Public Policy Midterm: 3
Cabinet-Level Departments
Offices within the executive branch, such as the Department of the Treasury, that implement policy in specialized areas.
What is the typical result of compromise on policy alternatives?
Policies that are only partially effective and have continued debate
True or False: A model must be capable of being tested to be of use.
True
Legitimation is the stage of policy making in which ______.
legal force is given to a policy proposal and the public accepts the policy
A ______ exists when one or several persons or companies dominate the market and can control the price of a product or service.
oligopoly
The population of the United States was about ______ million in 2016.
325
In the 1980s, the federal government sponsored a decade long study of the causes and consequences of acid rain at a cost of ______ million.
500
Advocacy Coalition Framework
A policymaking theory developed by Paul Sabatier and Hank Jenkins-Smith that focuses on the "interactions of competing advocacy coalitions," particularly within a policy subsystem, such as agriculture or environmental protection. Each coalition consists of policy actors from different public and private institutions and different levels of government that share a particular set of beliefs about the policies that government should promote.
Rational Choice Theory
A policymaking theory that draws heavily from economics; assumes that in making decisions, individuals are rational actors who seek to attain their preferences or further their self-interests. The goal is to deduce or predict how individuals will behave under a variety of conditions.
Institutional Theory
A policymaking theory that emphasizes the formal and legal aspects of government structures. Institutional models look at the way governments are arranged, their legal powers, and their rules for decision making.
Group Theory
A policymaking theory that sees public policy as the product of a continuous struggle among organized interest groups; tends to believe that power in the U.S. political system is widely shared among interest groups, each of which seeks access to the policymaking process.
Political Systems Theory
A policymaking theory that stresses the way the political system responds to demands that arise from its environment, such as public opinion and interest group pressures. Systems theory emphasizes the larger social, economic, and cultural context in which political decisions and policy choices are made.
Political Stream
A political climate or public mood, evident in public opinion surveys, the results of elections, and the activity and strength of interest groups.
Literature Review
A review or assessment of available analyses or writings about a given subject. This can be a way to discover what has been written on a subject and what policy approaches have been tried in various settings.
Problem Analysis
A series of methods that can be used to analyze the causes of public problems, where they exist, what effects they have, and what might be done about them.
Parallel Situation
A similar condition in a related policy area that might provide ideas for what actions might be undertaken to address a problem.
Operational Measures
A specific way to define and measure a policy problem, such as a rate of poverty or unemployment. Often useful when quantitative measures of problems are needed.
Policy Evaluation
A step in the policy process that assesses whether policies and programs are working well. Also called program evaluation.
Policy Legitimation
A step in the policy process that gives legal force to decisions or authorizes or justifies policy action.
Agenda setting
A step in the policy process whereby policy actors attempt to get an issue seriously considered for public action.
The case of immigration reform illustrates the importance of ______ .
A strong problem analysis
The case of immigration reform illustrates the importance of ______.
A strong problem analysis
Federalism
A system of government in which sovereignty is divided between a central government and another government unit.
Issue Networks
A term coined by political scientist Hugh Heclo to describe informal arrangements or relationships among policy actors in the making of public policy.
Policy Cycle
A term sometimes used to describe the policy process to indicate that the steps of the process can be continuous and cyclical.
Market Failure
A term used when the private market is not efficient; some argue that such a failure provides a justification for government intervention.
Lobbying
Activities through which interest groups attempt to persuade policymakers to agree with their points of view or support policy proposals they favor, oppose those the group does not, or keep certain issues or policy alternatives off the legislative agenda.
______ allows policy makers to evaluate the situation while taking incremental policy steps.
Adaptive management
______ deals with the likelihood that an agency or department can implement a policy well.
Administrative Feasibility
Passage of the ______, discussed extensively in Chapter 2, exemplified the complex interplay of the two houses of Congress, the president, interest groups, and politics in the making of policy.
Affordable Health Care Act of 2010
The policy-making stage during which new issues are identified as problems for government to address is called ______.
Agenda Setting
The policy-making stage in which public needs are selected for consideration by a legislative body of government is ______.
Agenda setting
Which of the following states wanted to enact a law that would entail requiring proof of immigration status?
Alabama
Policy gridlock can occur due to ______. A.the checks and balances set up by our Constitution B.high levels of partisanship with strong lobbying C.the complexity of problems D.all of these
All of these
Which reason explains the growth in the size and complexity of government over the past hundred years?
All of these The nation's social problems have become highly complex. The government has taken on an expanded role in regulating many areas of our lives. The government's provision of social welfare programs has grown.
Being stuck in traffic imposes ______ on drivers because they could be doing something more productive with their time.
An opportunity cost
Circuit Court of Appeals
At the federal level, one of thirteen courts responsible for hearing appeals from the federal district courts; circuit courts have only appellate jurisdiction.
The policy design tools that rely on the premise that most people will behave because they have been told to do so are known as _____.
Authority tools
______ involves finding solutions to a problem by spontaneously sharing ideas without initial regard to practicality or feasibility.
Brainstorming
The ______ is essential to make sense of a problem, to see how it compares to other concerns in our personal lives or in society, and to estimate what effects a proposal or action might have.
Contextual data
______ is an economic method of policy analysis that studies the investment needed to enact a policy relative to the expected monetary benefits (in terms of savings or revenues it generates).
Cost-benefit analysis
The advantage of ______ is that it requires no measurements of the value of intangible benefits such as human lives.
Cost-effectiveness analysis
This "cousin" of cost-benefit analysis does not attempt to assign dollar values to potential benefits but instead assumes they will occur and looks for the cheapest way to achieve them.
Cost-effectiveness analysis
Which of the policy typologies identified by Lowi refers to the situation in which government spends money to provide grants or programs without regard to where the money will come from to pay for it?
Distributive
In the past, the policy-making relationship between states and the federal government was called ______, since there was clear separation of policy responsibility between the two levels.
Dual federalism
A recession is likely to affect the policies that Congress and the president adopt,to stimulate jobs. This is an example of which context affecting the development of public policy?
Economic Context
During and after the Great Recession, various governmental entities proposed policies to create jobs, increase the minimum wage, and regulate financial markets. This flurry of policy making was likely a result of which context, affecting the policy-making process?
Economic Context
Do federally funded abstinence-only programs actually prevent teenage pregnancy? This is a question that relates to the ______ of that policy alternative.
Effectiveness
Measuring whether the Economic Stimulus of 2009 has sparked creation of jobs and economic growth is an example of using which evaluative criterion?
Effectiveness
Nearly every policy proposal is concerned with the criterion of ______.
Effectiveness
One would use the ______ criterion in an effort to evaluate how successful a policy is at meeting its goals.
Effectiveness
projections of the future that may or may not come to pass.
Effectiveness
As budget pressures and scarce funding become dominant issues at all levels of government, use of which evaluative criterion has increased?
Efficiency
Which of the following policy analysis criteria looks at the achievement of goals in relationship to the costs to achieve them?
Efficiency
_______ is probably the criterion most likely to receive attention in contemporary policy making.
Efficiency
Which of the following policy-making theories might include consideration of the role of prominent and outspoken celebrities such as U2's Bono, Bill Gates, and Oprah?
Elite Theory
______ issues can deal with a range of concerns, from protecting individual freedoms to how the cost and benefits of a program are distributed across the population.
Equity
True or False: The latent group of Americans is composed of those who choose not to vote.
False
True or False: The public choice model is the approach preferred by Dye.
False
True or False: The rational model is based primarily on the dollar value of implementing a program.
False
Examples of ______ include economic projections, population estimates, and future energy needs.
Forecasting
______ can be defined as a procedure for producing factual information about future states of society on the basis of prior information about policy problems.
Forecasting
______ refers to the institutions and political processes through which public policy choices are made.
Government
Which of the following has long been a central focus of political science?
Government Institutions
The ______ has led to more evaluations of public policies and programs, an important way to improve policy capacity.
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993
A policy-making approach (commonly used by the federal government) defined as a series of small policy actions that lead to modest and relatively slow policymaking.
Incremental
The United States has made many small, targeted changes to environmental policy, economic policy, and health care policy over time. This is called ______ policy making.
Incremental
A policy-making approach (commonly used by the federal government) defined as a series of small policy actions that lead to modest and relatively slow policy making.
Incremental Policy Making
______ involves making more minor or modest policy changes.
Incremental decision making
According to Kraft and Furlong (2018), the conflict and polarization that typify American government today often leads to ______.
Incremental policy making
The ______ theory of policy making emphasizes the formal and legal parts of governmental structure.
Institutional
Those that focus on the three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial)when studying public policy would be primarily interested in the ________ model.
Institutional
During the later years of the Obama administration, the Democratic Party controlled the presidency and Senate, while the Republican Party controlled the House of Representatives. As a result, gridlock occurred, and it was difficult for the policy-making process to enact policies to address important issues of the day such as immigration, gun control, or environmental legislation. Which policy-making theory might attribute this failure to the formal way our government is structured and the procedures for how bills become law?
Institutional theory
______ often take a position on a policy issue and try to influence policy makers to take their position through release of reports, personal persuasion, testifying, lobbying, advertising, and the like.
Interest Group
The federal court system plays a vital role in policymaking by ______.
Interpreting the policy decisions made by other agencies of government
Deterrence is
Is a form of elitism
_______________ refer to informal clusters of organizations and individuals (working in both the government and the private sector) that are deeply involved in a certain area of focus and share specialized knowledge, communication patterns, and power structures within that area of focus.
Issue Networks
______ is a key part of setting the agenda.
Issue framing
Formerly called iron triangles, ______ are informal groupings of interest groups, congressional subcommittees, and an executive agency that are less likely to be influenced by public opinion, since they typically work closely together out of the public eye.
Issue networks
Systemic Agenda
Issues the public is aware of and may be discussing. Also referred to as the societal or social agenda.
Institutional or Governmental Agenda
Issues to which policymakers give active and serious consideration.
Which of the following think tanks is not considering one of the "leading"?
Lexington Institute
Not every state has laws that require motorcyclists to wear helmets even though they have been shown to reduce the severity of injuries in the event of an accident. States without these laws have weighed the criterion of ______ more strongly than effectiveness.
Liberty/freedom
Examining books, journals, and reports regarding a particular problem or solution represents the use of the ______ technique of collecting information.
Literature Review
When the Environmental Protection Agency adopts regulations that force power plants to take into consideration the actual costs to deal with pollution and the health problems it causes, what type of market failure is the EPA addressing?
Negative externality
______ are observable ways to define a problem.
Operational measures
Democratic Political Process
Opportunities for citizen involvement in decision making and ensuring public review of policy ideas.
A college student could be working as a waiter and earning US$20,000 annually. However, he is attending college and forgoing that income. This is an example of the _____ to attend college, a cost that the student hopes will be worth the investment in the long run.
Opportunity cost
Which statement describes the kinds of policy subject areas for which "issue networks" might be most active?
Policies for which public opinion is less relevant, but higher levels of specialized expertise are important, such as regulating health care exchanges.
Redistributive Policies
Policies that provide benefits to one category of individuals at the expense of another; often reflect ideological or class conflict.
A systematic and organized way to evaluate problems, policy alternatives, or the effectiveness of government programs is referred to as ______.
Policy Analysis
A systematic and organized way to evaluate problems, policy alternatives, or the effectiveness of government programs is referred to as:
Policy Analysis
Which of the following terms refer to deliberate critical thinking about the causes of public problems and which policy choices make the most sense to address them?
Policy Analysis
Because of greater decentralization of policy making to the states, it has become more important that states have strong ______ or the ability to make effective and efficient policies.
Policy Capacities
______ refers to the ability of a government to address its problems effectively through public policy.
Policy Capacity
The policy-making stage during which money is spent, regulations are adopted, and the policy is carried out is called ______.
Policy Implementation
The policy-making stage of ______ is where regulations are adopted, money is spent, and the approved government actions are set in motion.
Policy Implementation
Which of the following is not part of the policy process?
Policy Input
______ are tools, approaches, or methods that policy makers have available to use in order to formulate a policy.
Policy Instruments
A systematic and organized way to study problems, policy alternatives, or the effectiveness of government programs is called ______.
Policy analysis
Analyzing problems, studying possible policy alternatives, and evaluating the efficiency or effectiveness of policies are examples of what?
Policy analysis
______ refers to collecting and interpreting information that clarifies the causes and effects of public problems.
Policy analysis
______, a technique of gathering information about problems and studying proposals, can bring greater clarity to public policymaking.
Policy analysis
Which statement best describes the relationship of policy analysis to the policy process model?
Policy analysis supports the policy process at several points by increasing understanding of problems and possible solutions.
Ethical Analysis
Policy analysis that is based on ethical principles or norms, such as personal freedom or equality. It can supplement analysis based largely on economic, political, or administrative concerns.
A state that is able to develop effective policies that meet the needs of its citizens could be said to have strong ______.
Policy capacity
______ refers to the ability of a government to address its problems effectively through public policy.
Policy capacity
Incremental Policy Making
Policy changes that occur in small steps; adjustments are made at the margins of existing policies through minor amendments or the gradual extension of a program's mandate or the groups it serves.
______ refers to the process of the government choosing which specific policy instruments will be used to address a public problem.
Policy design
During the ______ stage of policy making, legislators rely on policy analysts to develop and study possible policy alternatives for them to consider.
Policy formulation
During the ______ stage of policy making, legislators rely on policy analysts to develop and to study possible policy alternatives for them to consider.
Policy formulation
Ideological differences and high levels of partisanship in Congress have produced ______ in regard to changing national immigration policies.
Policy gridlock
The history of ______ in areas as diverse as energy policy, economic stimulus measures, health-care reform, and taxes and spending reflects the inability of policy makers to resolve some of these deep conflict.
Policy gridlock
A ______ refers to the results that occur when a policy is implemented.
Policy outcome
______ reflect who participates in the process, who does not, and the different resources that each policy actor brings to the decision-making arena.
Policy outcome
_____ approaches to policy making use rigorous methods but are committed to specific policy values and goals.
Political
The popularity or relative power of a political party, pressure exerted by interest groups, and the influence of third parties (such as the Tea Party) are examples of the ______, affecting how decisions are made by government.
Political Context
Which of the following criteria for analyzing public policies examines how government officials appraise the acceptability of a particular alternative or solution?
Political Feasibility
______ is a policy analysis criterion that evaluates whether elected officials are likely to find a proposed policy acceptable or not.
Political Feasibility
The United States saw an increase in environmental legislation in the 1970s due in part to pressure from environmental groups. This represents what type of rationale for government intervention?
Political Reasons
Many individuals recently urged President Obama to reform health care by setting up a single-payer system like the Canadian system. In developing his health-care reform plan, the president ruled out that option early using the criterion of ______ because it was likely to be "dead on arrival" in Congress.
Political feasibility
The Center for American Progress and the Heritage Foundation often use ______ to promote a preferred policy.
Political policy analysis
______ has been defined as "who gets what, when, and how" or the exercise of power in making decisions of public policy.
Politics
Which of the following accurately refers to the relationship between policy analysis and politics in policy development?
Politics often plays a stronger role than policy analysis throughout the policy-making process.
______ describes the attempts of elected officials to provide government programs and services that directly benefit their constituencies.
Pork Barrel
Education is often cited as something that benefits more than just the person getting the education; it benefits society in a number of other ways. This is called ______.
Positive Externatilty
All of the following are examples of policy outputs except?
Poverty rates
The ______ refers to the various bits of information available on the problem, whom it affects, and in what ways.
Problem stream
Think tanks study problems and alternatives in order to help policy makers make decisions. The type of policy analysis typically conducted by think tanks is called ______.
Professional
______ approaches to policy making are studies conducted by government agencies or think tanks; they are often rigorous studies yet are done to answer policy questions, not to develop theories.
Professional
A ______ is a rigorous analysis that focuses on analyzing policy results and outcomes.
Program evaluation
______ focuses on analyzing policy results and outcomes.
Program evaluation
Policy formulation is the stage of policy making in which ______.
Proposals are developed for actions that could be taken to resolve a problem.
Solutions
Proposed alternatives to solve a given problem once the causes have been identified.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration spells out the kinds of things that business and industry must do to protect workers. This is an example of what type of policy?
Protective regulation
___ are defined as the immediate causes of a given social problem.
Proximate Cause
______ refers to the aggregate sum of individual attitudes and opinion of members of society.
Public Opinion
The use of ______ can minimize to some extent the weaknesses inherent in cost-benefit analysis.
Sensitivity analysis
______ refers to the checks and balances that our Constitution sets up among the three branches of government.
Separation of Powers
The Constitution gives each branch of government a different role in policy making in the United States. This sharing of responsibility by our government is known as ______.
Separation of powers
The aging of the Baby Boom generation has led to growing interest in reform of government programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Similarly, immigration policy is in the spotlight because of the influx of immigrants to the United States. These are examples of the ______ influencing policy.
Social Context
In some states, legislators may be more likely to propose laws allowing gay marriage than in other states. Gay marriage is more ______ in the states that pass such laws.
Socially acceptable
Providing direct payments or benefits to individuals is an example of _____.
Subsidizing
Punctuated Equilibrium Model
Suggests that we can get dramatic policy change when the conditions are right. Thus we may have long periods in which policy stability is the norm, in part because those who dominate the policy process are "privileged groups of elites" who are largely satisfied with the status quo.
Critics have derided ______ as a fuzzy if not meaningless term.
Sustainable development
______ refers to the occasion when the public is aware of and discussing an issue even though politicians may not be discussing the issue.
Systemic agenda
Quick Survey
Talking with people in a particular policy network or searching through hearings transcripts, minutes of meetings, newspaper accounts, and the like for pertinent information about a problem and policy alternatives.
Politics
The exercise of power in society or in specific decisions over public policy; used to refer to the processes through which public policies are formulated and adopted, especially the role played by elected officials, organized interest groups, and political parties. Politics can also be thought of as how conflicts in society are expressed and resolved in favor of one set of interests or social values over another.
Federal District Courts
The federal (national) courts primarily responsible for conducting trials—in the original jurisdiction—for national laws.
Which statement captures the theme of Chapter 2 in Kraft and Furlong (2018) when it comes to the U.S. government?
The federal form of government distributes power and involves many actors, yet leads to less efficient policy solutions and an inability to address complex issues.
The governing context affects how policy decisions are made. This context refers to ______.
The federal system and separation of powers
Filibuster
The senatorial procedure whereby a single senator or group of senators can talk for an extended period of time in hope of delaying, modifying, or defeating a proposal.
Problem Definition
The step in the policy process whereby a particular issue is defined or explained in a particular way that people can understand. Problems can be defined in a number of ways.
The founders of the United States established a government structure with numerous checks and balances due to which of the following motives?
To ensure that the new government could not tyrannize the population.
Categorical Grants
Transfers of federal dollars to the states where the funding must be used for specific purposes.
Block Grants
Transfers of federal dollars to the states, where the states have substantial discretion in how to spend the money to meet the needs of their citizens.
True or False: An externality is when the activities of one group or individual impose costs on others for which there is no compensation.
True
True or False: An information failure is a form of a market failure in which consumers lack complete understanding or knowledge of their options in a given transaction.
True
True or False: Conflict arises when policy actors have differing views about the substance of public policies or whether government intervention is justifiable at all.
True
True or False: Having theories of policy making helps policy actors understand the way policies work and how to improve the process.
True
Public Policy
What public officials within government, and by extension the citizens they represent, choose to do or not do about public problems. This can include passing laws or approving regulations, spending money, or providing tax breaks, among other things.
Which statement lists the most common use of policy analysis?
assessment of various policy alternatives and their likely effects
Which statement describes government policy with regard to regulation of amusement park rides in the United States?
complicated and varied across the nation, with different levels and agencies of government involved
In U.S. clean air and water programs, the federal government establishes quality standards and provides funds, while the states are responsible for implementation. This is an example of ______ federalism.
cooperative
As budget pressures and scarce funding become dominant issues at all levels of government, use of which evaluative criterion has increased?
efficiency
The latent group in American society is comprised of those that
generally support the political system.
Economists want to replace the gross domestic product with the ______.
genuine progress indicator (GPI)
Which of the following combinations of saliency and conflict provide the greatest opportunity for an issue to be placed on the government's agenda?
high saliency, low conflict
In an attempt to change the behavior or attitudes of citizens, government leaders often use ______ policy tools, which refer to making public addresses or speeches to exhort citizens to do something.
hortatory
Political systems theory explains policy making as a process of ______.
interaction among the government institutions and the larger social, economic, and cultural context in which they operate
The federal court system plays a vital role in policy making by ______.
interpreting the policy decisions made by other agencies of government
Opportunities for citizen involvement in government are greatest at the ______ level.
local
Some analysts try to predict how likely a policy issue will be placed on the agenda for action. Policy issues that have ______ have the best chances to be placed on a public agenda.
low conflict and high saliency
Which of the following are considered public goods?
maintenance of highways police protection public education All of these are correct
Which level of government is involved in developing public policies?
municipal or city government federal government state government Correct! all of these
Which of the following are examples of pure public goods?
national defense, air, public parks
A systematic and organized way to evaluate problems, policy alternatives, or the effectiveness of government programs is referred to as _____.
policy analysis
In the United States, the final stage of policy making, referred to as ______, often gets little attention. Rather, our governments spend much more of their efforts on the ______ stage of policy making.
policy evaluation; policy formulation
The purpose of policy analysis is to
provide information and impartial assessments of options to aid the policy-making process.
Which of the following best defines the rational-comprehensive approach to policy making?
rigorous, complete analysis of the problem and the likely impacts of proposed policies
A ______ approach to policy analysis focuses on understanding the underlying conditions that are causing a public problem, while the ______ approach focuses more on how to alleviate shorter-term symptoms of the problem.
root cause/ proximate cause
A ______ approach to policy analysis focuses on understanding the underlying conditions that are causing a public problem, while the ______ approach focuses more on how to alleviate shorter term symptoms of the problem.
root cause;proximate cause
Which of the following is an example of data that could be collected to study the root causes of poverty?
the number of students who drop out of high school
Government policy actors are defined as ______.
units or agencies of government that are involved in the policy-making process
In the early 1990s, the state of Wisconsin pilot tested a variety of welfare reform programs such as Workfare and Learnfare. These programs helped the federal government reform its major welfare program in 1996. This is an example of
use of real-world situations to develop policies.
To make a rational policy decision, policymakers must
weigh benefits against costs.
The notion of deterrence is an important component of
Game Theory
Policy analysis draws from the ideas and methods of which of the following disciplines?
- Economics - Sociology - Political Science - All of these
Statistical information can be displayed in which of the following ways?
- Line figures - Pie charts - Bar charts - All of these are correct
Which of the following conduct different kinds of policy analysis that is often very helpful to the policy making process?
- Think tanks - interest groups - government agencies - All of these are correct
The Clean Air Act Amendments took place in ______.
1990
A 2012 Pew Research Center report found that ______% of registered voters in the nation agreed that citizens who are voting should be required to show a photo ID.
77
A 2016 Gallup poll found that ______% of Americans favor a photo ID requirement.
80
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
A "mini bureaucracy" that consists of the White House offices and agencies, such as the Office of Management and Budget, that assist the president in the development and implementation of public policy and provide the president and the president's staff with vital information and policy ideas in their respective areas.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
A form of policy analysis in which the costs and benefits of proposed policy actions are considered carefully. Often, although not always, the major costs and benefits are measured quantitatively by their value in dollars.
Impact Assessment
A form of policy analysis that examines the likely effects or impacts of proposed or adopted policies. These may be environmental, social, economic, or other significant impacts.
Implementation Analysis
A form of policy analysis that examines the process and effects of implementing public policy. Can be used to anticipate likely implementation problems prior to adoption or to document actual problems after a policy has been put into effect.
Policy Design
A form of policy analysis that occurs during policy formulation, where an analyst considers how the various components of a proposed policy fit together and how they are likely to work to solve a problem. Involves consideration of what actions government will take and how they will affect "target populations," or the people most affected by the policy.
Pure Private Good
A good or service where the consumer enjoys all the benefits and bears all the costs.
Veto
A presidential power to reject a bill approved by Congress; Congress may override the president's veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses.
Ideal Situation
A reference used in policy analysis whereby a highly preferable or ideal goal or solution to a problem might be set.
Equity
An analytical criterion that refers to the consideration of what constitutes a fair or equitable policy choice, how a program's costs and benefits are distributed among citizens, or a way to think about who is allowed to participate in policymaking processes.
Efficiency
An analytical criterion that refers to what a policy or policy proposal costs in relation to its expected benefits to society; or a desire to realize the greatest possible benefit out of the dollars that the government spends.
Effectiveness
An analytical criterion that refers to whether a current policy or program or one that is being considered is likely to work—or the likelihood that the policy's goals will be achieved.
Rational Decision Making
An approach to decision making that attempts to follow a series of logical or rational steps: defining a problem, identifying goals and objectives to be sought, evaluating alternative solutions, and recommending one that best achieves the goals and objectives.
Independent Executive Agencies
An executive branch organization, such as the EPA, that differs from cabinet-level departments chiefly because it is responsible for a more focused policy area.
Cities that use "visioning" exercises to get citizens to think about what they desire for future development in their community are using ______ to compare policy alternatives.
An ideal situation
Logic of Collective Action
An interest group theory that suggests that a single individual would be irrational to join an interest group when almost no personal gain would follow.
Independent Regulatory Commission (IRC)
Another type of executive agency whose commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for fixed and staggered terms; most IRCs are responsible for the economic regulation of certain industries.
Policy analysis is most commonly used during which stage of policy making?
Assessment of various policy alternatives and their likely effects
Which of the following statements summarizes major reasons for the growth in government in the past 100 years?
As the U.S. territory and role in the world expanded, public attitudes became accepting of government involvement in many facets of life.
True or False: Interest groups speedup the process of policy making.
False
Since the U.S. Congress is ______, the House of Representatives and the Senate must agree on policy actions before these policies can go forward.
Bicameral
Federal ______ grants for community development activities give states and local governments an amount of money to conduct the activities with more flexibility to determine how the money is spent.
Block
True or False: One of the central tasks in improving policy capacity in government is in the hands of the government.
False
______ argue for less government intrusion into the economy and decision making within business and industry.
Conservatives
______ enable those seeking a solution to communicate with one another with a degree of precision that otherwise might not be possible.
Definitions
Risk Management
Describes public policies that are adopted to manage or control various risks. For example, antiterrorist policies are designed to lower the risk that terrorism presents for public safety, and pollution-control policies aim to reduce risk to public health posed by various chemicals.
Assessing Alternative
Determining the merit of possible policy choices, often through use of policy analysis.
Which term is used in cost-benefit analysis when discussing the present value of future benefits?
Discount rate
Public service announcements on television or radio represent what form of government policy tool?
Education
The policy instrument of ______ refers to government attempts to convey important information to citizens in order to influence their behavior.
Education
At periodic stages of the policy process, ______ is the criterion analysts use to determine how well a policy has lived up to expectations.
Effectiveness
The ______ theory of policy making focuses on the role of experts and leaders in formulating public policy.
Elite
Which of the following policy analysis criteria deals with whether a policy has a fair process or policy outcome?
Equity
Federal cabinet departments and major agencies such as the CIA and EPA are found in which branch of government?
Executive
______ branch agencies implement most public policies within the United States.
Executive
In the last 3 months of the 2016 presidential campaign, ______ stories posted on Facebook led to more reader engagement.
Fake News
True or False: A course of government action taken in an attempt to address a public problem is known as policy analysis.
False
True or False: An information failure describes a situation in which a third party gains something from a market transaction but does not pay for it.
False
Unfunded Mandates
Federal requirements placed upon the state governments without sufficient funds for implementation
The trend of decentralization of government in the United States transfers policy authority from ______ to ______.
Federal to state
Program Evaluation
Focuses more on policy results or outcomes than on the process of implementation, but the two go together. Evaluation of any program may be an essential part of long-term implementation success, and there are many different ways to evaluate a program.
The ______ of 2010 was the first major overhaul of food safety since 1938.
Food Safety Modernization Act
A local government is interested in planning for certain services for older adults as the baby boom generation ages. The agency develops estimates of the number of older adults who will be living in the area in 2015, 2020, 2025, and 2030. This is an example of ______.
Forecasting
______ is the policy-making theory that posits that policy making occurs in a pluralistic way through a dynamic struggle among a variety of policy actors, interest groups, government officials, and the public.
Group Theory
______ portrays public policy as the product of a continuous struggle among organized interest groups.
Group Theory
A(n) ______ occurs when the public has incomplete information in order to make a decision or the decision is too complex and difficult for the average citizen to know how best to proceed.
Information failure
The dominant policy-making style in the United States is ______.
Incremental
______ are organized groups of people following the logic of collective action.
Interest Groups
______, or providing information supporting their policy positions to legislators, is a visible role played by interest groups.
Lobbying
Which of the following is most likely to conduct political forms of policy analysis?
National Rifle Association
Which government office is in charge of monitoring how other agencies conduct cost-benefit analyses?
Office of Management and Budget
Kingdon's ______ model illustrates how three independent sets of activities related to problems, policy proposals, and politics can converge and bring a public issue onto the agenda.
Policy stream
Being committed to specific approaches, positions, and ideological partisan agendas is known as the ______ approach to policy analysis.
Political
Local governments often hire nonprofit organizations to provide some of the services that government provides, such as treatment for drug addiction or maintenance of trails. These are examples of ______.
Privatizing
The beginning of any policy study involves a description of a ______.
Problem
"Maximum social gain" is most associated with the ________ model.
Rational
The ______ theory of policy making draws heavily on economics to explain the actions of voters and also of elected officials as attempts to maximize self-interest.
Rational Choice
______ is usually defined as the magnitude of adverse consequences of an event or exposure.
Risk
Policy analysts often investigate the ______ of a social problem in order to develop policy solutions that attack the problem before it might develop.
Root Causes
The long-term, underlying causes of social problems are called ______.
Root Causes
Researchers and academics conduct research to develop a rigorous and in-depth understanding of public problems and policy alternatives. This approach to policy analysis is ______.
Scientific
The ______ orientation/approach to policy making often involves peer-reviewed research using controlled studies.
Scientific
Which of the following illustrates an operational measure of school quality?
Standardized test scores
Providing direct payments or benefits to individuals is an example of ______.
Subsides
Which of the following information sources would provide an initial overview of a subject or problem and would be a good place to begin the process of policy analysis?
The Los Angles Times
Issue Framing
The practice in which policymakers and interest groups do whatever they can to set the policy agenda in their favor by defining problems their way.
What is the president's major forum for agenda setting and stating the coming year's priorities?
The State of Union Address
Citizen Capacity
The ability of citizens to participate in policymaking processes; that is, their level of interest and knowledge, and their ability to understand issues and play an active role.
Evaluative criteria are ______.
The important aspects of the policy proposal on which you will make comparisons
Problem
The existence of an unsatisfactory set of conditions for which relief is sought, either through private means or from the government. Commonly used in discussion of societal issues that call for a governmental response in the form of public policy.
Precedent
The legal doctrine in which judges rely on prior court decisions in the making of current decisions.
Policy Change
The modification of policy goals and/or the means used to achieve them.
Which statement describes the importance of theories in helping us to understand policy making?
Theories help us understand why certain policies are adopted.
A growing sector of private organizations that conduct policy research often used by government policy makers is called ______.
Think tanks
______ are federal requirements placed upon state governments without any financial support for implementation.
Unfunded Mandate
At times, the federal government places requirements on state governments without any financial support for implementation. This is known as a(n) ______.
Unfunded Mandates
Conflict between states and the federal government can be caused by ______, in which the federal government emplaces new rules about government services that must be provided by states, but does not provide funds to cover the new costs that might be incurred.
Unfunded Mandates
Many states implement policies that the federal government studies and later adopts on a nationwide basis. This is an illustration of which policy-making approach?
Use of real-world situations to develop policies
Risk Evaluation
Use of various methods to determine the level of risk that is acceptable to the public and policymakers. For example, to what extent should the nation protect its citizens against the risk of air pollution or unsafe food or water? Risk evaluation addresses the question of how safe is safe enough.
When the U.S. government was formed, which three cabinet-level departments existed?
War, Treasury, and Foreign Affairs
Policy stream
What might be done about a problem—that is, the possible alternative policies.
Public Opinion
What the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time.
Policy Gridlock
When political decision makers are unable or unwilling to compromise in a way that permits public policy action.
Political Culture
Widely held values, beliefs, and attitudes, such as trust and confidence in government and the political process.
Evaluative Criteria
______ refer to the important factors or standards that policy analysts will use to assess the proposed policy alternatives.
Policy analysts that propose policies that align with mainstream public values are taking an approach to policy formulation known as ______.
adhering to consensual norms
Which of the following best describes the sequence of the policy-making process presented by the Kraft/Furlong policy process model?
agenda setting, policy formulation, policy implementation, policy evaluation
Cost/benefit analysis is a useful tool in policy analysis. It can be used to ______.
analyze the efficiency of various possible policy alternatives
When determining how to respond to rising energy costs, policy makers assessed the likely environmental, health, and safety impacts of energy exploration, development, and use. This is an example of ______.
applying risk-assessment approaches to analyze policy options
Agencies that fall under the domain of the executive branch of government include ______.
cabinet-level departments, independent regulatory commissions, and independent executive agencies
Incrementalism views public policy as the
continuation of past policies.
Which is the correct sequence in the policy analysis process?
define and Analyze problem, analyze policy alternatives, develop criteria, and assess
Policy analysis that puts a priority on citizen involvement and alignment with public opinion emphasizes ______.
democratic political process
A relatively new form of citizen participation, ______ allows citizens to access government agencies and their policies through various website.
e-government
A relatively new form of citizen participation, ______, allows citizens to access government agencies and their policies through various Web sites.
e-government
The debate over ______, discussed in the beginning of Chapter 6, involved policy proposals that utilized many of the instruments of public policy as well as most of the evaluative criteria.
energy policy
The main reason that government gets involved in addressing a public problem is to ______.
ensure that the general "public good" is maintained and protected
Which of the following policy analysis criteria would be used if a fair and just evaluation were a concern?
equity
Models are used for all of the following reasons except to
evaluate the morality of different policies.
To get their news, many people rely on entertaining news outlets or one-sided broadcasts that reflect their own views. To get the best understanding of the real issues or proposals being made by government, one should ______.
find an interesting, reliable, objective source you like, and will check regularly
Public policy is best defined as
government action taken in response to a public problem.
Which statement describes the primary reason that U.S. policy making is characterized by conflict over which policies to adopt?
government officials, interest groups, and citizens promote their views about what to do
Compared to the past, the public is more accepting of business regulation such as the regulation of market failures. This acceptance has led to ______.
growth in the size and power of government
Public choice theory
helps explain why political parties and candidates do not like to offer clear policy alternatives.
A useful model should do all of the following EXCEPT
include all aspects of a given policy.
Which of the following illustrates an operational measure of the safety of a community?
index crime rates, such as violent and property crimes
Understanding the system of government is important for students of public policy because
it enables us to assess constraints on policy development and the opportunities that exist within the system to develop solutions through policy.
Elitism views the masses as largely
passive, apathetic, and ill-informed.
What is the typical result of compromise on policy alternatives?
policies that are only partially effective and have continued debate
Many school districts hire out private businesses to maintain school buildings or provide school lunches. In this case, the districts are using which policy tool to meet their needs?
privatizing
Policy analysis is used most heavily during which stages of the policy-making process?
problem analysis and policy alternative development
Policy analysis is used most heavily during which stages of the policy-making process?
problem analysis, policy alternative development, and policy evaluation
Operational measures are also referred to as ______.
quantitative indicators
When developing policy alternatives to address a problem, the policy maker should examine ______, which refer(s) to how well the policy has worked in a state, pilot test, or other smaller scale attempt to implement it.
real-world or parallel situations
Public choice theory views policy as
similar to the decisions made in marketplaces.
States demonstrate a wide variety of policy capacities. This refers to the fact that ______.
state governments vary greatly in their ability to create good policy
Policy tools that are focused on either increasing the availability of a good or reducing the need for that good would be looking at a problem from which perspective?
supply and demand
The case of health care reform exemplifies ______.
that the constitutional structure of the U.S. government often makes policy making difficult
Which statement summarizes the structure of the federal judiciary? It is made up of______.
the Supreme Court, Circuit and Federal District Courts, and various specialty courts
Group theory views public policy as
the balance that is achieved between competing interests.
Regulating is defined as ______.
the government requiring certain activities be done, and if not, assessing penalties
Which statement best describes the policy issue demonstrated by Alec Baldwin's being dismissed from an American Airlines flight?
the issue of an obsolete policy based on new information
One of the biggest differences between a cabinet-level department (agency) and an independent regulatory commission is that ______.
the president may not remove a commissioner of an independent regulatory commission because of policy disagreements
The primary assumption of elite theory is that in shaping public policy, ______.
the values and preferences of the general public are less influential than those of a small group of experts or leaders
Market mechanisms as tools or instruments of policy are defined as ______.
those that rely upon the laws of supply and demand to influence the behavior of individuals or corporations
Federal subsidies that are only given to dairy farmers who own more than one hundred cows may raise concerns about the ______ of the policy.
Equity
In Wisconsin, the way the state has balanced its budget led to large protests. Certain interest groups claimed that they have borne an unfair amount of the financial burden. These citizens are claiming the budget lacks ______, one of the criteria used to evaluate policies.
Equity
Which of the following evaluative criteria are emphasized in all of the following policy debates: income gap, urban K-12 education, cost of higher education, taxation of wealthy, Social Security benefits, access to health care, and climate change?
Equity
With regard to policies that address access to quality public education (at K-12 and higher levels), which of the following evaluative criterion is most important?
Equity
______ issues and personal freedom are addressed less frequently.
Equity
A difficult and relatively infrequent type of policy analysis that systematically examines conflicts and concerns about policy alternatives from the standpoint of values and rights is referred to as ______.
Ethical analysis
______ refer to the important factors that policy analysts will use to assess the proposed policy alternatives. They are also used to analyze the impact of the policy after implementation.
Evaluative criteria
The ______ consists of White House staff and other offices such as the Office of Management and Budget that assist the President in implementing public policy.
Executive Branch
The ______ consists of White House staff and other offices such as the Office of Management and Budget that assist the president in implementing public policy.
Executive Office of the President
In public choice theory, ________ occur when one actor or group imposes costs on others without compensation.
Externalities
True or False: States have an equal level of policy capacity.
False
True or False: The elite model presupposes a small group of leaders who are defined primarily by their inherited wealth.
False
True or False: The equity criterion helps to evaluate how well a policy works.
False
True or False: The evaluative criterion of feasibility is concerned with how well the policy has worked and the policy outcomes that occur.
False
True or False: The incremental method is generally preferred in times of crisis, when profound change is required.
False
True or False: The second stage of policy making is policy legitimation when policies are voted upon.
False
________ is the distribution of money and power among federal, state, and local governments.
Federalism
______ is our system of government, in which the federal government shares authority with states and local governments in areas of public policy.
Federalsim
The Senate allows its members more freedom to debate policy issues than the House. In some cases, Senators talk for hours in hopes of influencing a bill or blocking its passage. This is called a ______.
Filibuster
In order to choose which policy options (such as sanctions or public education) are better than others to reduce cell phone use, policy analysts might use the criterion of efficiency. What question would they ask related to efficiency?
For what we invest, which of these options is likely to do the best job of reducing cell phone use?
The United States has made many small, targeted changes to environmental policy, economic policy, and health-care policy over time. This is called ______ policymaking.
Incremental
According to Chapter 13, the conflict and polarization that typify American government today often leads to ______.
Incremental Decision Making
Making modest changes in policy is known as what?
Incremental decision making
Causes
The factors that are thought to bring about a given situation or problem. Used in problem analysis to identify how a problem came to exist and why it continues.
Policy Outputs
The formal actions that governments take to pursue their goals.
Collective Good
The general good of all people in a community, state, or nation. Also refers to goods, such as national defense, that could in principle be private but instead are provided by government because private markets cannot do so. Also called a public good.
Public Good
The general good of all people in a community, state, or nation. Also refers to goods, such as national defense, that could in principle be private but instead are provided by government because private markets cannot do so. Also called a public good.
Which of the following statements best illustrates the rational-comprehensive approach to decision making?
The government collected data about illegal immigrants (geographic location, type of employment, and how they got here) and then developed a comprehensive new policy tailored to their findings.
Public Participation
The involvement of the public in political or governmental processes. It can refer to voting, writing letters or e-mail messages to policymakers, talking with others about policy issues, or assuming a direct role in governmental decisions.
Policy Instruments
The tool, such as regulation or education, that government uses to intervene in a given problem or issue.
Decentralization
The transfer of policy authority from the federal government to the states.
Contingent Valuation Method
The use of surveys to determine the economic value that people place on certain goods or services for which there is no market value. Used in cost-benefit analysis to consider intangible costs or benefits, such as a safe community or clean water.
Problem Stream
The various bits of information available on a problem, whom it affects, and in what ways.
True or False: Public participation in the policy process can go well beyond voting, writing letters or e-mail messages to policy makers, and discussing policy issues.
True
True or False: Sometimes analysts compare policy alternatives with an ideal situation.
True
True or False: The major components of problem analysis include define the problem, measure the problem, consider the causes of the problem, set goals or objectives, and determine what can be done about it.
True
Distributive Policies
Individual programs or grants that a government provides without regard to limited resources or zero sum situations (in which one group's gain is another's loss).
As opposed to elite and group theory, public choice theory focuses on
Individuals
The two criteria used to distinguish private goods from public goods are:
Joint consumption and exclusion
A good that can be ______ is one for which one individual's consumption of the good does not interfere with another individual's consumption of the same good.
Jointly Consumed
True or False: The policy outcomes reflect who participates in the process, who does not, and the different resources that each policy actor brings to the decision-making arena.
True
True or False: The public and interest groups are the major informal policy actors.
True
True or False: The public choice model is based largely on the notion of the social contract, a principle central to the ideas of the founding fathers.
True
Supply and Demand Perspectives
Two views on how to think about public problems. One focuses on the quantity of the good or service that is, or can be made, available (supply) and the other on its use by the public (demand)—which might increase or decrease. For example, energy policy could try to increase the supply or decrease the demand through conservation.
Brainstorming
Used to foster creativity in consideration of policy alternatives. In a small group setting, individuals are encouraged to think of possible solutions without imposing constraints on the discussion or criticizing ideas as they are offered.
A city that encourages citizens to serve on a community sustainability advisory panel so that they will develop greater awareness and engagement is using a ______ policy tool.
Learning
Examining books, journals, and reports regarding a particular problem or solution represents the use of the ______ technique of collecting information.
Literature review
Interest groups often attempt to influence policy makers and public policy through ______.
Lobbying
Which statement accurately reflects the activity of lobbying by interest groups?
Lobbying refers to providing information on policy positions to legislators.
A situation of ______ is an economic reason for government to intervene.
Market Failure
______ are economic justifications for why government becomes involved in societal problems.
Market Failures
Negative externality and information failure are both examples of what?
Market failure
Which creative thinking tool begins with an analysis of the status quo as a baseline?
No-action analysis
Using a ______ allows analysts to determine the value of future benefits today.
None of these
Policy analysis refers to the assessment of ______.
Policy alternatives
Being committed to specific policy values and goals as well as ideological and partisan agendas is known as the ______ approach to policy analysis.
Political
The Tea Party movement and other factors have led to increased polarization between political parties at the state and national levels. This polarized situation affects the ability of legislatures to enact policies. This situation describes a strong impact of the ______ context on policy making.
Political
The ideology of individual members of Congress is an example of the ______ context that affects the development of public policy.
Political
Which of the following policy analysis criteria is used if the acceptability of a particular alternative to interest groups, the general public, or politicians is a concern?
Political Feasibility
This analytical technique uses historical data to make estimates of future numbers.
Projection
Which of the following is the only type of good for which there is no market failure, and the government need not intervene to prevent it?
Pure private good
Indicators of sustainability refer to _____ data that attempt to measure a community's progress toward the goal of sustainability.
Quantitative
______ involve talking with people in a particular policy network or searching through hearing transcripts, minutes of meetings, newspaper accounts, and the like for pertinent information about a problem and policy alternatives.
Quick surveys
Discount Rate
A calculation made in conducting cost-benefit analysis that takes into account the changing value of a dollar over time. Future costs and benefits are "discounted" to present value by using estimated inflation rates.
______ involves defining the problem, indicating goals and objectives to be sought, considering a range of alternatives, and evaluating each alternative before recommending a particular solution.
Rational decision making
Which of these models is least likely to propose entirely new programs and policies?
Rational model
Political Feasibility
A calculation of the likely acceptability to policymakers of proposed policy ideas or alternatives. Refers to whether elected officials are likely to support the idea. This is assumed to reflect a broader social acceptability of the same ideas or alternatives.
Risk Assessment
A calculation or estimate of the risks to society posed by a given situation, such as terrorism or natural hazards—for example, hurricanes. A specialized and technical form of policy analysis that can identify risks and estimate their severity.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
A comparison of the relative value of policy alternatives in terms of a given benefit that is delivered; a method for comparing policy alternatives when a dollar value cannot easily be placed on the benefits of action, such as the value of lives that are saved by requiring safer automobiles.
No-Action Analysis
A policy alternative that considers the advantages or disadvantages of taking no new action, and thus keeping a current policy in place. Maintains the status quo.
Elite Theory
A policymaking theory that emphasizes how the values and preferences of governing elites, which differ from those of the public at large, affect public policy development.
Dual Federalism
A theory that states that the functions or responsibilities of each level of government are distinct; little integration of the two levels of government exists.
Cooperative Federalism
A theory that states that the national government is more involved in different policies through collaboration between the national and state governments.
Pure Public Good
A type of market failure in which a good, such as police protection, is defined by its ability to be jointly consumed and for which exclusion is not feasible.
Positive Externality
A type of market failure that occurs the same way as a negative externality, but the third party gains something from the two-party interaction and does not have to pay for it.
Negative Externality
A type of market failure that occurs when two parties interact in a market and a third party is harmed as a result, and does not get compensated.
Information Failure
A type of market failure that occurs when willing buyers and sellers do not possess all of the information needed to enter into a transaction or exchange.
Toll Good
A type of market failure whereby a good is defined by its ability to be jointly consumed, and exclusion is feasible. An example is cable television services.
Rational-Comprehensive Approach
A way of making decisions that considers all significant policy alternatives and all of their major consequences. Often contrasted with incremental decision making, which is thought to be more realistic and practical.
Incremental Decision Making
A way of making decisions that emphasizes consideration of a limited number of policy alternatives and their effects.
Sensitivity Analysis
A way to adjust policy analysis by making it sensitive or responsive to changes in any one variable so that the consequences can be better understood under varying assumptions. For example, forecasting can be made sensitive to different assumptions about economic growth or inflation.
The ______ approach to policy analysis defines a problem, indicates the goals and objectives to be sought, considers a range of alternative solutions, evaluates each of the alternatives to clarify their consequences, and then recommends or chooses the alternative with the greatest potential for solving the problem.
Rational-comprehensive
The National Park Service (NPS) issues a limited number of backpacking permits at some parks. What type of policy tool is this?
Rationing
A(n) ______ instrument of public policy collects revenues from one group and spends it on services for a different group.
Redistributive
Equity concerns are central when it comes to ______ policies, since different groups of people pay for and benefit from these policies.
Redistributive
These types of policies have "winners" and "losers." In other words, some groups benefit at the expense of others.
Redistributive
Which term refers to an instrument of public policy that collects revenue from one group and spends it on services for a different group?
Redistributive
A ______ is a law proposed by a state or locality for voters to approve or reject.
Referendum
Creative Thinking
Refers to a way of analyzing public problems and their solutions that goes beyond conventional ideas. Important for imagining and proposing unusual solutions.
Local governments often hire nonprofit organizations to provide some of the services government provides, such as treatment for drug addiction or maintenance of trails. These are examples of ______.
Regulating
The authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue radio and television broadcasting licenses is an example of a ______ policy.
Regulatory
Competitive Regulation
Regulatory policies that are mostly associated with the regulation of specific industries and their practices.
Protective or Social Regulation
Regulatory policies that protect the general public from activities that occur in the private sector.
The United States is a ______ democracy
Representative
Common Pool Resources
Resources that are shared by a society and available to all to consume, such as oceans, lakes, rivers, and public lands. Also represents a type of market failure in which a good is defined by its ability not to be jointly consumed and for which exclusion is not feasible.
______ refers to the policy analysis method that assesses the potential for harm that might result (to people or to the environment) if potential hazards should occur.
Risk Analysis
______ is a close relative of cost-benefit analysis.
Risk Assessment
This decision-making tool analyzes the potential harm to people or other negative effects of a proposed policy solution.
Risk assessment
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses _____ to determine the level of chemicals and other pollutants that can be present in water and still be considered safe to drink.
Risk evaluation
In order to choose which policy options (such as sanctions or public education) are better than others to reduce cell phone use, policy analysts might use the criterion of liberty. What question would they ask related to liberty?
Which of these options will least restrict people's freedom and choice?
______ of the federal government are headed by a secretary appointed by the president and have many subsidiary agencies.
Cabinet-level departments
Providing information to the public is also referred to as a(n) ______ tool.
Capacity building
Governments may invest in training programs for their own staff or for the public. This policy design tool is referred to as ______.
Capacity-building tools
Toll roads require motorists to pay for the use of the roads. Local or state governments that have toll roads are using which policy tool?
Charging fees
______ refers to the competence, skill, and participation of the individual members of a democracy.
Citizen capacity
______ refers to the competence, skill, and participation of the individuals members of a democracy.
Citizen capacity
This group of American citizens is the least likely to vote.
College students
Opportunity Cost
Common in economic analysis; one considers the value of opportunities that are forgone when time or resources are spent on a given activity. It is what people might have done with the same time or resources if they had had the choice.
The "tragedy of the commons" refers to the situation in which individuals attempt to maximize their use of ______ without regard to their degradation or depletion.
Common pool resources
When the government encourages you to buy a home and allows you to take a deduction for the mortgage interest, it is using this form of government action ______.
Taxing and spending
When the government encourages you to buy a home and allows you to take a deduction for the mortgage interest, it is using this form of government action:
Taxing and spending
When the government encourages you to buy a home by allowing you to take an interest deduction, it is using which policy instrument?
Taxing and spending
______ refers to the availability and reliability of technology needed for policy implementation.
Technical Feasibility
The use of ______ is enabling governments to reach out to and engage citizens to a greater extent than ever before.
Technology
Bicameral
The ability of government to identify and evaluate public problems, and to develop suitable policies to deal with them.
Policy Capacity
The ability of government to identify and evaluate public problems, and to develop suitable policies to deal with them.
Subgovernments
The ability of government to identify and evaluate public problems, and to develop suitable policies to deal with them.
Policy Implementation
The actual development of a program's details to ensure that policy goals and objectives will be attained; it is during this part of the policy process when one sees actual government intervention and real consequences for society.
Root Causes
The basic or fundamental causes of public problems, sometimes referred to as underlying causes. Often contrasted with proximate causes.
Public Attitudes and Habits
The collective opinion or practice of the public, which can become entrenched due to long-standing habits and can influence policy action.
Policy Outcomes
The effects that policy outputs, such as the passing of a law, have on society.
An example of ______ is farmers, agricultural equipment makers, and bureaucrats at the U.S. Department of Agriculture working together to promote particular policies.
an advocacy coalition framework
Growth in the size of government has led to ______.
an emergence of a large employment sector and a time-consuming policy-making processes
The Affordable Care Act (Obama's health-care law) included funding for many pilot projects and special studies that will be used to select future policy options to use on a more widespread basis. The funding of these efforts is an example of the policy tools called ______.
Conduct research
______ arises when policy actors have differing views about the substance of public policies or whether government intervention is justifiable at all.
Conflict
To reduce drivers' cell phone use, should state governments institute sanctions such as tickets or fines? Or should they try to educate drivers on cell phone use? These are examples of which part of the policy analysis process?
Construct policy alternatives
______, which are essentially questionnaires or interviews with individuals, are designed to allow an estimate of the dollar value of the time spent stuck in traffic or the preservation of lakes or forests.
Contingent Valuation Methods
Policy analysts can estimate the value of a human life through ______.
Contingent valuation method
Which of the following theories of policy development relies upon the wisdom, experience, and actions of societal and governmental leaders?
Elite Theory
Elite theory maintains that
elites share a consensus on the need to preserve the system.
Not every state has laws that require motorcyclists to wear helmets even though they have been shown to reduce the severity of injuries in the event of an accident. States without these laws have weighed the criterion of _____ more strongly than effectiveness.
liberty/freedom
Policy analysts study the nature of the problem. Which statement below best defines what this refers to?
the severity, scope, and causes of the problem
True or False: Many interest groups provide rigorous and helpful information for policy analysis.
True
True or False: Policy analysis is helpful at every stage of the policy-making cycle.
True
What criterion is most likely to receive increased attention in contemporary policy making as policy alternatives and existing programs are assessed?
Efficiency
Problem definition involves ______.
- Defining and measuring the scope of a societal problem - Political influence on how the problem is framed - Conducting or reviewing research that documents a societal problem - All of these are correct
The presidential election of ______ clearly showed, modern Internet technologies facilitate a much greater level of citizen involvement even in national elections and governing.
2008
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated a U.S. population of about 396 million in ______.
2050
The world's population is expected to climb to some 9.8 billion by ______.
2050
Which of the following policy analysis criteria looks at the policy outcomes of goals in relation to the costs to achieve them?
Efficiency
With the scarcity of government resources in the past several years, the evaluative criterion of _____ has become more and more important.
Efficiency
This decision-making tool studies the expected outcomes of a policy proposal while also calculating the expected financial impact.
Cost-benefit analysis
The policy criterion of ______ refers to the assessment of how well a policy works relative to the cost of adopting that policy.
Efficiency
The U.S. government administers the Post Office. Which of the following describes the type of policy tool being used in this situation?
Government management
Regulatory Policy
Government restriction of individual choice to keep conduct from transcending acceptable bounds. Often used in health, safety, and environmental policies.
The poverty line for a family of four is higher in which of the following states?
Hawaii and Alaska
All states must meet the minimum requirements that were set by the federal ______.
Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
A(n) ______ is often used in the environmental policy arena to estimate the harm that might be incurred or the chance of a possible effects of a particular policy proposal.
Impact assessment
______ attempt to explain why and how policy-making occurs.
Theories of policy making
A growing sector of private organizations that conduct policy research often used by government policy makers is called:
Think tanks
Proximate Cause
Those causes of public policy problems that are most direct or immediate, and sometimes easier to handle. Often contrasted with underlying, or root, causes of problems.
Cable television services are an example of a ______.
Toll Good
