Chapter 5
The Nature of Social Provision
Test Bank
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is the most common dichotomy of social provisions?
a. in-cash versus opportunities
b. in-kind versus opportunities
c. goods versus services
d. in cash-versus in-kind
2. Which of the following social provisions preserves consumer choice while allowing a
degree of social control?
a. opportunities
b. services
c. vouchers
d. tax credits
3. Which of the following social provisions is measurable?
a. in-cash
b. opportunities
c. power
d. services
4. Which of the following social provisions is immeasurable?
a. goods
b. vouchers
c. tax credits
d. opportunities
5. The choices concerning the form of social provisions can be best understood in which
of the following terms?
a. governmental values
b. federal values
c. state-wide values
d. community values
6. Which of the following best explains why policy makers will purposefully leave
policies vague?
a. It leaves the policy up to interpretation for different situations.
b. Nobody can argue against it because it is too simplistic.
c. Policy makers don’t want to force people to use policies.
d. There are too many specific policies that ended badly.
7. According to individual deficiency, a person is poor because of which of the
following?
a. They lack the resource materials needed in order to get ahead.
b. They are less adept to handle the changing demands of society.
c. They refuse to work to make money because they are too lazy.
d. They are ignored by the government because they are sub-human.
8. Which of the following best explains why giving the poor face-to-face time with social
workers produced long-term results?
a. The social workers could ensure that the drug addicts were spending their
money wisely.
b. The social workers had a more hands-on role in the lives of the poor and
needy.
c. The social workers could help the poor and needy develop skills and
knowledge.
d. The social workers could force the drug addicts to overcome their addictions
and get clean.
9. A man with a history of drug abuse and drug-related arrests has finally gotten clean,
but he can’t seem to find a job because of his record. Which of the following social
provisions would benefit him the best?
a. opportunity
b. goods
c. vouchers
d. cash
10. A single mother with four children has to work two jobs to barely make and buy food
and clothes for her children because she spends all her extra cash on cigarettes.
Which of the following social provisions would benefit her and her family the best?
a. vouchers
b. services
c. cash
d. goods
Short Answer Questions
1. Identify and explain the benefits of using in-kind provisions.
2. Identify and explain the benefits of using in-cash provisions.
3. Demonstrate how an opportunity provision could be more useful than goods or
services.
4. How does power as a provision allow programs to better serve the people who rely
on their services?
5. How can the voucher plan help students retain more information and score better on
tests? Compare how this differs from a similar plan that does not rely on vouchers.
6. Formulate a policy or program that relies on a monetarily immeasurable means of
social provision. How will you “measure” the policy’s or program’s success?
Essay Questions
1. Examine the abstraction of most social policies and programs. What makes
abstraction important? Relate and compare this to a policy or program with
strict guidelines.
2. Analyze the difference between consumer sovereignty and social direction.
Which groups generally support each of these policy values? Why is it difficult
for the government to balance the two policy values?
3. Plan a policy that shifts away from in-cash provisions and instead places an
emphasis on work and responsibility. What are the benefits of this kind of policy?
What
negative outcomes could be associated with this kind of policy?
4. Pick either the Nanny State or the Daddy State and write an argument in favor
of this kind of welfare state. Then create a second argument for why the other
policy should not be put into action.