Deck 4: The Economic and Political Contexts

Question 1

The United States' economy can be characterized a ______________ economy:

A) marketplace
B) competitive
C) bartering
D) socialist

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A policy that treats all people with a particular need equally can be said to display ____________ equity.

A) vertical
B) horizontal
C) proportionate
D) residual

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Programs created by residual policies are:

A) universal
B) institutional
C) selective
D) ineffective

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following has NOT been given as an explanation for the development and maintenance of the welfare state?

A) industrialization usurps the traditional authority of the family and community to provide for their members
B) welfare encourages capitalism by suppressing dissent
C) people are naturally altruistic and want to help others
D) social workers' political power protects welfare programs from cuts

Question 5

Which political group believes that government growth threatens individual freedoms?

A) neo-liberals
B) libertarians
C) conservatives
D) democratic socialists

Question 6

Populism is:

A) any economic policy popular with a majority of Americans
B) any economic policy passed unanimously by Congress
C) the idea that society is separated into the "pure people" and "corrupt elite", whose interests are at odds
D) a historical ideology that has largely disappeared from the political landscape

Question 7

Which policy is an example of economic nationalism?

A) President Trump's use of tariffs to bolster the U.S. steel industry
B) Rejection of international trade agreements deemed unfavorable to U.S. workers
C) Proposals to limit immigration to only workers with advanced skills demanded by U.S. companies
D) All of the above

Question 8

An entitlement program is:

A) any program that provides cash assistance
B) a program for which all who meet the eligibility requirements legally qualify
C) limited based on available funds, just like any other program
D) a program for which U.S. citizens are automatically eligible from birth to death

Question 9

Over the past several decades, the trend in mandatory spending is best characterized as:

A) dramatic growth, particularly during economic downturns
B) sharp fluctuations during wars and natural disasters
C) flat, as policymakers have sought to reduce the federal deficit
D) almost steady decrease, since so many anti-poverty programs have been cut

Question 10

The largest component of social welfare spending in the U.S. goes to:

A) cash payments to people in poverty
B) foreign aid
C) defense spending
D) social insurance programs

Question 11

A 'tax expenditure' is:

A) a payment made to the state or federal government to meet your tax liability every year
B) a purchase of equipment to help you file your taxes
C) tax deductions the government extends to targeted groups to meet a specific social policy goal
D) tax loopholes that keep companies from paying their fair share of taxes

Question 12

Compared to other developed nations, the U.S.:

A) has a much higher tax rate
B) spends far more on social welfare
C) spends less on social welfare, but still compares favorably on indicators such as infant mortality and childhood poverty
D) taxes and spends far less, even though many Western nations have cut their own social program expenditures in recent years

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a significant influence of globalization on social work today?

A) There is increasing pressure on the U.S. to reduce social spending and hold down wages, in the pursuit of competitiveness.
B) Increases in immigration are related to economic and social integration, and displacement
C) U.S. economic conditions are increasingly tied to those of other countries, increasing volatility
D) Social workers have greater global power, as word of our expertise travels around the world

Question 14

Briefly describe how the current economic context is shaping social welfare policy.

Question 15

Provide at least two limitations of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as a measure of economic outcomes and progress.

Question 16

In your understanding, what explains the lack of controversy/attention associated with large tax expenditures, compared to that which surrounds policies such as TANF and even OASDI?

Question 17

Explain at least two reasons why the racial wealth gap is larger than the income gap.

Question 18

Explain how the U.S. health care system is an example of a market failure.

Question 19

Is a policy which provides larger housing subsidies to those with lower incomes an example of vertical or horizontal equity?

Question 20

Explain the rationale behind the TANF program from a "maintenance of capitalism" hypothesis v. a "social conscience" hypothesis.

Question 21

You are a social work advocate for low-income families with children. There is a proposal in your city to provide increased funding for housing assistance for your target population, to be funded through an increase in the sales tax on food. Should you support or oppose this proposal? Why?

Question 22

Explain the wisdom of (1) the Obama Administration's economic stimulus package according to Keynesian economics and (2) the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Then, critique these two policies based on supply-side economics.

Question 23

How would our understanding of the role of the federal government in social policy change if we considered tax expenditures alongside direct expenditures?

Question 24

What are two benefits and two limitations of social enterprises? Provide an example of a social enterprise you see as a promising intervention.