Review Part 17
Social Welfare and Entitlements
1) Which of the following is true about a classbased society?
a. Disparity in the distribution of income and wealth
b. Narrowing of the gap between the wealthy class
and the middle class
c. Increase in what the government determines to be
an austere standard of living
d. Reduction of the culture of poverty in the United
States
e. Move toward workfare rather than welfare
1) Which of the following is true about a classbased society?
a. Disparity in the distribution of income and wealth
b. Narrowing of the gap between the wealthy class
and the middle class
c. Increase in what the government determines to be
an austere standard of living
d. Reduction of the culture of poverty in the United
States
e. Move toward workfare rather than welfare
2) Liberals claim that a culture of poverty is
caused by
a. Government attempts to find solutions to
the problem
b. The value system of the poor
c. Long-term abuses of society
d. The poor taking advantage of government
programs
e. The success of minority assimilation into
the work force
2) Liberals claim that a culture of poverty is
caused by
a. Government attempts to find solutions to
the problem
b. The value system of the poor
c. Long-term abuses of society
d. The poor taking advantage of government
programs
e. The success of minority assimilation into
the work force
3) Which of the following represents the main
difference between a progressive income tax and a
proportional income tax?
a. A progressive tax collects less money from the rich than the poor,
whereas a proportional tax collects more from the rich
b. A progressive tax collects more money from the rich than the poor,
whereas a proportional tax is regressive
c. A progressive tax collects more money from the rich than the poor,
whereas a proportional tax collects the same
d. A progressive tax collects the same amount of money from both
the rich and the poor, whereas a proportional tax collects more
from the rich
e. A progressive tax has different brackets for different income
earners, whereas a proportional tax has a greater number of
brackets
3) Which of the following represents the main
difference between a progressive income tax and a
proportional income tax?
a. A progressive tax collects less money from the rich than the poor,
whereas a proportional tax collects more from the rich
b. A progressive tax collects more money from the rich than the poor,
whereas a proportional tax is regressive
c. A progressive tax collects more money from the rich than the poor,
whereas a proportional tax collects the same
d. A progressive tax collects the same amount of money from both
the rich and the poor, whereas a proportional tax collects more
from the rich
e. A progressive tax has different brackets for different income
earners, whereas a proportional tax has a greater number of
brackets
Explanation
A Progressive tax is based on the premise that
the more you earn the more you pay in taxes.
A Proportional tax, also known as a flat tax, is
based on the premise that everybody should
pay the the same percentage of taxes.
A regressive tax is based on the premise that
everybody has to pay a tax on essential
goods, for example, a sales tax.
4) Which of the following is an example of a
contributory entitlement program?
a. Supplemental Security Income
b. Aid to Families with Dependent Children
c. Social Security
d. welfare
e. Food stamps
4) Which of the following is an example of a
contributory entitlement program?
a. Supplemental Security Income
b. Aid to Families with Dependent Children
c. Social Security
d. welfare
e. Food stamps
5) The programs of the New Deal are examples
of
a. devolution
b. The state-sponsored era
c. The federal era
d. Grant blocks to states
e. The New Federalism
5) The programs of the New Deal are examples
of
a. devolution
b. The state-sponsored era
c. The federal era
d. Grant blocks to states
e. The New Federalism
Explanation
State era; 1789 - 1932, most social welfare programs
being run by the state
Federal Era; 1932 to 1980, the New Deal and Great
Society programs
Safety Era; 1980 - 1984, a move toward maintaining
social welfare programs by using them as a safety
net for those who needed them
Block grant Era; 1994, by the Republicans after they
gained control of Congress, a move toward
eliminating social welfare programs by providing
block grants to the states
6) Which of the following philosophies was
behind the attempt to create a safety net for
individuals?
a. Federal government would be the exclusive agent to aid
citizens
b. State governments would only use block grants to help
citizens
c. The federal and state governments would share the costs
equally
d. Private businesses would provide benefits
e. Even with federal government cutbacks, there wold still
be an assurance that people in need would receive
benefits
6) Which of the following philosophies was
behind the attempt to create a safety net for
individuals?
a. Federal government would be the exclusive agent to aid
citizens
b. State governments would only use block grants to help
citizens
c. The federal and state governments would share the costs
equally
d. Private businesses would provide benefits
e. Even with federal government cutbacks, there wold still
be an assurance that people in need would receive
benefits
7) Which of the following represents
legislation that guarantees unpaid
emergency medical assistance for workers?
a. Medicare
b. Social Security
c. Family Medical Leave Act
d. Medicaid
e. Disability Insurance Act
7) Which of the following represents
legislation that guarantees unpaid
emergency medical assistance for workers?
a. Medicare
b. Social Security
c. Family Medical Leave Act
d. Medicaid
e. Disability Insurance Act
8) All the following were recommendations of
the 1983 National Commission on Social
Security Reform EXCEPT
a. Rescheduling previously approved increases in Social
Security payroll taxes
b. A means test for senior citizens over the age of 65 to
determine their eligibility to receive benefits
c. Gradually increasing the age when an individual could
first receive Social Security benefits
d. Requiring federal employees to contribute to the Social
Security System
e. Taxing a portion of the Social Security benefits for those
people with incomes over $20,000
8) All the following were recommendations of
the 1983 National Commission on Social
Security Reform EXCEPT
a. Rescheduling previously approved increases in Social
Security payroll taxes
b. A means test for senior citizens over the age of 65 to
determine their eligibility to receive benefits
c. Gradually increasing the age when an individual could
first receive Social Security benefits
d. Requiring federal employees to contribute to the Social
Security System
e. Taxing a portion of the Social Security benefits for those
people with incomes over $20,000
Explanation
The National Commission on Social Security
formed in 1983 made a series of suggestions
as a result of the fact that the government
recognized that the future of the Social
Security System was in critical shape. This
commission recommended A, C, D, and E.
Choice E was recommended by other
commissions and may in fact be part of
future social security reform.
The End