Question 1

Lawmakers have made some progress in reforming welfare. Explain the evolution of the United States' assistance to poorer individuals and what changes were made during and since the Clinton administration.

Accepted Answer

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Question 2

What are some of the major government initiatives in education policy in the past three decades? Have they been successful? Has control over education shifted more toward state and local or toward the federal government?

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Question 3

Several recommendations have been made to reform the Social Security system. Identify and explain three of these plans. Which, if any, do you believe should be implemented and why?

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Question 4

Three major U.S. social policies are Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Policy experts believe them to be in long-term financial danger. Why do they believe that and how might we fix them to make them more fiscally sustainable?

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Question 5

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was signed by which president?

Accepted Answer

TANF was signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996.

Question 6

The New Deal and the Great Society are two grand sets of social policies that occurred in American history. Explain in more detail what these plans were and the motivations behind them. Have they been beneficial or harmful to America? Why?

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Question 7

Which president proposed the Race to the Top program to provide competitive grants to schools, encouraging them to adopt better methods of teaching and assessment?

Accepted Answer

The Race to the Top program was proposed by President Barack Obama in 2009 as part of his education plan. Its goal was to provide competitive grants to states and schools that agreed to adopt better methods of teaching and assessment, such as tying teacher evaluations to student performance and developing new standards for college and career readiness.

Question 8

There are a number of stages in the implementation of social policy. Discuss these stages, how the policy progresses, and the political process of enacting social policy. Give an example of a social policy as it goes through the stages.

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Question 9

One major change between Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is that TANF:

Accepted Answer

One major change between AFDC and TANF is that TANF added a lifetime limit on benefits, meaning that individuals can only receive assistance for a certain amount of time. AFDC did not have a lifetime limit.

Question 10

What is income inequality? How can it be measured? Is income inequality a growing problem in the United States? Why or why not?

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Question 11

What are school vouchers?

Accepted Answer

School vouchers are direct government funds provided to families to assist with the cost of sending their child to a private or parochial school. This allows families to have greater choice in their child's education, even if they cannot afford the tuition of a private school.

Question 12

Reforming the United States' health care system has been difficult in recent history. Identify and discuss the unsuccessful and successful attempts of the government to pass health care reform policies. Why is change so difficult to achieve in this area?

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Question 13

Which areas of social policy appear to be the most conflictual? Which have been most open to compromise? Why are some areas more likely to see compromise while others remain mired in partisan differences that prevent solutions from being enacted?

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Question 14

The purpose of the Land Grant College Act was to:

Accepted Answer

The Land Grant College Act, also known as the Morrill Act of 1862, was passed during the nineteenth century with the purpose of establishing colleges that would promote education in areas such as agriculture and mechanical arts. This act granted each state land to sell for the purpose of funding public colleges that would focus on practical education. As a result, many universities in the United States, such as Cornell University and Texas A&M University, were founded as land-grant institutions.

Question 15

All of the following federal policies support education EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Aid to Families with Dependent Children is a federal policy that provides financial assistance to families with children in need, but it does not specifically support education.

Question 16

The president and Congress are key actors in social policy making. Bureaucracies, states, and interest groups also play a role; explain how each of these three players affects social policy outcomes. Include practical examples in your answer.

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Quiz 16: Social Policy