Question 1

What population was Oscar Lewis studying when he coined the term "culture of poverty"?

Accepted Answer

A)  blacks 
B)  single mothers on welfare 
C)  the underclass 
D)  Mexicans 
A)  blacks 
B)  single mothers on welfare 
C)  the underclass 
D)  Mexicans D

Question 2

What is the key that government could use to get low-income earners to commit to saving?

Accepted Answer

A)  get them to use a small percentage of their tax refund 
B)  offer added incentives 
C)  get them to commit to saving future income 
D)  make it mandatory for employers to have a retirement fund 
A)  get them to use a small percentage of their tax refund 
B)  offer added incentives 
C)  get them to commit to saving future income 
D)  make it mandatory for employers to have a retirement fund C

Question 3

One of the problems with "aiding the poor" is what experts call perverse incentives.What does this term mean? Give some examples from U.S.history.

Accepted Answer

A perverse incentive is actually an unintended consequence.In other words,oftentimes when a society or a group feels that they are aiding people in need,they may actually be making the problem worse,or it may create more latent problems.
An example would be the negative income tax experiment.In the late 1960s,the United States had some welfare recipients in certain cities (the control group)receive their payments as usual,by standing in line and meeting certain requirements.In the treatment group,their checks just arrived automatically,which made funds more easily accessible.What happened in the treatment group was that women left their marriages because they were no longer financially dependent on men.This went against the American "traditional" family way.
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 mandated time limits for the number of months a person could receive aid.At the same time,industry began to move out of the United States and unskilled jobs were disappearing.So,rather than forcing people to find jobs after being given help for training,the jobs were not there once they were trained.

Question 4

The definition of relative poverty takes into account which important factor when determining poverty based on a percentage of median income?

Accepted Answer

A)  education level 
B)  location 
C)  employment status 
D)  wealth 
A)  education level 
B)  location 
C)  employment status 
D)  wealth

Question 5

A higher Gini coefficient score means:

Accepted Answer

A)  more inequality. 
B)  less inequality. 
C)  higher poverty. 
D)  lower poverty. 
A)  more inequality. 
B)  less inequality. 
C)  higher poverty. 
D)  lower poverty.

Question 6

An economist surveying lottery winners found that people who had zero earnings and who were not in the workforce before winning:

Accepted Answer

A)  spent their money quickly. 
B)  increased their commitment to work. 
C)  gave most of their winnings to family and friends. 
D)  volunteered in their communities. 
A)  spent their money quickly. 
B)  increased their commitment to work. 
C)  gave most of their winnings to family and friends. 
D)  volunteered in their communities.

Question 7

Mollie Orshansky used the U.S.Department of Agriculture's recommendations for the minimum amount of healthy food,estimated the cost for a variety of family types,and multiplied this figure by a factor of three to measure:

Accepted Answer

A)  relative poverty. 
B)  the poverty threshold. 
C)  the official poverty line. 
D)  absolute poverty. 
A)  relative poverty. 
B)  the poverty threshold. 
C)  the official poverty line. 
D)  absolute poverty.

Question 8

Attempts at establishing an absolute poverty measure can be traced to:

Accepted Answer

A)  Roman times. 
B)  England, beginning in the late 1700s. 
C)  New York at the time of European immigration in the early 1900s. 
D)  the War on Poverty in the 1930s Depression. 
A)  Roman times. 
B)  England, beginning in the late 1700s. 
C)  New York at the time of European immigration in the early 1900s. 
D)  the War on Poverty in the 1930s Depression.

Question 9

One of the richest men in America,Tom Monaghan,thought being poor was "one of the most exciting things in the world" because:

Accepted Answer

A)  it is possible to get by on very little if you live very frugally. 
B)  it provides great motivation to work hard and get rich. 
C)  poor people are more willing to work at his company. 
D)  he believes in Social Darwinism. 
A)  it is possible to get by on very little if you live very frugally. 
B)  it provides great motivation to work hard and get rich. 
C)  poor people are more willing to work at his company. 
D)  he believes in Social Darwinism.

Question 10

The stress that poor parents experience manifests itself in:

Accepted Answer

A)  lower IQs among children. 
B)  more punitive parenting behaviors. 
C)  more of the children's time spent in day care and with babysitters. 
D)  poor parents providing cheaper educational environments for their children. 
A)  lower IQs among children. 
B)  more punitive parenting behaviors. 
C)  more of the children's time spent in day care and with babysitters. 
D)  poor parents providing cheaper educational environments for their children.

Question 11

Which term describes the measurement of poverty where a household's income falls below the necessary level to purchase food to physically sustain its members?

Accepted Answer

A)  relative poverty 
B)  absolute poverty 
C)  poverty threshold 
D)  official poverty rate 
A)  relative poverty 
B)  absolute poverty 
C)  poverty threshold 
D)  official poverty rate

Question 12

The Gini coefficient is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a comparison of poverty rates. 
B)  the U.S. poverty line. 
C)  a measure of economic inequality. 
D)  a measure of poverty rates. 
A)  a comparison of poverty rates. 
B)  the U.S. poverty line. 
C)  a measure of economic inequality. 
D)  a measure of poverty rates.

Question 13

One of the explanations of continued racism in America is that we have:

Accepted Answer

A)  found that racial minorities have lower IQs (Herrnstein). 
B)  become post-racial, like Puerto Rico. 
C)  colonized others within the country itself, as with slavery. 
D)  found that racism is a biological trait, something that is impossible to eliminate. 
A)  found that racial minorities have lower IQs (Herrnstein). 
B)  become post-racial, like Puerto Rico. 
C)  colonized others within the country itself, as with slavery. 
D)  found that racism is a biological trait, something that is impossible to eliminate.

Question 14

Explain the culture of poverty thesis.How well does it explain the persistence of poverty in the United States? Use evidence and examples to support your claim.

Accepted Answer

The culture of poverty thesis argues tha

Question 15

Some policy experts believe that welfare creates more problems than it solves because it discourages people from finding work.This is also known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  a social disease. 
B)  a perverse incentive. 
C)  the cycle of poverty. 
D)  an intended consequence. 
A)  a social disease. 
B)  a perverse incentive. 
C)  the cycle of poverty. 
D)  an intended consequence.

Question 16

Some would argue that a country with a history of feudalism (as opposed to the United States)would more likely develop a culture of:

Accepted Answer

A)  individualism. 
B)  strict capitalism. 
C)  paternalism. 
D)  racial prejudice. 
A)  individualism. 
B)  strict capitalism. 
C)  paternalism. 
D)  racial prejudice.

Question 17

Susan Mayer wrote What Money Can't Buy: Family Income and Children's Life Chances.Her findings were similar to what Marlin Card was suggesting would have helped his chances in life.Which of the following might have addressed this issue?

Accepted Answer

A)  parenting classes 
B)  higher-paying jobs 
C)  higher welfare payments 
D)  desegregation of schools 
A)  parenting classes 
B)  higher-paying jobs 
C)  higher welfare payments 
D)  desegregation of schools

Question 18

Why is there such unequal distribution of wealth in the United States? How does the United States compare to other nations?

Accepted Answer

Timing,institutional structure,cultural

Question 19

What method is usually used to evaluate poverty?

Accepted Answer

A)  objective analyses of statistics and economics 
B)  the Gini coefficient 
C)  subjective evaluations of mathematical measurements 
D)  evaluation of policies already in place 
A)  objective analyses of statistics and economics 
B)  the Gini coefficient 
C)  subjective evaluations of mathematical measurements 
D)  evaluation of policies already in place

Question 20

What is one shortcoming of the current calculation of the poverty rate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Its measure of wealth may be inaccurate. 
B)  It only focuses on income and ignores wealth. 
C)  There are currently no surveys to assess people's wealth. 
D)  It only focuses on wealth and ignores income. 
A)  Its measure of wealth may be inaccurate. 
B)  It only focuses on income and ignores wealth. 
C)  There are currently no surveys to assess people's wealth. 
D)  It only focuses on wealth and ignores income.

What population was Oscar Lewis studying when he coined the term "culture of poverty"?

What is the key that government could use to get low-income earners to commit to saving?

One of the problems with "aiding the poor" is what experts call perverse incentives.What does this term mean? Give some examples from U.S.history.

The definition of relative poverty takes into account which important factor when determining poverty based on a percentage of median income?

A higher Gini coefficient score means:

An economist surveying lottery winners found that people who had zero earnings and who were not in the workforce before winning:

Mollie Orshansky used the U.S.Department of Agriculture's recommendations for the minimum amount of healthy food,estimated the cost for a variety of family types,and multiplied this figure by a factor of three to measure:

Attempts at establishing an absolute poverty measure can be traced to:

One of the richest men in America,Tom Monaghan,thought being poor was "one of the most exciting things in the world" because:

The stress that poor parents experience manifests itself in:

Which term describes the measurement of poverty where a household's income falls below the necessary level to purchase food to physically sustain its members?

The Gini coefficient is:

One of the explanations of continued racism in America is that we have:

Explain the culture of poverty thesis.How well does it explain the persistence of poverty in the United States? Use evidence and examples to support your claim.

Some policy experts believe that welfare creates more problems than it solves because it discourages people from finding work.This is also known as:

Some would argue that a country with a history of feudalism (as opposed to the United States)would more likely develop a culture of:

Susan Mayer wrote What Money Can't Buy: Family Income and Children's Life Chances.Her findings were similar to what Marlin Card was suggesting would have helped his chances in life.Which of the following might have addressed this issue?

Why is there such unequal distribution of wealth in the United States? How does the United States compare to other nations?

What method is usually used to evaluate poverty?

What is one shortcoming of the current calculation of the poverty rate?

The Sociological Imagination: An Introduction

Methods

Culture and Media

Socialization and the Construction of Reality

Groups and Networks

Social Control and Deviance

Stratification

Gender

Race

Health and Society

Family (in Core edition)

Education

Capitalism and the Economy

Authority and the State

Religion

Science, the Environment, and Society

Collective Action, Social Movements, and Social Change

Filters

Exam 10: Poverty

What population was Oscar Lewis studying when he coined the term "culture of poverty"?

What is the key that government could use to get low-income earners to commit to saving?

One of the problems with "aiding the poor" is what experts call perverse incentives.What does this term mean? Give some examples from U.S.history.

The definition of relative poverty takes into account which important factor when determining poverty based on a percentage of median income?

A higher Gini coefficient score means:

An economist surveying lottery winners found that people who had zero earnings and who were not in the workforce before winning:

Mollie Orshansky used the U.S.Department of Agriculture's recommendations for the minimum amount of healthy food,estimated the cost for a variety of family types,and multiplied this figure by a factor of three to measure:

Attempts at establishing an absolute poverty measure can be traced to:

One of the richest men in America,Tom Monaghan,thought being poor was "one of the most exciting things in the world" because:

The stress that poor parents experience manifests itself in:

Which term describes the measurement of poverty where a household's income falls below the necessary level to purchase food to physically sustain its members?

The Gini coefficient is:

One of the explanations of continued racism in America is that we have:

Explain the culture of poverty thesis.How well does it explain the persistence of poverty in the United States? Use evidence and examples to support your claim.

Some policy experts believe that welfare creates more problems than it solves because it discourages people from finding work.This is also known as:

Some would argue that a country with a history of feudalism (as opposed to the United States)would more likely develop a culture of:

Susan Mayer wrote What Money Can't Buy: Family Income and Children's Life Chances.Her findings were similar to what Marlin Card was suggesting would have helped his chances in life.Which of the following might have addressed this issue?

Why is there such unequal distribution of wealth in the United States? How does the United States compare to other nations?

What method is usually used to evaluate poverty?

What is one shortcoming of the current calculation of the poverty rate?

The Sociological Imagination: An Introduction

Methods

Culture and Media

Socialization and the Construction of Reality

Groups and Networks

Social Control and Deviance

Stratification

Gender

Race

Health and Society

Family (in Core edition)

Education

Capitalism and the Economy

Authority and the State

Religion

Science, the Environment, and Society

Collective Action, Social Movements, and Social Change

Filters