Question 1

In 2014 we spent ____ on in-kind transfers and ____ on in cash transfers to help the poor.

Accepted Answer

A)  $100 billion, $91 billion
B)  $641 billion, $148 billion
C)  $910 billion, $381 billion
D)  $1,400 billion, $391 billion B

Question 2

Which of the following is true about poor populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  There are fewer poor whites than poor blacks.
B)  The poor are disproportionately white.
C)  The poor are more likely to be children than the elderly.
D)  The poor are more likely to have graduated from high school. C

Question 3

In 2014, the ethnic group experiencing the highest poverty rate was

Accepted Answer

A)  white, non-Hispanic.
B)  Hispanic.
C)  black, non-Hispanic.
D)  another race. C

Question 4

Most of the reduction in poverty rates since World War II occurred as a result of the

Accepted Answer

A)  1940s War On Poverty.
B)  1996 welfare reforms.
C)  end of "welfare as we know it".
D)  1960s War On Poverty.

Question 5

The level of income sufficient to provide a family with a minimally adequate standard of living is the

Accepted Answer

A)  poverty line.
B)  poverty rate.
C)  poverty gap.
D)  poverty state.

Question 6

The incentives built into nearly all welfare programs

Accepted Answer

A)  encourage work.
B)  discourage family planning.
C)  encourage marriage.
D)  encourage savings.

Question 7

The poverty line goes up as the size of the household increases. A doubling of the family size

Accepted Answer

A)  more than doubles the poverty line.
B)  less than doubles the poverty line.
C)  exactly doubles the poverty line.

Question 8

After accounting for taxes and various welfare programs, economist Timothy Smeeding estimates that the average European country's anti-poverty programs reduce their poverty by 60% while

Accepted Answer

A)  U) S. anti-poverty programs reduce poverty by only 26%.
B)  U) S. anti-poverty programs reduce poverty by more than 83%.
C)  U) S. anti-poverty programs actually increase poverty by 6%.
D)  U) S. anti-poverty programs have virtually eliminated poverty among sociologists.

Question 9

Through its anti-poverty programs, the U.S. currently spends $789 billion attempting to

Accepted Answer

A)  achieve European standards of bureaucratic efficiency.
B)  increase the median educational attainment of welfare recipients by two years.
C)  eliminate a "poverty gap" of only $96 billion.
D)  "end welfare as we know it".

Question 10

The incentives built into nearly all welfare programs

Accepted Answer

A)  encourage work.
B)  encourage family planning.
C)  encourage marriage.
D)  none of the above.

Question 11

The incentives built into nearly all welfare programs

Accepted Answer

A)  discourage work.
B)  encourage family planning.
C)  encourage marriage.
D)  encourage savings.

Question 12

If the poverty line is $16,000 for a family of four and the U.S. has 100 million such families, with 25 million of these families having incomes of $12,000 and 75 million having incomes of $20,000. This means the poverty gap would be

Accepted Answer

A)  zero, because the income numbers average out at $16,000.
B)  negative, because there are more above the poverty line than below it.
C)  $100 billion, because there are 25 million families $4000 below the poverty line.
D)  $400 billion, because there are 100 million families and many are $4000 below the poverty line.

Question 13

The poverty line is

Accepted Answer

A)  that level of income just sufficient to provide a family with a minimally adequate standard of living.
B)  the percentage of households with income insufficient to provide an adequate standard of living.
C)  the amount of money that would have to be transferred to poor households to lift them out of poverty.
D)  the amount of money the poor earn from work.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about poor populations?

Accepted Answer

A)  There are more poor whites than poor blacks.
B)  The poor are disproportionately white.
C)  The poor are less likely to be children than the elderly.
D)  The poor are more likely to have graduated from high school.

Question 15

Economist Timothy Smeeding reported that income inequality

Accepted Answer

A)  was higher in the U.S. than in any of the European countries studied.
B)  was lower in the U.S. than in any of the European countries studied.
C)  was roughly the same in both the U.S. and in the European countries studied.
D)  seems to increase whenever it is studied scientifically.

Question 16

If the poverty line for a family of 2 is $10,000 then the poverty line for a family of 4 is likely to be

Accepted Answer

A)  greater than $20,000.
B)  less than $20,000 but greater than $10,000.
C)  exactly $10,000.
D)  less than $10,000.

Question 17

Which of the following is targeted narrowly to pregnant women and their infant children?

Accepted Answer

A)  AFDC
B)  TANF
C)  WIC
D)  SNAP (Food Stamps)

Question 18

Since the year 1969, the poverty rate has

Accepted Answer

A)  increased very slightly.
B)  increased significantly.
C)  remained almost unchanged.
D)  decreased significantly.

Question 19

Which of the following is a goal of a welfare system?

Accepted Answer

A)  To provide an adequate standard of living.
B)  To reduce the number of children born.
C)  To make recipients happy.
D)  None of the above.

Question 20

The poverty rate is

Accepted Answer

A)  that level of income sufficient to provide a family with a minimally adequate standard of living.
B)  the percentage of people in households with income under the poverty line.
C)  the total amount of money that would have to be transferred to households in poverty to raise them out of poverty.
D)  the amount of money the poor must earn from work.

Exam 38: Poverty and Welfare

In 2014 we spent on in-kind transfers and on in cash transfers to help the poor.

Which of the following is true about poor populations?

In 2014, the ethnic group experiencing the highest poverty rate was

Most of the reduction in poverty rates since World War II occurred as a result of the

The level of income sufficient to provide a family with a minimally adequate standard of living is the

The incentives built into nearly all welfare programs

The poverty line goes up as the size of the household increases. A doubling of the family size

After accounting for taxes and various welfare programs, economist Timothy Smeeding estimates that the average European country's anti-poverty programs reduce their poverty by 60% while

Through its anti-poverty programs, the U.S. currently spends $789 billion attempting to

The incentives built into nearly all welfare programs

The incentives built into nearly all welfare programs

If the poverty line is $16,000 for a family of four and the U.S. has 100 million such families, with 25 million of these families having incomes of $12,000 and 75 million having incomes of $20,000. This means the poverty gap would be

The poverty line is

Which of the following is true about poor populations?

Economist Timothy Smeeding reported that income inequality

If the poverty line for a family of 2 is $10,000 then the poverty line for a family of 4 is likely to be

Which of the following is targeted narrowly to pregnant women and their infant children?

Since the year 1969, the poverty rate has

Which of the following is a goal of a welfare system?

The poverty rate is