
 522
 (1%) 
 
 510
 (1%) 
 
 507
 (1%) 
 
 505
 (1%) 
 
 502
 (1%) 
 
 530
 (1%) 
 
 514
 (1%) 
 
 506
 (1%) 
 
 525
 (1%) 
 
 524
 (1%) 
 
 527
 (1%) 
 
 519
 (1%) 
 
 814
 (1%) 
 
 809
 (1%) 
 
 825
 (1%) 
 
 824
 (1%) 
 
 802
 (1%) 
 
 821
 (1%) 
 
 815
 (1%) 
 
 813
 (1%) 
 
 805
 (1%) 
 
 819
 (1%) 
 
 817
 (1%) 
 
 818
 (1%) 
 
 820
 (1%) 
 
 827
 (1%) 
 
 816
 (1%) 
 
 807
 (1%) 
 
 1,021
 (1%) 
 
 1,012
 (1%) 
 
 1,009
 (1%) 
 
 1,008
 (1%) 
 
 1,013
 (1%) 
 
 1,007
 (1%) 
 
 1,014
 (1%) 
 
 1,004
 (1%) 
 
 1,015
 (1%) 
 
 1,005
 (1%) 
 
 1,011
 (1%) 
 
 1,002
 (1%) 
 
 1,020
 (1%) 
 
 1,006
 (1%) 
 
 1,003
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87

3. 1) The principle of checks and balances in the U.S. system of government:

 Requires the federal budget to be a balanced budget.
 11 (13%) 
 
 Provides that checks cashed at U.S. banks will be honored as legal tender.
 (6%) 
 
 Allows the majority’s will to work through representative institutions, but places checks on the power of those institutions.
 71 (82%) 
 

Total: 87

4. 2) The Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. constitution:

 To protect citizens from persecution by their state governments.
 10 (11%) 
 
 To keep the national government from infringing on individual rights.
 75 (86%) 
 
 To eliminate slavery in the new nation.
 (2%) 
 

Total: 87

5. 3) The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling held that racial segregation in schools violated the:

 Due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.
 (9%) 
 
 Equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
 52 (60%) 
 
 Civil Rights Act.
 27 (31%) 
 

Total: 87

6. 4) Ideologically, individuals who want to uphold traditional values and who also favors an active role of government in providing economic security can be defined as:

 Conservatives.
 49 (56%) 
 
 Populists.
 23 (26%) 
 
 Liberals.
 15 (17%) 
 

Total: 87

7. 5) Compared with European democracies, voter turnout in America:

 Is low.
 81 (93%) 
 
 Is high.
 (2%) 
 
 Is about the same.
 (5%) 
 

Total: 87

8. 6) The term “agenda setting” has been used to describe the:

 President’s ability to control news coverage.
 (9%) 
 
 Control of the media by a few large corporations.
 13 (15%) 
 
 Ability of the news media to focus public attention on certain issues through heavy news coverage of these issues.
 66 (76%) 
 

Total: 87

9. 7) Which of the following is not a function of the U.S. Congress?

 Passage of legislation.
 16 (18%) 
 
 Supervision of state governments.
 55 (63%) 
 
 Oversight of government programs.
 16 (18%) 
 

Total: 87

10. 8) The primary function of America’s federal bureaucracy is:

 Developing laws for review by Congress.
 23 (26%) 
 
 Bringing cases for trial before the Supreme Court.
 18 (21%) 
 
 Policy implementation.
 46 (53%) 
 

Total: 87

11. 9) Judicial review is:

 An act by the Supreme Court to move lower court cases directly to the high court.
 31 (36%) 
 
 Congressional action to overrule Supreme Court decisions.
 10 (11%) 
 
 The power of the courts to void legislative or executive action on the grounds that it is unconstitutional.
 46 (53%) 
 

Total: 87

12. 10) The most costly item in the federal budget is:

 Defense.
 53 (61%) 
 
 Social security.
 25 (29%) 
 
 Interest payments on the national debt.
 (10%) 
 

Total: 87

13. 11) American foreign policy from 1948-1991 was built around:

 Protection of U.S. borders from invasion by illegal aliens.
 29 (33%) 
 
 Halting the global spread of communism.
 57 (66%) 
 
 Spreading democracy to Africa.
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87

14. 12) More than 90 percent of the funding for K-12 public education comes from the:

 Federal government.
 18 (21%) 
 
 State and local governments combined.
 61 (70%) 
 
 Local governments only.
 (9%) 
 

Total: 87

15. 13) ____________ elections tend to draw the largest percentage of voters.

 Primary.
 13 (15%) 
 
 Congressional.
 (0%)  
 Presidential.
 74 (85%) 
 

Total: 87

16. 14) The key factor in determining the mathematical accuracy of an opinion poll is:

 Whether the sample size is too small – less than 1,000.
 18 (21%) 
 
 Whether the same has the same percentage of men and women as the population.
 (9%) 
 
 Whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method.
 61 (70%) 
 

Total: 87

17. 15) Do you happen to know which party has the most members in the U.S. House of Representatives?

 Republicans.
 31 (36%) 
 
 Democrats.
 47 (54%) 
 
 Don’t Know.
 (10%) 
 

Total: 87

18. 16)  Do you happen to know which party has the most members in the U.S. Senate?

 Republicans.
 21 (24%) 
 
 Democrats.
 60 (69%) 
 
 Don’t Know.
 (7%) 
 

Total: 87

19. Next, we would like to know a few of your opinions about government.  DIRECTION: Please indicate your attitude about the following statements (Please check only ONE response for each statement): Please check the box to confirm that you have read the above statement.

 Yes
 86 (99%) 
 
 No
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87

20. 17) “I can make a difference in my community.”

 Strongly Agree.
 21 (24%) 
 
 Agree.
 51 (59%) 
 
 Neutral.
 14 (16%) 
 
 Disagree.
 (0%)  
 Strongly Disagree.
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87

21. 18) “Once I know what needs to be done, I am good at planning on how to do it.”

 Strongly Agree.
 17 (20%) 
 
 Agree.
 52 (60%) 
 
 Neutral.
 14 (16%) 
 
 Disagree.
 (3%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87

22. 19) “I know how to contact and work effectively with organizations in my ommunity such as schools, business, and social service organizations.”

 Strongly Agree.
 14 (16%) 
 
 Agree.
 37 (43%) 
 
 Neutral.
 27 (31%) 
 
 Disagree.
 (10%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (0%)  

Total: 87

23. 20) “The most important thing I can do as a citizen is help others.”

 Strongly Agree.
 38 (44%) 
 
 Agree.
 39 (45%) 
 
 Neutral.
 (6%) 
 
 Disagree.
 (5%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87

24. 21) “I enjoy talking about politics and political issues.”

 Strongly Agree.
 (9%) 
 
 Agree.
 21 (24%) 
 
 Neutral.
 29 (33%) 
 
 Disagree.
 18 (21%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 11 (13%) 
 

Total: 87

25. 22) “I expect that I will vote in every election.”

 Strongly Agree.
 19 (22%) 
 
 Agree.
 24 (28%) 
 
 Neutral.
 26 (30%) 
 
 Disagree.
 15 (17%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (3%) 
 

Total: 87

26. 23) “In the next three years, I expect to work on at least one political campaign.”

 Strongly Agree.
 (5%) 
 
 Agree.
 (6%) 
 
 Neutral.
 24 (28%) 
 
 Disagree.
 29 (33%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 25 (29%) 
 

Total: 87

27. 24)  “Generally, government does a good job.”

 Strongly Agree.
 (1%) 
 
 Agree.
 36 (41%) 
 
 Neutral.
 35 (40%) 
 
 Disagree.
 10 (11%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (6%) 
 

Total: 87

28. 25)  “Government is run for a few interests.”

 Strongly Agree.
 (2%) 
 
 Agree.
 23 (26%) 
 
 Neutral.
 42 (48%) 
 
 Disagree.
 17 (20%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (3%) 
 

Total: 87

29. 26) “The President is doing a good job.”

 Strongly Agree.
 (6%) 
 
 Agree.
 18 (21%) 
 
 Neutral.
 23 (26%) 
 
 Disagree.
 22 (25%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 19 (22%) 
 

Total: 87

30. 27) “Congress is doing a good job.”

 Strongly Agree.
 (6%) 
 
 Agree.
 25 (29%) 
 
 Neutral.
 43 (49%) 
 
 Disagree.
 12 (14%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (2%) 
 

Total: 87

31. 28) “The Supreme Court is doing a good job.”

 Strongly Agree.
 (7%) 
 
 Agree.
 40 (46%) 
 
 Neutral.
 38 (44%) 
 
 Disagree.
 (2%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87

32. 29) “The bureaucracy is doing a good job.”

 Strongly Agree.
 (2%) 
 
 Agree.
 25 (29%) 
 
 Neutral.
 52 (60%) 
 
 Disagree.
 (8%) 
 
 Strongly Disagree.
 (1%) 
 

Total: 87