Deck 16: Welfare and Education Policy: Providing for Personal Security and Need

Question 1

The term entitlement refers to a program

A) that provides indirect payments to individuals, such as funding for public schools.
B) benefiting individuals, designed specifically to alleviate the hardships of old age.
C) that requires the payment of benefits to any individual who meets the eligibility criteria.
D) of social welfare for which citizenship is the only criterion of eligibility.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The Social Security Act was passed in

A) 1935.
B) 1947.
C) 1954.
D) 1965.
E) 2010.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is a true statement about the visibility of poverty in American society today?

A) Media coverage often focuses on the plight of the poor in America.
B) In polls each year, Americans place the problem of poverty as the nation's top problem.
C) Poverty is less common in the suburbs than in inner cities or rural areas.
D) Poverty has been virtually eliminated in the United States.
E) Poverty is most apparent in the case of elderly Americans.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A U.S. Bureau of Labor study revealed that about six out of seven workers who lost their jobs did so because

A) they were fired.
B) of either a temporary layoff or the permanent elimination of a job position.
C) they are undereducated for the work they are doing.
D) they wanted to be out of work in order to collect unemployment benefits.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 5

Social insurance programs have high levels of public support because

A) of their self-financing feature.
B) they are based on an equality principle-all citizens are eligible for the benefits and all recipients receive the same level of benefits.
C) their cost is consistently below the spending level for public assistance programs.
D) of the necessity of increased taxes to fund them.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 6

Poverty is a condition that today affects roughly one in ________ Americans.

A) two
B) three
C) seven
D) twenty
E) fifty

Question 7

What are the two broad groups that individual-benefit programs fall into?

A) public assistance and in-kind assistance
B) equity and efficiency
C) positive and negative
D) social insurance and public assistance
E) subsidized and social insurance

Question 8

In 2014, the poverty line was about _______ for a family of four.

A) $19,000
B) $24,000
C) $28,000
D) $33,000
E) $38,000

Question 9

All of the following are social insurance programs, EXCEPT

A) unemployment insurance.
B) Medicare.
C) food stamps.
D) social security.
E) workers' compensation.

Question 10

________ has the highest child poverty rate among the Western democracies.

A) Sweden
B) Norway
C) France
D) Germany
E) The United States

Question 11

________ orchestrated the Great Society programs of the 1960s.

A) Franklin Roosevelt
B) John Kennedy
C) Dwight Eisenhower
D) Richard Nixon
E) Lyndon Johnson

Question 12

Overall, poverty rates are HIGHEST in the

A) Midwest.
B) West.
C) South.
D) Northeast.
E) Middle Atlantic.

Question 13

About one in ____ children live in poverty.

A) three
B) five
C) eight
D) twelve
E) twenty

Question 14

The major reason social security is likely to be the topic of reform is because

A) many Americans will leave the system in favor of private retirement plans.
B) Republicans wish to eliminate the system entirely, while Democrats wish to save it.
C) the number of workers may not bring in enough money to cover the benefits of a growing number of retirees.
D) it is a very unpopular program.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 15

Of the states that refused to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act

A) all were under the control of Democrats.
B) all were under the control of Republicans.
C) most were under the control of Democrats.
D) most were under the control of Republicans.
E) there was an even split between states controlled by Democrats and states controlled by Republicans.

Question 16

The poverty line is defined as

A) the income level below which 10 percent of the American people live.
B) three times the annual cost of a thrifty food budget for an urban family of four.
C) the annual cost of all goods and services that a person can reasonably be expected to want.
D) the percentage of homeless people.
E) the income level below which 20 percent of the American people live.

Question 17

On the first day of what year were Americans required to have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act?

A) 2011
B) 2012
C) 2013
D) 2014
E) 2015

Question 18

In his book, Losing Ground, Charles Murray argues that

A) welfare reform can only be enacted through a new war on poverty.
B) welfare programs should be modeled after European models and not kept in their current form.
C) welfare programs create a foundation for a permanent underclass of unproductive people.
D) welfare programs should be based on the principle of efficiency, not the principle of equity.
E) welfare programs should be terminated completely.

Question 19

The defining characteristic of a social insurance program is that

A) eligibility is restricted to individuals who paid special payroll taxes during their working years.
B) it is administered jointly by the national government and the states.
C) it is targeted at those who are most in need of welfare assistance.
D) it is administered through private insurance companies.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 20

The Social Security benefits that today's retirees receive are funded primarily by

A) tax contributions they made in the past, which were put in a trust fund from which current payments are made.
B) payroll taxes on people who are currently working.
C) equal contributions from the national and state governments.
D) borrowed funds, which contribute to the national debt.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 21

The Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program was unpopular in part because of

A) its public perception of welfare dependency and irresponsibility.
B) lack of public concern for child welfare.
C) public opposition to locally administered welfare programs.
D) public opposition to welfare programs for the needy.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 22

The number of families receiving assistance under TANF is about ________ the number of families who received assistance under AFDC.

A) one-third
B) three-fourths
C) the same as
D) double
E) triple

Question 23

Subsidized housing for low-income persons

A) is not a means-tested program.
B) costs the government far less than tax breaks for homeowners.
C) is paid for by a tax on all homeowners.
D) provides money directly to recipients.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 24

The Food Stamps program is

A) criticized because some believe it allows undeserving people to get aid.
B) criticized because some think it stigmatizes its users by identifying them publicly as welfare cases.
C) an in-kind benefit.
D) criticized because some think it is too costly.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 25

All of the following are true of the Head Start program EXCEPT that it

A) began as part of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society program in the 1960s.
B) has helped disadvantaged children develop their learning skills.
C) has been weakened by children's unsupportive environments at home.
D) is fully funded at the present time.
E) is designed to assist preschool children.

Question 26

The Food Stamps program is funded by

A) the federal government only.
B) state governments only.
C) federal and state governments.
D) the federal government and private charities.
E) farmers and food corporations.

Question 27

________ was terminated in 1996.

A) The Food Stamps program
B) Medicaid
C) Medicare
D) SSI
E) AFDC

Question 28

The unemployment insurance program is

A) run jointly by federal and state governments.
B) funded by payroll taxes collected by the states.
C) funded by payroll taxes paid by employees and employers, a condition set uniformly across states.
D) managed entirely by the federal government.
E) managed by local governments and private charities.

Question 29

Medicare

A) is funded through general tax revenues.
B) is one of the least popular government programs.
C) is paid for through a payroll tax.
D) provides health care to all adults over age 50.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 30

________ is an example of an in-kind benefit.

A) The Food Stamps program
B) Social security
C) Unemployment insurance
D) Supplemental Security Income
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 31

Medicare was enacted in

A) 1938.
B) 1947.
C) 1965.
D) 1997.
E) 2010.

Question 32

The term means test refers to

A) the tax on a portion of the Social Security benefits of upper-income retirees.
B) whether an applicant's income is low enough to qualify for public assistance.
C) the mandatory physical examination that Medicare and Medicaid applicants must undergo before they can receive benefits.
D) the mandatory psychological examination that Medicare and Medicaid applicants must undergo before they can receive benefits.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 33

The GREATEST problem states have had under the TANF program has been

A) getting all the money promised to them by the federal government.
B) creating effective welfare-to-work programs.
C) getting unwed mothers to help identify the fathers of their children.
D) creating income-level qualifications for recipients.
E) understanding the definition of "poverty line."

Question 34

A poll determined that most Americans believe which of the following is the second costliest federal program?

A) education
B) public assistance programs
C) environmental protection
D) farm subsidies
E) social insurance programs

Question 35

Of the following, which is likely the LEAST criticized public assistance program?

A) Supplemental Security Income
B) Aid to Families with Dependent Children
C) Food Stamps
D) Medicaid
E) housing subsidies

Question 36

Which of the following statements is NOT true about Medicaid?

A) It is a public assistance program.
B) It is funded by general tax revenues.
C) It serves all Americans who cannot afford health insurance.
D) It is controversial due to its cost.
E) It is funded by both the federal government and the states.

Question 37

The passage of TANF has resulted in which of the following?

A) the reduction of the child poverty rate
B) a greater awareness of poverty in American society
C) a reduction in single parent households
D) a dramatic reduction in the size of the welfare rolls
E) a greater stigma associated with EITC

Question 38

In contrast with Medicare, the Medicaid program is

A) a public assistance program.
B) funded totally by the states.
C) funded by payroll taxes.
D) very popular with the general public.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 39

The EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) represents a reallocation of income to

A) wealthy individuals.
B) lower-income working individuals.
C) middle-class taxpayers.
D) corporations.
E) all working families.

Question 40

Public assistance programs are funded through

A) payroll taxes paid only by employees.
B) payroll taxes paid only by employers.
C) payroll taxes paid by both employees and employers.
D) general tax revenues.
E) sales taxes.

Question 41

Which of the following is the LARGEST expenditure in the federal budget?

A) national defense
B) Medicare and social security
C) agricultural subsidies
D) interest on national debt
E) welfare programs

Question 42

More than 90 percent of the funding for K-12 public education comes from

A) the federal government.
B) state governments.
C) local governments.
D) state and local governments.
E) private sources.

Question 43

According to survey data,

A) Americans prefer money as the primary form of welfare assistance.
B) most Americans believe that welfare recipients could get along without assistance if they tried.
C) Americans prefer government jobs through government programs as the primary form of welfare assistance.
D) the vast majority of Americans believe there should be absolutely no government services for the poor of any kind.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 44

Charter schools

A) are publicly funded and have no more freedom in choosing students than do public schools, though they have greater freedom in determining curricula.
B) are privately funded and have total freedom in determining curricula.
C) are publicly funded but have more freedom in determining curricula than public schools.
D) are promoted primarily by Democrats as a strong, publicly-funded method of improving education.
E) have been opposed by President Obama, through executive orders to drain their funding.

Question 45

Which of the following is true of social security and Medicare?

A) Eligibility requirements make sure that all social security beneficiaries have an absolute economic need for the benefit.
B) Spending on Medicare and social security exceeds the total of all spending of public assistance programs.
C) Most retirees receive less in social security benefits than they contributed in payroll taxes while working.
D) Social security income is decided as follows: the lower your income while working, the larger your social security benefit upon retirement.
E) Families in the top fifth of the income population receive more in social security and Medicare benefits than the government spends in total on TANF, SSI, food stamps, and housing subsidies for the poor.

Question 46

The U.S. social welfare system differs markedly from those of Western European democracies, a situation that is attributable in large part to America's

A) cultural emphasis on individualism, and federal system of government.
B) greater wealth, and cultural emphasis on charitable acts.
C) weak party system, and separation of executive and legislative power.
D) egalitarian ethos, and pluralist group system.
E) dependence on foreign oil.

Question 47

Which of the following is true of the federal government's role in education?

A) The federal government provides roughly 25% of total school funding throughout the country.
B) The federal government provides roughly 70% of total school funding throughout the country.
C) The federal government's role in education was relatively small before the 1960s.
D) The 1964 Higher Education Act devolved a lot of education policy back to the states.
E) Pell grants remain the states' largest source of financial control over school policies.

Question 48

The Race to the Top program

A) rewards states for school performance.
B) provides equal per-pupil funding to all schools.
C) was replaced by the No Child Left Behind program.
D) gives states an unprecedented amount of freedom to determine curriculum.
E) has received more support from Republicans than from Democrats.

Question 49

Americans are MOST likely to support equality of

A) opportunity.
B) outcome.
C) income.
D) achievement.
E) living standard.

Question 50

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

A) will result in a substantial net savings for the federal government.
B) imposes a tax penalty on uninsured people who do not participate.
C) does not affect businesses, only individuals.
D) replaced Medicaid in most states.
E) requires that the federal government set all insurance premiums.

Question 51

The BEST predictor of how well schools perform on standardized tests is the

A) salary levels of the teachers.
B) population density of the community.
C) level of local school board control over policy.
D) community's wealth.
E) percentage of private to public schools in the community.

Question 52

To what was political scientist Robert Lane referring when using the term "market justice"?

A) Americans prefer that society's material benefits be allocated through the economic marketplace rather than through government policies.
B) Government should not use fiscal policy to attempt to flatten the ups and downs of a market economy.
C) Americans should increase the size of the federal welfare state in order to mitigate the harmful influences of the market.
D) The market tends to eliminate weak businesses and reward strong ones.
E) The strength of the market economy of the United States is precisely what provides the welfare state with the revenue it needs to help the most underprivileged citizens.

Question 53

________ persuaded Congress to enact the No Child Left Behind Act.

A) President Ronald Reagan
B) President Bill Clinton
C) President George W. Bush
D) Vice President Al Gore
E) Vice President Dan Quayle

Question 54

The Supreme Court has ruled that

A) the federal government must provide at least half the cost of educating each child through public education systems.
B) the federal government is responsible for ensuring that each state provides an adequate education for each child.
C) states have no official responsibilities in the field of education.
D) states are obliged to give all children an education that is "equal" across communities.
E) states are obliged to give all children an "adequate" education.

Question 55

The No Child Left Behind Act

A) was championed primarily by president Bill Clinton.
B) offers, but does not require, the chance for schools to receive additional funding if they submit to nationally standardized testing in reading, math, and science.
C) ties federal funding to national test results in reading, math, and science.
D) offers increased federal funding to schools that show poor testing performance after three years.
E) cuts school funding for those schools that show no improvement in test scores after one year.

Question 56

________ was called "the great leveler" when it began in the early nineteenth century.

A) Social welfare
B) Public education
C) The federal government
D) The Internal Revenue Service
E) Social security

Question 57

The Department of Education

A) is one of the largest executive departments.
B) has high levels of support from both Democrats and Republicans.
C) was created in the 1930s as part of the New Deal.
D) dictates school curriculum across the country.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 58

The CHIP program, created in 1997, provides health insurance for

A) low-income senior citizens.
B) legal immigrants who don't have health insurance.
C) all TANF recipients.
D) children from low-income families.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 59

Of the following countries, which has the LOWEST educational performance, as based on test scores?

A) Canada
B) Britain
C) Germany
D) Japan
E) United States

Question 60

The bureaucratic costs of welfare are substantially lower in Europe because most European countries

A) farm out their welfare programs to the local level, where administration is more efficient.
B) require that each individual prove his or her own eligibility.
C) do not allow universal eligibility.
D) have unitary rather than federal systems.
E) offer far fewer welfare benefits than the United States.

Question 61

Discuss what is meant by a public assistance program, and provide examples.

Question 62

Welfare policy in the United States

A) is often an issue that divides the two political parties.
B) is based entirely on the principle of need.
C) is entirely a federal issue.
D) is entirely a state issue.
E) has changed very little during the nation's history.
Essay Questions

Question 63

Discuss what is meant by a social insurance program and provide examples.

Question 64

What is meant by the poverty line? Which Americans are most likely to live in a household with an income below the poverty line? Why is poverty in America somewhat invisible even though it is relatively widespread?

Question 65

Which of the following is TRUE regarding income patterns in America?

A) The income of the average American family exceeds $100,000.
B) The top fifth of Americans in terms of income get nearly 90 percent of the total income in the nation.
C) The bottom fifth of Americans get less than a twentieth of total national income.
D) The United States has the lowest amount of income inequality of any industrialized democracy.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 66

The American welfare system is widely criticized for being inefficient. Explain this criticism and describe the underlying causes of inefficiency.