Question 1

What are school vouchers?

Accepted Answer

School vouchers are direct government aid to families to assist with private school education costs. The government provides families with a voucher or certificate that can be used to pay for tuition and fees at qualifying private schools. This allows families to have more choice in their child's education, as they are not limited to their neighborhood public school.

Question 2

The New Deal and the Great Society are two grand sets of social policies that occurred in American history. Explain in more detail what these plans were and the motivations behind them. Have they been beneficial or harmful to America? Why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The New Deal and the Great Society...

Question 3

All of the following federal policies support education EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Aid to Families with Dependent Children is a federal policy that provides financial assistance to families with low income and dependent children. This policy is not directly related to education and does not provide support for education.

Question 4

Which president proposed the Race to the Top program to provide competitive grants to schools, encouraging them to adopt better methods of teaching and assessment?

Accepted Answer

Barack Obama proposed the Race to the Top program in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This program offered competitive grants to states and school districts to incentivize and reward improvements in teaching, student achievement, and other educational outcomes.

Question 5

Three major U.S. social policies are Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Policy experts believe them to be in long-term financial danger. Why do they believe that and how might we fix them to make them more fiscally sustainable?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Three major U.S. social policies are Social...

Question 6

There are a number of stages in the implementation of social policy. Discuss these stages, how the policy progresses, and the political process of enacting social policy. Give an example of a social policy as it goes through the stages.

Accepted Answer

The answer of There are a number of stages in...

Question 7

Reforming the United States' health care system has been difficult in recent history. Identify and discuss the unsuccessful and successful attempts of the government to pass health care reform policies. Why is change so difficult to achieve in this area?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Reforming the United States' health care system...

Question 8

The purpose of the Land Grant College Act was to:

Accepted Answer

The Land Grant College Act, also known as the Morrill Act of 1862, established colleges that would promote education in areas related to agriculture, mechanical arts, and other practical subjects. Its goal was to provide accessible education to the working class and to improve the quality of education in these fields.

Question 9

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was signed by which president?

Accepted Answer

TANF was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 as part of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.

Question 10

What is income inequality? How can it be measured? Is income inequality a growing problem in the United States? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is income inequality? How can it...

Question 11

What are some of the major government initiatives in education policy in the past three decades? Have they been successful? Has control over education shifted more toward state and local or toward the federal government?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are some of the major government...

Question 12

The president and Congress are key actors in social policy making. Bureaucracies, states, and interest groups also play a role; explain how each of these three players affects social policy outcomes. Include practical examples in your answer.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The president and Congress are key actors...

Question 13

Lawmakers have made some progress in reforming welfare. Explain the evolution of the United States' assistance to poorer individuals and what changes were made during and since the Clinton administration.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Lawmakers have made some progress in reforming...

Question 14

One major change between Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is that TANF:

Accepted Answer

TANF added a lifetime limit on benefits, meaning that individuals can only receive assistance for a certain period of time over their lifetime. This was not a component of AFDC.

Question 15

Which areas of social policy appear to be the most conflictual? Which have been most open to compromise? Why are some areas more likely to see compromise while others remain mired in partisan differences that prevent solutions from being enacted?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which areas of social policy appear to...

Question 16

Several recommendations have been made to reform the Social Security system. Identify and explain three of these plans. Which, if any, do you believe should be implemented and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Several recommendations have been made to reform...

Quiz 16: Social Policy