Becca’s GED Social Studies Blog

On the GED test, there are some important ideas you need to know about government and the big ideas behind government in the U.S. I was thinking about the last thing I talked about, redistricting, made me think about it. I mean, when people were using redistricting to discriminate against blacks or other minorities, other people brought it to court. The Supreme Court decided whether the people making laws were right or wrong. So, one part of the government can stop another part of the government from doing something. (Read on …)

Civics means government, and now’s the time when everyone’s thinking about the government… that is, election time! The GED has questions about government and voting, so you’ve got to know it. Plus, it’s important in your life. I mean, voting’s going on right now, and it’s going to change the government and who’s got the power.
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Hey, again, GED-ers. I know Curtis has been bugging me about the election stuff that’s going on… that’s one of the things on the GED… “Civics.” (Read on …)

Hey there! You’re all workin’ on your GED, and so money’s probably tight. Though when I was working as a truck driver, I was doin’ okay. What happened was, my back went out. Now, there’s no way I can drive a truck, so I gotta work on doing something else. That’s when I found out I needed my GED for any decent job. For options, you know. Because things go wrong. Well, when my back first went out, let me tell you, dealing with the insurance company and doctors and medical bills… it was no easy thing. That’s why I was interested in this article I read… and I feel pretty lucky, because bein’ put outta work and havin’ medical expenses, it could’ve been a lot worse.

Here’s a good GED social studies article… it talks about how according to one stud, 60% of bankruptcies are because of medical bills, even though a lot of the people have medical insurance: Medical bills prompt more than 60% of U.S. bankruptcies (CNN) … now, how bout a GED practice question about it?

The study may overestimate the number of bankruptcies caused by medical bills yet underestimate the financial burden of health care on American families, because most people struggle along but don’t end up declaring bankruptcy, according to Cunningham.

“Bankruptcy is the most extreme or final step for people who are having problems paying medical bills,” he says. “Medical bills and medical costs are an issue that can very easily and in pretty short order overwhelm a lot families who are on otherwise solid financial ground, including those with private insurance.”

Which of the following is the best conclusion based on Cunningham’s viewpoint?

1) Health care financial problems can be solved by more families having private insurance.

2) No bankruptcies are truly caused by medical expenses.

3) Families that incur high medical expenses usually have unstable finances.

4) No study could accurately estimate the contribution of health care expenses to bankruptcy.

5) Private insurance alone is not a complete solution to the financial burden of health care costs.

So, have you thought about the question? What do you think is the right answer? Read more to find out how I approached it… (Read on …)

Okay, I guess Cheerios aren’t a drug. But here’s the thing… as you’re studying for your GED, seriously the best thing is to check the news headlines and keep in touch with what’s going on all around. Because this article I read about Cheerios is just social studies in action. The government, economics, wars, people making history, it’s all GED social science, and it’s all over the news. But, what I was saying is about Cheerios. So, you’ve seen those ads, you can lower cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks by eating Cheerios? It’s interesting to me, because I’ve got to keep an eye on my cholesterol. Too much bad cholesterol can lead to heart problems, you know. But the FDA stepped in, and said Cheerios can’t claim that. They’re advertising Cheerios like it’s a heart drug, and heart medicines have got to be proven to work and approved by the FDA. (Read on …)

Hey, everyone! How’s the GED studying going? Here’s something interesting in the news that I think is good for GED social studies. It really raised a lot of questions with me! It’s the journalist in Iraq who threw his shoes at President Bush. (Read on …)

So, you’re reading an article in a magazine, or someone’s blog. Everything in it’s a fact, right? They’re reporting facts, right? Not true! Things you read have all kinds of opinions in them, as well as facts. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference! And you don’t want to think that someone’s opinion is a cold, hard fact. You want to make up your own mind on your opinions! That’s why the GED social studies test tests your ability to tell facts from opinions. (Read on …)

Hey, GED people! How’s the studying going? I’ve got a good GED social studies topic for you this time… -isms. You’re sure to run into a question about socialism, capitalism, communism, fascism… one of the big -isms. So, let’s try to sort them out. (Read on …)

Hey, all GED-studiers. You’ve seen a lot about the elections… it’s all over the place! Sometimes I feel like I can’t turn on the TV without getting hit by an election ad about something. Well, it’s important, too–because every day you see “financial crisis” in the news. (More GED social studies, because it’s all economics!) (Read on …)

Okay. So, economics is in the news. And, guess what? It’s all mixed up with government. And don’t think this isn’t making history. Not to mention that everyone’s talking about the Great Depression, comparing this to that. So we’ve got all kinds of GED social studies going on in the real world, right now. (Read on …)