Question 1

Under the old system of dual federalism, social welfare policies were thought to lie within the scope of the police powers of the state and, therefore, mostly under state control and administration.

Accepted Answer

Under dual federalism, social welfare policies were primarily under state control and administration as they were considered to be within the scope of state police powers.

Question 2

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 & Human Services, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $24,250 in 2015. Option A is the poverty threshold for a family of two, and option B is the poverty threshold for a family of three. Option D is not a valid poverty threshold for a family of four.

Question 3

As of January 2015, the average monthly benefit from Social Security was ______ per month.

Accepted Answer

According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly benefit as of January 2015 was $1,328.

Question 4

Among the sweeping changes embodied in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)was

Accepted Answer

The Affordable Care Act established a Patient's Bill of Rights which included provisions such as guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions, the ability to keep young adults on their parents' insurance until age 26, and an end to annual and lifetime coverage limits. Medicaid was actually expanded under the ACA, not decreased. The qualifications for Medicare did not significantly change under the ACA. The ACA did not eliminate drug coverage, but rather required insurance plans to include coverage for prescription drugs as an essential health benefit.

Question 5

In 1934, President Roosevelt's New Deal established the ______, tasked with combatting widespread foreclosures as a result of the Great Depression.

Accepted Answer

The Federal Housing Authority was established in 1934 as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal with the goal of stabilizing the housing market and combating foreclosures during the Great Depression. The other answer choices are not relevant to the establishment of the Federal Housing Authority.

Question 6

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 that require individuals to show specific need are known as "needs-based assistance" programs. This is because eligibility is determined based on an assessment of an individual's income and resources to determine their level of need for assistance.

Question 7

In the early decades of the 20th century, the federal government established which of the following regulatory agencies to ensure public health?

Accepted Answer

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was established in 1906 to ensure that food, drugs, and medical devices marketed in the United States are safe, effective, and properly labeled.

Answer: D 
 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was established in 1946 to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability. Although not specifically focused on ensuring public health in the early decades of the 20th century, the CDC has since become a leading public health agency in the world.

Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 8

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 Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and combat homelessness. The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968, but was not a direct creation of HUD. The Department of Human Services is a separate government agency that deals with social services such as food assistance and healthcare.

Question 9

Payments into Social Security are

Accepted Answer

Payments into Social Security are primarily used to pay current recipients of benefits. The system is based on a pay-as-you-go model, where current workers contribute to the system through payroll taxes, and those funds are immediately used to pay benefits to current retirees and other beneficiaries. There is no separate individual account for each taxpayer, and the funds are not invested in private securities. Additionally, the payments are not kept in the general spending account to fund other programs.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

The PRWORA of 1996 replaced the AFDC with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF provides financial assistance and support services to low-income families with dependent children. SNAP is a food assistance program, EITC is a tax credit for low to moderate-income working families, and FHAA provides housing assistance.

Question 11

The bureaucracy established in 1970 during the Nixon administration, tasked with working with state and local governments to enforce federal laws governing environmental standards, is the

Accepted Answer

The establishment of the bureaucracy during the Nixon Administration referred to in the question is most likely referring to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which was created in 1970 to enforce federal laws related to environmental standards. The other options - Department of Emission Standards, Bureau of Land and Water, and Division of Environmental Enforcement - are not actual organizations and do not specifically pertain to the bureaucratic agency described in the question.

Question 12

Programs such as Social Security in which one receives a set of benefits regardless of income, provided one meets categorical requirements like age or a minimum number of years of payroll deductions, are known as ______ programs.

Accepted Answer

Social Security is an entitlement program because individuals are entitled to receive benefits based on meeting categorical requirements, such as age or a minimum number of years of payroll deductions, regardless of their income level. Welfare programs, on the other hand, are means-based, meaning that eligibility is determined based on income level. Federal grants are a type of financial aid provided by the government to state and local governments, organizations, or individuals for specific purposes.

Question 13

The EPA is tasked to enforce

Accepted Answer

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is tasked with enforcing all of these acts - Clean Air Act, Water Quality Act, and Endangered Species Act, among other environmental laws and regulations.

Question 14

In the 1960s, under President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, another major social insurance program was created called

Accepted Answer

Medicare was created in the 1960s under President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. Supplemental Security Income was created in 1972 and Aid to Families with Dependent Children was created in 1935 (later replaced with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Medicaid was also created in 1965 under the same legislation as Medicare.

Question 15

Which of the following is a prediction for the Old-Age Survivors and Disability (OASDI)trust in the future?

Accepted Answer

According to the latest report from Social Security trustees, the OASDI trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2035. This means that unless changes are made to the program, Social Security will no longer be able to pay full benefits to retirees and disabled persons. Therefore, option D is the correct prediction for the future of the OASDI trust fund.

Question 16

Social Security is an example of a

Accepted Answer

Social Security is a social insurance program that provides benefits to retirees, disabled individuals, and survivors. It is not a federal grant in aid, social welfare program, or means-based program.

Question 17

Voucher programs establish clear boundaries between public and private school funding.

Accepted Answer

Voucher programs often blur the lines between public and private school funding by allowing public funds to be used for private school tuition, thus not establishing clear boundaries.

Question 18

In 1965, Congress also enacted the ______ program, which covers health services for low-income Americans.

Accepted Answer

The Medicaid program covers health services for low-income Americans, while Supplemental Security Income provides financial assistance to low-income individuals who are elderly, blind, or disabled. Aid to Families with Dependent Children was a previous federal assistance program that provided financial support to low-income families with children. Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance primarily for those aged 65 and older.

Question 19

All proponents of school vouchers in Cleveland were from the Republican side of the aisle.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Some proponents of school vouchers in Cleveland were Democrats, including Senator George Voinovich and Mayor Michael White.

Question 20

With the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), Bill Clinton signed into law the principles of ______ to social welfare programs.

Accepted Answer

The PRWORA emphasized devolution, which means transferring more responsibility for welfare programs from the federal government to the states.

Quiz 16: The Politics of Promoting the General Welfare