Quiz #3 October 6, 2025

This week's quiz explores the inadequacies of the way our government measures poverty.

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* 1. What is the federal poverty line (FPL)?

An income threshold that is applied locally by HHS to count how many people live in economic need.

An income threshold also known as "poverty guidelines" applied nationally (and by family size) by HHS to determine eligibility for government assistance.

A figure used to define poverty in the United States.

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* 2. Which of the following is true about the federal poverty line (FPL) currently used by the U.S. government?

It does not account for geographic differences in costs of living.

It is based on consumption data from the mid-1950s and has been adjusted only
for inflation since then.

It drastically underestimates the number of people in this country who do not have enough to get by on their own.

All of the above

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* 3. Which states have their own poverty lines?

New York and California

Texas and California

Hawaii and California

Hawaii and Alaska

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* 4. What is the most common family size in the U.S. today?

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* 5. What is the current poverty line (FPL) for a family of 3 in New York City?

$43,570

$39,900

$34,335

$26,650

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* 6. What does a family of 3 in New York City actually need in order to get by without assistance?

$26,650

$54,500

$70,227

$85,348

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* 7. What does a family of 3 in Ames, Iowa actually need in order to get by without assistance?

$26,650

$32,781

$70,227

$48,672

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* 8. What percentage of Americans will live below the poverty line for at least one year.

60%

44%

29%

51%

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* 9. True/False: Government and nonprofit programs help a lot of people

True

False

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* 10. True/False: Government and nonprofit programs represent the best we can do in the face of the intractable problem that is poverty.

True

False

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* 11. How did you learn about SHP's weekly quizzes?

Optional:

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* 12. Name

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Thank you for completing this week's quiz! If you'd like to try our other quizzes, click here: The Shared Humanity Project Quizzes