Deck 6: Human Population: Can We Have Too Many People

Question 1

Select the phrase that describes a demographer.

A) a social scientist who studies human population dynamics
B) a social scientist who studies current and historical trends in human populations
C) a social scientist who studies the consequences of human population growth
D) All of these are correct.

Answer 1

All of these are correct.

Question 2

What event 10,000 years ago powered population growth?

A) the switch from "hunting and gathering" to an agricultural society
B) the transition from wood to coal as the primary energy source
C) the discovery of treatments for diseases such as typhoid and cholera
D) the widespread adoption of the steel plow

Answer 2

the switch from "hunting and gathering" to an agricultural society

Question 3

Which limiting environmental factor or overexploitation of a resource led to the collapse of the Chaco Canyon civilization?

A) diseases introduced by explorers
B) 50-year drought
C) conversion of forest to grazing habitat
D) topsoil erosion due to agricultural practices

Answer 3

50-year drought

Question 4

Select the factor that contributed to the collapse of the Viking colony in Greenland.

A) environmental damage
B) climate change
C) loss of trading partners
D) All of these are correct.

Question 5

Which statement is correct regarding total fertility rates (TFR)?

A) The global TFR is 2.0, just under replacement fertility.
B) The TFRs in developing countries are often above 3.0.
C) The TFR in both the United States and Nigeria is just under 2.5.
D) The TFRs have negative values for both China and Singapore.

Question 6

The total number of deaths per year per 1,000 people refers to the rate.

A) crude death
B) fatality
C) demographic
D) total fertility

Question 7

In Bangladesh, what effect did contraception availability have on the total fertility rate (TFR)?

A) TFR remained low even as immigration rates soared.
B) TFR decreased dramatically, by 50% over 15 years.
C) TFR continued to increase as contraception usage was unacceptable culturally.
D) TFR dropped modestly but desired family size prevented a significant decline.

Question 8

Select the term that refers to technologies that greatly reduce the probability of impregnation.

A) replacement fertility
B) population control
C) contraception
D) fertility transition

Question 9

In response to a low total fertility rate, the government of which nation has attempted to encourage women to have more children?

A) Brazil
B) Singapore
C) China
D) None of these are correct.

Question 10

A comparison of population policies in China and India demonstrates that

A) coercive population-control policies are the most effective.
B) fertility rates decline when birth control is widely accessible.
C) propaganda campaigns successfully counter the desire for larger families.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 11

The results of population policies in Singapore and Germany indicate that

A) it is very difficult to raise the total fertility rate after it has been reduced below replacement.
B) generous government incentives are effective in raising the total fertility rate.
C) access to state-sponsored television programming correlates with a fertility decrease.
D) innovative approaches such as national child-care centers increase birthrates.

Question 12

Which stage of the demographic transition starts with high birthrates and low death rates?

A) stability transition
B) fertility transition
C) mortality transition
D) None of these are correct.

Question 13

The mortality transition stage of the demographic transition is associated with

A) a low fertility rate.
B) zero population growth.
C) rapid population growth.
D) an increasing death rate.

Question 14

Population decline is possible in which stage of the demographic transition?

A) stability transition
B) fertility transition
C) mortality transition
D) None of these are correct.

Question 15

Select the phrase that describes the demographic window.

A) the period of time during a female cycle when pregnancy is possible
B) the number of years between a woman's first and last menstrual cycles
C) a time when a country's population is dominated by people of working age
D) the number of offspring born to a woman over her lifetime

Question 16

Which phase of the demographic transition will a country experience first?

A) stability transition
B) fertility transition
C) mortality transition
D) The order of the phases depends on the initial population size.

Question 17

Which term defines a prolonged period of low mortality with high fertility, leading to explosive population growth and a very large population of young people?

A) demographic transition
B) fertility transition
C) replacement fertility
D) youth bulge

Question 18

Select the answer that characterizes the fertility transition stage of the demographic transition.

A) People of working age dominate the population.
B) Population growth slows.
C) The fertility rate decreases below the rate of the parents' generation.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 19

A nation that does not achieve fertility transition is more likely to experience which outcome in the short term?

A) economic and political instability
B) higher mortality with lower fertility
C) higher median age for the population
D) increased cost for retirement programs

Question 20

Which of the factors pertaining to women and girls increases as total fertility rate drops?

A) health
B) education level
C) workforce participation
D) All of these are correct.

Question 21

The literate life expectancy is 69.6 for Italy. This means that the average Italian

A) who completes at least a secondary education will live to nearly 70 years.
B) has the ability to read and write for nearly 70 years.
C) born to a woman with at least a high school education will live to nearly 70 years.
D) woman has a nearly 70% chance of completing at least a secondary education.

Question 22

Which of these goals was set out by the agreement known as the Cairo Consensus?

A) universal education for women
B) health-care improvements to reduce infant and maternal mortality
C) family-planning services such as birth control for women
D) All of these are correct.

Question 23

Select the factor that is associated with high fertility rates.

A) established social security programs for the elderly
B) high incidence of infant and child mortality
C) urban migration to cities for employment opportunities
D) above-average literate life expectancy

Question 24

Select the correct relationship among the variables population (P), affluence (A), and (T) technology, that influence environmental impact (I).

A) I = PAT
B) I =AT/P
C) I = PT/A
D) I = PA/T

Question 25

Ecological footprint analysis

A) illustrates the impact of population size and growth trends.
B) assesses the potential value of land and water resources.
C) measures the rate of resource consumption and waste generation.
D) develops improved technology that can lessen energy usage.

Question 26

For a developed country, such as the United States, which approach would most significantly decrease the environmental impact according to the I = PAT model?

A) increase government subsidies for adopting solar panel technology
B) create trade agreements with other countries to increase gross domestic product
C) provide free health-care providers, contraception, and family planning
D) reduce or eliminate tax credits for having dependent children

Question 27

Countries with larger ecological footprints tend to have

A) total fertility rates near replacement.
B) a large proportion of young people.
C) a below-average literate life expectancy.
D) a prolonged mortality transition.

Question 28

Slowing the rate of population growth in developing countries is associated with

A) increasing literacy rates and job opportunities for males.
B) decreasing gross domestic product per capita.
C) rising consumption of resources.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 29

Which consumption category makes up most of the ecological footprint of low-income countries such as Tanzania?

A) consumer goods
B) transportation
C) consumer services
D) food and shelter

Question 30

Humankind today faces many environmental problems, including large-scale deforestation, unsustainable loss of topsoil and freshwater resources, and species extinction due to overhunting, habitat destruction, and the introduction of invasive species. As our population continues to grow exponentially, what parallels can be drawn between the events that led to the collapse of the civilization on Easter Island and the problems facing our modern civilization?

Question 31

Thomas Malthus and others predicted that surpassing a threshold population size would bring about catastrophic collapse. Explain how humans have managed to increase the carrying capacity of the planet for our species in order to prevent collapse.

Question 32

As a demographer, you are studying the impact of the reality television series 16 and Pregnant on teen birthrates in the United States. The program shows the challenges that pregnant teens face and provides information about birth control and sexually transmitted infections. Several years into the show's run, the data indicate record-low teen pregnancy rates. In your study, what other factors would you need to control for in order to determine the impact of this television show on the teen birthrate?

Question 33

Describe how death rate, birthrate, and total population change according to the three phases of the demographic transition.

Question 34

Ecological footprint analysis indicates that we would need five planets if everyone on Earth were living the lifestyle of a typical American. What are some specific short-term and long-term changes related to transportation, food, energy, and water usage that you could make to lower your footprint?