Archive for the ‘Real World Graduation’ Category

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Real World Graduation, Question 94: Benefits of Welfare

by Edward Posted: Sunday, 8/4/2019

RealWorldGraduation_Question_94_Benefits_of_Welfare   <– PDF

In the 1960’s the federal government instituted a program of assisting young women who had illegitimate children. This aid came in the form of cash payments, housing at low rents, and assistance for food and medicine via government-issued stamps that could be used as cash for most grocery and medical items.  In what ways were these programs beneficial to the recipient?

a) It allowed the young women to provide for their children in a safe and secure environment, without the violations of privacy and crowding that would prevail if she had continued to live with her parents.

b) It allowed them sufficient spare time to pursue education or other career training.

c) It allowed them to live independently, and although they were initially poor, they would eventually be able to rise to the middle class.

d) It provided them with an additional income if she chose to get married, even if her husband was working.

e) All of the above.

(The answer is on p. 2 of the PDF.)

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Posted in critical thinking, Economics, government powers, Real World Graduation | No Comments »

Real World Graduation, #93: Actors and Dictators

by Edward Posted: Sunday, 7/28/2019

RealWorldGraduation_Question_93_Actors_and_Dictators   <– PDF

A wealthy American-born celebrity Hollywood actor routinely visits a nation that is ruled by a ruthless dictator.  Although the dictator uses populist rhetoric, the economy and political system is actually run as a closely-held corrupt oligarchy, and the poor continue to be worse off each year.  Also, the people have no civil liberties to speak of (and in fact are prohibited from immigrating out of the nation).  However, the actor consistently praises the dictator as a man of the people, a champion of the poor, a defender of the rights of the common man, and as a model of what every government leader should be.  The actor and dictator are not related by blood or marriage, nor does the actor have business or family ties to this nation.  Why would a famous American actor bother to make any comments about the internal politics and economics of a nation run by a dictator?

a) The actor recognizes that poverty can only be alleviated if the government steps in and guides each persons work, ensuring that each person is assigned the work for which he is best suited.

b) The actor thinks it important to give dictators some positive publicity in the interest of fairness; the actor knows how it feels to be rejected since he had many unsuccessful auditions early in his career

c) The actor wants to help the poor people of the foreign nation by giving the dictator sufficient publicity so that the people can understand why the dictator’s programs are good for them

d) The actor admires the orderliness of the dictator’s nation, in contrast to the usual chaos on a movie set

e) Some combination of the above

(The answer is on p. 2 of the PDF.)

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Posted in critical thinking, Famous people, progressive, Real World Graduation | No Comments »

Real World Graduation, Question 92: Birth Certificates

by Edward Posted: Sunday, 7/21/2019

RealWorldGraduation_Question_92_Birth_Certificate    <– PDF

When a baby is born in a modern hospital located on U. S. territory, what is the first thing that goes on the birth certificate?

a) The baby’s name

b) The names of the parents (or the mother alone, if the father is deceased or his identity is uncertain, or the mother does not wish his identity to be revealed)

c) The date of birth

d) The place of birth

e) The attending physician’s name

(The answer is on p. 2 of the PDF.)

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Real World Graduation, Question 90: Traffic Tickets

by Edward Posted: Sunday, 7/7/2019

RealWorldGraduation_Question_90_Traffic_Tickets    <– PDF

A certain district lies along 25 miles of Highway U. S. 193, where the speed limit is 55 MPH throughout.  The police force in this district only issues speeding tickets based on radar readings, and the department regularly calibrates its equipment to make sure the readings are accurate.  It is also department policy to issue tickets only if the driver is more than 7 MPH over the speed limit (i.e., is considered speeding only if going more than 62 MPH).  Over the long run, the probability of getting a speeding ticket in this locality is 0.2 (meaning that over a long period of observations, 20% of people who are going faster than 62 MPH get tickets).

Consider the following situation. It is a Tuesday morning, after the rush hour.  The weather is clear and traffic is light in this locality on Hwy U. S. 193.  The police officers on duty at this time checking for speeders are 30% black male, 40% white male, 20% black female, and 10% white female, which is approximately the racial makeup of the force at most times.  A black woman in a foreign sports car was going 73 MPH in the 55 MPH zone.  What is the likelihood that she will get a speeding ticket?

a) 50%, because half the officers on duty are white

b) 100%, because she is driving a foreign car

c) Greater than 50%, because more than half the officers on duty are men

d) Either zero or 100%, depending on the race of the officer who sees her first

e) This question is illogical because everyone knows that black women never exceed the speed limit

(The answer is on p. 2 of the PDF.)

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Posted in critical thinking, Real World Graduation, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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