Deck 14: Families,family Policy,and the State

Question 1

In the past 30 years,the number of single-mother family households has increased.The proportion of these families on welfare has

A)increased.
B)decreased.
C)stayed about the same.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The United States remains unusual among developed industrialized nations because it

A)does not have an official family policy.
B)has an official family policy giving priority to families over individuals.
C)has an official family policy giving priority to individuals over families.
D)has an official family policy giving priority to nuclear families over extended families.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The numbers of single-mother-headed households has significantly increased in the past 30 years.Which of the following is true?

A)Welfare mothers form single-mother households in order to obtain welfare.
B)The proportion of single-mother-headed households who are on welfare has increased.
C)The proportion of single-mother-headed households who are on welfare has decreased.
D)The proportion of single-mother-headed households who are on welfare has stayed about the same.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Unemployment is an example of _______ social welfare programs.

A)means-tested
B)entitlement
C)contractual
D)redistributive

Question 5

The United State Census Bureau reports that in 2000, _______ of households received public assistance or noncash benefits from the government and another ________ had received Social Security benefits.

A)3% … 11%
B)11% … 3 %
C)17% … 26%
D)26% … 17%

Question 6

When comparing families on welfare with the general national population,which of the following is most accurate?

A)Families on welfare have more children than the national average.
B)Families on welfare have fewer children than the national average.
C)The average number of children is the same for families on welfare and for families in the general national population.

Question 7

The United States Census Bureau reports that ________ of households in the United States have used the welfare system at some time.

A)3%
B)11%
C)one-quarter
D)one-half

Question 8

What is meant by a "means-tested" social service program?

A)Recipients must prove that they need the service and that they cannot provide it for themselves
B)Recipients are qualified to use the program based on criteria other than whether or not they need the service and whether or not they can provide it themselves.
C)Recipients must be below the "mean" on average income to be eligible for the program.
D)Recipients are eligible on a first-come,first serve basis until the money runs out for the fiscal year.

Question 9

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)is an example of _______ social welfare programs.

A)entitlement
B)means-tested
C)redistributive
D)specific

Question 10

Food stamps is an example of _______ social welfare programs.

A)in-kind
B)entitlement
C)redistributive
D)specified

Question 11

The United States is

A)a distributive welfare state.
B)a programmatic welfare state.
C)a socialist welfare state.
D)not a welfare state.

Question 12

A redistributive welfare state is one in which

A)a capitalist state devotes a portion of its gross national product,through taxation,to the solution of certain social problems without changing the basic nature of the economy.
B)the primary aim is to restructure the economy by redistributing wealth and resources.
C)the social welfare programs are based on entitlement for all.
D)the social welfare programs are based on demonstrated need.

Question 13

The purpose of the programmatic welfare state is to

A)address certain social problems without changing the basic nature of the economy.
B)restructure the economy by redistributing wealth and resources.
C)implement economic and family programs designed to instill good work ethics and proper values.
D)implement economic and family policies designed to generate political support for a variety of social issues.

Question 14

Aulette asserts that the two kinds of welfare programs in the United States were designed respectively for people considered __________ and __________.

A)disabled ...able-bodied
B)unable to work ...unwilling to work
C)deserving ...less deserving
D)citizens ...immigrants

Question 15

Compared to other industrialized Western countries,the United States

A)spends a larger proportion of the Gross National Product on welfare than most others.
B)spends a smaller proportion of the Gross National Product on welfare than most others.
C)is about average in the proportion of the Gross National Product spends on welfare
D)is a non-programmatic welfare state while most other states are redistributive welfare states.

Question 16

According to the Aulette text,the largest welfare system in the United States is

A)the Federal Department of Social Services
B)the 50 state departments of social services.
C)the combined efforts of churches.
D)the private support given to people by their individual families.

Question 17

When the United States' welfare programs were created in the 1930's,two kinds of cash assistance were created: __________ and __________.

A)state program grants ...federal program grants
B)welfare ...workfare
C)social insurance ...public assistance
D)redistributive aid ...programmatic aid

Question 18

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

A)is provided by the federal government and provides the same stipends and programs to needy families regardless of the state in which they live.
B)is provided by the state governments so the stipends and programs vary from state to state.
C)is primarily funded by the federal government in block grants to the states,which determine stipends and eligibility and which vary from state to state.
D)is federally mandated to produce the same stipends and programs but is funded fifty-fifty by the federal and state governments.

Question 19

What kind of welfare state is defined as "one in which a capitalistic state devotes a portion of its gross national product,through taxation,to the solution of certain social problems without changing the basic nature of the economy"?

A)Programmatic welfare state
B)Redistributive welfare state
C)Balanced welfare state
D)Need-based welfare state

Question 20

Consider the cases of two single mothers each with dependent children and in poverty.One is a single mother because her husband died.The second is a single mother because she is divorced.How does the United States welfare system handle these two cases?

A)Both women receive entitlement social security benefits.
B)Both women receive means-tested Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
C)The widowed mother receives entitlement social security benefits.The divorced mother receives means-tested Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
D)The divorced mother receives entitlement social security benefits.The widowed mother receives means-tested Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.

Question 21

Which race ethnicity group constitutes the largest proportion of recipients of Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)?

A)Black
B)Hispanic
C)White
D)Native American

Question 22

The Earned Income Tax Credit

A)exempts a certain proportion of income from federal and state taxes for all citizens earning wages.
B)provides assistance to the working poor on a sliding scale according to income and household size.
C)generates part of the federal funding for job training and job support programs for the poor.
D)favors the family ethic over the work ethic by increasing the benefit for two-parent families with only one wage earner.

Question 23

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 changed the welfare system in three ways,including all of the following EXCEPT:

A)It requires states to provide child care for children of recipients who participate in job support programs.
B)It requires states to assign all adult individuals in a welfare household to job-training and job-finding activities with some exemptions.
C)It continues Medicaid coverage when people leave welfare to go to work for one year after they leave welfare.
D)It allows families to own larger amounts of assets and still be eligible for assistance including money for education or buying a home.

Question 24

Welfare,food stamps,and social services make up about what proportion of the federal budget?

A)4%
B)14%
C)24%
D)34%

Question 25

On average,mothers receiving welfare work __________ all mothers in the paid labor force.

A)significantly more hours than
B)significantly fewer hours than
C)about the same number of hours as

Question 26

Two important values in the United States are the work ethic and the family ethic.Abramowitz (cited by Aulette)asserts that the abolishment of the Aid for Dependent Children programs and the implementation of Temporary Aid to Needy Family and Earned Income Tax Credit programs signaled

A)strengthening both the work ethic and the family ethic.
B)virtually abandoning the work ethic in favor of strengthening the family ethic.
C)virtually abandoning the family ethic in favor of strengthening the work ethic.
D)hurting both the work ethic and the family ethic.

Question 27

Researchers compared the levels of hunger and malnutrition in poverty-stricken areas of the United States before and after the implementation of nutrition and food stamp programs.They concluded that the programs

A)actually made the situation worse because it encouraged people to become dependent on government handouts which were discontinued when the funding ran out halfway through the fiscal year.
B)had not made much difference in hunger and malnutrition because of bureaucratic misapplication -- too much aid was given to people who did not really need it and too little was given to people who really did need it.
C)helped many and reduced hunger and malnutrition by about half but needed to be expanded to help more.
D)virtually eliminated hunger and made it difficult to find much evidence of the malnutrition identified in the earlier study.

Question 28

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act replaced AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children)with TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families).This change also

A)increased the funding and the number of people eligible for the Food Stamp Program.
B)decreased the funding and reduced the number of people eligible for the Food Stamp Program.
C)mandated that legal immigrants but not illegal immigrants could receive food stamps.
D)expanded the time able-bodied but unemployed adults are eligible for food stamps.

Question 29

Family Impact Analysis refers to

A)the impact new housing developments and families have on a school district.
B)research on how families organize their lives and the affect on the economy.
C)assessments of how a policy might impact families.
D)research on how economic developments impact families.

Question 30

Workfare

A)jobs are required to provide health benefits.
B)jobs are required to pay at least 10% above minimum wage.
C)recipients become low-wage,nonunion competitors for jobs which eliminate jobs and union strength among regular workers.
D)recipients have a 50% success rate for moving into regular jobs and getting out of poverty and welfare.

Question 31

Women who received welfare as children are __________ likely to seek welfare as adults when compared to women who did not receive welfare as children.

A)more
B)less
C)as

Question 32

When comparing men and women who were on welfare as children

A)men and women are equally likely to escape poverty.
B)men are more likely to escape poverty.
C)women are more likely to escape poverty.
D)the majority of men and women who were on welfare as children are also on welfare as adults.

Question 33

President Bill Clinton signed the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act,which replaced the old AFDC program with TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families).TANF

A)guarantees welfare to all eligible people regardless of the state in which they live.
B)limits welfare support to only two years at a time and for five years in the lifetime of any adult in the household.
C)expanded the food stamp program since it was one of the more successful elements of the earlier welfare program.
D)distinguished between legal and illegal immigrants for the first time allowing assistance and food stamps for legal immigrants but not for illegal immigrants.

Question 34

Which of the following reflects the research on poverty and work?

A)Welfare recipients generally refuse to work.
B)Welfare recipients want to work but are unable to find jobs for which they are qualified.
C)Two-thirds of poor families do not have an adult with a job.
D)Two-thirds of poor families have at least one worker.

Question 35

Aulette discusses three features related to the emergence of the state,including all of the following EXCEPT:

A)economic productivity including a production of a surplus.
B)political divisions including differing ideologies.
C)permanent settlements.
D)inequality.

Question 36

All of the following policies are part of the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)EXCEPT:

A)States are obligated to provide services to all eligible families.
B)Households are eligible for support for only two years at a time and for five years in the lifetime of any adult in the household.
C)States are required to assign all able adults in a welfare household to job-training and job-finding activities unless they are already working at least thirty hours a week.
D)Medicaid coverage continues for persons who leave welfare to go to work for one year after they leave welfare.

Question 37

Aulette asserts that the lack of a formal family policy in the United States is a result of three factors.These include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)a democratic form of government.
B)an individualistic ideology.
C)an economy based on free enterprise.
D)a heterogeneous population.

Question 38

The strength of the Earned Income Tax Credit is that it

A)provides tax credit for expenses associated with work such as child care.
B)changes tax deductions to tax credits advantageous to people with lower incomes.
C)provides assistance to the working poor.
D)provides assistance to the unemployed.

Question 39

Moen and Schorr (cited by Aulette)identified four orientations they believe must be adopted by policy makers in order to improve family policy.These include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)Policy makers must acknowledge families as active agents,not just reactors,and therefore participants in finding and implementing solutions.
B)Policy makers must be informed about the diverse and changing nature of families and the variety of challenges they face.
C)Policy makers should emphasize families as their unit of analysis rather than focusing on individuals.
D)Policy makers should require all states to provide adequate funding and implement basic mandated programs so that citizens in less progressive states are not disadvantaged compared to those in more progressive states.

Question 40

Aulette interviewed people targeted for the Stepping Stone program,which is designed to help people leave public housing and make a down payment on a house.She found that people were hesitant to participate in the program.Why?

A)They liked the nice apartments in the public housing projects.
B)They did not want to move away and leave their neighbors who were often friends and sometimes family.
C)Because public housing operated like insurance against economic difficulties.
D)They objected to the government intrusion into their private financial lives.

Question 41

Feminist theorists contend that the state seeks to control and shape gender and sexuality in order to maintain

A)a religious ideology.
B)the capitalist system.
C)strong families.
D)a stable society.

Question 42

Edin's research on Chicago-area mothers receiving welfare indicated that __________ supplemented their welfare grants with at least one source of unreported income,even though it is illegal because it is the only way they can seem to survive.

A)virtually all
B)about two-thirds
C)about one-third
D)very few - about 5%

Question 43

Both instrumentalist and structuralist Marxists assert that,within a capitalist society,the state has two main tasks:

A)To facilitate the accumulation of capital and maintain the system by legitimating it in the eyes of the populace.
B)To produce goods and services with minimum impact on the environment and to distribute goods and services equitably.
C)To produce goods for the greatest benefit for the most people and protect workers from external exploitation.
D)To facilitate the functioning of the economic social institution and protect individuals from oppressive inequality.

Question 44

Feminist Theories of the State may be divided into three categories:

A)conservative,liberal,and radical.
B)capitalist,socialist,and communist.
C)micro-level,macro-level,and reciprocal.
D)class-focused,gender-focused,and combination.

Question 45

According to the _________ theory of the state,the state is a neutral arbitrator among the numerous interest groups in a pluralistic democracy like the United States.

A)Liberal Democrat
B)Conservative Republican
C)Classical Marxist
D)Modern Socialist

Question 46

Among the following Theories of the State,which maintains that the United States welfare system is organized as it is in order to facilitate accumulation and legitimation of capital?

A)Monarchist
B)Republican
C)Democrat
D)Marxist

Question 47

Among the following Theories of the State,which maintains that the state is not a neutral arbiter,but works to serve the interest of the ruling class?

A)Democrat
B)Republican
C)Marxist
D)Monarchy

Question 48

If a Marxist points out that the majority of members of Congress come from wealthy families and that some individuals float back and forth between leadership positions in business and in government,which framework is he or she using?

A)Instrumentalist
B)Structuralist
C)Socialist
D)Elitist

Question 49

In contrast to the liberal democrats who emphasize ________,Marxists emphasize _______ as a source of motivation and power for the contending forces vying for power in the state.

A)a two-party system ...a one-party system
B)symbolic monarchies ...de facto monarchies
C)ideology ...class position
D)religion ...work