Question 1

Social Security was designed as a(n)

Accepted Answer

Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system, meaning that current workers pay taxes to support current retirees, rather than saving their own money for retirement.

Question 2

An example of the complexity of environmental regulation is the increased use of _______________ policies that allow companies to build facilities in one area that may pollute if they lower pollution in another area.

Accepted Answer

The term “offset policies” is commonly used in environmental regulation to describe a system of trade-offs that allows companies to build facilities in one area that may pollute if they lower pollution in another area. This approach is intended to balance the needs of economic development with the need to maintain a healthy environment. Under an offset policy, companies can purchase “credits” for pollution reduction measures elsewhere, which can then be used to offset their own emissions. This system can be complex, as it requires careful monitoring and regulation to ensure that the overall level of pollution is not allowed to rise.

Question 3

In what year was poverty elevated to the status of a political issue as a result of works by muckraking journalists, including Robert Hunter's Poverty?

Accepted Answer

Poverty was elevated to the status of a political issue in 1904 as a result of works by muckraking journalists, including Robert Hunter's book titled "Poverty."

Question 4

Government-sponsored benefits and cash payments to those who meet eligibility requirements are called

Accepted Answer

Government-sponsored benefits and cash payments that are given to individuals who meet eligibility requirements are called entitlements. These programs include Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Question 5

The heart of social welfare policy in the United States and the largest nondefense item in the federal budget is

Accepted Answer

Social Security is the heart of social welfare policy in the United States and is also the largest nondefense item in the federal budget. It provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to eligible individuals and families. While other programs such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children and food stamps also play important roles in social welfare policy, they are smaller in terms of budget allocation compared to Social Security. The Job Training Partnership Act and the Great Society program are also important initiatives, but they are not as central to social welfare policy as Social Security.

Question 6

Congress has made several efforts to apply __________ to Social Security entitlements-that is, to link benefits to income and provide payments only to the "truly disadvantaged"-but such efforts have failed owing to successful lobbying by senior citizen groups.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is referring to means testing, which is the practice of linking benefits or eligibility to income levels. Options A, B, C, and D are unrelated to Social Security entitlements and are not mentioned in the sentence.

Question 7

Which of the following Presidents initiated the "New "Frontier" policy?

Accepted Answer

John F. Kennedy initiated the "New Frontier" policy during his presidency. This policy aimed to tackle domestic issues, such as poverty and equality, and encourage scientific innovation and space exploration.

Question 8

The federal program Aid to Families with Dependent Children

Accepted Answer

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) was terminated in 1996 and replaced with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) through the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.

Question 9

The Family Support Act was passed in

Accepted Answer

The Family Support Act was passed in 1988.

Question 10

__________ is the requirement that recipients of welfare programs such as AFDC work on public works unless they find employment elsewhere.

Accepted Answer

Workfare is the requirement that recipients of welfare programs work on public works projects, or participate in vocational training in order to receive benefits. This was implemented as a way to encourage work and self-sufficiency among welfare recipients.

Question 11

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act was signed by

Accepted Answer

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 22, 1996.

Question 12

The Social Security Act was the centerpiece of whose program?

Accepted Answer

The Social Security Act was passed in 1935 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program, aimed at improving the economic conditions of the United States during the Great Depression.

Question 13

Congress has made several attempts to link Social Security benefits to income. This is called

Accepted Answer

Means testing involves linking Social Security benefits to income, specifically by reducing or eliminating benefits for individuals who have a certain level of income or assets. Congress has considered means testing as a way to reduce the overall cost of the Social Security program. This approach has been controversial, as some argue that it would undermine the program's universal nature and discourage support for Social Security among higher-income earners.

Question 14

The Depression acted as a triggering mechanism to translate the economic condition of poverty into a

Accepted Answer

The Depression caused economic conditions to become a political issue, with parties and politicians offering various solutions to alleviate poverty and stimulate economic growth.

Question 15

Lyndon Johnson used the Economic Opportunity Act and the Medicare Act to fight poverty as part of the

Accepted Answer

Lyndon Johnson's use of the Economic Opportunity Act and the Medicare Act was part of his comprehensive War on Poverty, which aimed to reduce the economic and social inequality in the United States. These legislative measures were intended to provide greater access to education, job training, and healthcare, as well as increase economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities.

Question 16

Impoundment refers to

Accepted Answer

Impoundment refers to the president's refusal to spend appropriated funds. This was a controversial practice used by presidents during the 1960s and 1970s and led to a Supreme Court case that ultimately limited the president's ability to impound funds. Congress responded by passing the Impoundment Control Act in 1974, which requires the president to seek approval from Congress before withholding or delaying the spending of appropriated funds.

Question 17

The cornerstone of the 1988 Family Support Act was the idea of

Accepted Answer

The 1988 Family Support Act aimed to encourage work among welfare recipients by tying welfare benefits to work or job training programs. This approach was known as "workfare" and was the cornerstone of the Act. Other provisions of the Act included child support enforcement and expanded funding for child care programs.

Question 18

The dollar amount of annual earnings below which a family is considered poor is known as the

Accepted Answer

The dollar amount of annual earnings below which a family is considered poor is known as the poverty level.

Question 19

The federal poverty level is a figure established by the

Accepted Answer

The answer of The federal poverty level is a figure...

Question 20

The 2020 decision by the Minneapolis City Council to dismantle the police department is an example of a _____________ change.

Accepted Answer

The decision by the Minneapolis City Council to dismantle the police department is a public policy change as it involves a deliberate set of actions or decisions taken by a government entity or elected officials to address a public issue.

Quiz 15: Domestic and Economic Policy