Deck 8: Economics, Employment, Budgets, and Taxes

Question 1

How do you explain the dilemma that unemployment can be beneficial to the business community, but detrimental to workers?  What difficulties does this present when developing economically sound social welfare policies?

Answer 1

Answers Will Vary

Question 2

The Earned Income Tax Credit is an anti-poverty program because:

A)every person who receives public assistance also receives monthly tax credits
B)businesses get a tax credit for hiring low-income workers
C)it is linked to the minimum wage
D)it allows for a decrease in taxes paid by low-income workers
E)it is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Why is it important for social workers to understand the role of economics in the development of social welfare policies and the delivery of social welfare services?

Answer 3

Answers Will Vary

Question 4

The federal budget deficit:

A)is not a major problem
B)is the amount of money the federal government overspends each year
C)is the accumulated total amount of money the federal government owes  to its creditors
D)is a new phenomenon of the new century
E)is unconstitutional

Question 5

The minimum wage is:

A)linked to the cost of living
B)a policy by which the government intervenes to guarantee a base hourly  wage
C)set by each locality and varies from region to region
D)a new policy, passed into law in 1986
E)all of the above

Question 6

When people want to work but find themselves unable to gain access to the training or education necessary for the jobs which are available, they are affected by:

A)structural unemployment
B)seasonal unemployment
C)geographic unemployment
D)industry unemployment
E)systematic unemployment

Question 7

The federal government has been involved in employment training through more than 150 different programs.

Question 8

In 2006, Congress took action to increase the minimum wage, reaching $7.25 per hour.

Question 9

Annual expenses on TANF account for

A)less than one percent of the national budget
B)about 10 percent of the national budget
C)about 5 percent of the national budget
D)none of the national budget, funds are covered by state and local governments
E)a significant portion of social welfare expenses by the federal government

Question 10

The federal government has a history of involvement in job creation through

A)Unemployment Insurance
B)TANF, SNAP and EITC
C)CETA, JTPA and WIA
D)Social insurance and public assistance
E)OASDI

Question 11

The Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP)is an example of an anti-poverty program that is also a stimulus to the economy.

Question 12

Federal income taxes are designed to be regressive taxes

Question 13

A head of household working full-time and earning the minimum wage can sustain a family of three above the poverty line.

Question 14

The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA)and the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)were similar approaches to government sponsored employment.

Question 15

Taxation is

A)Optional
B)legislated through the Constitution
C)regressive in nature because proportionally, the poor pay less
D)lower in percentage as incomes rise
E)is approved annually by Congress

Question 16

The program that guarantees a base hourly wage

A)the Earned Income Tax Credit
B)the Fair Wage Initiative
C)the Wage Incentive Action
D)the Minimum Wage
E)the Hourly Income Initiative

Question 17

The unemployment insurance program:

A)provides cash assistance until an unemployed worker finds a new job
B)is paid for by federal general revenue funds
C)is a joint program administered by both the federal and state  governments
D)was added to the Social Security Act in 1948
E)provides cash assistance to workers who voluntarily quit their jobs

Question 18

The official count for the rate of unemployment includes:

A)people who are working in jobs that are inadequate for their skill level
B)people who have given up looking for a job
C)people who cannot find support which is necessary for their  employment
D)people who have made efforts to find a job in the previous four weeks
E)striking workers

Question 19

Social work and economics differ because

A)the competitive marketplace of economics is not compatible with the values of social work
B)social workers are women and economists are men
C)social work emphasizes cost/benefits and economics emphasizes economies of scale
D)the analytics of social work are greater than the analytics of economics
E)there is no difference

Question 20

The housing market has proven to be

A)a stable economic environment
B)an area for minimal government involvement
C)a long term place for most families to develop assets
D)a private domain with no federal involvement
E)an arena irrelevant to social welfare policy

Question 21

Over the past fifty years, the composition of the work force has changed dramatically.  What are the key changes?  What social welfare problems and needs are of concern due to these changes?

Question 22

How are the ideologies of social work different from those of economics?  Give examples and explain

Question 23

Welfare is a concept that is thought to only relate to people who are poor.  Does it apply to other factions of the economy?  How do you explain the use of the term "corporate welfare"?

Question 24

When and how should the federal government intervene in the marketplace?

Question 25

What is the federal budget deficit?  What are the current social welfare policy consequences of the deficit?  What would you recommend to help eliminate the deficit?