Which concept describes the idea that a higher standard of living would come from improved productivity and higher wages?

• A. Collective bargaining
• B. Fordism
• C. American standard of living
• D. IWW

Answer: (C)

The idea tested is that increases in productivity lead to higher wages and a higher overall standard of living. When workers are more productive, they can earn more, and the economy can produce more goods and services, which together raise the living conditions for people across the country. The term that best describes this broad outcome is the American standard of living, since it refers to the overall level of well-being in the United States resulting from gains in productivity and wages.

The other options refer to specific mechanisms or groups rather than the general idea of living standards improving with productivity. Collective bargaining is about negotiating wages and conditions between workers and employers, not the overall level of living; Fordism describes a particular method of mass production, not the nation’s living standards as a whole; and the IWW is a labor organization advocating for workers, not the concept of living standards rising with productivity.