Deck 14: The Economy and Work

Question 1

Wages in the new service sector of the economy tend to be __________ those previously paid in the manufacturing sector.

A) higher than
B) lower than
C) about the same as
D) higher for most, but not all, compared to

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Some societies organize their economic system in a way that benefits the collective as opposed to any one individual.This system is known as __________.

A) capitalism
B) globalization
C) socialism
D) feminism

Answer 2

C

Question 3

When the Earth's peoples are increasingly interconnected economically,politically,culturally,and environmentally we are in an era of __________.

A) alienation
B) globalization
C) outsourcing
D) capital flight

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Jill believes that Adam Smith was essentially correct when he claimed that people could pursue their own personal interests because the __________ would keep society from disintegrating as everyone competes for consumers and profit.Thus,she consistently opposes government intervention into the market.

A) laws of the marketplace
B) laws of society
C) social contract
D) marketplace masses

Question 5

An employment arrangement where employees work as temporaries or independent contractors and get few benefits from employers is __________.

A) discouraged employment
B) displaced employment
C) reserve employment
D) contingent employment

Question 6

Homesourcing is __________.

A) illegal
B) working from home
C) good for people who needs employer sponsored insurance plans
D) the most common type of employment

Question 7

__________ is/are a force currently transforming the U.S.economy.

A) New innovations based on computer technology
B) A shift from services to manufacturing
C) Localization of the economy
D) A booming entertainment industry

Question 8

Displaced workers are those who __________.

A) have lost their jobs and are forced to move out of the country
B) face never being re-employed at jobs that pay the level of wages to which they have been accustomed
C) move to the United States due to civil war
D) work for a company which requires them to move every year or more

Question 9

When an economic system is based on private ownership of property and guided by the seeking of maximum profits it is classified as a __________ system.

A) capitalist
B) socialist
C) democratic socialist
D) corporatist

Question 10

Ben wants to open a business in a country which allows him to own property privately,make a personal profit,and compete openly against other firms.In general he prefers that the government stay out of his business.He would like to open his business in a __________ system.

A) socialist
B) capitalist
C) communist
D) democratic

Question 11

The United States is in the midst of an economic transformation that is moving it to a(n)__________.

A) service/information economy
B) manufacturing economy
C) agrarian economy
D) transportation and entertainment-based economy

Question 12

The largest employer in the United States today is __________.

A) General Motors
B) Walmart
C) U.S. Steel
D) Microsoft

Question 13

Schumpeter's concept of __________ refers to the process of economic transformation that is associated with the ongoing mutation of capitalism.

A) destructive capitalism
B) creative destruction
C) mutative creativity
D) capitalistic creativity

Question 14

When an economic system is based on ownership of the means of production by the people for their collective benefit it is classified as a __________ system.

A) capitalist
B) socialist
C) democratic socialist
D) corporatist

Question 15

Don does not mind paying higher taxes for the benefit of everyone.Although he pays nearly half his income in taxes,he is happy living in a __________ where there is a family support program for parents and children,care for the elderly,and a national health care program.

A) capitalist nation
B) socialist nation
C) welfare state
D) wealthy state

Question 16

Industries declining in output and employment are __________ industries.

A) scientific
B) sunrise
C) sunset
D) sunburn

Question 17

__________ refers to the investment choices that involve the movement of corporate monies from one investment to another.

A) Capital flight
B) Outsourcing
C) Globalization
D) Alienation

Question 18

Industries characterized by increased output and employment are __________ industries.

A) scientific
B) sunrise
C) sunset
D) sunburn

Question 19

Patrick wants to open a business in a country with a strong sense of community and egalitarianism.He thinks his company should be interested in the public good and is perfectly fine being subject to a democracy.Patrick would like to open his company in a __________ country.

A) socialist
B) capitalist
C) communist
D) totalitarian

Question 20

Fundamental changes in the economy resulting from technological breakthroughs,globalization,and capital flight describes __________.

A) the reserve army of the unemployed
B) the structural transformation of the economy
C) sunrise industries
D) sunset industries

Question 21

A problem associated with a segmented labor market is that __________.

A) placement in a segment is unrelated to social class
B) work in the secondary sector is so inadequately paid that many full-time workers live in poverty
C) the segmented labor market is inherently egalitarian
D) men are confined to just a few sectors of the economy

Question 22

Many contingent workers have home offices and do most if not all of their contract work from their own house in a practice known as __________.

A) homesourcing
B) outsourcing
C) offshoring
D) globalization

Question 23

Jerica's factory recently moved out of the United States to a country with cheaper labor where she will produce the same products at a lower cost in a practice known as __________.

A) offshoring
B) outsourcing
C) globalization
D) alienation

Question 24

According to Marx,when workers do not have any control over their labor,they experience __________.

A) improved productivity
B) alienation
C) greater satisfaction
D) less stress

Question 25

Gerald is a freelance artist who works from home.He is referred to as a(n)__________ employee.

A) independent
B) self-sufficient
C) contingent
D) primary sector

Question 26

__________ is a demographic trend that marks the current period in the economy.

A) The overall growth of the working population
B) A disproportionate representation of Whites in tenuous employment
C) A greater increase of men in the workforce
D) The concentration of high-paying jobs in the manufacturing sector

Question 27

A substandard working environment where labor laws are violated is called a __________.

A) sunset industry
B) sunrise industry
C) sweatshop
D) outsourcing

Question 28

Marx felt that when people are separated from each other,from themselves,and from the products they create they are experiencing __________.

A) alienation
B) outsourcing
C) contingent employment
D) capital flight

Question 29

Josh works in the IT industry as a computer systems analyst.His job can be characterized as in which of the following?

A) Sunset industry
B) Sunrise industry
C) Service sector
D) Secondary sector

Question 30

The main goal of scientific management is to __________.

A) have employees feel more satisfied with their work assignments
B) provide better customer service
C) speed up production
D) decrease worker efficiency

Question 31

The unemployment rate for African Americans is __________ the rate for Whites.

A) at least twice as high as
B) about the same as
C) half
D) three-quarters

Question 32

In a bureaucratic hierarchy,each person in the chain's hierarchy relays orders to and takes responsibility for the actions of those __________ while following orders from those __________.

A) below; above
B) above; below
C) below; below
D) above; above

Question 33

Brian's mother and father both lost their jobs in 2010 and could not afford to make the payments on a house that was worth less than what they paid for it.When the house was foreclosed on,they had nowhere to live.They are part of the __________.

A) new homeless
B) destitute class
C) working class
D) alienated masses

Question 34

__________ is a common occupational danger that plagues workers today.

A) Seasonal Affective Disorder
B) Cancer
C) ADHD
D) Emphysema

Question 35

Some companies employ workers in low-wage countries to provide services to people in the United States instead of employing Americans to do the same work as they had in the past.This practice is known as __________.

A) contingent work
B) primary sector work
C) outsourcing
D) tax evasion

Question 36

The speculative nature of the housing market and home flipping led to __________,and was a major contributor to the most recent recession.

A) homeshoring
B) a housing bubble
C) sunset industries
D) sunrise industries

Question 37

Alienation and the resultant feeling of work being meaningless is a problem theorized by __________.

A) Emile Durkheim
B) Max Weber
C) Erving Goffman
D) Karl Marx

Question 38

The division of the economy into one sector with stable and secure working conditions and another sector with marginal working conditions and low wages is called __________.

A) sweatshops
B) the dual labor market
C) alienation
D) contingent employment

Question 39

Scientific management has an emphasis on __________.

A) employee governance
B) efficiency
C) high wages
D) good products

Question 40

__________ has led to the decline of unions.

A) The lack of transformation in the economy
B) High support from the government
C) Businesses trying to prevent the formation of unions
D) The historical ineffectiveness of unions to improve working conditions

Question 41

Compared to other __________ nations,Americans work more hours.

Question 42

Mark works in a large,bureaucratic organization with stable production and sales.It is likely that Mark works in the __________.

A) primary sector
B) secondary sector
C) dual sector
D) segmented sector

Question 43

Centralized planning is a component of __________.

Question 44

The economic shift from manufacturing to service has resulted in __________.

A) the loss of jobs that pay well
B) more opportunities for a middle-class lifestyle
C) an increased standard of living
D) a strengthening of unions

Question 45

Bill works in a dimly lit factory where he is exposed to toxic chemicals and gets paid very little for working low hours.Bill works in __________.

A) a sweatshop
B) the primary labor market
C) the IT industry
D) a managerial job

Question 46

Mary,an African American domestic worker,harbors resentment toward Hispanics because she fears they will take her job if she asks for higher wages or misses work for some reason.This racial tension is a consequence of the fact that racial minorities disproportionately make up __________.

A) the employed sector of society
B) the reserve army of the unemployed
C) recent immigrants
D) those in power

Question 47

Efforts to increase worker efficiency by breaking down work into very specialized tasks and working with an assembly line production mentality is central to the concept of __________.

A) sweatshops
B) the dual labor market
C) scientific management
D) capital flight

Question 48

Matt has not actively sought work for over a month since losing his job last year.He is no longer counted as unemployed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics,instead being classified as a __________.

A) displaced worker
B) discouraged worker
C) member of the reserve army of the unemployed
D) sunset worker

Question 49

Unemployed people who want to work but whose presence tends to depress the wages of other workers and keep them from making demands on their employers are known as __________.

A) discouraged workers
B) displaced workers
C) the reserve army of the unemployed
D) sunset workers

Question 50

__________ are substandard work environments where workers are paid less than minimum wage,are worked overtime without being paid premium rates,and are subjected to conditions that violate labor laws.

Question 51

The transformation of the economy has reduced the role of National Manufacturing,Inc.,in favor of technology and pharmaceutical companies in a process known as __________.

Question 52

John works on an assembly line in a big warehouse for a manager where he has little control over the work he does or the products he produces.John is at a high risk for __________.

A) alienation
B) Taylorism
C) gentrification
D) downward social mobility

Question 53

Sweatshops are substandard work environments where workers are subject to __________.

A) being paid minimum wage
B) working regular shift schedules
C) being paid premium rates for working overtime
D) working under conditions that violate labor laws

Question 54

The division of labor between the sexes __________.

A) motivates women to work harder and get better educations
B) preserves the differential power, privilege, and prestige of men
C) distributes work more evenly based on ability and not gender
D) contributes to racism

Question 55

Nowadays,union workers make __________ than their nonunion peers.

Question 56

__________ believed an "invisible hand" would control the marketplace.

Question 57

Historically,__________ have organized strikes,work slowdowns,and public relations campaigns to improve working conditions.

Question 58

Companies use lie detector tests and drug tests to increase their __________ over workers.

Question 59

Chris has been out of work for a while and has not actively sought work in over a month.He is a __________ worker.

Question 60

Between 2000 and 2010,the United States lost approximately 5.5 million __________ jobs.

Question 61

Describe contingent employment and discuss its impact on the lives of American workers.Would you like to work in this situation? Why or why not?
Ideal

Question 62

What did Adam Smith think about the role of government in the marketplace? Do his ideas still apply today?

Question 63

Although the authors identify many problems with work in contemporary society,dangerous working conditions are presented as a problem of the past.

Question 64

Describe the move from a manufacturing-based to a service-based economy and discuss its impact on American workers.What have we lost? What have we gained?
Ideal

Question 65

Discuss the problems associated with the reporting of employment and unemployment statistics by the government.

Question 66

Describe the condition referred to as capital flight and discuss the conditions that have caused it.How does capital flight precipitate globalization?
Ideal

Question 67

Alienation and the resultant feeling of work being meaningless is a problem experienced almost exclusively by manual workers.

Question 68

Describe Taylorization and discuss the effect it has on the plight of American workers.

Question 69

Juan does contract work for a publishing company.He is a contingent worker.

Question 70

What are the implications of globalization,including such agreements as NAFTA,CAFTA,and the like?

Question 71

OSHA has all the resources it needs to ensure workplace safety.

Question 72

Unemployment is evenly distributed among racial and ethnic groups.

Question 73

Discouraged workers,those who were once employed but no longer are looking for a job,are not counted as unemployed by the government.

Question 74

Describe the segmented labor market and discuss its influence on equity in the workplace.

Question 75

How and why have unions lost power? What may happen as a result?
Ideal

Question 76

What are the characteristics of capitalism and socialism? Discuss the fundamental differences between the two economic forms.
Ideal

Question 77

A common belief is that unemployment is functional for society because it reduces inflationary pressures.

Question 78

Along with wage stagnation in the United States,the output of American workers has declined.

Question 79

Placement in a particular segment of the labor market is closely tied to social class.

Question 80

Segmented labor markets result from the capitalist economy being divided into two separate sectors that have different characteristics,different roles,and different rewards for workers in each.