Public Trust in Government
When describing a trend (Part A), use specific numbers and direction words — 'increased,' 'declined,' 'remained stable.' Vague descriptions like 'it changed over time' earn no credit.
Parts A & B are usually straightforward. Parts C & D require application — most points are lost here. Use this scaffold.
- Identify the exact number, year, or label asked for
- State the direction of the trend (increasing / decreasing / fluctuating)
- Include specific numbers from the data — never describe vaguely
- What is the trend? (state it briefly)
- Which actor would care about this? (interest group, candidate, party, Congress)
- What specific action would they take? (lobby, run ads, pass legislation, file suit)
- Who is the target? (Congress, an agency, voters, the president)
- Name the specific agent of socialization or concept (NOT just 'political socialization happened')
- Explain HOW that agent produces the trend shown — family → children adopt views; media → exposure changes beliefs
- Tie the direction of the trend to the mechanism
"Interest groups would use this data to influence policy."
"Because the percentage of Americans concerned about climate change rose from 25% to 38% between 1997 and 2008, an environmental interest group could use this upward trend to lobby Congress for stricter emissions regulations, arguing the data shows growing public demand for action."
Use the data provided above to answer the following questions about public opinion and political participation in the United States.
Identify ONE period of notable decline in public trust shown in the data and describe the magnitude of that decline.
Identify the ONE year in the data in which public trust was highest and the ONE year in which it was lowest.
Explain how the pattern of trust shown in the data could affect voter turnout and political participation.
Explain how a linkage institution could use the trend shown in the data to increase political participation among citizens with low trust in government.
Each response needs at least 40 words before you can submit.
Sign in to save and submit your response.