Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Was Your Indoctrination Successful?

Ultra-Liberalism Final Exam

Directions: In order to prevent damage to your self-esteem, this test is open note and open book and the answers are highlighted but no looking at them until you finish (honor system). Some multiple Choice questions have more than one answer – mark all that apply.

Warning: This test has been shown to cause violent emotional outbreaks. It is recommended that each section be completed at least 24 hours apart.

Section I - Core Principles

Section II - Reason and Logic

Section III - American Government

Section IV - Crime and Punishment

Section V - Education

Section VI - Foreign Policy

Section VII - Economics

Section VIII - Morality

Section IX - Family and Sex

Section X - Race and Culture

Section XI - Feminism

Section XII - Environment

Term Match

Many thanks to Thomas Sowell for filling in the areas of my education that were neglected in Public School. His weekly column can be found here.

This test is in the public domain. Distribute Freely.

I - Core Principles

1)   (True/False) The right social policies will result in a society with no crime, poverty or inequality

2)   (True/False) If everyone in a society were treated equally there everyone would end up with equal outcomes 

3)   (True/False) The general public is irrational and ill educated on many subjects and therefore needs experts to guide them.

4)   (True/False) Moral Duty requires any undesirable outcome in society to be solved rather than simply accepted

5)   (True/False) Because the downtrodden in society are effectively silenced others must speak for them

6)   (True/False) An expert will never let Personal Incentives interfere when making decisions for “the public good” or “in the public interest”

7)   (True/False) Once information is obtained by experts, it becomes instantaneously available to everyone with no or low costs

8)   (True/False) Once information is obtained by experts it remains valid because the world is static and unchanging

9)   (True/False) Experts can always see all of  the ramifications of their decisions

10)  (True/False) There is never a need to choose between two undesirable outcomes.

11)  (True/False) Society can be effectively governed only by the articulated of laws and rules written by experts

12)  (True/False) Everyone should have the same rights and be treated equally under the law

13)  (True/False) Equality of outcomes should be obtained though the use of laws that treat people differently

14)  (True/False) Unequal outcomes are proof of intentional or systematic  discrimination against those with the lesser result (however measured)

15)  (True/False) There is no need to make a tradeoff between Individual Freedom and the needs of Society

16)  (True/False) Human Nature should be changed by programs designed to foster individual growth and personal enlightenment

17)  (True/False) People who contribute to society should subsidize people who do not

18)  (True/False) Differences in ability due to chance occurrences (who your parents are, where you were born, etc) should be equalized at any cost

19)  (True/False) A “Crisis” is any situation which calls for a solution

20) (True/False) A “Trauma” is any unfortunate event that has happened to an individual whether inflected by others or by the individual’s environment

21)  (True/False) “Success” is synonymous with “privilege”

22) (True/False) “Failure” is synonymous with “disadvantage”

23) (True/False) Freedom is the ability to accomplish any task

24) Which of the following people are worthy of respect

a)    Ghandi

b)   Mother Teresa

c)    Hitler

d)   George W. Bush

e)    Ronald Reagan

f)    Hillary Clinton

g)   All people are worthy of the same level of respect

II - Reason and Logic

1)   (True/False) Any effect has one and only one cause

2)   (True/False) Any complex systemic behavior can be accurately described with averages

3)   (True/False) Because a procedure provides benefits in one situation, it will provide benefits in all situations and under all conditions

4)   Mary, a friend of mine, was killed by a meteorite on her 30th birthday just as she blew out the candles on her birthday cake. Therefore which of the following must be true

a)    Meteor strikes are common

b)   Birthday candle smoke attracts meteors

c)    Meteors can only hurt you on your 30th birthday

d)   The Government should safeguard the population from falling meteorites

e)    The government should guarantee a meteorite hits everyone on their 30th birthday

f)    Mary’s birthday was on a full moon

g)   Anecdotal evidence is proof of just about anything

 

5)   An Empirical fact is

a)    Something that conservatives require in “proofs”

b)   Validated as true when enough people consent to believe it to be true

c)    Validated as true when it has been repeated enough times

d)   Validated as true when subjected to an objective process such as the scientific method

e)    No longer an empirical fact if presented by a biased source

f)    Something believed by an expert or a PhD

g)   Any statistical information that appears to fit liberal beliefs

 

6)   Which statement below best describes the scientific method

a)    Observation followed by a Hypothesis, Use the Hypothesis to predict behavior, test behavior to see if it matches predictions, If not, revise hypothesis. If predictions match have 3rd  party duplicate and confirm hypothesized  law of nature

b)   Form Hypothesis followed by Observations, Use the  Observations to determine ideal  behavior, Predict new law will result in ideal behavior, enact law

c)    Form Hypothesis about behavior, Test behavior to see if it matches Hypothesis , If behavior fails to match hypothesis, enact law to change behavior, use law to predict observations

d)   Form hypothesis that predicts observations and behaviors, enact law that mandates the observations and behaviors predicted by the hypothesis. If a 3rd party fails to confirm the observations and behaviors mandated by law, label 3rd party with a derogatory name and chant slogans

 

7)   Where there is a substantial correlation between A and B, this means that

a)    A causes B

b)   B causes A

c)    Both A and B are Caused by C or C and D or C,D and E, etc

d)   It is a coincidence

 

8)   Cum Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc is

a)    A fallacy where a correlation between two events is taken as proof that one event causes the other one without disproof of other possible causes

b)   A fundamental Premise of Liberal Reasoning

c)    An illegal sexual act involving birds of prey

d)   A conservative slogan

 

9)   Tu Quoque is:

a)    Fallacy in which one attempts to defend against  criticism by turning the critique back against the accuser or a 3rd party

b)   A commonly used Liberal Debating technique

c)    Proof that Republican positions are wrong

d)   What George W. Bush does when he is alone

 

10)  When discussing or presenting a liberal political issue or policy to others you should

a)    Bury it in a generic beneficial category such as “change” or “diversity”

b)   Pretend to speak for other groups in terms of what they want, believe or need

c)    Assert that the subject is a human right that all people should have access to

d)   Redefine the terms used to discuss it to create deliberate misunderstandings

e)    Extrapolate statistical trends that have limiting factors

f)    When showing A is more than B, discount parts of B and exaggerate A by including other non-relevant or less significant groups in the definition of A

g)   Reference an  expert’s opinions as proof

h)   Choose a base year that yields the desired type of trend

i)    Use anecdotal evidence and imply it is a common situation

j)    Present only elements that support your conclusions

k)   Claim your views are “scientific”

 

11)  When dealing with facts and policies that are opposed to liberal beliefs or policies you should

a)    Question the morality or motiviations of the presenter

b)   Dismiss the facts as anomalies

c)    Explain a groundless and unproven theory that dismisses the results

d)   Dismiss the facts and policies as “simplistic” or “inane”

e)    Dismiss them because they don’t represent a 100% effective solution or panacea

f)    Accuse the presenter of “reflexive reactions”

g)   Accuse the presenter of “blind adherence to mythology” or “Blind Patriotism”

h)   Accuse the presenter of “prejudice” or “stereotyping” or “racism”

i)    Accuse the presenter of “unfounded fear”

j)    Accuse the presenter of being “too emotional” or “unstable”

k)   Do not respond at all

III - American Government

1)   (True/False) Judicial Activism is justified in cases where congress or the president have refused to act to remedy a social ill

2)   (True/False) A democracy automatically confers freedom to its citizens

3)   (True/False) The first amendment protecting free speech guarantees the speaker an audience and money

4)   The United States

a)    Is a Democracy

b)   Is a Republic

c)    Is Ruled by the judiciary

d)   Was founded by greedy capitalists

e)    Is the worst violator of human rights in the world

 

5)   The United States Constitution is designed to 

a)    Provide Basic freedoms from Government that protect all people

b)   Allow mobility in an individuals position in the social strata

c)    Protect the rich while subjugating the poor, just like every other government

d)   Protect the people from their own foolishness

e)    Protect the people from bad luck

f)    Balance human nature against itself

 

6)   The Function of the Judiciary Branch is to

a)    Apply the laws in  accordance with the original intent of the legislature

b)   Interpret laws where the letter of the law and legislative intent is not clear

c)    Ignore the original intent of the legislature and interpret laws based on the needs of society as perceived by the judiciary

d)   Enact new laws under the guise of “due process”

 

7)   Judicial Activism is

a)    A myth made up by conservatives

b)    The Judiciary deliberately interpreting the law contrary to the original intent

c)   A good way to create new rights and laws not ratified by the legislature or the people

d)    The Founding Father’s intended method of allowing the Constitution to deal with the changing needs of the people

e)   A rejection of the principle of “ratification by the people” via the amendment process

f)    Deciding what the people would want if they only knew better

 

8)   “Due Process” as used in the Constitution means that

a)    That all citizens must be prosecuted according to legislatively established procedures

b)   The legal processes enacted by the legislature must be constitutional

c)    The Supreme court dictates processes to be used

d)   The method by which water condenses in the morning

 

9)   A Constitutional Right is

a)    A religious practice performed by superstitious people

b)   The opposite of Left

c)    A guarantee that prohibits government interference with an individual’s freedoms

d)   A guarantee that prohibits the people from interfering with Government freedoms

e)    A benefit that the government provides to one group at the expense of another group


10)  Which of the following are rights protected by the U.S. Constitution

a)   Access to clean water

b)   Access to clean air

c)   Freedom from exposure to religious thought

d)   Freedom from being offended in any way

e)    Freedom from having basic liberal assumptions challenged

f)    Freedom of children from the guidance and discipline of their parents

g)    Protection of all genetically separate organisms from torture or inhumane treatment as long as they have had access to atmospheric oxygen

h)   Insurance against the effects of making bad investments

i)   Insurance against  failing to invest in regards to retirement

j)    Insurance against the effects of bad health (either self-inflicted or natural)

k)    Insurance against the effects of  job loss

l)   Insurance against the effects of natural disasters

m)    Insurance against the effects of anti-social behavior

n)  Insurance against the effects of a lack of natural ability (Strength, Intelligence, etc)

o)   Insurance against the effects of being unskilled/uneducated (due to monetary circumstances or self-inflicted behavior)

p)   Equal incomes and wealth

q)   Equal respect regardless of behavior

r)   Victim hood

s)    The right to inflict costs on others

t)    The right to inflict anti-social behavior on others

u)    Abortion

v)   Gay marriage

 

11)  The Government should protect people from risks by

a)    Encouraging risky behavior by insuring those who fail to save and invest wisely

b)   Encouraging risky behavior by providing health insurance to those who engage in dangerous recreational activities (drugs, etc)

c)    Encouraging risky behavior by providing disaster relief to those who choose to live in disaster prone areas 

d)   Requiring people to engage in less risky behavior by using laws that reduce personal freedom (seatbelt laws, helmet laws)

 

12)  The Constitutional Separation of Church and State implies that

a)    Moral values defined by those who worship a deity cannot be applied to society

b)   Moral values defined by those do not worship deity should applied by force to society

c)    Atheism is not a religion, and therefore government persecution of atheists is legal

d)   Atheism is protected as a religion, but the doctrine believed by atheists is not religious

 

13)  The American Principle  that “all men are created equal” means

a)    Criminals and Law-Abiding People should be treated the same

b)   Men and women are the same

c)    Everyone’s skills and abilities (intellectual and  physical) are the same

d)   Adults and Children are the same

e)    All cultures and traditions have the same effects/results upon a  society

f)    Right and wrong are the same

g)   Everyone’s attitudes and behaviors are the same

h)   Apples and oranges are both fruit and therefore the same

i)    Any difference in the performance of one  individual from another is caused by some systematic form of discrimination

j)    Everyone has the same economic outcomes regardless of ability or behavior


14)  Taxes should NOT be used to 

a)    Force taxpayers to contribute to charitable causes

b)   Force taxpayers to contribute to groups that  promote or commit acts that the taxpayer would otherwise refuse to contribute to for moral reasons

c)    Force taxpayers to support religious causes

d)   Force a redistribution of wealth regardless of the contributions of those receiving it

 

15)  More (social) justice for all means

a)    A loss of choice on where your child goes to school

b)   A loss of choice about the type of cirriculum taught to students

c)    A loss of choice about the methods used to teach students

d)   A loss of choice on what wage a worker may accept a job at

e)    A loss of choice on what wage an employer can offer a job at

f)   A loss of choice about what qualities are important in hiring

g)    A loss of choices about how to spend income

h)    A loss of choice on personal moral decisions and social issues (homeless, etc)

i)   A loss of choice in Medical Practioner and Medicines available

j)    A loss of choices of where and what types of housing an be built

k)   More equality (for certain groups)

l)    More freedom (for certain groups)

 

16)  Banning Homosexual marriage is a violation of civil rights

      a)    Beause the current laws single out a group for inequal treatment under the law

a)   Because heterosexual men are allowed to marry each other, while Homosexual men are not

b)   Because heterosexual women are allowed to marry each other, while lesbians are not

c)    Because it dictates who an individual can love and live with

d)   Because society needs more equality

 

17)  The legal “slippery slope” of Gay Marriage is a Myth because

a)    The People can use their legislatures to impose bans on other forms of marriage such as polygamy, intra-Family and Man-Animal marriages

b)   The courts reasoning that the government can’t dictate what consenting adults do in private only applies to Homosexuals

c)    The Courts have the legislative power to decide where we stand on the slope and keep society from slipping

d)   The Representative Legislature is not to be trusted with the power to make laws that reflect the will of the people

 

18)  Abuses of power are

a)    Inevitable

b)   Something only the wealthy can accomplish

c)    What Labor Unions fight to protect workers against

d)   What monopolies fight to protect consumers against

e)    Something only Republicans do

 

19)  Which of the following constitutes manipulation of federal elections:

 

a)    Voting using the electoral college

b)   Refusing to count properly submitted absentee votes

c)    Using Brazilian money to sponsor legislation to change electoral vote assignment

d)   Sponsoring legislation that changes election rules retroactively

e)    Using law enforcement to investigate claims of voter fraud

f)    Vandalism of property based on the public political leanings of property owners

g)   Redefining the rules for counting ballots after a federal election

h)   Asking for recounts only in certain districts that statistically favor one candidate

i)    The media calling a winner before polls close

 

20) What was the original intent of the 2nd Amendment as expressed by the Founding Fathers in the Federalist

a)    There is no 2nd Amendment

b)   To arm the populace as protection against their own State and Federal Government

c)    To arm the populace in case of foreign invasion

d)   To satisfy the NRA lobby and get them to shut up

 

 

Extra Credit: Explain why Constitutional Protections of life begin with breathing atmospheric oxygen.

Because breathing atmospheric oxygen is a vital part of the “human experience”

IV - Crime and Punishment

1)   (True/False) Society imposes harsh punishments and long prison sentences on criminals because of irrational anger at the crime.

2)   (True/False) If the root causes of  poverty and hardship where removed from society there would be no crime

3)   (True/False) Miranda rights prevent police from taking advantage of un-savvy criminals who would otherwise not have the same chances of avoiding punishment as professional criminals

4)   Which of the following factors increase the crime rate

a)    Poverty

b)   Discrimination

c)    Guns

d)   Imprisonment

e)    Delays in the criminal system caused by a liberal appeals process

e)    High standards and difficult procedures for gathering evidence

f)    Low conviction rates

g)   Light sentencing

h)   Rehabilitation programs without empricial checks on effectiveness

i)    Willingness to report crimes to authorities

 

5)   Punishment of criminal acts

a)    Is morally questionable because a society does not have the right to judge behavior

b)   Does not lead to a 0% crime rate and therefore is futile

c)    Should be specific to an individual so as to not send categorical messages to other would-be criminals that might deter their behavior

d)   Should be done only after a lengthy trial process that increases the costs paid by society while lessening the chance a criminal will meet with punishment

 

6)   Capital punishment should be outlawed because

a)    Two wrongs DO NOT make a (constitutional) right

b)   Murders are committed by society

c)    Capital Punishment has been shown to be a deterrent to other criminals

d)   The number of people are murdered due to a lack of deterrence will less than then number killed via Capital punishment

e)    The innocent and the Guilty should be treated the same.

V - Education

1)   The best measure of an individual’s academic achievement is:

a)    Grades based on academic mastery of a subject as established by testing

b)   Grades based on individual effort

c)    The number of Participation awards they have

d)   Grades based on  group projects only

e)    The amount of self-esteem they have

 

2)   Speech Codes at Colleges and Universities the prevent conservative opinions from being expressed while on campus or enrolled in classes

a)    Prevent Hate Speech against minorities

b)   Prevent hate speech against White Anglo-Saxon Males

c)    Lead to a free exchange of ideas and access to different viewpoints

d)   Encourage a student’s ability to understand and cooperate with others

e)    Create a less hostile learning environment

f)    Are compliant with the 1st Amendment

 

3)   Universities should grant segregated housing to those minority students that petition for it because:

a)    Protecting their self esteem from the racists is more important than integration of races

b)   A reduction in exposure to different cultures and beliefs helps an individual become more educated and better able to succeed and adapt to a wider culture.

c)    The majority of students should be protected from minority cultures and ideas

d)   Minorities should be encouraged by their peers to retain attitudes, habits and cultural beliefs that may hinder their scholastic progress

e)    It fulfills the dream of Martin Luther King by encouraging desegregation of races.

f)    It results in a more equal society

 

4)   If 80% of a school faculty identifies themselves as liberal

a)    It will  prove  ideological discrimination against conservatives

b)   It will  encourage dissenting beliefs among students and faculty.

c)    It will have no effect on grading or discussions in the classroom

d)   It will prove that faculties don’t have ideological beliefs

e)    It will prove that liberals are smarter than conservatives

 

5)   Admitting an individual who belongs to a particular ethnic group under lower academic requirements to a school where the majority of the other students were admitted under higher academic standards:

a)    Adds to the self-esteem that individual

b)   Makes the individual capable of competing academically with the other students

c)    Results in unfairly passing over many other individuals on the basis ethnicity

d)   Leads others to more fully recognize the inherent abilities of members of the same ethnic group who were admitted under the higher academic standards

e)    Results in more “equality”


6)   Teachers in our Public schools need more money because

a)    Per Pupil real spending (inflation adjusted) has tripled over the last 40 years and this has led to corresponding increase in student performance

b)   The number of Public School employees per student is half what it was 40 years ago and this has led to a corresponding increase in student performance

c)    The number of students per teacher is a little more than half what it was 40 years ago and this has  led to a corresponding increase in student performance

d)   Teachers need the money to send their kids to private schools at twice the rate of the larger population

e)    The more Public School Officials and Teachers there are, the more money gets paid to the Teachers Union to promote socialist causes.

f)    That will improve the performance of the schools

 

7)   Tenure is a good system for the teaching profession because

a)    A teacher cannot be held accountable for poor teaching performance or other misdeeds

b)   It results in a protective barrier by which teachers can enforce their own moral and ideological codes in hiring and in the class room

c)    It encourages young un-tenured teachers to be outspoken and promote change

d)   It ensures teachers do not leave the public school system

 

8)   Parental requests that  children be excused from lessons on evolution in Public Schools

a)    Are Stupid and should be ignored

b)   Expose their children to willful ignorance

c)    Are attempts to force one intolerant version of “God’s Law” on everyone

d)   Should cause the children in question to be expelled

e)    Should result in attempts to force parents to choose between church and education

 

9)   Public Television

a)    Provides entertainment and education  that is demanded by the public at large

b)   Is subsidized by the taxpayers

c)    Prevents censorship of ballet, art, and music not demanded by the public

d)   Caters to the tastes of intellectuals

 

Extra Credit :  What are the Units of Individual Merit, and what scientific apparatus and procedures are used to measure it? 

  Merit is measured using a complex mix of intuition and enlightened guessing as detected by vibes and feelings.

 Its units are  Melanin + (bad* attitudes) + (ancestral * harship) / (family * income) + (intelligence) + (dilligence)

VI - Foreign Policy

1)   Immigrants to the United States come here

a)    Because they like risking their lives in the ocean or in the desert and America just happened to be on the other side

b)   Because being poor in the United States is better than being poor anywhere else

c)    Because the United States allows social upward mobility regardless of race or birth

d)   Because they were fooled by the right-wing propaganda machine into volunteering to become the  exploited and downtrodden victims of greedy capitalists

 

2)   Illegal aliens are

a)    U.S Citizens

b)   Taxpayers

c)    Voters

d)   Eligible for all services of government

 

3)   What factors affect the price of “cheap” labor in the international market

a)    The condition of roads in the country where goods are to be produced

b)   The stability of the government and the protections it affords property rights

c)    The productivity of the labor

d)   The amount of corruption in the government 

e)    Tax Liabilities

f)    Government regulations of labor or manufacture

g)   The ability of a corporation to exploit the worker.

 

4)   International Aid helps 3rd world countries advance because:

a)    Then a corrupt government can then afford to enrich itself

b)   There is less incentive to establish systems that promote local and foreign investment in their country

c)    Most third world leaders want what is best for their people

d)   Money always helps

 

5)   Different Nations co-operate in a given effort when

a)    No one country acts like a “bully”

b)   When a Playground Monitor is present

c)    When they see it in their best self interest to do so

d)   When international law and the United Nations demand it

 

6)   The United Nations constitutes a World Government that

a)    Is superior and therefore overrides the U.S. Constitution

b)   Derives its authority and power from a mandate of “the people of the world” as c) was ratified at conventions of the people in each Nation

c)    Has built-in checks and balances to limit the abuse of power

d)   Is kept in check by general elections of its members

e)    Has the ability to enforce its resolutions and police its members by force if required

f)    can be bribed

 

7)   War is never the answer because:

a)    In any disagreement, both sides only want what is best for humanity

b)   It might result in a free democratic society

c)    It might free millions from totalitarian rule

d)   It might enhance human rights and abolish institutions like slavery

e)    It might prevent genocide and ideological purges

f)    Leaflet campaigns are more effective against a determined enemy

 

Extra Credit :  What if they gave a war and only one side came?

The side that did show up would see the total lack of opposition, feel embarrassed and ashamed of themselves and go back home

VII - Economics

1)   (True/False)  A country is more prosperous if the National economy grows and everyone is better off than they were before the growth, though some benefited more from the growth than others

2)   (True/False) The poor aspire to have income because it is needed. The rich aspire to have income because they are greedy

3)   (True/False) No one should be forced to work to “make ends meet”

4)   (True/False)  If a survey  indicates that one in 10 adults lives in poverty, they are  always the same adults from survey to survey

5)   Prices are

a)    Decided by evil corporations

b)   Arbitrary social conventions

c)    Less fair when they are high

d)   More fair when they are low

e)    Determined by the relative scarcity of the item, the cost of its transportation to point of sale, the cost of its production, overhead and other factors

f)    A way to force consumers to share scarce resources

 

6)   Wages are

a)    Decided by evil corporations

b)   Plucked from the air

c)    Less fair when they are low

d)   More fair when they are high

e)    Determined by the scarcity of the labor, the skill set required and the economics of the product produced

 

7)   Wages should be based solely on:

a)    Effort

b)   Productivity

c)    Merit

d)   Societal contribution

e)    Business profits

f)    Portions of National Economic Output

g)   Worker’s race

h)   Worker’s gender

i)    The needs of the worker’s ego

 

8)   When someone accepts a job, some of the factors they consider are:

a)    Flexibility of schedule

b)   Wage

c)    Insurance Coverage

d)   Pension

e)    Savings Plan

f)    Distance and Type of Commute

g)   Office Environment

h)   Personal Enjoyment of work (seeing results etc)

i)    Location


9)   The gap between the wages of CEOs and other high-level executives and the Average Worker should be small because

a)    They do the same work

b)   They have the same skills

c)    They have the same Experience

d)   Investors and Stockholders increase their backing to a venture if it is run poorly

e)    Wages are the result of a voluntary agreement between two parties

f)    It is more fair that way

 

10)  Fixing prices at arbitrary levels in a market economy will

a)    Result in a surplus when prices are set too high

b)   Result in shortage when prices are set too low

c)    Require a government bailout or subsidy

d)   Nullify and repeal the laws of supply and demand

 

11)  A good has a single fair price that should be charged everywhere because:

a)    Every neighborhood requires the same security precautions against crime

b)   The cost of transporting goods to any location on earth is the same

c)    The cost of storing a good until it is needed is zero

d)   The quality of like-goods is always the same

e)    The expertise the merchant is always the same

f)    The warrantees and return polices of every merchant are the same

g)   It’s the same physical object no matter where it is located

 

12)  Price gouging after a disaster should be illegal because

a)    A change in  the circumstances of supply and/or demand will cause prices to accurately reflect the new conditions

b)   Higher prices discourage hoarding and encourage the rationing of scarce goods

c)    Higher prices will encourage external  resources to converge on the affected areas

d)   Its not fair

 

13)  Minimum wage Laws:

a)    Help teenagers obtain jobs

b)   Increase unemployment amongst the least qualified workers

c)    Allow easier discrimination against minorities because there is a surplus of workers

d)   Provide incentives for employers to hire and retain more workers

e)    Deprive the least qualified from opportunities to gain job experience and promotions

f)    Add more people to welfare rolls

g)   Help the poor

 

14)  Rent control and affordable housing laws help the poor by:

a)    Reducing the incentives a landlord has to keep existing housing in good repair

b)   Creating housing shortages by removing the profit incentives to build new housing

c)    Increasing the number of homeless families

d)   Allowing landlords to use shortages to more easily discriminate against minorities

e)    Allowing some of the poor to afford nicer housing while leaving others on the street

f)    Keeping prices fair


15)  Monopolies hurt the consumer by

a)    Raising the consumer’s cost of buying a product

b)   Providing products that have lower quality than what might be demanded in a free marketplace

c)    Providing bigger dividends to stockholders out of the businesses increased profits

d)   Decreasing the number of people who could afford the product

e)    Preventing Competition that will result in a better, more competitive product on the world market

 

16)  Unions help the workers by

a)    Raising the employer’s cost of buying labor

b)   Providing work rules that result in lower productivity than what would be provided in a free marketplace

c)    Providing bigger contributions to the Democratic Party out of  the workers increased wages

d)   Decreasing the number of workers an employer can afford to hire

e)    Preventing labor Competition that will result in a more competitive employer better able to survive in the world market and provide jobs to workers

 

17)  Federal Employees need to be unionized because (check all that apply):

a)    The unions allow the workers to share the profits of the government

b)   The workers need to have input to the management practices of  the government

c)    Mandatory Dues and Agency fees can be transferred directly from the taxpayer to the Union to fund the Democratic Party regardless of union members’ party affiliation

d)   The power to shutdown government agencies which provide police, fire and other critical services should not be in the hands of elected officials

 

18)  The total amount of money collected by the government:

a)    Is called tax rates

b)   Is called tax receipts

c)    Is related to the income generated by the economy

d)   Is absolutely determined by the tax rate charged

e)    Always goes up when tax rates are high

f)    Always goes down when tax rates are low

 

19)  Income Distribution is

a)    The mathematical distribution of the values of a discrete function of income vs. household in the United States

b)   The result of many complex variables in a market economy

c)    The result of the intentions of millions of rich  entrepreneurs and investors

d)   The same thing as fairness

e)    How the Government gives out income to members of the population

 


20) When looking at the United States Income distribution as measure of class inequity what factors need to be considered:

a)    Household distribution in each Income Quintile (Married, Single, Children etc)

b)   How much “Personal Income Tax” comes from Small Businesses

c)    Number of People in each Income Quintile

d)   The effect of income ranges of each quintile differing from year to year

e)    The effect of differing numbers of people in each quintile from year to year

f)    The effect of differing numbers and types of households in each from year to year

g)   The age distribution of people in each quintile

h)   The income distribution within each quintile

i)    The frequency with which households move from one Quintile to the next

j)    The after-tax income distribution across the board an in each quintile

k)   Income added by Welfare and Tax Credits and other government entitlement programs

l)    Hours of Work per Household or Per person

m)  The job status (unemployed) of  persons within the households over the period

n)   Other forms of wealth and capital (houses) not reported as income until realized

o)   The difference between the maximum amount earned and the minimum amount earned

p)   The average income of each quintile

 

21)  In a slumping economy the government should spend taxpayer money on  government programs to help the poor because:

a)    Accumulations of capital are not required to start or grow businesses.

b)   The wealthy typically invest “surplus income”

c)    The poor commonly save their money in banks where it can loaned out

d)   Every dollar spent rather than directly invested is subject to sales tax

e)    Every dollar spent rather than directly invested is subject to corporate tax

f)    More businesses are started when accumulations of capital are broken up

g)   Its more fair

 

22) Social Security is

a)    An insurance program regulated by same laws that apply to private insurance firms

b)   Insurance for the unwise and/or unlucky paid for by the wise and/or lucky 

c)    A retirement saving plan where the reward is commensurate with the money put in.

d)   A government run pyramid scheme with mandatory participation that relies on expanding populations to allow each new generation to pay for the previous one

e)    Necessary to promote fairness

 

23) Providing welfare recipients with food, shelter, clothing and other services and resources

a)    Creates an incentive to get a job, and work hard to support themselves

b)   Encourages teen pregnancy by lowering the costs incurred by having a child

c)    Encourages unwed motherhood  by paying mothers per child

d)   Discourages marriage  by providing greater assistance for single parents families

e)    Transfers the cost of a struggling individual from their relatives to the government

f)    Helps the poor

g)   Gives the poor dignity


24) A planned economy is superior to Capitalism because

a)    Goods are produced more cheaply if profits do not need to be provided

b)   Workers are happier and more productive when they labor for the common good rather than for their own self-interest

c)    The products of labor should be distributed to all regardless of the effort contributed by any given individual.

d)   The co-ordination of the millions of decisions and tradeoffs to determine what resources should be allotted to the production of what goods, at what quantity and what price are best left to a few human beings who know what the entire population wants and needs.

e)    The only reason a planned economies have not worked where they have been tried is that  the right people haven’t been doing the planning