Deck 16: The Politics of Promoting the General Welfare

Question 1

Liberals typically display support for ______ in providing economic and social support for individuals.

A)less government action
B)more state funding
C)more robust government action
D)no governmental action

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following accurately depicts the policy feedback cycle?

A)Demand for new programs increases -> Citizens become more politically engaged -> new policies created
B)New policies created -> Policy programs offered to citizens -> Political involvement of citizens participating in those programs increases
C)Policy choices offered to citizens -> Political involvement of citizens interested in new programs increases -> policy programs offered to citizens
D)Policy agenda set by president and members of Congress -> Political choices offered to citizens -> New policies created

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In the 19th century, the federal government granted to states federally controlled lands for the purpose of creating

A)land-grant universities.
B)economic development.
C)urban centers of trade.
D)free public housing.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The idea that policies, once enacted, open up and close off future policy options, especially because of the effects of policy on politics and political actors, is defined as policy ______.

A)feedback
B)analysis
C)modification
D)impact

Question 5

Suzanne Mettler's research on the G.I.Bill found that the legislation

A)placed an undue financial burden on the states.
B)decreased political engagement as benefits increased.
C)increased later political involvement by its participants.
D)acted as a catalyst for more financial demands by recipients.

Question 6

The process of "getting on" the political agenda is

A)highly precise.
B)very scientific.
C)rather systemic.
D)somewhat unscientific.

Question 7

Political scientist Joe Soss observed that

A)social welfare programs tend to be unequally distributed and highly ineffective.
B)program designs shape client beliefs and perceptions about the effectiveness of social welfare agencies.
C)social welfare policies are often misinterpreted and given a bad reputation based on their structure.
D)the structure and design of social welfare programs are often doomed to failure from the start.

Question 8

The justification for a voucher-based educational system was

A)to allow parents to send their children to faith-based private schools.
B)to equalize funding within the public school system.
C)to allow all parents to send their students to private rather than public schools.
D)to allow market-based pressures of competition to improve low-performing schools.

Question 9

Policy aimed at improving social welfare and economic opportunities for Americans is best described as

A)domestic policy.
B)social policy.
C)welfare policy.
D)economic policy.

Question 10

The process by which states follow the lead of other states' policy experiments and adopt similar policies is described as policy ______.

A)gridlock
B)appropriateness
C)diffusion
D)accommodation

Question 11

The debate over who should be singled out for governmental support is described as

A)appropriateness.
B)deservingness.
C)willingness.
D)compassion.

Question 12

The first step in the stages of policy making is

A)setting the political agenda.
B)policy formation and adoption.
C)problem definition.
D)budgeting and implementation.

Question 13

At its core, social welfare policy involves

A)planning for population growth.
B)redistribution of resources.
C)providing free services to citizens.
D)supplying necessary resources to states.

Question 14

The necessarily limited set of issues on which policy makers focus their attention is best defined as the

A)policy-making process.
B)policy-making cycle
C)policy agenda.
D)policy feedback loop.

Question 15

Voucher programs were proposed to parents and guardians in order to allow them to

A)improve financial resources for public schools.
B)contribute to faith-based schools of their choice.
C)send their students to private and alternative schools.
D)change to other public schools of their choice.

Question 16

Domestic policies designed to improve or protect health, safety, education, and opportunities for citizens and residents are called

A)urban renovation policies.
B)rural engagement policies.
C)economic policies.
D)social welfare policies.

Question 17

The intentional use of governmental power to achieve or support specific goals and objectives is defined as ______.

A)policy agenda
B)policy gridlock
C)public policy
D)public law

Question 18

As stated in the Constitution, the goal of public policy is to

A)"form a more perfect union."
B)"promote the general welfare."
C)"ensure domestic tranquility."
D)"provide for common equity."

Question 19

Conservatives tend to advocate ______ with regard to social welfare policy.

A)individual choice and free-market power
B)federal government intervention and regulated markets
C)state decision making and funding and devolution
D)no governmental interaction at any level

Question 20

Getting an item on the agenda or keeping an idea off of it is an exercise in

A)scientific decision making.
B)executive power making.
C)political power.
D)legislative authority.

Question 21

Individuals operating in government, academic institutions, think tanks, interest groups, and other venues who try to shape the political agenda and get solutions implemented on the ground are called policy ______.

A)proponents
B)supporters
C)entrepreneurs
D)analysts

Question 22

Which of the following first provided federal assistance to children from low-income families in both public and private schools?

A)Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)of 1965
B)the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment
C)the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment
D)Title III of the Improving American Schools Act (IASA)of 1994

Question 23

Having been authorized by relevant federal and/or state governmental actors, policies must next be ______ in order to be enacted in the real world.

A)constituted
B)enforced
C)implemented
D)communicated

Question 24

Which of the following best exemplifies an unfunded mandate?

A)grants to build federal highways
B)Title I grants to local school districts
C)requirements for states to create and enforce seat belt laws
D)federal funding of DWI traffic stops through highway funds

Question 25

Which of the following are factors in getting an idea on the political agenda?

A)persuasion, the merits of the case, and economic/political contexts
B)citizen interest, constituent demands, and lawmaker priorities
C)partisan political processes, executive focus, and legislative leadership
D)political authority, knowledge of processes, and legislative experience

Question 26

In order to shape educational policies in the states, the federal government uses which of the following as its most powerful tool?

A)legislation
B)courts
C)money
D)constitutionalism

Question 27

For political scientist Jeffrey Henig, much of the concern about marketplace reforms in American public education is or should be based on questions of

A)enforcement.
B)implementation.
C)communication.
D)authorization.

Question 28

In his majority opinion in the Zelman case, Chief Justice Rehnquist stated that the program was enacted for a ______ purpose and therefore was Constitutional.

A)partisan
B)secular
C)political
D)foundational

Question 29

Which of the following was unique to Ohio's experimental voucher system?

A)profit
B)choice
C)curriculum
D)religion

Question 30

The purpose of the evaluation phase of policy making is to

A)determine the legality and constitutionality of a proposed policy.
B)construct and revise the most efficient policy possible.
C)assess the cost effectiveness of a proposed policy.
D)determine if a policy is achieving the stated objectives.

Question 31

In 2010, a group of researchers evaluated the District of Columbia School Choice Incentive Act of 2003 and determined which of the following about its Opportunity Scholarship Program?

A)"There is a high probability that the OSP has resulted in improved student achievement."
B)"There is no conclusive evidence that the OSP affected student achievement."
C)"The OSP has had a conclusively negative impact on student achievement."
D)"The OSP was never implemented and enforced as Congress intended. "

Question 32

A potential constitutional barrier to Ohio's voucher experiment can be found in

A)5th Amendment protections of due process.
B)14th Amendment "equal protection" wording.
C)1st Amendment protections against establishment of religion.
D)a lack of textual wording in the Constitution itself.

Question 33

When trying to get on the political agenda, a perception of ______ is often helpful.

A)accessibility
B)crisis
C)success
D)demand

Question 34

In the 2002 Supreme Court Case Zelman v.Simmons-Harris, the Court ruled by a slim 5-4 margin that Ohio's voucher program ______.

A)violated the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause
B)violated the 1st Amendment Establishment Clause
C)violated the 5th Amendment Due Process Clause
D)was not in violation of the 1st Amendment's Establishment Clause.

Question 35

______ reforms allow parents and guardians more control over their students' schools and enable school officials to chart their educational courses.

A)Policy implementation
B)Institutional accountability
C)Structural design
D)School choice

Question 36

The National Defense and Education Act of 1958 was passed as a reaction to

A)the Soviet Union's launching of Sputnik.
B)the perceived need of inner-city schools.
C)the public cry for better science and math programs.
D)citizen pressure to improve higher education offerings.

Question 37

The decision and authority to formally terminate a policy usually lies in

A)Congress or a state legislature.
B)federal department level leaders.
C)civil service supervisors.
D)the Government Accountability Office.

Question 38

One fact that complicates American educational policy is

A)the inclusion of textual restrictions on religious education.
B)the lack of textual guarantee to a right to education in the Constitution.
C)the requirement that public money go only to public schools.
D)the provision of specific educational rights in the Constitution.

Question 39

Which of the following economists first introduced the idea of using vouchers to improve educational outcomes in 1955?

A)Milton Friedman
B)John Maynard Keynes
C)Jude Wanniski
D)Jacques Rueff

Question 40

Which of the following government reports from 1983 critiqued a lack of commitment to rigorous education and called for immediate educational reform in the United States?

A)An Education Denied
B)A Country on the Brink
C)A System of Failure
D)A Nation at Risk

Question 41

Public schools that are funded only by taxpayer money and subject to many of the same regulations as traditional public schools but accountable primarily to their founding document and with greater curricular and professional autonomy are known as

A)charter schools.
B)schools of excellence.
C)magnet schools.
D)public choice schools.

Question 42

The constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)was upheld in the 2012 case

A)Little Sisters of the Poor v. United States.
B)King v. Burwell.
C)National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius.
D)Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores.

Question 43

The differences in school performance of students of majority ethnicity and higher incomes versus those of minority ethnicity and lower incomes has been described as the

A)performance discrepancy.
B)achievement gap.
C)educational differentiation.
D)academic bubble.

Question 44

In 2011, in the wake of massive criticism over NCLB by state governments, the Department of Education announced a policy through which states could apply for ______ from the most consequential provisions of the law.

A)waivers
B)exclusions
C)revisions
D)vouchers

Question 45

In order to ensure that individual schools did not "encourage" or allow lower-scoring students not to show up for required annual tests, No Child Left Behind holds schools accountable for

A)student attendance.
B)academic proficiency.
C)graduation rates.
D)test participation rates.

Question 46

Publicly funded schools that are usually designed around a particular theme such as language, the arts, or science and technology (STEM)are referred to as

A)charter schools.
B)schools of excellence.
C)magnet schools.
D)public-choice schools.

Question 47

The ESSA significantly increased ______ in administering accountability plans held over from NCLB.

A)school leadership
B)local choice
C)federal authority
D)state flexibility

Question 48

How many Republicans attended the signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010?

A)200
B)100
C)50
D)0

Question 49

One important aspect that differentiated Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama's plans for health-care reform was the

A)requirement to obtain coverage.
B)prospective cost of coverage.
C)amount of federal contribution toward coverage.
D)qualifications for coverage eligibility.

Question 50

According to John Chubb and Terry Moe, in their critique entitled Politics, Markets, and America's School (1990), the failures of American public education are rooted in

A)an inefficient bureaucratic organization.
B)the unintended consequences of bad laws.
C)the failure of school districts and administrators to implement new policies.
D)the overall failure of the policy-making process with regard to public education.

Question 51

For those schools and districts that fail to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress, the consequences

A)are immediate and harsh.
B)become increasingly severe.
C)are a minimal distraction.
D)become decreasingly severe.

Question 52

What is the idealized form of student selection for public school choice programs?

A)educational merit
B)public lottery
C)prior performance
D)test scores

Question 53

In a radio and Internet address on a Saturday in June 2010, President Obama assured Americans that they

A)would receive universal health care.
B)would find Obama Care much more affordable.
C)could keep both their current coverage and doctor.
D)would find coverage through exchanges preferable to employer coverage.

Question 54

In 2015, No Child Left Behind was replaced by the ______ Act.

A)Every School Is Accountable
B)No Child Should Fail
C)Every Student Succeeds
D)All Children Will Progress

Question 55

Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,

A)states establish educational standards that are subject to review by the federal Department of Education.
B)the federal Department of Education established a set of national standards that all schools must be accountable for.
C)both public and private schools are equally accountable to the federal Department of Education for yearly student performance.
D)all students were required to have met educational standards by the 2010-2011 academic year.

Question 56

In the Supreme Court's decision in National Federation of Independent Business v.Sebelius, the "swing vote" was from

A)Chief Justice Roberts.
B)Justice Thomas.
C)Justice Scalia.
D)Justice Kennedy.

Question 57

By 2015 and 2016, many insurers on the Obamacare exchange program were

A)reducing premiums and increasing participation.
B)raising premiums and withdrawing from participation.
C)attempting to maintain premium levels by adding new clients.
D)calling for the total shutdown of the exchange system.

Question 58

Chubb and Moe argue that by introducing ______ in education, the energy, innovation, and initiative of those who teach and run schools will be unleashed, freed from a stifling and unresponsive bureaucracy.

A)political power
B)federal authority
C)market forces
D)local leadership

Question 59

Reforms that set specific state- or nationwide student achievement goals, rewards for success, and consequences for failure are called ______ reforms.

A)academic-achievement
B)instructional-initiative
C)performance-incentive
D)standards-based

Question 60

In many ways, No Child Left Behind was a story of

A)academic progressivism.
B)legislative success.
C)unintended consequences.
D)policy revision.

Question 61

Under the old system of dual federalism, social welfare policies were thought to lie within the scope of the police powers of the state and, therefore, mostly under state control and administration.

Question 62

In 2015, the federally defined poverty threshold for a family of four was an annual family income of

A)$12,750.
B)$15,375.
C)$24,250.
D)$31,900.

Question 63

As of January 2015, the average monthly benefit from Social Security was ______ per month.

A)$565
B)$1,328
C)$2,750
D)$3,899

Question 64

Among the sweeping changes embodied in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)was

A)decreases in Medicaid.
B)new qualifications for Medicare.
C)a Patient's Bill of Rights.
D)elimination of drug coverage.

Question 65

In 1934, President Roosevelt's New Deal established the ______, tasked with combatting widespread foreclosures as a result of the Great Depression.

A)Fair Housing Act
B)Department of Human Services
C)Federal Housing Authority
D)Department of Housing and Urban Development

Question 66

Unlike Social Security and Medicare, which are funded through payroll taxes, programs such as Medicaid and others like it that require that individuals demonstrate specific need are known as ______ programs.

A)social dependency
B)needs-based assistance
C)categorical grant
D)public entitlement

Question 67

In the early decades of the 20th century, the federal government established which of the following regulatory agencies to ensure public health?

A)the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
B)the World Health Organization (WHO)
C)the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
D)the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Question 68

In 1965, the ______ was created to administer programs provided by the FHA as well as to combat homelessness.

A)Fair Housing Act
B)Department of Human Services
C)Federal Housing Authority
D)Department of Housing and Urban Development

Question 69

Payments into Social Security are

A)held in individual accounts until needed.
B)invested in private securities on behalf of pensioners.
C)used primarily to pay current recipients of benefits.
D)kept in the general spending account and used to fund other programs.

Question 70

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)in 1996 replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)with ______.

A)Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs (SNAP)
B)Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
C)the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)the Federal Housing Assistance Act (FHAA)

Question 71

The bureaucracy established in 1970 during the Nixon administration, tasked with working with state and local governments to enforce federal laws governing environmental standards, is the

A)Environmental Protection Agency.
B)Department of Emission Standards.
C)Bureau of Land and Water.
D)Division of Environmental Enforcement.

Question 72

Programs such as Social Security in which one receives a set of benefits regardless of income, provided one meets categorical requirements like age or a minimum number of years of payroll deductions, are known as ______ programs.

A)welfare
B)means-based
C)entitlement
D)federal grant

Question 73

The EPA is tasked to enforce

A)the Clean Air Act.
B)the Water Quality Act.
C)the Endangered Species Act.
D)all of these.

Question 74

In the 1960s, under President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, another major social insurance program was created called

A)Supplemental Security Income.
B)Aid to Families with Dependent Children.
C)Medicare.
D)Medicaid.

Question 75

Which of the following is a prediction for the Old-Age Survivors and Disability (OASDI)trust in the future?

A)It will continue to grow as the economy expands.
B)It will maintain its present size as some retire and others enter.
C)It will eventually reach a peak performance and stay there indefinitely.
D)It will be out of money at some point in the coming decades.

Question 76

Social Security is an example of a

A)federal grant in aid.
B)social insurance program.
C)social welfare program.
D)means-based program.

Question 77

Voucher programs establish clear boundaries between public and private school funding.

Question 78

In 1965, Congress also enacted the ______ program, which covers health services for low-income Americans.

A)Supplemental Security Income
B)Aid to Families with Dependent Children
C)Medicare
D)Medicaid

Question 79

All proponents of school vouchers in Cleveland were from the Republican side of the aisle.

Question 80

With the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), Bill Clinton signed into law the principles of ______ to social welfare programs.

A)devolution
B)federalism
C)accountability
D)dependence