Question 1

Which of the following is true of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)?

Accepted Answer

TANF strengthened work requirements for recipients and limited the time that families can receive benefits. Option A is incorrect because TANF replaced AFDC, not the other way around. Option B is incorrect because TANF gives states more flexibility in administering welfare policies. Option C is incorrect because under TANF, states have more freedom to allocate their welfare dollars according to their priorities. Option E is incorrect because under TANF, states can use private agencies to administer welfare.

Question 2

Which of the following is true of the administration of higher education?

Accepted Answer

Institutions of higher education have greater independence from political oversight. While state boards of higher education exist, they typically do not have complete control over operations and budgets of institutions. Governors may attempt to influence higher education policy, but they are not able to impose complete control over universities and colleges. Therefore, option E is the correct answer.

Question 3

The factor that distinguishes Medicare from Medicaid is that ________.

Accepted Answer

Medicare is a federal health care program specifically for people over the age of 65, whereas Medicaid is a federally funded medical benefit program for low-income families. Option A is true but does not distinguish Medicare from Medicaid. Option B and E are incorrect as Medicare is a federally funded medical benefit program.

Question 4

________ refers to a welfare strategy adopted by some states in which recipients sign a written agreement specifying their responsibilities and outlining a plan for obtaining work and achieving self-sufficiency.

Accepted Answer

The description provided in the question matches the concept of a responsibility contract. Workfare refers to a program that requires welfare recipients to work in exchange for benefits, the two-track system and charter system are not related to welfare, and de facto segregation refers to a situation in which segregation occurs due to societal factors rather than explicit policies.

Question 5

The key provisions of the ________ Act include barring insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick and making it harder for insurance companies to deny coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions.

Accepted Answer

The key provisions mentioned, such as preventing insurance companies from dropping coverage for individuals and making it harder to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, are part of the Affordable Care Act. The other options listed do not have provisions related to health insurance coverage.

Question 6

A welfare strategy adopted by some states that gives able-bodied adults who do not have preschool-age children the opportunity to learn job skills that can lead to employment is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

The welfare strategy described is known as workfare, as it requires able-bodied adults to participate in job training programs or work in order to receive benefits. The other options are either unrelated or inaccurate descriptions of this strategy.

Question 7

Medicaid refers to the ________.

Accepted Answer

Medicaid is a federally funded medical benefit program for the needy and uninsured.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true of funding higher education?

Accepted Answer

The federal government is indeed the largest provider of financial aid to students. While other choices may contain elements of truth or partial truth, they are not entirely accurate. For example, professors' salaries have not kept up with the increasing tuition, and state funding of public colleges and universities may not be stable in all cases.

Question 9

Which of the following federal welfare reform policies replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children?

Accepted Answer

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) as part of the federal welfare reform policies in 1996. TANF provides temporary financial assistance to low-income families with children while promoting work and self-sufficiency.

Question 10

In the ________ Program, the federal government provides matching funds to states to help cover the costs of providing health care to children under the age of 19 who live in families with incomes up to two times the federal poverty line.

Accepted Answer

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a program in which the federal government provides matching funds to states to help cover the costs of providing health care to children under the age of 19 who live in families with incomes up to two times the federal poverty line. The program was created to provide health insurance to children who are not eligible for Medicaid but also cannot afford private health insurance. Therefore, option A is the correct choice.

Question 11

The ________ Act allows American states to develop different benefit packages for different types of Medicaid recipients.

Accepted Answer

The Deficit Reduction Act allows states the flexibility to tailor Medicaid benefits to meet the needs of different populations, enabling them to develop different benefit packages for various groups of recipients.

Question 12

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policy differs from the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) policy in that ________.

Accepted Answer

TANF imposes new restrictions on families receiving cash assistance, such as the requirement for recipients to work after a certain period of time and limits on the amount of time they can receive assistance. AFDC did not have these restrictions.

Question 13

In terms of funding higher education, the two-track system involves ________.

Accepted Answer

The two-track system in higher education funding refers to a division where one set of colleges and universities is more accessible or affordable for the poor, while another set caters to the rich, often through higher tuition fees and more resources.

Question 14

Under the ________, states provided monthly cash payments to poor families, largely to single mothers to help them take care of their children.

Accepted Answer

The Aid to Families with Dependent Children policy, also known as AFDC, provided monthly cash payments to poor families, primarily to single mothers, to help them care for their children. This program was in effect from 1935 until 1996, when it was replaced by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families policy.

Question 15

Which of the following statements is true of public health services?

Accepted Answer

Prevention and control of diseases are primary responsibilities of state and local public health services. A and C are incorrect as most states have a department of health to oversee public health services, and while not all local governments may have a public health program, thousands do. B and E are incorrect as Medicaid is a federal health care program for people with low income, and Medicare is a federal program for individuals over 65 or with disabilities, respectively.

Question 16

In terms of higher education in the United States, ________ at state universities has increased during the last few decades, often at two or three times the rate of inflation.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is referring to the increased cost to attend state universities in the United States, which is commonly known as tuition. Detention, attrition, privatization, and assessment are not related to the cost of attending university.

Question 17

Which of the following refers to the "connector model"?

Accepted Answer

The "connector model" refers to a quasi-governmental authority or agency that aims to pool individuals so that they can buy insurance together at a lower rate. It is a model commonly used in health insurance.

Question 18

Landmark legislation called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families replaced the 60-year-old program known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families replaced the 60-year-old program known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

Question 19

Which of the following is true of the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) policy?

Accepted Answer

States had discretion in determining eligibility criteria, which resulted in variations in eligibility levels across states.

Question 20

Every state has an agency, usually known as a ________,which administers the state program and supervises local health officials,.

Accepted Answer

The department of health is typically the agency responsible for administering the state health program and overseeing local health officials. Public health centers, federal health care centers, Medicaid centers, and Medicare centers may exist, but they are not the primary agency responsible for administering the state health program.

Quiz 9: Making State and Local Policy

Which of the following is true of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) ?