What was the most significant education policy developed by the federal government?

What was the most significant education policy developed by the federal government?
Education is primarily a state and local responsibility in the United States. It is states and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds, that establish schools and colleges, develop curricula, and determine requirements for enrollment and graduation. The structure of education finance in America reflects this predominant state and local role. The result is that the Federal contribution to elementary and secondary education is just under 10%, which includes funds not only from the Department of Education (ED) but also from other Federal agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Head Start program and the Department of Agriculture’s School Lunch program. These Federal programs are not affected by California’s Local Control Funding Formula.

History of Federal involvement in Education

The Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision mandated the desegregation of public schools and gave the executive branch a legal precedent for enforcing equal access to education.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 was a key part of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty and has set the basic terms of the federal government’s involvement in education ever since. Rather than mandating direct federal oversight of schools, ESEA offered states funding for education programs on a conditional basis. In other words, states could receive federal funding provided they met the requirements outlined in certain sections, or titles, of the act. Every major education initiative since then has been about recalibrating the balance first struck by ESEA. Until 1980, the program was reauthorized every three years, each time with more specific guidelines about how federal funds were to be used.

In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now IDEA) ensured that students with disabilities are provided a free appropriate public education to meet their needs.

In 1979, the Federal Department of Education was established as a separate, cabinet-level government agency that would coordinate the federal government’s various initiatives and requirements. In the years since, we have had ESEA reauthorizations such as No Child Left Behind and Every Student Succeeds Act.

In addition to ESEA, the Federal government continues to administer other programs, including two large ones that tend to get less attention; child nutrition and Head Start.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches to children each school day. This program has played an essential role during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time of heightened food insecurity for so many families across our state and nation, this program has helped millions who may only get nutritious meals during the school day. The US Department of Agriculture recently announced the continued extension of nationwide flexibilities that allow free school meals for children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year.

Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families. This program is intended to halt the development of an achievement gap by promoting the school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families.

If the Federal contribution to the California public school system is less than 10% of the overall budget for schools, why is it important for PTA to spend time on this now? Due to the pandemic, a large federal investment in education is needed in order to stave off major state and local budget cuts that would disproportionately affect our most vulnerable students.

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  • Ed100
  • Americanprogress.org
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When the government’s goals are embodied in a law or an order, backed by punishments or rewards, it is best described as

What is the most important way the government affects personal and corporate investments?

promoting investor confidence through policies enforcing stability and regard for the law

Which of the following is not a goal of governmental intervention in the economy?

promoting corporate accountability

The Securities and Exchange Commission was established

after the stock market crash of 1929.

Which of the following is not a function of the Securities and Exchange Commission?

It protects the confidentiality of all sales of stocks and bonds.

Which of the following are the three basic prerequisites for economic growth?

public investment, innovation, strong workforce

The Securities and Exchange Commission was established

after the stock market crash of 1929.

Which of the following is not a function of the Securities and Exchange Commission?

It protects the confidentiality of all sales of stocks and bonds.

Which of the following are the three basic prerequisites for economic growth?

public investment, innovation, strong workforce

The goal of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was to

put unemployed persons to work on public projects.

What event marked the major historical turning point in the relationship between the government and the marketplace?

What did the Great Depression and World War II do to the public’s expectations regarding employment?

They showed that the government could help to ensure full employment.

When the price level of goods and services increases over several months, it is called

Which of the following was not one of the goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009?

providing for a national health care system

Public policy can be embodied in all of the following forms except

All of the following are strategies to combat inflation except

increasing the amount of government spending on public works projects.

are given to states and local governments on the condition that all expenditures are limited to the problem or group specified by law.

Which of the following is not a way in which the government promotes business development?

Which of the following was not a major form of economic promotion by the federal government in the nineteenth century?

land grants to railroad companies

Which of the following does the Small Business Administration (SBA) provide?

Before the 1930s, relations between labor and management in the United States were

among the most violent in the world.

Vehicle safety is one of the chief responsibilities of the Department of

Which of the following actions marked a decisive break with the tradition of the federal government promoting compromises between labor and management?

In 1981, Ronald Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers and hired permanent replacements to fill their jobs.

Upton Sinclair’s 1906 exposé The Jungle revealed

the unsanitary practices at meatpacking plants.

During the 1960s, Ralph Nader was influential as

Which of the following has not been a major goal of the government’s involvement in the economy?

promoting economic equity and fairness for all citizens

Adam Smith’s theory of ______ argues that many individual economic transactions come together to create a greater good for all.

Classic laissez-faire theory argues all of the following except that

a truly efficient government allows private enterprise to provide all government services.

Which of the following is the most important economic value for supporters of laissez-faire?

Which U.S. president once said, “I am now a Keynesian”?

What economic development, according to many critics, has made Keynesian economics less useful?

the rise of international trade

Who among the following advocated for laissez-faire capitalism?

Those who believe in ______ argue that the government’s role in regulating the economy should be limited to regulating the supply of money.

The idea that the government can stimulate a slow economy by increasing public spending or cutting taxes is called

Which statement is the key argument of John Maynard Keynes?

Government can pull an economy out of a recession by stimulating demand and creating a cycle of increased production and jobs.

When did Keynesian economic ideas become government practice in the United States?

Something that must be supplied by the government because it cannot be provided by the marketplace is called

Who was the most prominent monetarist in the United States?

Which of the following best describes the views of Milton Friedman?

Government should let the growth in the money supply match the rate of economic growth.

Which economist is best known for arguing that there is an optimal rate of taxation, and if taxes go above this rate, tax revenues will shrink because economic activity will decline?

ow did the Federal Reserve respond to the terrorist attacks of 9/11?

It cut interest rates to promote increased investment and spending.

Which of the Founders was most responsible for the establishment of the Bank of the United States?

is the current chair of the Federal Reserve Board, appointed by George W. Bush in 2005.

Which of the following statements about the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) is false?

The FRB is part of the Department of the Treasury.

Open-market operations describes

the method by which the Federal Reserve buys and sells government securities to increase or decrease the supply of money in the economy.

What is the reserve requirement?

the rule that every bank must have a certain amount of cash and negotiable securities on hand at all times

If the Federal Reserve wants to help boost a sagging economy, which one of the following is the most direct way it can do this?

lower interest rates so that banks can provide more loans at cheaper rates to individuals and businesses

Which of the following is the best example of a public good?

the interstate highway system

The power to raise or lower the tax rate is part of

A tax on imported goods is called a

Before World War II, ______ of federal revenue was generated from individual income taxes.

When people in the lower income brackets pay a larger percentage of their income toward a tax, it is called ______ taxation.

Sales taxes are ______, and most income taxes are ______.

A(n) ______ is an incentive in the tax code for individuals and corporations to invest their money in ways the government desires in exchange for a reduction in tax liabilities.

were the centerpiece of George W. Bush’s economic policy.

Why did the Democrats believe that the 2001 tax cuts should only remain permanent for those making less than $250,000 a year?

High income earners (those making more than $250,000 a year) had benefited disproportionately from economic growth in the early 2000s.

The ______ is determined by the amount government spending exceeds government revenue in a fiscal year.

In order to have reliable information about the costs and impact of economic policies, Congress created the ______.

Office of Management and Budget

Why do many businesses prefer Congress to regulate the economy?

It leads to a fairer and more equitable marketplace.

Which of the following is not an example of mandatory spending?

Approximately what percentage of the federal budget is made up of uncontrollables?

______ policies are designed to eliminate the abuses of powerful ______.

What did Congress see as the principle cause of the economic recession that began in 2007?

excessive risk taking by investors

______ are government grants of cash or other valuable commodities, such as land, used to promote activities desired by the government.

Why have politicians always favored using subsidies to promote certain economic activities?

They can be treated as “benefits” that can be spread widely in response to many demands.

Which of the following is not a benefit to government provided by contracting?

Government officials almost always use contracting to award businesses and corporations that donated substantial amounts of money to their political campaigns.

Which of the following is not one of the concerns politicians have to consider when attempting to pass regulations that seek to protect the environment?

Public opinion, which overwhelmingly favors economic interests over the environment.

The United States has ______ percent of the world’s population, and is responsible for ______ percent of its greenhouse gas emissions.

Most of the groundbreaking environmental laws were written in the

Which of the following statements about the relationship between government and capitalism is false?

Before the Progressive era, the marketplace was untouched by government interference.

Setting emissions standards for each industry, while allowing companies to trade “carbon credits” is an approach to environmental policy known as

The Kyoto Protocol was designed to

set binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions to be met by each country.

Which of the following was not a result of the 2009 Copenhagen Summit?

The meeting ended with a legally binding agreement between countries to limit greenhouse emissions across the world.

What year marked the beginning of the Great Depression?

Which of the following is the best description of the changing expectations of government’s role in the economy since the 1930s?

People hold the government responsible for a healthy economy.

The most consistently powerful nongovernment actors in determining economic policy are

Which of the following is not a possible cause of the increase in economic inequality over the past several decades?

the collapse of the domestic high-tech industry

Which of the following was a driving force for the economic growth during the late nineteenth century?

The index of the total output of goods and services produced in a national economy is called the

The goals of American social policy are

Which of the following is an example of nineteenth-century “indoor relief”?

Which group was the first to receive government assistance throughout the United States?

mothers with dependent children

Social case work, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was largely concerned with

personal counseling and “mental hygiene.”

How did the Great Depression change American attitudes about welfare?

It revealed that poverty could be caused by a flawed economic system, not just by personal irresponsibility.

When was Social Security established?

Social Security is a good example of

Which of the following is not a program of forced savings?

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

Which of the following statements about Social Security is false?

Contributors receive benefits in strict proportion to their contribution.

Medicare is a ______ program; Medicaid is a ______ program.

contributory; noncontributory

The periodic adjustment of benefits or wages that takes into account the increased cost of living is called

Why have Americans typically been apprehensive about government efforts to reform health care?

They fear reform will be too costly and will jeopardize current health care arrangements.

A cost-of-living adjustment is based on what?

When potential recipients of a benefit must establish their genuine need, the government program is called

What important noncontributory program was abolished by Congress in 1996?

Aid to Families with Dependent Children

When was Medicare established?

The Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program is administered

by the states, with benefit levels varying between states.

Which of the following statements about noncontributory programs is false?

The existence of these programs dates from the Civil War.

Which program was designed to help augment the benefits to the aged, blind, and disabled?

Which of the following is an in-kind benefit?

How does an entitlement differ from a right?

Unlike an entitlement, a right cannot be taken away by an act of Congress.

What was the significance of the Supreme Court case Goldberg v. Kelly?

It held that public assistance benefits could not be revoked without due process of law.

Which of the following is not a goal of American social policy?

closing the gap between rich and poor

What do public opinion polls reveal about welfare policies?

They are among the most disliked government programs.

What was the reason behind Progressive-era welfare for single mothers?

Reformers wanted women to stay home with their children rather than go to work.

The welfare reforms of 1996 did all of the following except

take the federal government out of welfare policy, granting all authority to the states.

Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms?

The reforms have reduced the number of people on welfare but have done little to reduce poverty.

The main change in welfare policies since 1996 is

increased use of non-cash assistance.

Approximately what percentage of the current federal budget is spent on entitlement programs, such as Social Security and Medicare?

Over the past three decades, the level of federal payroll tax has ______, and the level of federal corporate taxes has ______.

Which of the following social policies is the most costly to the government?

Which of the following is not an identifiable problem with Social Security?

The political consensus supporting a federal retirement program is crumbling.

The idea of ______ was at the heart of George W. Bush’s 2005 plan for Social Security reform.

The goals of social policy

reflect changing views about which risks should be borne by the individual, or shared by society.

After the election of 2004, President George W. Bush announced that ______ would be the centerpiece of his domestic policy.

The first federal government assistance in education came

in 1785, when the federal government set aside land for public schools.

What is the most significant force determining the distribution of opportunities in the United States?

What was the most significant education policy developed by the federal government in the nineteenth century?

the establishment of land-grant colleges

What event brought federal attention to elementary school education?

the fear that the Soviets were winning the Cold War through better technology

The idea that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to achieve their goals is called

Which of the following statements about the No Child Left Behind Act is false?

It creates a standard national test for all students.

Which of the following was a key part of President Obama’s overhaul of No Child Left Behind?

a proposal to change the criteria for allocating $14 billion in federal assistance to schools from a per pupil formula to a system of competitive grants

Which of the following is not a reason why the No Child Left Behind Act has been controversial?

The states were made responsible for setting standards and devising appropriate tests.

Charter schools are best described as

public schools that are free to design special curricula.

Who was in charge of caring for the poor during the nineteenth century?

Since the 1930s, American employment and training programs have

fared poorly in terms of both expense and results.

Which of the following was created during the New Deal?

Works Progress Administration

When was the U.S. Public Health Service founded?

What was the result of the efforts to reform health care in the United States in 1994?

Health care reform met resistance and no bill was voted on by Congress.

In 2010, approximately what percentage of American workers were offered health insurance through their jobs?

Which of the following was not included in the congressional plans for health care reform?

a “public option” allowing individuals to acquire medical coverage directly from the government

The central thrust of federal housing policy has been to

In 2007 and 2008, the government faced a housing crisis caused by

Which of the following is the strongest factor in predicting which groups in society receive the most benefits from government’s social policies?

groups that are the most politically powerful

Which of the following groups receives the most benefits from government’s social policies?

When did the American welfare state begin?

Which of the following groups receives the least benefits from government’s social policies?

Which of the following least explains why the elderly receive a large share of social benefits?

Most members of Congress are themselves elderly or soon will be.

AARP has a membership of approximately ______ members.

Between 1959 and 2004, the percentage of elderly Americans living in poverty has gone from ______ to ______.

______ are programs where the government provides a tax deduction for spending on health insurance and other benefits by both employers and employees.

Which of the following is the best example of the shadow welfare state?

workplace medical insurance

What is the shadow welfare state?

social benefits that are distributed by private employers who are being subsidized by the government

Which of the following programs most benefits the working poor?

earned income tax credits

Which of the following is not a reason the working poor receive such a small amount of social policy benefits?

The working poor are often considered undeserving by public opinion.

Since the welfare reforms of 1996, what is the primary reason for receiving federal cash assistance if one is nonworking and able-bodied?

The recipient is caring for children.

What was the primary problem with private charities before the development of the welfare state?

They would make subjective decisions on who was deserving or undeserving of aid.

Since the mid-1990s, by how much has the number of welfare recipients declined in the United States?

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

Men are more likely to be poor than women.

Which of the following groups are more than twice as likely as other Americans to be below the poverty line?

According to the text, why is it difficult to lobby for the interests of poor children?

Which of the following social policies is the most costly to the government?

Medicaid is the most costly of U.S. public assistance programs. Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), commonly known as welfare, provides cash assistance to poor families with children.

Which statement is the key argument of Keynesians?

Key Takeaways Keynesian economics argues that demand drives supply and that healthy economies spend or invest more than they save. To create jobs and boost consumer buying power during a recession, Keynes held that governments should increase spending, even if it means going into debt.

Which group receives the least benefit from government's social policies quizlet?

Children and the working poor receive the fewest benefits from government social policies. The elderly and the middle class receive the largest share of benefits from social policies.

Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms?

Which of the following can be concluded from the results of the 1996 welfare reforms? The reforms have reduced the number of people on welfare but have done little to reduce poverty.