Deck 10: Work and Wealth

Question 1

Gig workers are like independent contractors in the sense that people in both groups
a) have control over the hours they work.
b) are guaranteed a minimum wage.
c) are eligible for unemployment insurance.
d) are dependent upon the employer for how much money they make.
e) All of the above

Answer 1

have control over the hours they work

Question 2

Globalization is
a) the creation of international computer networks.
b) the process of creating a worldwide network of businesses and markets.
c) the adoption of global Internet standards.
d) the adoption of English as the language of business.
e) the way that stock exchanges stay open 24 hours a day.

Answer 2

the process of creating a worldwide network of businesses and markets

Question 3

Gig workers are like employees in the sense that people in both groups
a) have control over the hours they work.
b) are guaranteed a minimum wage.
c) are eligibile for unemployment insurance.
d) are dependent upon the employer for how much money they make.
e) All of the above

Answer 3

are dependent upon the employer for how much money they make

Question 4

In 2011 a program named Watson running on an IBM supercomputer
a) decoded the human genome for the first time.
b) became the first computer program to take the job of a software engineer.
c) won the World Crossword Puzzle Championship sponsored by The New York Times.
d) defeated the two most successful human Jeopardy! champions in a three-game match.
e) passed the Turing Test in a competition sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery.

Question 5

In medieval England, when wages went up,
a) more children joined the labor force.
b) more women joined the labor force.
c) students dropped out of school to take up jobs.
d) workers put in fewer hours.
e) A, B, and C.

Question 6

Manufacturing employment in the United States peaked
a) during World War II.
b) in 1959.
c) in 1979.
d) in 1999.
e) None of the above. Manufacturing employment in the United States continues to increase.

Question 7

The process by which a new technology is assimilated into a society is called
a) cultural relativism.
b) globalization.
c) IT leverage.
d) social receptivity index.
e) technological diffusion.

Question 8

Supply-chain automation

A) streamlines organizations by eliminating transactional middlemen.
B) is one way Dell Computer keeps its costs low.
C) links computers at different companies.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 9

The phrase "digital divide" refers to the situation where
a) some people have access to information technology and others do not.
b) users of Macintosh computers are at a disadvantage compared to users of Windows computers.
c) only stockholders in high-tech companies can get rich in the new economy.
d) the U.S. government prevents information technology from being exported to "unfriendly" countries.
e) the prices of computers are kept artificially high in order to keep them out of the hands of people in Third World countries.

Question 10

A personal AI is
a) an intelligent machine inexpensive enough for an individual to purchase it.
b) an intelligent machine devoted to serving an individual human being.
c) a computer capable of beating human beings at games such as chess.
d) a software program, not an actual physical object.
e) a machine conscious of its own existence.

Question 11

According to the Encyclopedia of Computer Science, a "programmable machine that either in performance or appearance imitates human activities" is called a

A) computer.
B) deltoid.
C) mechano.
D) robot.
E) transformer.

Question 12

According to sociologist Max Weber, the growth of capitalism was stimulated by a new attitude toward work brought about by
a) the Industrial Revolution.
b) the Protestant Reformation.
c) the English Civil War.
d) the Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
e) the American Revolution.

Question 13

Productivity in the United States doubled between 1948 and 1990. However, the work week didn't get shorter. As a result,
a) income taxes were raised.
b) the standard of living increased.
c) corporate downsizing reduced the number of people in the workforce.
d) the pay of CEOs skyrocketed.
e) health care benefits of workers more than doubled between 1948 and 1990.

Question 14

In some markets a few top performers receive a disproportionate share of the rewards. Frank and Cook call this phenomenon
a) capitalism.
b) inevitable.
c) liberalism.
d) socialism.
e) the winner-take-all effect.

Question 15

Artificial intelligence is the field of computer science and engineering that focuses on ways to get machines to exhibit
a) consciousness.
b) ethical behavior.
c) intelligent behavior.
d) philosophical insights.
e) scientific breakthroughs.

Question 16

One way automation can lead to the creation of new jobs is by
a) producing products quicker, thus shortening the work week.
b) reducing the price of a product, thus increasing people's real income.
c) consuming fewer resources, thus improving the environment.
d) All of the above
e) None of the above is true. Automation always causes a net loss of jobs.