Question 1

A(n) ______ program is financed by payroll taxes paid by individuals and without income-based requirements to receive benefits.

Accepted Answer

Social insurance programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, are financed through payroll taxes paid by individuals and do not have income-based requirements to receive benefits. Education programs may be publicly funded, but usually have eligibility requirements such as age, residency, and income. Welfare programs, such as food stamps and housing assistance, typically have income-based eligibility requirements. Health insurance programs may or may not be income-based, depending on the specific program.

Question 2

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with ______.

Accepted Answer

The PRWORA replaced AFDC with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as the main federal assistance program for needy families with children. SNAP, EITC, and FHAA are all separate programs that were not directly affected by the PRWORA.

Question 3

Programs in which one receives a set of benefits regardless of income, provided one meets categorical requirements, are known as ______ programs.

Accepted Answer

Entitlement programs are those in which the benefits are guaranteed to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria, regardless of their income or assets. Examples of entitlement programs include Social Security, Medicare, and some forms of government subsidies for agriculture. Means-based programs, on the other hand, are those in which the eligibility for benefits is based on the individual's income or assets. Welfare is a means-based program that provides assistance to low-income individuals and families. Federal grants are financial awards given by the federal government to organizations, businesses, or state and local governments for specific purposes.

Question 4

In 2015, the federally defined poverty threshold for a family of four was an annual family income of ______.

Accepted Answer

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the poverty threshold for a family of four in 2015 was $24,250.

Question 5

Which of the following best exemplifies an unfunded mandate?

Accepted Answer

Unfunded mandates are requirements imposed by the federal government on state and local governments without providing funding to implement those requirements. In this case, the requirement for states to create and enforce seat belt laws is an example of an unfunded mandate because the federal government has not provided funding to help states implement this law. Choices A, B, and D all involve federal funding for specific purposes, so they are not examples of unfunded mandates.

Question 6

Domestic policies designed to improve or protect health, safety, education, and opportunities for citizens and residents are called ______ policies.

Accepted Answer

The term "social welfare" refers to policies that aim to improve the well-being of individuals and families in areas such as education, health care, housing, and income support. These policies are often designed to help those who are vulnerable or in need, and to promote greater equity and opportunity in society.

Question 7

Getting an item on the agenda or keeping an idea off of it is an exercise in ______.

Accepted Answer

Getting an item on the agenda or keeping an idea off of it is an exercise in political power. It involves persuasion, negotiation, and sometimes manipulation to ensure that certain issues are discussed and others are not. It is a process that is often influenced by the personalities and agendas of the individuals involved, as well as the institutional rules and norms that govern decision-making.

Question 8

Payments into Social Security are ______.

Accepted Answer

Social Security payments made by current workers are not held in individual accounts or invested in private securities. Instead, they are used to pay current recipients of benefits. The program works on a pay-as-you-go basis, where current workers are supporting current retirees. The funds are not kept in a general spending account and used for other programs.

Question 9

The necessarily limited set of issues on which policy makers focus their attention is best defined as the ______.

Accepted Answer

The policy agenda refers to the set of issues that policy makers focus their attention on, which is necessarily limited due to resource constraints, political realities, and other factors. The policy-making process refers to the steps and stages involved in creating and implementing policies, the policy-making cycle refers to the ongoing and iterative nature of policy development and implementation, and the policy feedback loop refers to the ways in which policy outcomes and impacts may influence subsequent policy decisions.

Question 10

The debate over who should be singled out for governmental support is described as ______.

Accepted Answer

The term "deservingness" refers to the idea that certain individuals or groups are more deserving of governmental support than others. This can be based on a variety of factors such as income level, disability, age, or other forms of need.

Question 11

Unlike Social Security and Medicare, which are funded through payroll taxes, programs such as Medicaid and others like it that require that individuals demonstrate specific need are known as ______ programs.

Accepted Answer

Programs such as Medicaid and others like it that require that individuals demonstrate specific need are known as needs-based assistance.

Question 12

The decision and authority to formally terminate a policy usually lies in ______.

Accepted Answer

The decision and authority to formally terminate a policy usually lies in Congress or a state legislature as they are the ones who have the power to pass laws and change policies at a higher level. Federal department level leaders, civil service supervisors, or the Government Accountability Office may recommend changes, but the ultimate decision and authority lies with the legislative bodies.

Question 13

A(n) ______ program allows anyone who meets the categorical requirements like age or a minimum number of years of payroll contributions, regardless of income, to receive benefits.

Accepted Answer

An entitlement program guarantees benefits to individuals who meet the specific eligibility requirements, regardless of their income level. These requirements usually include factors like age or payroll contributions. This stands in contrast to need-based assistance or welfare programs, which provide benefits based on a person's income level and financial need. Antipoverty programs may encompass both entitlement and need-based components.

Question 14

Once policies have been formed and adopted, they have to be ______, or enacted in the real world.

Accepted Answer

Implementation refers to the process of putting policies into action in the real world. The other options (interpretation, adjudication, analysis) are related to different stages in the policy-making process, but do not specifically relate to putting policies into action.

Question 15

In 1965, the ______ was created to administer programs provided by the FHA as well as to combat homelessness.

Accepted Answer

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was created in 1965 to administer programs provided by the FHA as well as to combat homelessness. The Fair Housing Act was not created until 1968, and the Department of Human Services is not specifically related to the administration of housing programs. The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) existed prior to the creation of HUD.

Question 16

Individuals operating in government, academic institutions, think tanks, interest groups, and other venues who try to shape the political agenda and get solutions implemented on the ground are called policy ______.

Accepted Answer

Individuals who try to shape the political agenda and get solutions implemented on the ground are called policy entrepreneurs. They actively seek out or create opportunities to promote their policy proposals and work to build support for them. They may operate in a variety of venues, including government, academic institutions, think tanks, interest groups, and other organizations. While proponents and supporters may also work to promote particular policies, the term "policy entrepreneur" specifically refers to individuals who are actively working to create change and get policies implemented. Analysts, on the other hand, tend to focus on studying and analyzing policy options rather than actively promoting specific solutions.

Question 17

The fact that life expectancies have increased over the decades means that Social Security ______.

Accepted Answer

As life expectancies increase, the number of people receiving Social Security benefits also increases. This puts a strain on the system and could potentially lead to it becoming insolvent if not properly addressed.

Question 18

Policies have to be worked out and passed by either state legislatures or the federal Congress and signed into law by governors and presidents. In this way, policies are ______.

Accepted Answer

Policies are not just put on the agenda or defined, but need to be formed, adopted, and signed into law in order to become official. Funding may be a component of implementing a policy, but it is not the main process of creating one.

Question 19

At its core, social welfare policy involves which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Social welfare policy involves the redistribution of resources to help provide for the basic needs and well-being of all citizens, particularly those who are vulnerable or in need. This can include things like social security, unemployment insurance, Medicaid, and food stamps. Planning for population growth or supplying necessary resources to states may be a component of some social welfare policies, but they are not the essential core of social welfare policy. Providing free services to citizens is not always part of social welfare policy, as some services may require a fee or co-pay.

Question 20

The intentional use of governmental power to achieve or support specific goals and objectives is defined as ______.

Accepted Answer

The intentional use of governmental power to achieve or support specific goals and objectives is defined as public policy. Policy agenda refers to the issues that the government is currently focusing on, while policy gridlock refers to a situation where there is a lack of progress or action on policy due to disagreements and conflicts. Public law refers to the body of law that governs relationships between individuals and the government.

Quiz 13: Public Policy: Promoting the General Welfare and Advancing Americans Interests