Deck 6: Economic Inequality, Wealth, and Poverty

Question 1

The term ________ refers to the lack of resources that leads to hunger and physical deprivation

A)socioeconomic inequality
B)absolute poverty
C)lower class
D)relative poverty

Answer 1

B

Question 2

__________ poverty is usually set at $1.25 a day or less.

A)Extreme
B)Absolute
C)Relative
D)Reduced

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which term refers to the total assets of an individual or household minus liabilities?

A)Income
B)Gross income per capita
C)Standard of living
D)Wealth

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Americans living in households with income below 50 percent of the poverty line are considered to be in

A)challenging poverty.
B)lower poverty.
C)multidimensional poverty.
D)deep poverty.

Question 5

A social system in which individuals get ahead and earn rewards based on their individual efforts and abilities is a​

A)​meritocracy.
B)​plutocracy.
C)​theocracy.
D)​gerontocracy.

Question 6

______________ households are defined as households with incomes that are between 100 and 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

A)Desparate
B)Underclass
C)Low income
D)Middle Class

Question 7

In industrialized countries, national poverty lines are sometimes based on the median household income of a country's population. According to this _____ poverty measure, members of a household are considered poor if their household income is less than 50 percent of the median household income in that country.

A)standardized
B)absolute
C)comparative
D)relative

Question 8

Which of the following represents a positive function of poverty?

A)The poor will take the unpleasant jobs.
B)The poor can receive welfare.
C)The poor usually get enough to eat.
D)The poor often violate the law.

Question 9

Poverty levels in the United States are calculated based on

A)number of adults in a family.
B)region of the United States.
C)education of the adults.
D)health care costs of the family.

Question 10

The Multidimensional Poverty Index includes

A)deprivation of health.
B)deprivation of time.
C)deprivation of affection.
D)deprivation of happiness

Question 11

Which measure of poverty refers to a condition of not having access to the necessary resources?

A)Relative poverty
B)Structural poverty
C)Actual poverty
D)Absolute poverty

Question 12

Which of the following is included in the official poverty calculations?

A)The tax burdens of low-income families
B)The federal Earned Income Tax Credit that many families receive
C)Family assets, such as savings and property
D)Pretax income

Question 13

Dr. Carlson is a sociologist who argues that inequality motivates people to achieve. Dr. Carlson is most likely a

A)conflict theorist.
B)structural functionalist.
C)symbolic interactionist
D)postmodernist

Question 14

Which of the following statements best describes the wealth distribution in the world?

A)The richest half of the population owns half of the wealth.
B)The richest one percent owns approximately half of the world's wealth.
C)It takes 1 million dollars to count among the wealthiest half of the world's population.
D)We have no way of knowing how wealth is distributed in the world.

Question 15

Which of the following perspectives are most likely to argue that physicians should be paid higher than most occupations because their job is more important than most and requires so much education and training?

A)Structural-functionalism
B)Conflict theory
C)Symbolic interactionism
D)Feminist theory

Question 16

Lauri and Ben both work full-time but their annual income is just above the poverty line. They represent those considered

A)median income poor.
B)income challenged.
C)near-poor.
D)relatively poor.

Question 17

Bonnie lives in a small one-room apartment and is able to afford only the necessities. Bonnie lives in

A)absolute poverty.
B)extreme poverty.
C)relative poverty.
D)restricted assets.

Question 18

Critics of the U.S. poverty line argue that

A)low-income families today spend far less than one-third of their income on food.
B)the U.S. poverty line accounts too much for regional differences and not enough for local variations in the cost of living.
C)the homeless are overrepresented among the poor.
D)Medicaid and public housing are inappropriately included in income estimates of a family.

Question 19

________ poverty refers to a deficiency of material and economic resources compared with some other population.

A)Relative
B)Comparative
C)Absolute
D)Standardized

Question 20

The United States poverty line is calculated as

A)the average cost of food, shelter, and transportation.
B)2 times the average cost of food and shelter.
C)3 times the minimum cost of an adequate diet.
D)4 times the average cost of an adequate diet.

Question 21

The Occupy Wall Street movement often refers to the "99%" meaning​

A)​regular hard-working Americans.
B)​the majority of people in Congress.
C)​that most of our income should go untaxed.
D)​the vast majority of people in banking and finance are criminals.

Question 22

Relative to other income groups, wages rose most for the ___________ in recent years.

A)​bottom 1 percent
B)​middle income earners
C)top executives
D)seasonal workers

Question 23

Which of the following is an example of corporate welfare?

A)A large corporation donates money to a homeless shelter
B)Severance pay and unemployment insurance
C)Low-interest government loans, subsidies, and tax breaks to corporations
D)Employee assistance programs

Question 24

According to Karl Marx, the owners of the factories or the "means of production" are the

A)proletariat.
B)corporate clients.
C)meritocracy.
D)bourgeoisie.

Question 25

Which of the following families is most likely to be poor?

A)A married-couple family
B)Female-householder, no spouse present
C)Male-householder, no spouse present
D)An elderly married couple

Question 26

Which country has the highest rate of poverty among OECD countries?

A)Spain
B)Canada
C)United States
D)England

Question 27

Who is most likely to own a home?

A)The Johnsons, a black family
B)The Valasquez family, Hispanics
C)The Emersons, a white family
D)The Jims, a Native American family

Question 28

______ has the highest child poverty rate among industrialized countries.

A)Canada
B)The United States
C)France
D)Sweden

Question 29

According to modern conflict theorists, the power to influence economic outcomes in a society comes from

A)advertising.
B)ownership of the means of production.
C)hard work and determination.
D)royalty.

Question 30

Which group is most likely to receive a family inheritance?

A)Whites
B)Blacks
C)Hispanics
D)Asian Americans

Question 31

Which of the following perspectives is most likely to study how definitions of the poor as lazy and irresponsible are related to support for assistance programs?

A)Structural-functionalism
B)Conflict Theory
C)Symbolic Interactionism
D)Feminist Theory

Question 32

The __________________ refers to the higher proportion of females than males in poverty.

A)pink ghetto
B)skirt poor
C)feminization of poverty
D)economic sex ratio

Question 33

Dr. Dobbins argues the words we use, such as "welfare," influence how we feel about people receiving assistance. Dr. Dobbins is a​

A)​structural functionalist.
B)​conflict theorist.
C)​symbolic interactionist.
D)​postmodernist.

Question 34

Which sociological perspective is most likely to focus on the labels attached to different groups of people based on their socioeconomic position?

A)Structural-functionalism
B)Conflict Theory
C)Symbolic Interactionism
D)Feminist Theory

Question 35

"Wealthfare" refers to

A)favors for the rich in the form of government policies.
B)low-interest loans to people near the poverty line.
C)low-interest subsidies to apartment complexes that rent to the poor.
D)government programs that provide food, health care, and minimal monthly income to the poor.

Question 36

How many children live in poverty in the United States?

A)Only a few
B)About a third of the poor
C)Well over half of the poor
D)None

Question 37

Who is the wealthiest person in the world?

A)Bill Gates
B)​Queen Elizabeth
C)​A Saudi prince
D)​Donald Trump

Question 38

As companies relocate to poor countries with abundant supplies of cheap labor, wages decline and

A)consumer spending decreases.
B)quality of life increases.
C)more industries grow and prosper.
D)unemployment rates decrease.

Question 39

In 2014, the average household income for whites was _________ the average for black households.​

A)​slightly less than
B)​about equal to
C)​slightly more than
D)​about twice

Question 40

The recent ____________ social movement focused on global inequality.​

A)​Militia
B)​Occupy Wall Street
C)​Justice Now!
D)​Poverty Awareness

Question 41

Poorer schools are likely to

A)​experience overcrowding.
B)have high graduation rates.
C)receive more government assistance.
D)provide scholarships for higher education.

Question 42

Poorer countries are more likely than wealthier countries to

A)promote equality of opportunity.
B)ensure equal access to education.
C)experience civil war.
D)have government programs to help the homeless.

Question 43

Individuals who spend at least 27 weeks per year in the labor force but whose income falls below the official poverty level are called​

A)​the working poor.
B)​the near poor.
C)​the underemployed.
D)​the living waged.

Question 44

What is a likely consequence of absolute poverty in low-income countries?

A)Unsafe water and sanitation
B)The emergence of capitalism
C)Reliance on government programs
D)Healthy lifestyles due to lack of access to luxuries

Question 45

Elizabeth's family is ____________, meaning they don't have enough food.

A)relatively poor
B)​food insecure
C)nutritionally unequal
D)​disnourished

Question 46

According to the text, which of these   contributes most to homelessness?

A)​A desire for a free and easy life
B)Not taking responsibility
C)Running away from home
D)High cost of finding a place to live

Question 47

The primary cause of homelessness is

A)substance abuse.
B)lack of affordable housing.
C)unemployment.
D)domestic violence.

Question 48

Which of the following is cited in your text as a cause of homelessness?​

A)Domestic violence
B)Irresponsbility
C)​"Bumming"
D)Poor life choices

Question 49

Most of the homeless in America​

A)​stay in shelters or transitional housing.
B)​live on the street.
C)​stay in their vehicles.
D)​live in shelters made of discarded materials.

Question 50

Areas of poverty and poor housing are called

A)neighborhoods.
B)slums.
C)suburbs.
D)exurbs.

Question 51

Many of the poor feel powerless and unable to influence decisions in the larger society. This reflects a sense of

A)anomie.
B)political alienation.
C)the standardization of poverty.
D)ideological suffrage.

Question 52

Who is the most likely to be poor in the United States?

A)A white male
B)A white female
C)A black female
D)A black male

Question 53

The largest percentage of homeless are

A)elderly men.
B)families with children.
C)veterans.
D)teenage runaways.

Question 54

In which region of the United States are poverty rates the highest?​

A)​The South and West
B)​The Northeast
C)​The Midwest
D)The New England states

Question 55

What is the connection between poverty and the U.S. legal system?

A)The poor are likely to use the best attorneys with the most resources at the taxpayers expense.
B)Poor defendents do not have to accept plea bargains because their attorneys are provided for them.
C)Public defender offices suffer from lack of money and too much work.
D)The law ensures equality in the justice system.

Question 56

Which statement is true about the relationship between education and poverty?

A)The higher the person's level of education, the less likely the person is to be poor.
B)Because of the cost of higher education, those with advanced degrees are more likely to be poor.
C)There is no consistent relationship between education and poverty.
D)Almost all jobs now require a degree.

Question 57

In recent years the homeless have

A)been more likely to find government sponsored housing.
B)spending as much time as possible in city homeless shelters.
C)faced an increased number of unprovoked violent attacks.
D)been more likely to be homeless because they did not want to work at the jobs that were available.

Question 58

A nation controlled by those with the most resources is called a

A)​meritocracy.
B)theocracy.
C)​plutocracy.
D)capitalism.

Question 59

According to the text, what is the best insurance against living in poverty?

A)Family structure
B)Educational attainment
C)Hard work
D)Number of children

Question 60

What is a likely consequence of economic inequality?

A)The local economy grows because the wealth invest.
B)Wages increase for the lower class because the wealthy can afford the increases.
C)Wealth "trickles down" to the middle class.
D)The local economy suffers because the wealthy spend elsewhere.

Question 61

According to your text, poor teenage girls may be motivated to have a child

A)so they can collect welfare.
B)so they will have an excuse to drop out of school.
C)to make a change in their lives towards something better.
D)to move out of their parents' household.

Question 62

Which of the following is a "means-tested program?"

A)Government public assistance programs for the poor
B)State achievement tests to graduate high school
C)Subprime mortgage
D)Prisons

Question 63

Which of the following is associated with low income?

A)Postponed childbearing
B)High marriage rates
C)Child abuse
D)Stress-free lifestyle

Question 64

Advocates for the poor point out that economic development

A)always reduces poverty.
B)has no impact on poverty.
C)does not always reduce poverty, but does not increase it.
D)sometimes increases poverty.

Question 65

Poor parents are

A)more likely to use harsh disciplinary techniques than nonpoor parents.
B)less likely to leave children home without adult supervision than non-poor working parents.
C)as nurturing and supportive of their children as non-poor parents.
D)as likely to provide medical care for their children as non-poor parents.

Question 66

___________ is poverty that is transmitted from one generation to the next.​

A)​Intergenerational poverty
B)​Intragenerational poverty
C)​Socioeconomic poverty
D)​Inherited poverty

Question 67

Your text cites which of these as an explanation of poverty passed down to the next generation?

A)Decline in the availabilty of marriagable females
B)Relative lack of family and educational values among inner-city mothers
C)Decrease in births to nonmarried parents
D)The movement of well-paid jobs out of urban areas

Question 68

After 2 years of receiving benefits, adult recipients of the federal cash assistance program

A)must either be employed or involved in work-related activities, such as on-the-job training, job search, and vocational education.
B)are completely cut off from assistance.
C)revert to the AFDC program.
D)are declared permanently on government assistance.

Question 69

The purpose of the international program of economic goals is to reduce

A)the number of people who receive government assistance.
B)worldwide population growth.
C)economic inequality.
D)the number of the world's orphaned children who lack adult caretakers.

Question 70

______________ is an international agenda for reducing poverty and improving the lives of the poor.

A)​Affordable Care
B)​Sustainable Development Goals
C)​The World United
D)​Occupy Wall Street

Question 71

Microcredit programs

A)provide loans to people who generally cannot get traditional credit.
B)require an applicant to provide a 20% minimum capital investment and have good credit.
C)offer World Bank loans to large capital investors who agree to establish manufacturing industries in developing countries.
D)do not require repayment of loans if the recipients establish businesses in low-income areas.

Question 72

The largest food assistance program in the United States is now called

A)food stamps.
B)school lunch and breakfast programs.
C)the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
D)Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Question 73

In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, commonly referred to as "welfare reform," that established

A)Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).
B)Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
C)the U.S. Food Stamp Program.
D)the U.S. School Lunch Program.

Question 74

Divorce is

A)more common among low income families.
B)more common among high income families.
C)about the same in high income and low income families.
D)unaffected by economic conditions.

Question 75

Frank's employer refused to pay overtime but still required him to work more than 40 hours per week. The employer committed​

A)​robbery.
B)​reverse credit.
C)​wage theft.
D)​no violation of the law.

Question 76

Exceptions to the eligibility rules to receive TANF include

A)recent immigration.
B)single parents of children under age 18.
C)victims of domestic violence.
D)residents of low unemployment areas.

Question 77

Which of the following is an example of a human development investment?​

A)Putting fathers who don't pay child support in jail
B)Providing access to family planning
C)Tax credits to businesses
D)​Tax refunds for "green" manufacturing

Question 78

Supplemental Security Income provides a minimum income to

A)mothers under the age of 18.
B)families of the imprisoned.
C)recent immigrants.
D)the disabled.

Question 79

____________ refer to programs that have eligibility requirements based on income.

A)Safety net programs
B)Minimum wage programs
C)Economic scholarships
D)Means tested

Question 80

The 1996 federal welfare reform legislation set a lifetime limit of __________ for families receiving federal government assistance.

A)1 year
B)2 years
C)5 years
D)10 years