Deck 16: The Economy and Work

Question 1

The post-industrial economy is defined by

A) the spread of factories.
B) mass production of goods and services.
C) manufacturing of raw materials.
D) service work and computer technology.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Over the course of human history, changes in which of the following have brought the greatest changes to the economy?

A) productive technology
B) the family
C) population size
D) natural resources

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The development of agriculture was set in motion by

A) changes in the church.
B) hitching animals to the plough.
C) the discovery of writing.
D) the discovery of oil.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The text describes three technological revolutions that transformed all of social life. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A) the Agricultural Revolution
B) the Industrial Revolution
C) the Immigration Revolution
D) the Information Revolution

Question 5

As societies industrialize, a smaller share of the population works in which of the following locations?

A) farms
B) factories
C) assembly lines
D) dockyards

Question 6

The economy first became a distinct social institution during which historical era of societal development?

A) hunting and gathering societies
B) agrarian societies
C) industrial societies
D) post-industrial societies

Question 7

As a social institution, the economy

A) is the system by which goods and services are taxed.
B) discourages the consumption of goods and services.
C) operates in a relatively predictable manner.
D) operates in an unpredictable and chaotic manner.

Question 8

Which of the following concepts refers to an economy based on computer technology?

A) post-industrial economy
B) industrial economy
C) technological economy
D) agrarian economy

Question 9

The concept "global economy" refers to

A) expanding economic activity that moves across national borders.
B) the fact that only a few countries now contribute to the global economy.
C) the fact that economic output is under the control of global political leadership.
D) the way colonial powers shaped the economies of subordinate populations.

Question 10

The Industrial Revolution accelerated with the development of which of the following new sources of energy?

A) the gasoline engine
B) the steam engine
C) wind power
D) electricity

Question 11

In which Canadian province do we find the highest percentage of the labour force employed in manufacturing industries?

A) Quebec
B) Alberta
C) Manitoba
D) B.C.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the Information Revolution is NOT correct?

A) There was a shift from making tangible products to generating ideas.
B) There was a shift from mechanical skills to literacy skills.
C) There was a shift from farming to turning raw materials into products.
D) There was a shift from working in factories to working almost anywhere.

Question 13

The expansion of office work marks the growth of the economy's

A) primary sector.
B) secondary sector.
C) tertiary sector.
D) quaternary sector.

Question 14

In Canada, about what share of the labour force performs service (tertiary) sector work?

A) 18 percent
B) 38 percent
C) 58 percent
D) 75 percent

Question 15

Looking at economies around the world, the primary sector is the largest in

A) high-income nations.
B) middle-income nations.
C) low-income nations.
D) It is the same size in all nations.

Question 16

What sector of the economy generates raw materials directly from the natural environment?

A) primary sector
B) secondary sector
C) tertiary sector
D) quaternary sector

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways that industrialization changed the economy?

A) concentration of work into factories
B) new sources of energy
C) decreased specialization
D) wage labour

Question 18

Turning metals into automobiles is work that falls within the

A) primary sector.
B) secondary sector.
C) tertiary sector.
D) quaternary sector.

Question 19

Which social institution is widely considered to have the greatest effect on society as a whole?

A) the family
B) the economy
C) the political system
D) religion

Question 20

The Industrial Revolution was based on

A) the spread of cottage industry.
B) people beginning to work in their homes.
C) a decrease in productive specialization.
D) new sources of energy.

Question 21

Contrasted to socialist economic systems, capitalist economic systems are typically

A) equally productive.
B) more productive.
C) less productive.
D) not concerned with productivity.

Question 22

In which of the following Canadian provinces do we find the lowest percentage of the labour market employed in manufacturing industries?

A) Ontario
B) Quebec
C) Saskatchewan
D) Manitoba

Question 23

What is the explanation provided in the text for why Alberta has a smaller manufacturing sector than that of Canada on the whole?

A) It is cheaper for Alberta to have other provinces manufacture their goods.
B) Most Albertans lack the skills to manufacture products.
C) Alberta's tertiary sector is so large.
D) Alberta's primary sector is so large.

Question 24

Concerning the issue of personal freedom, capitalist systems emphasize people's _____, while socialist systems emphasize people's _____.

A) collective needs; personal needs
B) freedom from basic want; freedom to pursue their self-interest
C) freedom to pursue their self-interest; freedom from basic want
D) social needs; material needs

Question 25

Which of the following countries best exemplifies a system of state capitalism?

A) the United States
B) Great Britain
C) Australia
D) Japan

Question 26

The concept "state capitalism" refers to a system in which

A) the government owns and operates most economic enterprises.
B) privately-owned companies co-operate closely with the government.
C) the government owns but does not operate most economic enterprises.
D) large businesses control the government.

Question 27

The social thinker whose ideas most supported the operation of a free-market economy was

A) Torstein Veblen.
B) Adam Smith.
C) Karl Marx.
D) Max Weber.

Question 28

In a capitalist economic system, "justice" amounts to

A) doing what is best for society's poorest members.
B) everyone being more or less socially equal.
C) freedom of the marketplace where a person can follow self-interest.
D) government regulation of the marketplace for the benefit of all.

Question 29

Which of the following do NOT describe the operation of a socialist economy?

A) collective orientation
B) government control of production
C) laissez-faire economy
D) command economy

Question 30

Globalization of the economy means that

A) world regions fulfill their own economic needs domestically.
B) the wealth of every nation in the world increases because of fair trade deals.
C) a small number of businesses represent a large share of the planet's economic output.
D) a large number of businesses represent a small share of the planet's economic output.

Question 31

In Canada about what share of the population aged 16 and older is in the paid labour force?

A) one-fifth
B) one-third
C) two-thirds
D) nine-tenths

Question 32

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) As a nation's income level rises, its tertiary sector of the economy becomes smaller.
B) The least developed nations have the largest primary sectors of the economy.
C) The most economically developed countries have a very low percentage of their workforce in agriculture.
D) In Canada, about two-thirds of the labour force performs service work.

Question 33

Capitalism is an economic system in which there is

A) government control of production.
B) private ownership of property.
C) pursuit of collective interests.
D) abolition of wage labour.

Question 34

An example of a country with a mostly private economy and extensive social welfare programs is

A) the United States.
B) Sweden.
C) Japan.
D) Singapore.

Question 35

In a socialist economic system, "justice" amounts to

A) trying to meet the basic needs of all in an equal manner.
B) doing whatever helps boost company earnings.
C) freedom of the marketplace.
D) exploitation of wage-labourers to promote profit.

Question 36

What is the hypothetical economic and political system in which all people in society are socially equal?

A) capitalism
B) socialism
C) welfare capitalism
D) communism

Question 37

Which of the following concepts refers to a political and economic system that combines a mostly market-based economy with extensive social welfare programs?

A) capitalism
B) socialism
C) welfare capitalism
D) communism

Question 38

Which of the following is TRUE of Tax Freedom Day in Canada and the United States?

A) Tax Freedom Day is roughly two months later in Canada than in the U.S.
B) There is no Tax Freedom Day in the U.S. as there is in Canada.
C) Tax Freedom Day is roughly two months later in the U.S. than in Canada.
D) Tax Freedom Day is earlier every year in both Canada and the U.S.

Question 39

About what percentage of men and women are employed in Canada, respectively?

A) 90%; 85%
B) 45%; 55%
C) 70%; 60%
D) 60%; 70%

Question 40

Socialism is an economic system in which there is

A) collective control of production.
B) private ownership of property.
C) pursuit of individual profit.
D) considerable competition between businesses.

Question 41

______________ is economic activity involving income or the exchange of goods and services that is not reported to the government.

A) Socialism
B) Underground economy
C) State capitalism
D) Conglomerate

Question 42

The invention of the corporation is generally taken as the point at which a post-industrial society emerged.

Question 43

Dependency theorists see large corporations as

A) the key to meeting the needs of people in poor nations.
B) helping poor nations to develop local industries.
C) a major source of foreign investment for poor nations
D) intensifying global inequality.

Question 44

Computers are having which of the following effects on the workplace?

A) Computers are increasing skilled labour.
B) Computers are promoting workplace interaction.
C) Computers enhance employers' control of workers.
D) Computers are making work less abstract.

Question 45

The economy did not emerge as a distinct social institution until the Industrial Revolution.

Question 46

Today one farmer can feed how many people?

A) 5
B) 14
C) 75
D) 10 000

Question 47

A conglomerate is

A) a giant corporation composed of many smaller corporations.
B) a corporation in the manufacturing sector.
C) a corporation engaged in both legal and illegal activity.
D) any company that completely dominates a market.

Question 48

The concept "primary labour market" refers to

A) jobs that provide extensive benefits to workers.
B) jobs typically taken by teenagers.
C) jobs that require no particular training or experience.
D) jobs that offer little pay and low security.

Question 49

Which of the following descriptions does NOT apply to a profession?

A) having theoretical knowledge of a field
B) working for a large, well-established company
C) having authority over clients
D) professing a community rather than individual orientation

Question 50

Compared to agricultural work, industrial jobs involve less specialization.

Question 51

By about 1950, most of the people in the Canadian labour force had which type of jobs?

A) white-collar
B) blue-collar
C) pink-collar
D) farming

Question 52

Which of the following groups had the lowest level of labour force participation in Canada in 2006?

A) English
B) Aboriginal
C) Chinese
D) French

Question 53

Which of the following groups has the highest level of labour force participation in Canada?

A) English
B) Aboriginal
C) Chinese
D) Japanese

Question 54

Which of the following would be included in the operation of the underground economy?

A) a teacher who is on disability leave for a long time
B) an executive who illegally "borrows" funds from the company
C) a taxi driver who fails to report most of her income
D) food servers who are paid less than the minimum wage

Question 55

The economy organizes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Question 56

In recent decades, union membership

A) has risen in Canada and other high-income nations.
B) has risen in Canada but not in other high-income nations.
C) has declined in Canada but not in other high-income nations.
D) has been stable in Canada at just over one-third of the labour force.

Question 57

Over the course of the last century, the number of people involved in agricultural work

A) has remained about the same.
B) has declined steadily.
C) has increased dramatically.
D) has stayed the same, although a larger share of workers are immigrants.

Question 58

About what percentage of today's Canadian workers are self-employed?

A) 11.7 percent
B) 27.3 percent
C) 47.6 percent
D) 67.5 percent

Question 59

Modernization theorists see large corporations as

A) offering little to poor nations seeking to develop.
B) unleashing the productive power of capitalism to speed development in poor nations.
C) responsible for the debt crisis in many poor nations.
D) needing the technology currently available in poor nations.

Question 60

One key to industrialization was creating new sources of energy.

Question 61

Organic farming is a response to both pesticide proliferation and genetic modification.

Question 62

Primary labour market jobs provide more benefits to workers than secondary labour market jobs.

Question 63

Capitalism is more productive than socialism and capitalism also creates greater economic inequality.

Question 64

The Information Revolution requires workers to gain literacy skills instead of the mechanical skills that were important during the Industrial Revolution.

Question 65

In Canada, union membership is higher today than ever before.

Question 66

Combining market production and extensive social welfare programs yields what is called "welfare capitalism."

Question 67

Most people with jobs in the primary labour market would probably rather have jobs in the secondary labour market.

Question 68

By 2011, almost 80% of the Canadian labour force worked in the service sector.

Question 69

The global economy pays little regard to national borders.

Question 70

Socialism is spreading around the world to the point that, today, a majority of the world's nations have a socialist economic system.

Question 71

The concepts "primary sector," "secondary sector," and "tertiary sector" refer to how productive a sector is in terms of economic value.

Question 72

Taken together, provincial/territorial, municipal, and federal governments employ about 7% of Canada's labour force in public administration.

Question 73

Canada is a capitalist society with socialist leanings.

Question 74

Socialist economies create greater economic equality than capitalist economies, but with a lower overall living standard.

Question 75

Agricultural production is part of the primary sector of the economy.

Question 76

The Information Revolution has concentrated workers in offices, drawing people from a wide region into dense, central cities.

Question 77

Less than 2 percent of today's Canadian labour force works in agriculture.

Question 78

Adam Smith's idea was that, in a capitalist system, government tells businesses what to produce and tells consumers what to buy.

Question 79

The concept "state capitalism" refers all productive enterprises in a country being owned by the government.

Question 80

Socialism is also called a "laissez-faire" economic system.