Deck 10: Who Gets What

Question 1

When there is a limited demand for a particular kind of work:

A) Those who are working will receive an increase in their wages.
B) The price paid for any given commodity will be high.
C) Remuneration for such work will decrease.
D) B and C only

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The gap between the incomes of people in the top 20 percent and the incomes of people in the bottom percent has significantly decreased since the 1970s.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The incomes of workers with ______________ have had flat or declining real earnings, but workers with ______________ generally have moved upwards.

A) No education; a high school diploma
B) A high school diploma; a college or postgraduate degree
C) Some college; a college or a postgraduate degree
D) A postgraduate degree; some college

Answer 3

D

Question 4

One effect that globalization has had on employment and income is:

A) Globalization has indirectly stimulated employment in some industries by increasing the spending power of consumers.
B) Globalization has increased domestic wages.
C) Globalization has decreased the number of available jobs in virtually all industries.
D) None of the above

Question 5

Figures regarding the distribution of income and wealth in the U.S. may not be completely accurate because of:

A) The changing size and composition of families
B) The increase of inflation and its effect on household incomes
C) A lack of data regarding many impoverished families
D) Those conducting studies of income distribution are ideologically biased

Question 6

Globalization is a combination of social, economic and cultural changes and is the most important cause of current income disparities.

Question 7

Unions are most prevalent in which of the following industries?

A) Construction
B) Manufacturing
C) Transportation
D) Entertainment

Question 8

The presence of labor unions has boosted remuneration for many non-unionized employees.

Question 9

To some employers, hiring immigrant workers is appealing because:

A) Employers do not have to withhold payroll taxes for immigrant workers.
B) Immigrant workers are willing to accept low rates of remuneration.
C) The threat of deportation can make immigrant workers more obedient and submissive.
D) All of the above
E) B and C only

Question 10

It has been argued that due to technological change

A) The wages of unskilled manufacturing workers have decreased.
B) There has been an increase in the number of jobs for people with technological skills.
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A or B

Question 11

Sociologically speaking, prestige and status can be used interchangeably.

Question 12

The relative prestige of an occupation can be influenced by ______________.

A) The wages or salaries attached to it
B) Perceived importance of such occupation
C) The level of educational requirements
D) All of the above
E) True/False Questions

Question 13

When the rate of unemployment is low:

A) Workers' options become limited
B) Employers will increase wages for open positions
C) Workers' ability to demand higher wages is reduced
D) A and C only
E) All of the above

Question 14

No other industrial country relies so heavily on employers for health insurance as the United States.

Question 15

Non-unionized workers tend to have higher wages and salaries than unionized workers.

Question 16

Variations in pay directly correlate to the employees' skills and abilities they perform on the job.

Question 17

According to the book, in regard to the interaction of supply and demand, "supply" is a social creation.

Question 18

The prestige of an occupation is often closely tied to its work environment.

Question 19

According to Levy and Murnane the type of communication that is described as the ability to organize, interpret, and convey information in ways that are most useful and relevant to the recipients of that information is:

A) Direct communication
B) Complex communication
C) Symbolic communication
D) Intense communication

Question 20

Employers are more likely to offer market-level wages and salaries to well-educated immigrants.

Question 21

Contrast the prestige of a physician, an elementary school teacher, and a door-to-door salesperson. What accounts for the variance in occupational prestige of these occupations?

Question 22

Why has the distribution of income in the United States become more unequal in recent decades?. Which of the reasons given by economists and sociologists do you most agree with and why?

Question 23

In what ways has technological change contributed to income inequality?

Question 24

Why is there a higher percentage of unionized workers in the public sector than in the private sector?

Question 25

In percentage terms, white workers benefit more from union membership than do African
American and Hispanic workers

Question 26

When it comes to wages and salaries, the effects of joining the labor force during times of
recession usually linger for many years.

Question 27

How have different groups of American workers been either helped or hurt by globalization?

Question 28

In the United States at the end of the first decade of the 21^st century, the top quintile received more than half of the nation's income

Question 29

Describe several factors that can alter the supply of and demand for workers.

Question 30

What are the employee benefits of unionization?