Question 1

Between 1959 and 2012, the percentage of elderly Americans living in poverty went from about ________ percent to ________ percent.

Accepted Answer

A)  50; 35 
B)  35; 10 
C)  65; 25 
D)  30; 45 
E)  40; 30 
A)  50; 35 
B)  35; 10 
C)  65; 25 
D)  30; 45 
E)  40; 30

Question 2

The idea that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to achieve their goals is called ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  in-kind benefits 
B)  equality of opportunity 
C)  outdoor relief 
D)  contributory system 
E)  equality of results 
A)  in-kind benefits 
B)  equality of opportunity 
C)  outdoor relief 
D)  contributory system 
E)  equality of results

Question 3

Which of the following is the best example of the shadow welfare state?

Accepted Answer

A)  soup kitchens supported by local churches 
B)  food stamps 
C)  workplace medical insurance 
D)  cost-of-living adjustments 
E)  Medicaid 
A)  soup kitchens supported by local churches 
B)  food stamps 
C)  workplace medical insurance 
D)  cost-of-living adjustments 
E)  Medicaid

Question 4

After the election of 2004, President George W. Bush announced that ________ would be the centerpiece of his domestic policy.

Accepted Answer

A)  tax reform 
B)  education 
C)  Social Security reform 
D)  land management 
E)  war on terrorism 
A)  tax reform 
B)  education 
C)  Social Security reform 
D)  land management 
E)  war on terrorism

Question 5

Which of the following groups receives the most benefits from government's social policies?

Accepted Answer

A)  the middle class 
B)  the working poor 
C)  children 
D)  racial and ethnic minorities 
E)  the nonworking poor 
A)  the middle class 
B)  the working poor 
C)  children 
D)  racial and ethnic minorities 
E)  the nonworking poor

Question 6

What was the primary problem with private charities before the development of the welfare state?

Accepted Answer

A)  They would make subjective decisions on who was deserving of aid. 
B)  They were unable to get the necessary government licenses to operate legally. 
C)  They disrupted the constitutional separation of church and state. 
D)  They often kept donations for their own private use. 
E)  There were too many of them. 
A)  They would make subjective decisions on who was deserving of aid. 
B)  They were unable to get the necessary government licenses to operate legally. 
C)  They disrupted the constitutional separation of church and state. 
D)  They often kept donations for their own private use. 
E)  There were too many of them.

Question 7

In 2007 and 2008, the government faced a housing crisis caused by

Accepted Answer

A)  sharp rises in house prices. 
B)  foreclosures. 
C)  a scarcity of affordable housing. 
D)  shortages in the timber industry. 
E)  an incredible drop in the stock market. 
A)  sharp rises in house prices. 
B)  foreclosures. 
C)  a scarcity of affordable housing. 
D)  shortages in the timber industry. 
E)  an incredible drop in the stock market.

Question 8

The central thrust of federal housing policy has been to

Accepted Answer

A)  promote home ownership. 
B)  reduce homelessness. 
C)  provide low-cost rental units for the poor. 
D)  provide uniform housing safety standards. 
E)  provide equitable housing for minorities. 
A)  promote home ownership. 
B)  reduce homelessness. 
C)  provide low-cost rental units for the poor. 
D)  provide uniform housing safety standards. 
E)  provide equitable housing for minorities.

Question 9

About ________ percent of America's children live in poverty.

Accepted Answer

A)  6 
B)  13 
C)  22 
D)  40 
E)  56 
A)  6 
B)  13 
C)  22 
D)  40 
E)  56

Question 10

What was "outdoor relief" distributed by private charities?

Accepted Answer

A)  a place to sleep at night 
B)  a temporary job 
C)  money 
D)  a ticket out of town 
E)  bread lines and soup kitchens 
A)  a place to sleep at night 
B)  a temporary job 
C)  money 
D)  a ticket out of town 
E)  bread lines and soup kitchens

Question 11

Which of the following was a key part of President Obama's overhaul of No Child Left Behind?

Accepted Answer

A)  a proposal that states could apply for waivers that would exempt them from some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind 
B)  a proposal to change the criteria for allocating $14 billion in federal assistance to schools from a system of competitive grants to a per pupil formula 
C)  mandating a single nationwide standardized test to be taken by all students 
D)  providing an unprecedented amount of federal funding for school vouchers, allowing parents more freedom in choosing where their children attend school 
E)  setting national standards for textbooks at all levels of schooling below college 
A)  a proposal that states could apply for waivers that would exempt them from some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind 
B)  a proposal to change the criteria for allocating $14 billion in federal assistance to schools from a system of competitive grants to a per pupil formula 
C)  mandating a single nationwide standardized test to be taken by all students 
D)  providing an unprecedented amount of federal funding for school vouchers, allowing parents more freedom in choosing where their children attend school 
E)  setting national standards for textbooks at all levels of schooling below college

Question 12

The main change in welfare policies since 1996 is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  increased use of noncash assistance 
B)  increased benefits 
C)  decreased use of means testing 
D)  decreased use of job training programs 
E)  increased use of direct cash assistance 
A)  increased use of noncash assistance 
B)  increased benefits 
C)  decreased use of means testing 
D)  decreased use of job training programs 
E)  increased use of direct cash assistance

Question 13

What is the most significant force determining the distribution of opportunities in the United States?

Accepted Answer

A)  education 
B)  level of wealth 
C)  race 
D)  physical beauty 
E)  social class 
A)  education 
B)  level of wealth 
C)  race 
D)  physical beauty 
E)  social class

Question 14

How does an entitlement differ from a right?

Accepted Answer

A)  Unlike an entitlement, a right cannot be taken away by an act of Congress. 
B)  Unlike a right, an entitlement can be revoked without the due process of law. 
C)  Entitlements and rights are the same thing. 
D)  Entitlements are only for older Americans and rights apply to all citizens. 
E)  Unlike a right, only children receive entitlements. 
A)  Unlike an entitlement, a right cannot be taken away by an act of Congress. 
B)  Unlike a right, an entitlement can be revoked without the due process of law. 
C)  Entitlements and rights are the same thing. 
D)  Entitlements are only for older Americans and rights apply to all citizens. 
E)  Unlike a right, only children receive entitlements.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about noncontributory programs, such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Medicaid, is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  The federal government provides all of the funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens in each state receive exactly the same level of benefits. 
B)  The federal government does not provide any funding for these programs, but state governments have all agreed to provide exactly the same level of benefits to citizens across the country. 
C)  The federal government provides only some of the funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens in each state receive exactly the same level of benefits. 
D)  The federal government provides only some of the funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens receive very different levels of benefits in different states. 
E)  The federal government does not provide any funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens receive very different levels of benefits in different states. 
A)  The federal government provides all of the funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens in each state receive exactly the same level of benefits. 
B)  The federal government does not provide any funding for these programs, but state governments have all agreed to provide exactly the same level of benefits to citizens across the country. 
C)  The federal government provides only some of the funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens in each state receive exactly the same level of benefits. 
D)  The federal government provides only some of the funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens receive very different levels of benefits in different states. 
E)  The federal government does not provide any funding for these programs, and, as a result, citizens receive very different levels of benefits in different states.

Question 16

When did the American welfare state begin?

Accepted Answer

A)  the 1890s 
B)  the 1920s 
C)  the 1930s 
D)  the 1960s 
E)  the 1980s 
A)  the 1890s 
B)  the 1920s 
C)  the 1930s 
D)  the 1960s 
E)  the 1980s

Question 17

Which of the following groups are more than twice as likely as other Americans to be below the poverty line?

Accepted Answer

A)  African Americans 
B)  children 
C)  the elderly 
D)  Latino Americans 
E)  single mothers 
A)  African Americans 
B)  children 
C)  the elderly 
D)  Latino Americans 
E)  single mothers

Question 18

What important noncontributory program was abolished by Congress in 1996?

Accepted Answer

A)  food stamps 
B)  Medicaid 
C)  Aid to Families with Dependent Children 
D)  Temporary Assistance to Needy Families 
E)  Social Security 
A)  food stamps 
B)  Medicaid 
C)  Aid to Families with Dependent Children 
D)  Temporary Assistance to Needy Families 
E)  Social Security

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT an identifiable problem with Social Security?

Accepted Answer

A)  As the workforce gets older, federal officials will be forced to spend more on Social Security entitlements. 
B)  The investment made in Social Security will soon fall below the interest available in an insured bank account. 
C)  The political consensus supporting a federal retirement program is crumbling. 
D)  The government is projected to experience shortfalls in the Social Security Trust Fund within a generation. 
E)  As baby boomers retire, there will not be enough workers to cover their Social Security benefits. 
A)  As the workforce gets older, federal officials will be forced to spend more on Social Security entitlements. 
B)  The investment made in Social Security will soon fall below the interest available in an insured bank account. 
C)  The political consensus supporting a federal retirement program is crumbling. 
D)  The government is projected to experience shortfalls in the Social Security Trust Fund within a generation. 
E)  As baby boomers retire, there will not be enough workers to cover their Social Security benefits.

Question 20

Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms?

Accepted Answer

A)  The reforms have done little to eliminate welfare dependency. 
B)  The reforms have reduced the number of people on welfare but have done little to reduce poverty. 
C)  The reforms have led to a reduction in overall poverty. 
D)  The reforms have led to an increase in the number of welfare recipients. 
E)  The reforms did not change anything. 
A)  The reforms have done little to eliminate welfare dependency. 
B)  The reforms have reduced the number of people on welfare but have done little to reduce poverty. 
C)  The reforms have led to a reduction in overall poverty. 
D)  The reforms have led to an increase in the number of welfare recipients. 
E)  The reforms did not change anything.

Between 1959 and 2012, the percentage of elderly Americans living in poverty went from about percent to percent.

The idea that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to achieve their goals is called ________.

Which of the following is the best example of the shadow welfare state?

After the election of 2004, President George W. Bush announced that ________ would be the centerpiece of his domestic policy.

Which of the following groups receives the most benefits from government's social policies?

What was the primary problem with private charities before the development of the welfare state?

In 2007 and 2008, the government faced a housing crisis caused by

The central thrust of federal housing policy has been to

About ________ percent of America's children live in poverty.

What was "outdoor relief" distributed by private charities?

Which of the following was a key part of President Obama's overhaul of No Child Left Behind?

The main change in welfare policies since 1996 is ________.

What is the most significant force determining the distribution of opportunities in the United States?

How does an entitlement differ from a right?

Which of the following statements about noncontributory programs, such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Medicaid, is most accurate?

When did the American welfare state begin?

Which of the following groups are more than twice as likely as other Americans to be below the poverty line?

What important noncontributory program was abolished by Congress in 1996?

Which of the following is NOT an identifiable problem with Social Security?

Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms?

American Political Culture

The Founding and the Constitution

Federalism

Civil Liberties

Civil Rights

Public Opinion

The Media

Political Participation and Voting

Political Parties

Campaigns and Elections

Groups and Interests

Congress

The Presidency

Bureaucracy in a Democracy

The Federal Courts

Government and the Economy

Foreign Policy and Democracy

Filters

Exam 17: Social Policy

Between 1959 and 2012, the percentage of elderly Americans living in poverty went from about ________ percent to ________ percent.

The idea that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to achieve their goals is called ________.

Which of the following is the best example of the shadow welfare state?

After the election of 2004, President George W. Bush announced that ________ would be the centerpiece of his domestic policy.

Which of the following groups receives the most benefits from government's social policies?

What was the primary problem with private charities before the development of the welfare state?

In 2007 and 2008, the government faced a housing crisis caused by

The central thrust of federal housing policy has been to

About ________ percent of America's children live in poverty.

What was "outdoor relief" distributed by private charities?

Which of the following was a key part of President Obama's overhaul of No Child Left Behind?

The main change in welfare policies since 1996 is ________.

What is the most significant force determining the distribution of opportunities in the United States?

How does an entitlement differ from a right?

Which of the following statements about noncontributory programs, such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Medicaid, is most accurate?

When did the American welfare state begin?

Which of the following groups are more than twice as likely as other Americans to be below the poverty line?

What important noncontributory program was abolished by Congress in 1996?

Which of the following is NOT an identifiable problem with Social Security?

Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms?

American Political Culture

The Founding and the Constitution

Federalism

Civil Liberties

Civil Rights

Public Opinion

The Media

Political Participation and Voting

Political Parties

Campaigns and Elections

Groups and Interests

Congress

The Presidency

Bureaucracy in a Democracy

The Federal Courts

Government and the Economy

Foreign Policy and Democracy

Filters

Between 1959 and 2012, the percentage of elderly Americans living in poverty went from about percent to percent.