Question 1

S. multinational corporations have invested heavily in ________ because production is more profitable there, mainly due to cheap, non-unionized labor and the relative lack of regulations.

Accepted Answer

S. multinational corporations have invested heavily in foreign countries because of the advantages they provide, such as cheap labor and fewer regulations. This allows them to produce goods at a lower cost and increase their profits. Domestic development, workforce development, and social welfare structures do not provide the same cost savings and therefore are not as attractive to multinational corporations.

Question 2

The first phase of the Industrial Revolution involved the use of ________.

Accepted Answer

The first phase of the Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th and early 19th centuries, was characterized by the use of steam power as a primary energy source. This enabled factories to be built away from water sources, sparking a rapid growth in manufacturing and urbanization. Oil, electricity, atomic fission and fusion, and solar power were not widely used until later phases of industrial development.

Question 3

________ is the process in which individuals or groups adopt the culture of another group.

Accepted Answer

Assimilation is the process by which individuals or groups adopt the culture of another group. This may involve changes in language, values, beliefs, and behaviors in order to conform to the norms of the dominant culture. Adoption refers to the legal process by which a child becomes a member of a new family. Cultural transmission refers to the process by which culture is passed down from one generation to the next. Conformity refers to the tendency of individuals to adjust their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to align with the expectations of a group.

Question 4

More than ________ of the people in the United States are African American, Latino, Asian, or Native American; minorities make up a majority in six of the eight largest U.S. cities.

Accepted Answer

More than one-third (1/3) of the people in the United States are African American, Latino, Asian, or Native American, indicating significant diversity within the population.

Question 5

Identify which of the following is not true of the new immigration?

Accepted Answer

The statement that the new residents are primarily African and Asian is not true, as the new immigration is diverse and includes individuals from Latin America as well as other regions.

Question 6

In addition to legal migrants, an estimated _______ unauthorized immigrants enter the U.S. each year.

Accepted Answer

The estimated number of unauthorized immigrants entering the U.S. each year is around 525,000. This figure captures the complexity of immigration patterns and the challenges in managing unauthorized migration.

Question 7

Identify which of the following conditions contribute(s) to the declining middle class?

Accepted Answer

All three conditions (A, B, C) contribute to the declining middle class. The replacement of well-paid industrial jobs with low-paying service jobs, the relocation of companies leading to a decline in the standard of living for entire communities, and the decreasing bargaining power of unions leading to a decline in the standard of living for those remaining in the manufacturing sector all contribute to the decline of the middle class.

Question 8

________ refers to the movement of corporate monies from one investment to another, generally less costly one.

Accepted Answer

Capital flight refers to the movement of funds from one investment to another, generally from high-risk and high-cost investments to lower risk and lower cost investments. This movement of funds is usually done in response to unfavorable economic conditions or political instability in a particular country, and can have negative effects on the economy of the country experiencing capital flight. The other options listed (globalization, outsourcing, third-worldization) do not refer specifically to the movement of corporate monies from one investment to another.

Question 9

Capital flight takes the following form(s):

Accepted Answer

Capital flight refers to the movement of capital from one country to another, usually from economically or politically unstable countries to more stable ones. This movement can take various forms, such as investment in plants located outside the United States, plant relocation within the United States, and mergers. Therefore, all of the options given in choices A, B, and C are correct as they all involve the movement of capital from one place to another.

Question 10

________ is a term that refers to employees who work part-time, in temporary jobs, or as independent contractors.

Accepted Answer

Contingent employment refers to employment arrangements that do not guarantee long-term employment or job security. This includes part-time work, temporary jobs, and independent contracting. Day labor refers specifically to manual labor work that is paid on a daily basis, while contract labor refers to workers who are hired to perform a specific task or project under a contract agreement. Part-time employment may or may not be contingent, depending on the terms and conditions of the job. Therefore, the most appropriate option is D) Contingent employment.

Question 11

Contingent employment shifts the burden of ________ to individual workers and their families.

Accepted Answer

Contingent workers typically do not receive the same level of fringe benefits as permanent employees, such as healthcare, retirement benefits, and paid time off. This places the burden of securing these benefits on the individual worker and their family, rather than on the employer.

Question 12

The loss of high-wage manufacturing jobs, and their replacement with low-wage jobs, part-time work, chronic unemployment, and a greater concentration of wealth for the few, is referred to as ________.

Accepted Answer

Third-Worldization refers to the process where economic changes lead to conditions in developed countries that resemble those in developing countries, including the loss of high-wage jobs and increased economic inequality.

Question 13

Most independent contractors __________.

Accepted Answer

Independent contractors are not classified as employees and therefore do not receive benefits such as health insurance from the company they work for. They are responsible for obtaining their own health insurance coverage.

Question 14

A sector of the population called the New Poor are poor because ________.

Accepted Answer

The New Poor are a sector of the population who are poor due to a combination of factors, including inadequate skills and education to find work in the new economy, being displaced workers who face lower-paying opportunities, and many are over forty and find re-employment difficult because businesses consider them too old to retrain. Therefore, choice D, which includes all of these options, is the correct answer.

Question 15

Settlement patterns of the new immigrants are much more ________ than previous flows into the United States, which tended to concentrate in the industrial Northeast and Middle Atlantic regions.

Accepted Answer

The sentence states that the settlement patterns of new immigrants are "much more dispersed than previous flows" which concentrated in specific regions. Therefore, the best choice is B: geographically dispersed. A: geographically concentrated, C: culturally isolated, and D: culturally concentrated are not supported by the information given in the sentence.

Question 16

A sunset industry is one that _________.

Accepted Answer

A sunset industry refers to a sector or industry that is declining and will eventually come to an end. This can be due to various reasons such as advances in technology, changes in consumer preferences, or economic factors. Hence, option B - "will soon die out completely" is the correct answer. The other options do not accurately define a sunset industry.

Question 17

The working poor are disproportionately________.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that women are more likely to be working poor than men. This is attributed to a combination of factors such as gender wage gap, lack of access to affordable childcare, and fewer job opportunities in certain sectors.

Question 18

________ involve moving U.S. factories to places where wages are lower, unions are weaker or nonexistent, and the business climate is more receptive.

Accepted Answer

Outsourcing involves moving operations or factories to countries where labor is cheaper and regulations are less stringent in order to reduce costs and increase profits.

Question 19

________ is the movement of people across political boundaries.

Accepted Answer

Immigration refers specifically to the movement of people across political boundaries. Globalization refers to the increased interconnectedness and interdependence of economies and societies around the world. Balkanization refers to the fragmentation of a region or state into smaller, often hostile, entities. Assimilation refers to the process by which individuals or groups adopt the culture, customs, and values of a dominant group.

Question 20

The ________ landscape and rate of population growth are greatly affected, as approximately 1 million immigrants annually set up permanent residence in the United States.

Accepted Answer

Immigration significantly impacts the racial landscape of a country as it introduces new ethnic groups and diversifies the population.

Quiz 8: Structural Sources of Societal Change: Economic and Demographic