Social Policy and Advocacy Flashcards

Medicare, established under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, primarily serves which population?

Answer: Adults aged 65 and older and certain individuals with disabilities

Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily for adults aged 65 and older and for younger individuals with certain disabilities or end-stage renal disease.

Legislative advocacy by social workers most commonly includes which activity?

Answer: Testifying before legislative committees and contacting elected officials

Legislative advocacy involves direct engagement with the legislative process, including written and oral testimony, meeting with legislators, and submitting public comments on proposed rules.

The 'iron triangle' concept in U.S. policy-making refers to the stable relationship among:

Answer: The legislative committee, executive agency, and interest group related to a policy area

The iron triangle describes the mutually reinforcing relationship among a congressional subcommittee, the executive agency administering related programs, and the interest groups benefiting from those programs.

Empowerment-based advocacy approaches in social work emphasize:

Answer: Building clients' capacity to advocate for themselves and influence policy

Empowerment-based advocacy recognizes clients as experts on their own lives and focuses on building their skills, knowledge, and confidence to advocate for themselves and their communities.

Social workers engaged in policy practice should base advocacy positions primarily on:

Answer: Evidence from research combined with the lived experiences of affected populations

Effective and ethical policy advocacy integrates empirical evidence with the perspectives of those directly affected, ensuring interventions are both evidence-based and centered on lived experience.

Which concept describes the unequal distribution of environmental hazards (such as toxic waste sites) in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods?

Answer: Environmental justice

Environmental justice addresses the disproportionate placement of environmental hazards in marginalized communities and advocates for equitable environmental protection for all populations.

When a social worker identifies a systemic barrier affecting multiple clients and shifts focus to changing that barrier, this is an example of:

Answer: Cause advocacy

Cause advocacy (also called class advocacy) involves working to change policies, laws, or social conditions that affect an entire group or population, rather than assisting a single individual.