Deck 16: Social Policy

Question 1

The U.S. Department of Education was created in 1856.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Evaluating private and public sector bureaucracies is done basically the same way because there is a universal measure of efficiency.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The Social Security tax is regressive.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Entitlements are government-sponsored programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, that provide benefits to qualifying individuals.

Question 5

Social Security is a self-funded pension.

Question 6

All social welfare programs are based on need.

Question 7

The Great Society was the term used to describe a group of social policy programs developed by President Franklin Roosevelt to combat the Great Depression.

Question 8

Until 2010, Congress had not passed any laws that reformed health care in the United States.

Question 9

Social Security is the least popular social program in the United States.

Question 10

None of the social policies passed under the New Deal remain today.

Question 11

One of the first social welfare programs enacted by the federal government was financial assistance to veterans of ________.

A) the Civil War
C) the Spanish-American War
B) World War I
D) World War II

Question 12

The number of elderly people living in poverty has decreased since the 1960s.

Question 13

The Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program was established in 1965 as part of the creation of Medicare.

Question 14

Because the United States does not have a government-sponsored universal health care system, the nation spends less on health care policy than most other nations in the world.

Question 15

Members of the baby-boom generation-a term used to describe individuals born between 1946 and 1964-will put a great deal of stress on the Social Security system when they retire.

Question 16

The National Governors Association created Common Core.

Question 17

Government assistance, usually in the form of financial assistance, to individuals in need is called ________.

A) block grants
C) Medicare
B) welfare
D) Social Security

Question 18

Democrats have traditionally sought to change the Social Security system to partial privatization so that the trust fund does not decrease and go bankrupt.

Question 19

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is a government agency that administers the Medicaid program.

Question 20

Unemployment climbed to at least 45 percent during the Great Depression.

Question 21

To combat income inequality, Democrats generally seek to

A) increase funding for social and welfare programs and tax wealthier individuals.
B) print more money and privatize Social Security.
C) create jobs and lower taxes for everyone.
D) restrict free trade and raise taxes on everyone.

Question 22

________ percent of the American population is living in poverty.

A) Two percent
C) Twenty-five percent
B) Fifteen percent
D) Forty percent

Question 23

When Ronald Reagan became president, what did he seek to do to many of the Great Society programs?

A) expand upon them
B) cut or eliminate them
C) model his social policy programs after them
D) raise taxes on poorer individuals to pay for them

Question 24

________ was NOT a social program created during the New Deal.

A) Medicare
B) Social Security
C) Welfare for families with dependent children
D) Labor rights to organize a union

Question 25

What was the first group to receive substantial financial support from the federal government?

A) unemployed workers during the Great Depression
B) Civil War veterans and their families
C) the poor during the Great Society
D) college students under the Land Grant Act

Question 26

Which one of the following was a component of President George W. Bush's plan to scale back social programs?

A) end the War on Poverty
B) add a prescription drug plan to Medicare
C) eliminate Medicaid
D) privatize portions of Social Security

Question 27

________ was the New Deal policy guaranteeing the right to organize a union and set regulations for collective bargaining.

A) Social Security
B) The Federal Emergency Relief Administration
C) The Public Works Administration
D) The National Labor Relations Act

Question 28

________ is responsible for, among other things, the management of public housing.

A) The Department of Housing and Urban Development
B) The Department of the Interior
C) The Department of Public Housing
D) The Department of Treasury

Question 29

The ________ was the name given to a group of government-sponsored social and economic programs developed by Franklin Roosevelt to combat the Great Depression.

A) New Deal
C) 1934 Stimulus Package
B) Great Society
D) War on Poverty

Question 30

To combat income inequality, Republicans generally seek to

A) increase funding for social and welfare programs and tax wealthier individuals.
B) print more money and privatize Social Security.
C) create jobs and lower taxes for everyone.
D) restrict free trade and raise taxes on everyone.

Question 31

A social policy vision such as George W. Bush's, in which citizens take responsibility for their own social well-being, is called ________.

A) the Second Great Society
C) the ownership society
B) the New Deal society
D) the safety net society

Question 32

The Great Society was a social plan developed by President ________.

A) Franklin Roosevelt
C) Harry Truman
B) Lyndon Johnson
D) John Kennedy

Question 33

Corporate welfare is a term used to describe

A) wealthier individuals who receive welfare.
B) individuals who become wealthy from welfare.
C) government assistance programs for job creation and growth.
D) corporate tax cuts by state and local governments to attract business development.

Question 34

Funding for the Great Society was quickly threatened by ________.

A) income tax cuts passed by Congress
B) World War II
C) the Korean War
D) the Vietnam War

Question 35

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 were all programs to improve social well-being under the ________.

A) New Deal
C) Great Society
B) Contract with America
D) New Frontier

Question 36

Medicare was one of the most significant social policies passed during the presidency of ________.

A) John F. Kennedy
C) Lyndon Johnson
B) Harry Truman
D) Bill Clinton

Question 37

Because of severe economic conditions, the federal government began enacting policies to ensure the well-being of the American public starting in the ________.

A) 1880s
C) 1930s
B) 1910s
D) 1960s

Question 38

Which one of the following statements is accurate?

A) Social Security is a noncontributory program.
B) Medicare is a contributory program.
C) The Affordable Care Act is a noncontributory program.
D) Disability insurance is a noncontributory program.

Question 39

An individual making less than approximately ________ is considered below the federal poverty line as a single person.

A) $12,000
C) $30,000
B) $22,000
D) $44,000

Question 40

Privatizing Social Security is an example of ________.

A) means testing
C) income support
B) the ownership society
D) policy diffusion

Question 41

Which of the following describes the group of Americans born between 1946 and 1964 who will be retiring in large numbers over the next 20 years?

A) the baby-boom generation
C) the World War II generation
B) Generation X
D) the Social Security generation

Question 42

The estate tax began in ________.

A) 1789
C) 1917
B) 1865
D) 1983

Question 43

What does the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 require?

A) that Congress address federal funding of education every two years
B) that agencies report strategic plans and performance evaluations
C) that the percentage of the U.S. population on welfare decreases every year
D) that all senior citizens be eligible for Medicare

Question 44

Which one of the following is an example of a pay-as-you-go system?

A) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
B) Social Security
C) Common Core
D) food stamps

Question 45

What do most policy experts say about the future of the Social Security system?

A) The system's collection and allocation of funds will be the same.
B) The amount of funds coming into the system will increase, because the number of people working is increasing dramatically.
C) The amount of money coming into the system will decrease, because the number of people retiring is increasing dramatically.
D) It will cease to exist, because the Social Security Act of 1935 is scheduled to expire in 2050.

Question 46

What does it mean when Social Security is called the third rail of politics?

A) It is a program that spends more than it generates by way of revenue.
B) It is a program that generates more revenue than it is spending.
C) Politicians propose frequent changes to it in order to appease their constituents.
D) Politicians do not like to propose changes because they would be unpopular with voters.

Question 47

Researchers studying poverty have determined that

A) there is no relationship between the poverty rate and the party of the president.
B) Republican and Democratic presidencies see equal reductions in the poverty rate.
C) Democratic presidencies generally see a larger reduction in the poverty rates than Republican presidencies.
D) Republican presidencies generally see a larger reduction in the poverty rates than Democratic presidencies.

Question 48

Who participates in the payment and eventual collection of Social Security?

A) Only those individuals living at or below the poverty line participate.
B) It is voluntary participation, but everyone is eligible.
C) Nearly all working U.S. citizens must participate.
D) Only those individuals living at or above the poverty line participate.

Question 49

The process by which policy agendas appear and disappear quickly on the national stage has been called ________ by some political scientists.

A) policy shocks
C) punctuated equilibrium
B) issue evolution
D) agenda setting

Question 50

Why is the retirement of the baby-boom generation considered a problem for the future of Social Security?

A) More retirees mean more people on Medicare, which shares a funding pool with Social Security.
B) Retirees tend to cluster in certain states, which means that the states they are moving from will lose the benefits of their Social Security payments.
C) Social Security functions best when there are fewer workers and more retirees, thus increasing support for the program.
D) Retiring baby boomers will reduce the number of workers per retiree and strain the financial resources of the program.

Question 51

No Child Left Behind is an example of education policy

A) becoming more controlled by state and local governments.
B) becoming more controlled by the federal government.
C) increasingly being funded by the federal government.
D) passed during the Great Society.

Question 52

The Social Security Administration trust fund will not be able to keep up with demand. Projections suggest the program will only be able to pay about ________ of its obligated expenditures in 2037.

A) 95 percent
C) 50 percent
B) 77 percent
D) 25 percent

Question 53

What was one of the consequences of No Child Left Behind?

A) increased federal funding for education
B) expanded Head Start to every school district
C) placed national accountability and testing requirements in every school district
D) decreased federal funding for education

Question 54

Who administers welfare expenditures?

A) state and local governments
B) the Federal Emergency Management Agency
C) the Social Security Administration
D) the Department of Health and Human Services

Question 55

Why is Social Security called an intergenerational transfer of wealth?

A) It was designed by previous generations as a way of ensuring the security of future ones.
B) It takes funding from education programs and gives it to support the elderly.
C) It takes money from current workers' paychecks to support current retirees.
D) It only affects those who have children and/or families.

Question 56

Which one of the following describes the top policy priorities among a political party, politicians, or a coalition of politicians?

A) social policy efforts
C) key issue agenda
B) legislative leviathan
D) a policy agenda

Question 57

The ________ is an interest group that represents the interests of senior citizens, the elderly, and other older individuals.

A) National Rifle Association (NRA)
B) American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
C) National Association for the Advancement of Older People (NAAOP)
D) National Organization for Women (NOW)

Question 58

What effect did Hurricane Katrina have on social policy making?

A) It caused higher taxes on the people who live in the Gulf Coast region to pay for the cleanup.
B) It highlighted the need to create a new cabinet-level department to deal with natural disasters.
C) It created the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
D) It caused a reexamination of readiness for national emergencies and the social safety net.

Question 59

Which one of the following statements is accurate?

A) Problem recognition occurs right before implementation.
B) Agenda setting is the first step in the policy-making process.
C) Evaluation is a retrospective exercise by definition.
D) Once a government program is created, it never changes.

Question 60

It is widely believed that politicians seem to be less interested in social policies concerning the poor and disadvantaged because

A) the Great Society plan solved most of this population's problems.
B) the poor and disadvantaged are not politically active.
C) the media does not report such political efforts.
D) it costs too much money to implement such policies.

Question 61

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides income support for ________.

A) orphans
B) people who care for elderly parents
C) those who live at or above the poverty line
D) the aged, blind, and disabled with limited income

Question 62

Overall, American officials spend ________ on health care compared to the rest of the world.

A) much more
C) a little less
B) a little more
D) much less

Question 63

What is a major critique of partial and full privatization of Social Security?

A) Recipients will receive less money.
B) The federal government gets to decide which private investments are made.
C) State governments would tax profits made from private investments.
D) Transition to privatization would be expensive.

Question 64

Which one of the following is not a recommendation made by public policy experts to keep the Social Security system working effectively?

A) eliminate Social Security benefits for those over 90 years old
B) raise the age requirement to qualify for Social Security
C) lower benefits for nonworking spouses and wealthier individuals
D) raise payroll taxes

Question 65

Although there is some variation, Medicare is a government-sponsored health care program for ________.

A) people living below the poverty line
B) citizens 65 and older
C) all children under the age of 18
D) citizens 55 and older

Question 66

Although there is some variation, Medicaid is a government-sponsored health care program for

A) people living below the poverty line.
B) citizens 65 and older.
C) all children under the age of 18.
D) citizens 75 and older.

Question 67

Over 70 million Americans receive health care coverage through ________.

A) food stamps
B) Aid to Families with Dependent Children/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
C) Medicare
D) Medicaid

Question 68

What is the individual mandate as it applies to health care?

A) All businesses, regardless of size, must cover their employees.
B) If individuals are not covered by their work, they are required to purchase a personal policy.
C) Courts can require certain individuals to have more expensive policies.
D) Only those who have an individual policy are able to get subsidies.

Question 69

Which social policy program is the successor to Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)?

A) Medicaid
B) Temporary Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
C) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
D) No Child Left Behind

Question 70

Medicare and Medicaid are administered by state governments as well as by ________.

A) Congress
B) the Department of Health and Human Services
C) the Federal Health Commission
D) the Treasury Department

Question 71

During the health care reform debate in 2009, many Democrats supported ________, while many Republicans supported ________.

A) a single-payer plan; socialized medicine
B) a single-payer plan; health insurance networks
C) comprehensive coverage; a single-payer plan
D) new regulations on private insurance companies; market-based approaches

Question 72

The ________ helps poorer people move from welfare to a working income by providing tax credits to those who cannot afford to pay income taxes.

A) Income Tax Exception Act
B) Earned Income Tax Credit
C) Continual Economic Stimulus Package
D) Tax Relief for Low Income Families Act

Question 73

Which one of the following is not an example of a welfare, or income support, program?

A) food stamps
B) Medicare
C) unemployment benefits
D) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Question 74

Which one of the following statements is accurate?

A) Medicare covers only hospital and medical insurance.
B) Medicare covers hospital insurance, medical insurance, and prescription drugs, and has no premiums.
C) Medicare covers hospital insurance, medical insurance, and prescription drugs, and has premiums for each.
D) Medicare pays all costs for everything because citizens pay into the program their entire working careers.

Question 75

What is the likely future of Obamacare?

A) It is likely to be replaced with a different alternative in the near future.
B) It is likely to survive and be strengthened.
C) It is likely to be repealed when a Republican next wins the White House.
D) It will barely survive, covering far fewer people than it does today.

Question 76

Which one of the following is not a form of income support?

A) Medicare
C) food stamps
B) unemployment insurance
D) Earned Income Tax Credit

Question 77

The Medicare Part D expansion, which partially covers prescription drugs, was passed during the presidency of ________.

A) Franklin Roosevelt
C) George W. Bush
B) Lyndon Johnson
D) Barack Obama

Question 78

The health care reform signed into law by President Barack Obama did not include

A) incentives to computerize medical records.
B) coverage for people with preexisting conditions.
C) a single-payer plan.
D) private insurance exchanges.

Question 79

Generally speaking, Medicare provides insurance for ________, while Medicaid provides insurance for ________.

A) government employees; senior citizens
B) senior citizens; the poor
C) the poor; senior citizens
D) senior citizens; government employees

Question 80

What are market-based solutions?

A) reform options, such as tax credits and free-market investments, that substitute for government-sponsored social programs
B) reforms applied to societal issues by creating a reliance on government-sponsored social programs
C) reform options for economic issues that solve problems by passing social programs, such as those passed in the New Deal
D) another name for a number of social programs passed in the Great Society