Deck 15: Domestic and Economic Policy

Question 1

Which of the following accurately describes Medicaid?

A) Joint state-federal program that provides medical care to the poor
B) Federal health insurance program that covers U.S. residents over the age of 65
C) Government program that takes over the economic function of providing basic health-care coverage to all citizens
D) In-kind subsidy for health care
E) Federal program established to provide assistance to elderly persons and persons with disabilities

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of an entitlement program?

A) Amtrak
B) Title IX of the Educational Act
C) Defense spending
D) Income tax
E) Social Security

Answer 2

E

Question 3

What occurs during the policy formulation stage of the policymaking process?

A) The government is made aware of the issue that requires action.
B) Various proposals for policy are discussed both within government and among the public.
C) A specific proposal for government action is put into place.
D) Bureaucrats, the courts, police, and individual citizens determine the success of a policy.
E) How a policy has worked in practice is examined.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following best describes domestic policy?

A) Policies that affect major economic variables
B) All policies that affect housing, including construction costs and insurance
C) All the laws, government planning, and government actions that affect individuals' lives in the United States
D) Matters relating to law enforcement within the borders of the United States
E) The activities of the government in its relations with other countries

Question 5

What is the name of the recent major health-care law mandating that individuals have health insurance?

A) Affordable Care Act
B) Medicare
C) Medicaid
D) Dream Act
E) Aged Pension Program

Question 6

In the final step of the policymaking process, the policy is reviewed for its effectiveness and efficiency; if changes are needed, the issue is placed back on the policy agenda, and the cycle starts again. What is this step called?

A) Policy enactment
B) Policy formulation
C) Policy evaluation
D) Problem identification
E) Policy implementation

Question 7

The assessment of policy effectiveness and making needed adjustments to improve after a given period of time is part of which step in the policymaking process?

A) Agenda building
B) Policy formulation
C) Policy evaluation
D) Policy adoption
E) Policy implementation

Question 8

The 2010 law that seeks to ensure health-care insurance for American citizens is formally known as which of the following?

A) Medicaid Reform Act
B) Medicare Reform Act
C) Affordable Care Act
D) Social Security Act
E) Single Payer Act

Question 9

The Affordable Health Care Act has not been fully implemented, meaning which stage of the policymaking process cannot yet be achieved?

A) Agenda building
B) Policy formulation
C) Policy evaluation
D) Policy adoption
E) Policy implementation

Question 10

What is the shared federal and state health insurance program for low-income persons called?

A) Pension Protection Fund
B) Medicare
C) Medicaid
D) Social Security
E) Aged Pension Program

Question 11

Which of the following is the federal health-care program that covers U.S. residents over the age of 65?

A) Affordable Care Act
B) Social Security
C) Medicaid
D) Medicare
E) S-CHIP

Question 12

Policy formulation involves which of the following?

A) The process of making the government aware that an issue requires action
B) The discussion of proposals between governmental officials and the public
C) The process of deciding on a specific proposal
D) Concern with the implementation of policy by bureaucrats, the courts, police, and individual citizens
E) The process of examining how a policy has worked in practice

Question 13

When individuals with a stake in an issue begin to propose and develop solutions to a problem, what are they engaging in?

A) Policy enactment
B) Policy formulation
C) Policy evaluation
D) Problem identification
E) Policy implementation

Question 14

Which federal health insurance program covers U.S. residents age 65 and older and is paid for by a tax on wages and salaries?

A) TANF
B) Medicare
C) Medicaid
D) Social Security
E) Affordable Care Act

Question 15

Unemployment insurance is an example of what type of program that guarantees benefits to the recipients?

A) Welfare
B) Need-based
C) Means-tested
D) Altruistic
E) Entitlement

Question 16

Receiving input from hospitals, doctors, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other parts of the medical industry that would be impacted by health-care reform policies would occur in which phase of the policymaking process?

A) Agenda building
B) Policy formulation
C) Policy evaluation
D) Policy adoption
E) Policy implementation

Question 17

In order to combat the high costs of a college education, direct federal loans to college students were considered. This is an example of which of the following?

A) Policy enactment
B) Policy formulation
C) Policy evaluation
D) Problem identification
E) Policy implementation

Question 18

When the federal government addresses issues such as poverty and health care, it is concerned with which of the following types of policy?

A) Social
B) Civil
C) Regulatory
D) Domestic
E) Economic

Question 19

Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are examples of what type of program?

A) Targeted
B) Welfare
C) Discretionary
D) Entitlement
E) Constituent

Question 20

After retiring at the age of 67, Louisa relies on what federal program to provide her with health insurance benefits?

A) Pension Protection Fund
B) Medicare
C) Medicaid
D) Social Security
E) Aged Pension Program

Question 21

Which of the following would not be counted in violent crime statistics?

A) Rape
B) Robbery
C) Simple assault
D) Identity theft
E) Domestic violence

Question 22

Which of the following is true of ethanol?

A) It is made from corn.
B) It is subsidized by the government.
C) It is criticized as inefficient to produce.
D) It is related to rising food costs.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 23

Which of the following is responsible for the Medicaid program?

A) Congress
B) The states
C) Federal Reserve Board
D) Nonprofit hospitals
E) The federal government and the states share responsibility.

Question 24

Which of the following did the Obama administration propose?

A) English as the national language, to discourage illegal immigration
B) Ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants
C) A new minimum wage that would apply only to illegal immigrants
D) Giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship
E) English as the national language, to discourage illegal immigration, and ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants

Question 25

Which of the following would be an example of an entitlement program?

A) Federal income tax
B) Federal student loans
C) Medicare
D) Medicaid
E) An IRA

Question 26

Currently, most immigrants to the United States come from which area?

A) Africa and Asia
B) Europe and the Middle East
C) Latin America and Europe
D) Africa and Latin America
E) Latin America and Asia

Question 27

Individuals who meet certain requirements, such as age or income level, qualify to receive benefits under a particular federal program. What are these programs called?

A) Entitlements
B) Discretionary spending
C) Wealth redistribution
D) Pensions
E) Subsidies

Question 28

Which of the following statements best describes the dynamic between public opinion on immigration and its importance as an issue in American politics?

A) Most Americans feel it is a priority issue; thus, politicians make it a priority issue.
B) Most Americans don't really care about immigration one way or another, allowing politicians the ability to pursue their own preferences regarding immigration policy.
C) Most Americans don't consider it a serious issue, so politicians pretty much ignore it.
D) Most Americans feel it is a serious, but not a priority issue, yet a minority who believe it is a priority have pushed immigration to the forefront of American politics.
E) Americans go back and forth about immigration, so politicians can pursue their own preferences regarding immigration.

Question 29

Which of the following statements regarding incarceration is true?

A) Incarceration does not prevent average predatory street criminals from committing additional crimes once they are out of prison.
B) The majority of prisoners are incarcerated for their full sentence.
C) Incarceration rates for African Americans are much lower than for any other ethnic group.
D) The majority of people arrested and sent to jail have committed the crime of theft.
E) Overcrowding is not an issue in prisons.

Question 30

Which is true of sources of energy in the United States?

A) Wind and solar power make up about half of the country's energy.
B) Nuclear power plants are becoming more popular due to their low costs.
C) Coal is on the decline due to low natural gas prices.
D) The country is becoming more dependent on foreign sources of oil.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 31

Because of the effects of producing energy and burning fuels, energy policy is deeply connected with which other type of policy?

A) Agricultural
B) Economic
C) Environmental
D) Health care
E) Welfare

Question 32

The number of persons held in jail or prison for every 100,000 persons in a particular population group is known as which of the following?

A) Prison rate
B) Imprisonment numbers
C) Capacity figures
D) Incarceration rate
E) Recidivism rate

Question 33

Which of the following would be consistent with the Ferguson effect?

A) A decline in homicide rates
B) An increase in homicide rates
C) A decrease in the prison population
D) An increase in the prison population
E) Stronger ties between the community and local law enforcement

Question 34

Which population group has the highest incarceration rates?

A) Non-Hispanic white men, ages 30-34
B) Non-Hispanic African American men, ages 30-34
C) Non-Hispanic Asian American men, ages 30-34
D) Hispanic men, ages 25-29
E) Non-Hispanic African American women, ages 30-35

Question 35

Benefits to which every eligible person has a legal right and the government cannot deny are provided by which of the following programs?

A) Retroactive policies
B) Discretionary spending
C) Controllable spending
D) Entitlements
E) Earmarks

Question 36

Which of the following best describes how the Social Security system is funded?

A) Fees paid to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
B) A pay-as-you-go system where those currently working support those who are retired
C) Funded solely by employees' contributions through wages
D) Funded by a progressive tax on income
E) Essentially, a private pension fund in which employees decide how much to contribute

Question 37

Which of the following is true of fiscal policy?

A) It is popular with conservatives.
B) It is an approach to stabilize the economy through control of the money supply.
C) It is controlled by the Federal Reserve Bank.
D) It is an approach to stabilizing the economy through government spending and taxing.
E) It requires that, during economic slowdowns, the government tighten its belt on spending.

Question 38

Among which group is there is a great deal of skepticism about the existence of man-made climate change?

A) Democrats
B) Republicans
C) Scientists
D) The international community
E) Environmentalists

Question 39

Which of the following statements is true about past crime rates in the United States?

A) The United States experienced a great crime wave during the 1920s and early 1930s due to prohibition.
B) Crime rates grew steadily in the twentieth century.
C) According to historians, industrialization and urbanization contributed to the rise of crime.
D) The western part of the United States had less crime in the nineteenth century due to the fact that all citizens carried guns.
E) During the Civil War, there was little crime as everyone focused on the war effort.

Question 40

To curtail the activities of undocumented workers, which state passed a controversial immigration law requiring state and local police to check citizenship papers of those stopped for other offenses?

A) Arizona
B) Michigan
C) California
D) Florida
E) Texas

Question 41

Which of the following reflects the concept of progressive taxation?

A) All taxpayers pay taxes at the same percentage rate.
B) People with higher incomes pay taxes at a higher percentage rate.
C) People with higher incomes pay taxes at a lower percentage rate.
D) The tax burden consists mostly of property and sales taxes.
E) Tax rates increase by a set percentage every year.

Question 42

Which of the following statements is true?

A) A recession is defined as two or more successive quarters in which the economy shrinks instead of grows.
B) A recession is defined as two or more quarters in which unemployment rates are above 7%.
C) Inflation is defined as a sudden rise in prices for hot commodities such as gasoline and electronics.
D) Unemployment is defined as the total number of workers who are not in the workforce in any given quarter.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 43

Social Security and Medicare are funded by taxes on which of the following?

A) Luxury items
B) Employer's gross receipts
C) An individual's salary
D) Value of an individual's personal property
E) Capital gains

Question 44

Which of the following are government expenditures that exceed receipts?

A) Upturns
B) Inflation
C) Surpluses
D) Deficits
E) Rebates

Question 45

What is the highest rate of taxation that one pays on the last dollar he or she makes called?

A) Progressive tax rate
B) Regressive tax rate
C) Marginal tax rate
D) Tax liability rate
E) Temporary tax rate

Question 46

Monetary policies are largely determined by which of the following groups?

A) Presidents
B) Federal Reserve Board
C) Congress
D) Congressional Budget Office
E) Treasury Department

Question 47

Which of the following statements best describes how the income tax is levied in the United States?

A) All your income is taxed at the same rate, although that rate varies depending on what your income is.
B) Everyone's income is taxed at the same rate.
C) Your income is taxed at different rates; those with higher income pay a higher rate.
D) Your income is taxed at different rates; those with higher income pay a lower rate.
E) Everyone's income is taxed at the same rate, but there is a cap on how much of one's income is taxed.

Question 48

Discuss the problems facing the American health-care system prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the ways in which the ACA does or does not address those problems effectively.

Question 49

Which of the following best describes the Federal Reserve?

A) A partner with the U.S. Congress in determining economic volatility
B) A source of economic decision-making power in the U.S. government largely independent of the three branches of government
C) A division of the Office of Management and Budget
D) A resource for college loans and home loans
E) A diplomatic arm of the U.S. government that focuses on the foreign exchange market

Question 50

On which of the following are Social Security taxes levied?

A) Wages
B) Capital gains
C) Rent
D) Dividends
E) Interest

Question 51

Identify and explain the stages of the policymaking process.

Question 52

The Federal Reserve System was created to do which of the following?

A) Designate certain governmental powers as reserved for the federal government
B) Provide a secondary military force in times of war
C) Pay off the national debt
D) Stabilize nationwide economic activity by controlling the amount of money in circulation
E) All of these are correct.

Question 53

Tax loopholes allow individuals and corporations to do which of the following?

A) Reduce their taxable income legally
B) Register formal complaints to the Internal Revenue Service
C) Pay taxes only on investment income
D) Choose the state to which they will pay taxes
E) Commit crimes without fear of incarceration

Question 54

Which of the following would involve using fiscal policy to affect changes in economic activity?

A) Altering the amount of money in circulation
B) Taxing and government spending
C) Altering interest rates
D) Court-mandated wage and price controls
E) All of these are correct.

Question 55

Which of the following is the most progressive tax levied in the United States?

A) Income
B) Social Security
C) Sales
D) Medicare
E) Estate

Question 56

Controlling U.S. monetary policy is the responsibility of which of the following?

A) Presidency
B) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
C) Federal Reserve Board
D) International Monetary Fund
E) Treasury Department

Question 57

If government cuts taxes to encourage people to spend more money in order to stimulate economic growth, what policy is it engaging in?

A) Fiscal policy
B) Business cycling
C) Monetary policy
D) Keynesian policy
E) Subsidies

Question 58

Monetary policy includes which of the following?

A) Using changes in the amount of money in circulation to alter national economic variables
B) Using changes in the size of the federal budget deficit to alter national economic variables
C) Regulating tax rates to ensure controlled growth and low inflation
D) All economic policies of the president and Congress
E) Linking the consumer price index and the gross national product

Question 59

When the U.S. government adjusts the amount of money in circulation in order to alter credit markets and employment, which of the following is the government relying on to influence the economy?

A) Domestic policy
B) Fiscal policy
C) Monetary policy
D) Regressive tax policy
E) Progressive tax policy

Question 60

Which of these situations is the result of a recession?

A) Long-term job prosperity
B) Growth of household income
C) Fewer jobs lost
D) Increased unemployment
E) Increase in money held in savings

Question 61

Explain how immigration would affect Social Security's long-term solvency under the currently projected trends of a low birthrate and aging population.

Question 62

Explain what an entitlement program is. Describe two federal entitlement programs, their purpose, and their eligibility requirements.

Question 63

Discuss the Clean Air Act and its role in affecting climate change.

Question 64

Discuss the connection between environmental policy and energy policy.

Question 65

Discuss recent trends in crime rates and the explanations given for these changes.

Question 66

Discuss how the distinction between state and federal law relates to the Supreme Court's decision in the 2012 case involving Arizona's immigration law.

Question 67

Analyze the government's attempts to protect the environment since the 1960s. What policies have been successful?

Question 68

Describe the chief components of the Affordable Care Act and some of the controversies surrounding it.

Question 69

Discuss the provisions of the immigration laws passed by Arizona in 2010. Explain which political party's position on immigration they most reflect.

Question 70

Explain what the incarceration rate and the imprisonment rate each measure, which one will yield a higher number, and why.

Question 71

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of a nation having a substantial immigrant population.

Question 72

Discuss incarceration rates in the United States and how they relate to the rates of crime in American society.

Question 73

Explain the idea of climate change and the ways in which this phenomenon has become politicized in the United States.

Question 74

Outline and describe each step in the policymaking process using an actual policy as an example.

Question 75

Discuss the rising costs of health care and governmental efforts to address them.

Question 76

Review the issues raised by immigration into the United States and the proposed reforms to the immigration system.

Question 77

Discuss efforts taken by Congress and President Trump to deal with the issue of illegal immigration. Compare this to the efforts taken under the Obama administration.

Question 78

Explain the principles underlying the American health-care system and the issues facing the system.

Question 79

Discuss examples of U.S. policy that have sought to move the United States in the direction of energy independence in recent years.

Question 80

Discuss crime rates from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Analyze how steady and consistent the rate of crime has been in that period.