Deck 10: Public Policy in California

Question 1

Urban water usage in California has been constant over the last two decades because

A) of much higher rainfall than normal.
B) there have been a number of droughts.
C) penalties for overwatering landscaping have been instituted.
D) water districts have instituted water conservation programs.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Education Week, a national newspaper that covers issues in K-12 public education, gave California a(n) ________ for its "overall quality" of education.

A) A⁺
B) B⁺
C) B^-
D) C^-

Answer 2

C^-

Question 3

Ethnically, most people without health insurance in California are

A) African American.
B) Caucasian.
C) Asian American.
D) Latino.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The biggest problem facing groundwater in California is

A) evaporation.
B) underutilization.
C) soil erosion.
D) contamination.

Question 5

Most people without health insurance in California

A) work full-time jobs.
B) do not work full time.
C) work only part-time jobs.
D) do not work.

Question 6

Thirty-five percent of the total water used in California each year is

A) groundwater.
B) well water.
C) imported.
D) drawn from the ocean.

Question 7

The Affordable Care Act has had what effect in California?

A) During the first six months over a million people purchased health insurance.
B) It has had little or no impact.
C) Fewer people have health insurance now than in 2012.
D) It has driven down the cost of health insurance by over 50 percent.

Question 8

Riparian rights are water rights that people have because

A) of stock options that they own.
B) they own property on a lake or stream.
C) they own ocean front property.
D) they are near a state dam.

Question 9

Where is Duroville located?

A) Los Angeles County
B) San Francisco
C) Riverside County
D) Sacramento County

Question 10

The 2013-14 drought in California

A) had little effect on large cities.
B) caused the state to declare a statewide emergency.
C) ended sooner than expected.
D) led to increased water usage.

Question 11

In California, why is it a challenge for Medi-Cal beneficiaries to get access to doctors?

A) Many medical practices limit the number of Medi-Cal patients they take.
B) Many medical practices prefer Medi-Cal patients, which causes limited availability for appointments due to the high number of patients.
C) Many medical practices are using advanced technology for procedures not covered by Medi-Cal.
D) Medi-Cal can be used only for emergency medical situations.

Question 12

The largest group of people without health insurance in California are

A) senior citizens.
B) U.S. citizens.
C) illegal aliens.
D) children.

Question 13

In 2018, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave California's infrastructure a grade of

A) A.
B) C^-
C) B⁺
D) D.

Question 14

Eighty percent of the water used in California goes to

A) households.
B) agriculture.
C) industry.
D) state irrigation policy.

Question 15

One of the many reasons why the number of people in California without health insurance is so high is that

A) many people work in small firms that tend not to offer health insurance.
B) most people prefer not to have health insurance.
C) the cost of malpractice insurance is so high.
D) labor unions are so weak.

Question 16

Proposition 98 guaranteed that the public schools in California would

A) be rebuilt after 35 years of use.
B) receive at least 40 percent of the general fund each fiscal year.
C) receive a 20 percent increase in personnel.
D) have all maintenance deferred for at least 10 years.

Question 17

In the city of Los Angeles, it was determined that water rates were too low to keep up maintenance because

A) the California Supreme Court overturned rate increases.
B) the city council, not a water agency, set rates.
C) the state continued to take local funds due to the continuing budget crisis.
D) rate increases must be approved by voters.

Question 18

From 2013 to 2014, the number of people without health insurance in California

A) increased.
B) decreased.
C) remained the same.
D) was not reported by the federal government.

Question 19

About fifty percent of Californians receive their health care from

A) Medicare.
B) Medicaid.
C) their employer.
D) county governments.

Question 20

Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, provides medical insurance for

A) high-income families.
B) out-of-state employees.
C) the poor.
D) undocumented aliens.

Question 21

A 2015 Gallup poll indicated that ________ percent of Californians are without medical insurance.

A) 6.2
B) 11.8
C) 17.8
D) 25.1

Question 22

Some people argue that the high-speed rail system proposed by Governor Brown

A) will take too long to build.
B) will drastically reduce revenue from the gasoline tax.
C) is unaffordable.
D) will negatively impact the airline industry.

Question 23

Describe the current state of California's infrastructure. What are the major problems encountered in maintaining the state's infrastructure?

Question 24

One reason it is so difficult to maintain infrastructure in California is that

A) there are major variations in temperature.
B) there is little support on the issue from electronic media.
C) it is not a major issue in political campaigns.
D) people do not want to pay for it.

Question 25

What did Californians learn about water problems due to the 2013-14 drought? What changes were made in water policy?

Question 26

The company that rebuilt the stretch of the Bay Bridge that connects San Francisco and Oakland was a(n)

A) American company.
B) Chinese company.
C) Canadian company.
D) Swedish company.

Question 27

Why do so many people in California lack health insurance? What can be done to rectify this problem?

Question 28

What is the condition of California's infrastructure? What can be done about it?

Question 29

California voters demand a high level of government services but

A) prefer that they be provided by private companies.
B) consistently refuse to pay for them.
C) expect the federal government to pay for them.
D) want user taxes imposed.

Question 30

What are some of the proposed solutions to the growing shortage of water in California?