Question

name: 10. which of the following has likely contributed most to the development shown in this graph? a. an excise tax b. a progressive tax c. a payroll tax d. tax withholding 11. what point is this cartoonist making? a. social security has grown too large. b. the retirement needs of aging baby boom will be very difficult for social security to support. c. keeping social security fully funded is a dangerous balancing act. d. social security is capable of supporting the baby boomers. 12. which “change in the u.s. population” is this passage referring to? for the system to function properly, there must be enough workers paying in to support all the retired workers receiving benefits. although the system has worked well, changes in the u.s. population threaten to undermine it. a. a sharp increase in the hispanic american population b. eroding popular support for entitlement programs c. the growing share of the population made up of retirees d. the growing number of workers who do not have taxes withheld from their paychecks put all answers in the lefthand blank, using capital letters (don’t circle or underline). not doing so will get it marked

Explanation:

• Question 10: An excise tax is a tax on specific goods (like cigarettes). As taxes on cigarettes increase (an excise tax), the cost goes up, which can lead to a decrease in the number of people who can afford to smoke, thus potentially contributing to the decline in the percentage of U.S. adults who smoke shown in the graph. A progressive tax is based on income (not relevant here). A payroll tax is related to employment - income (not for discouraging smoking). Tax withholding is about collecting taxes from paychecks (not relevant to smoking rates).
• Question 11: The cartoon shows “Baby Boomers” and “Social Security”. The visual metaphor (with the baby boomers and the Social Security “bowl”) implies that the large number of aging baby - boomers (a large generation reaching retirement) will put a strain on Social Security. Option A is not about the baby - boomer connection. Option C’s “dangerous balancing act” is too vague compared to the specific baby - boomer retirement issue. Option D contradicts the visual (the cartoon seems to show a problem, not capability).
• Question 12: The text mentions that the system (presumably Social Security) needs workers paying in to support retirees. A growing share of retirees (fewer workers per retiree) would threaten the system. A sharp increase in the Hispanic American population is not related to the worker - retiree ratio. Eroding popular support is about public opinion (not population structure). The number of workers without tax withholding is about tax collection (not population structure relevant to the system’s function as described).

Answer:

1. A. an excise tax
2. B. The retirement needs of aging baby boom will be very difficult for Social Security to support.
3. C. the growing share of the population made up of retirees