6 Evaluating Antipoverty Policy Online Quiz Questions

True

False

The official measure counts SNAP and housing assistance as resources, while the SPM excludes them.

The official measure compares pretax cash income with a threshold, while the SPM also accounts for certain benefits, expenses, and housing-cost differences.

The official measure adjusts for geographic housing costs, while the SPM uses one threshold nationwide.

The two measures use identical income and expense rules but different names.

It proves the program caused any observed change in poverty.

It estimates the program's immediate contribution to measured resources, but does not by itself establish the counterfactual.

It measures long-term health and educational effects without additional evidence.

It identifies all eligible people who did not apply.

True

False

Changes in food insecurity

The number of program offices in the country

Whether households move above the chosen poverty threshold

Recipients' preferred grocery-store brands

Compare program spending in one year with spending the next year, without comparing outcomes.

Count everyone eligible and assume all of them receive the benefit.

Use a policy change that affects similar groups differently to construct a credible comparison.

Ask recipients whether they believe the policy helped and treat every response as causal evidence.

Whether the credit reduces poverty

Whether eligible households take up the credit

Whether every claimant has the same work schedule

Errors and burdens households face when claiming the credit

Treat the overall average as conclusive because it includes every participant.

Break results down by relevant groups and locations to check for unequal access or outcomes.

Remove locations with lower participation so the average reflects typical delivery.

Report only the number of benefits issued, without examining who received them.

True

False

The official poverty measure, because it counts noncash benefits and subtracts necessary expenses

The Supplemental Poverty Measure, because it counts certain benefits and expenses and adjusts thresholds

The poverty rate, because it measures food and housing hardship directly

The poverty gap, because it adjusts its threshold for geographic differences

Whether the benefit was counted in the poverty measure

The number of people below the threshold when benefits are counted

What recipients' outcomes would have been without the program

Whether the program's written eligibility rules include the target population

One policy option was estimated to cut child poverty in half, making combinations unnecessary.

No single assessed option was estimated to cut child poverty in half; combinations were more promising.

Only housing assistance was found to improve any child outcome.

The evidence showed that all antipoverty approaches had equally strong effects.

Compare spending with the poverty rate and omit application experiences.

Check whether the written rules include the intended group, then assume eligible people receive aid.

Track who is eligible, applies, is approved, receives aid promptly, and continues receiving it.

Measure payment accuracy only, because applications and delays are not part of effectiveness.