Deck 16: Social Policy

Question 1

A program like TANF, which provides cash assistance to families below a certain income level, is an example of a ________ program.

A) regulatory
B) progressive
C) regressive
D) redistributive
E) distributive

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to the provisions of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, ________.

A) only children under the age of 18 and adults over the age of 65 are required to obtain health insurance by 2018
B) all Americans are required to obtain health insurance by 2018
C) states are prohibited from mandating that adults obtain health insurance by 2022
D) all employers are required to provide health insurance to their full-time employees by 2014
E) insurance companies are required to provide health insurance to all citizens except those with preexisting conditions by 2018

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In the twentieth century, states' social programs became ________ autonomous from the federal government and ________ in size.

A) less; larger
B) less; smaller
C) more; larger
D) more; remained about the same
E) more; smaller

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is TANF?

A) a federal program that provides temporary income to the poor
B) a lobby group opposed to President Obama's health care reform legislation
C) a state-funded social program that provides vouchers for poor children to attend private schools
D) a law passed by Congress in 2008 that regulates auto emissions
E) a federal housing program

Question 5

What are social policies intended to bring about?

A) greater economic efficiency
B) greater economic growth
C) smoother commercial transactions
D) a more just and orderly society
E) a freer and more equal society

Question 6

Aside from health care expenses, federal programs to aid the poor have never exceeded ________ of the federal budget.

A) 1 percent
B) 3 percent
C) 5 percent
D) 10 percent
E) 15 percent

Question 7

________ policies are designed to provide a basic level of income, safety, education, housing, and health care to certain categories of people at risk.

A) Economic
B) Regulatory
C) Social
D) Compassionate
E) Progressive

Question 8

While most people agree that ________ is a welfare program, there is some debate about whether ________ should be included in that category.

A) health care; direct assistance
B) public education; direct assistance
C) national defense; public education
D) direct assistance; national defense
E) direct assistance; health care

Question 9

Currently, Medicaid is only available to those who fall below a certain income threshold. If President Obama's health care reforms had expanded the program so that Medicaid covered every U.S. citizen, it would no longer be considered a ________ program.

A) progressive
B) regressive
C) means-tested
D) need-based
E) social

Question 10

All of the following public goods come from social policies EXCEPT ________.

A) public education
B) social insurance
C) health care
D) crime prevention
E) national defense

Question 11

Federal support for public education is a ________.

A) distributive social policy because it provides a public good to the poor
B) redistributive social policy because it benefits everyone by creating an educated workforce
C) distributive social policy because it uses revenue from progressive income taxes to provide support for services for low-income children
D) redistributive social policy because it uses revenue from progressive income taxes to provide support for services for low-income children
E) redistributive social policy because it provides a public good to the poor

Question 12

Redistributive policies typically benefit ________; distributive policies usually benefit ________.

A) specific groups; nearly everyone
B) nearly everyone; specific groups
C) only the wealthy; nearly everyone
D) only the poor; only the wealthy
E) nearly everyone; only the poor

Question 13

States are most likely to have fairly consistent laws regarding ________, while laws related to ________ are more likely to vary by state.

A) privacy protections; the death penalty
B) violent crimes; the death penalty
C) the death penalty; violent crimes
D) violent crimes; burglary
E) the death penalty; drug laws

Question 14

What is a welfare state?

A) a state that allocates more than 40 percent of its budget to programs and services intended for low-income families and individuals
B) an economic crisis caused by the lack of comprehensive social policies
C) a state only accompanied by the reduction of social programs
D) the set of government programs devoted to social policy
E) a state that allocates more than 60 percent of its budget to programs and services intended for low-income families and individuals

Question 15

Which term refers to the set of government programs devoted to social policy?

A) social state
B) progressive state
C) liberal state
D) welfare state
E) poverty state

Question 16

In the areas of ________, states have been and continue to be primarily responsible for financing and implementing programs.

A) crime prevention and border security
B) immigration and education
C) health care and immigration
D) border security and health care
E) crime prevention and education

Question 17

The federal Assistance to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program provides cash payments to families with children living below the federal poverty line. The maximum income feature of AFDC eligibility means the program is ________.

A) means-tested
B) progressive
C) regressive
D) agent based
E) need based

Question 18

Until the ________ century, few federal social programs existed.

A) twenty-first
B) eighteenth
C) nineteenth
D) twentieth
E) seventeenth

Question 19

A government program or policy is ________ if it is offered only to people who meet objective eligibility requirements, such as income level.

A) progressive
B) means-tested
C) regressive
D) agent based
E) need based

Question 20

The education children receive in public schools is a ________.

A) common good
B) club good
C) public good with negative externalities
D) private good with positive externalities
E) private good with negative externalities

Question 21

Cash transfer programs are often ________; social insurance programs typically allocate benefits based on ________.

A) means-tested; previous contributions
B) need-based; previous contributions
C) means-tested; age
D) distributive; age
E) redistributive; previous contributions

Question 22

The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, grants tax credits to low-income families with children living at home. This is an example of a ________ policy.

A) redistributive regulatory
B) distributive means-tested
C) distributive regulatory
D) redistributive social welfare
E) distributive social welfare

Question 23

How do most economists understand the federal government's practice of subsidizing and offering tax deductions for interest paid on mortgage loans?

A) as a redistributive policy that mostly benefits lower classes
B) as a redistributive policy that mostly benefits upper classes
C) as a redistributive policy that benefits all classes equally
D) as a distributive policy that mostly benefits lower classes
E) as a distributive policy that mostly benefits upper classes

Question 24

What role does ideology play in helping explain the controversy surrounding poverty relief?

A) Those who support generous welfare programs often believe society has a moral mandate to help the less fortunate, while those who oppose such programs believe that government intervention causes inefficiencies.
B) Liberals generally believe that welfare is necessary to ensure equality, while conservatives generally believe that welfare suppresses equality.
C) Conservatives and liberals both believe that freedom is best protected by generous welfare programs that facilitate equality.
D) Libertarians often support welfare programs because they support equality, while traditional conservatives oppose such programs.
E) Most ideologies support welfare, even if they believe the programs are inefficient and ineffective.

Question 25

As part of the Great Society, the Department of Housing and Urban Development undertook programs designed to build better quality and more racially integrated housing for the poor. These programs largely ________.

A) succeeded, because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made housing discrimination illegal
B) succeeded, through the creation of mixed-income housing
C) failed, because local governments' constraints often limited the federal government's ability to avoid creating urban ghettoes
D) failed, because federal programs often overlooked the advice of more knowledgeable local governments and city planners
E) failed, but have become a higher priority in recent years

Question 26

Unlike the EITC, TANF payments are ________ period of time.

A) means-tested and made for a limited
B) made through tax credits for an extended
C) made through tax credits for a limited
D) made through cash transfers for an extended
E) made through cash transfers for a limited

Question 27

How are levels of income tied to the receipt of Social Security?

A) Household income must fall below a certain threshold to qualify for Social Security payments.
B) Household income must fall above a certain threshold to qualify for Social Security payments.
C) Social Security payments are based on how much income one earned before retiring regardless of age.
D) Social Security payments are not tied to income; they are based on age.
E) Social Security payments are not tied to income; they are universal.

Question 28

Unlike TANF or SNAP, Social Security is considered universal because ________.

A) benefits are paid as a direct cash payment
B) benefits are put on electronic debit cards
C) everyone qualifies for the same benefits regardless of income
D) it is not means-tested
E) payments are guaranteed to anyone who pays into Social Security

Question 29

Nick works for a law firm, which provides privately purchased health insurance for him. After leaving his pharmacist's office, Nick looks at his receipt and sees that his new medication costs $100. His insurance company paid $85, while Nick paid $15 out of pocket. Did the federal government affect the price of this medication?

A) no, because Nick's employer privately purchases his insurance
B) no, because the insurance company negotiates prices with the pharmacy
C) no, but it will be after health care reform takes effect
D) yes, through the Medicare reimbursement rate
E) yes, through federally mandated pricing tiers

Question 30

Why is Social Security often called the "third rail" of American politics?

A) because politicians' attempts to reform Social Security have fierce electoral consequences
B) because Social Security was the third major social welfare program created in the American political system
C) because Social Security is one of three universal welfare programs
D) because the program is among the three most popular social welfare programs in the country
E) because benefits are received during the third portion of a person's life

Question 31

The No Child Left Behind Act sought to raise educational standards through a/an ________, while Race to the Top used a/an________.

A) social welfare program; regulatory policy
B) unfunded mandate; financial incentives
C) regulatory policy; unfunded mandate
D) universal policy; means-tested formula
E) competition; social welfare program

Question 32

Attempts to improve federal regulation of the mortgage industry occurred because ________.

A) private lending institutions' lax loan requirements led to high default rates
B) federal subsidies were no longer working to adequately bolster home ownership rates
C) taxpayer-funded mortgage subsidies were criticized for benefiting the 1 percent of citizens who pay the most taxes
D) home ownership rates are lower in the United States than in Europe
E) too many borrowers were choosing to work with private lenders instead of the FHA

Question 33

Oliver, a 42-year-old man who has been unemployed for some time and lacks financial resources, has strep throat. If he seeks medical attention, his health care will most likely be relatively ________.

A) inexpensive, because the federal government provides it through Social Security
B) inexpensive, because the federal government provides it through Medicare
C) inexpensive, because his state's insurance program provides it
D) expensive, because it is purchased through supplementary Medicare insurance
E) expensive, because it is provided by a variety of sources and paid for out of pocket

Question 34

The SNAP program serves multiple roles as a social policy because it ________.

A) is distributive and improves public health
B) provides tax credits and includes behavioral proscriptions
C) provides cash transfers and includes behavioral proscriptions
D) provides tax credits and improves public health
E) provides redistributive tax credits

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT part of the federal government's effort to provide health care?

A) evaluating the safety of cosmetics
B) building hospitals in rural areas
C) funding medical research
D) providing health education in schools
E) coordinating the purchase of private health insurance

Question 36

Institutionally speaking, the most important feature that leads to inequality in the education system is the ________.

A) tradition of local control of schools
B) tradition of national control of schools
C) shift from national to local control of schools
D) disagreements between teachers and parents over funding of schools
E) decrease in equitable spending per pupil over time

Question 37

Who/what is the largest provider of health insurance in the United States?

A) Blue Cross/Blue Shield
B) the state of California
C) New York State
D) Medicare
E) Social Security

Question 38

Which social programs do employer contributions directly help fund?

A) Social Security and TANF
B) TANF and SNAP
C) Social Security and unemployment insurance
D) unemployment insurance and SNAP
E) SNAP and Social Security

Question 39

Currently, about ________ of American families own their own homes.

A) one-fourth
B) one-third
C) one-half
D) two-thirds
E) three-quarters

Question 40

Social Security currently consumes ________ percent of the annual federal budget.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 20
D) 30
E) 50

Question 41

Tom, the leader of a gang, has convinced many of his fellow gang members to engage in criminal activity. Though he has given directions to others, Tom has avoided committing any crimes himself. Is the federal government likely to become involved in pursuing and prosecuting Tom?

A) yes, because the federal government has the majority of law enforcement resources
B) yes, because the federal government has responsibility for investigating organized crime
C) yes, because his crimes concern interstate commerce
D) no, because he has not broken federal laws
E) no, because he has only broken state laws

Question 42

In order to make the United States stronger, Adam believes that the government should pursue efficiency by allowing market forces to reward the most talented and committed people, without intervention. Based on these views, Adam can likely be considered a ________.

A) Republican
B) Communist
C) liberal
D) conservative
E) Democrat

Question 43

Designing social policies often reflects a trade-off between the values of ________.

A) freedom and liberty
B) order and equality
C) liberty and choice
D) freedom and equality
E) liberty and individualism

Question 44

Bella and Lucius's friend Tom convinces them to join his gang. As gang members, they sell drugs to fellow students at Warthogs High and drive stolen goods from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Is the federal government likely to become involved in pursuing and prosecuting Bella and Lucius?

A) yes, because the federal government has the majority of law enforcement resources
B) yes, because the federal government prosecutes all cases involving banned substances
C) yes, because their crimes involve interstate commerce
D) no, because they have not broken federal laws
E) no, because they are minors

Question 45

A society with complete freedom for citizens to acquire resources and spend money as they desire-all with low taxes-will likely result in ________.

A) a less equal society
B) a more equal society
C) fewer goods for the wealthiest individuals
D) fewer incentives to work hard
E) strong regulations on trade

Question 46

Among those countries who make data available, the United States leads the world in ________.

A) total prison population, but not prison population rates per capita
B) both total prison population and prison population rates per capita
C) prison population rates per capita, but not total prison population
D) neither total number of people in prison nor overall rates incarcerated
E) prison population and interstate crime rates

Question 47

Since 2003, federal subsidies for state and local law enforcement have been primarily administered by the ________.

A) Department of Justice
B) Department of the Interior
C) Department of Homeland Security
D) Department of Defense
E) Department of the Treasury

Question 48

To hide his criminal activity, Tom, the leader of a gang, convinces his accountants, Yaxley and Dolohov, to create a shell corporation. This corporation will operate at a loss so that Tom can avoid paying taxes on his earnings. Is the federal government likely to become involved in pursuing and prosecuting Yaxley and Dolohov?

A) yes, because the federal government has the majority of law enforcement resources
B) yes, because the federal government prosecutes all instances of financial mismanagement
C) yes, because their crimes involve interstate commerce
D) no, because they have not broken federal laws
E) no, because they are paid professionals providing a service

Question 49

Libertarians differ from conservatives in what important way(s)?

A) Libertarians advocate for governmental regulation of social behavior.
B) Libertarians advocate for governmental regulation of economic behavior.
C) Libertarians and conservatives have similar beliefs on both social and economic matters.
D) Libertarians prefer that government stay out of citizens' social lives.
E) Libertarians are liberals who do not like the term "liberal."

Question 50

In order to make the United States stronger, Maya believes that the government should make sure that all citizens have equal access to medical care and housing, even if that requires increasing taxes. Based on these views, Maya can likely be considered a ________.

A) Republican
B) Communist
C) liberal
D) conservative
E) Democrat

Question 51

Among those listed below, which country generally has the smallest welfare state?

A) the United States
B) Germany
C) France
D) Canada
E) Australia

Question 52

When did the last major spike in violent crime in the United States occur?

A) late 1950s
B) mid-1960s
C) late 1970s and early 1980s
D) late 1980s and early 1990s
E) mid-2010s

Question 53

Many conservatives and libertarians argue that government redistribution is counterproductive because ________.

A) it makes people less likely to work hard
B) it forces the wealthy to give more than their fare share, creating animosity
C) it disproportionately affects the wealthy
D) it costs less than the actual benefits it grants to society
E) government should stay out of people's personal lives

Question 54

What is the primary reason for recent increases in the U.S. prison population?

A) Policies aimed at stopping drug use and trafficking have led to a large number of arrests.
B) States have built new prisons and must fill them to justify the expense.
C) The rate at which violent crimes occur has increased.
D) The federal government has become more involved in training and funding local law enforcement.
E) Sensationalized television reporting has increased fear of crime among the public.

Question 55

A higher proportion of Americans ________ than in any other country in the world for which reliable data are available.

A) is literate
B) is illiterate
C) receives welfare payments
D) is in prison
E) pays income taxes

Question 56

From where is government aid for the chronically homeless most likely to come?

A) the federal government, through programs like TANF and Medicare
B) the federal government, through programs aimed at providing shelters and job training
C) state and local governments, in compliance with unfunded federal mandates requiring the development of shelters and job training programs
D) state and local governments, which have autonomy in creating and funding programs for homeless people
E) federal, state, and local governments, with state and local governments creating programs for homeless people, and the federal government providing funding

Question 57

In general, political liberals regard inequality as the result of ________.

A) a lack of moral virtue
B) misguided social policies
C) structural features of a capitalist economy
D) the natural distribution of talent and ability
E) failed family structures

Question 58

In general, political conservatives regard inequality as the result of ________.

A) a lack of moral virtue
B) misguided social policies
C) structural features of a capitalist economy
D) the natural distribution of talent and ability
E) failed family structures

Question 59

Hazel does not agree with gay marriage personally, but she believes that the government has no business meddling in the affairs of citizens. Politically speaking, it is most appropriate to categorize Hazel as a ________.

A) conservative
B) liberal
C) moderate
D) libertarian
E) statist

Question 60

Bella and Lucius, teenagers from Warthogs High, break into Alice and Frank's house and steal several pieces of jewelry. Is the federal government likely to become involved in pursuing and prosecuting them?

A) yes, because the federal government has the majority of law enforcement resources
B) yes, because the federal government prosecutes all cases of theft
C) yes, because their crime involves interstate commerce
D) no, because they have not broken federal laws
E) no, because they are minors

Question 61

What are the values of liberty and equality? In what respects do social policies represent trade-offs between these two values? Identify a public policy and explain how it either enhances liberty at the expense of equality or enhances equality at the expense of liberty. In your opinion, which value is more important, liberty or equality? Why?

Question 62

Identify and describe two major federal programs that provide health care. In each case, who is taxed to provide the health care, and who receives the health care? Are these programs distributive or redistributive? Are they means-tested?

Question 63

Eric is moving from France to the United States. Having grown up in another country, he may be surprised to find that the U.S. federal government ________.

A) operates a larger welfare state than France's
B) provides many social services through tax incentives instead of direct funding
C) primarily supports the mentally ill through public funds, whether distributed directly or indirectly
D) requires new businesses to gain operating permits from the government
E) largely relies on family members to care for the mentally ill

Question 64

Democrats and Republicans are most likely to agree that the government should ________.

A) ensure that citizens have equal access to resources
B) ensure that citizens have equal opportunities to earn resources
C) provide access to higher education
D) lift benefits restrictions on welfare programs
E) only approve universalistic social welfare policies

Question 65

Explain the division of responsibility between the federal government and the state governments in the domain of social policy. Which policy areas are largely dominated by federal programs? Which areas are principally reserved to the states? In which areas are the federal and state governments both active? What constitutional and practical considerations might structure this particular division of programming?

Question 66

Define the term means-tested. Identify one major federal social program that is means-tested and another that is not means-tested. Why are some social programs means-tested while others are available to qualified classes of people without regard to income?

Question 67

How does the American welfare state compare to the welfare states of other advanced democracies? In what respects is the American welfare state more or less developed than others? How has the United States balanced the competing values of liberty and equality differently than other industrialized democracies?