V181 Midterm
The best way to clarify your thinking about a policy problem is... Multiple choice question A) ...reading everything you can about it before writing anything. B) ...spending time in a quite place thinking hard about the topic. C) ...taking a long walk while rolling ideas around in your head. D) ...writing rough versions of your ideas from the start.
D)
Generally speaking, the federal judiciary... Multiple choice question A) ...under-represents women, racial/ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ individuals. B) ...accurately represents women, racial/ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ individuals. C) ...over-represents women, racial/ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ individuals.
A
Government contractors... Multiple choice question A)...are paid by the government to implement government policies with their private (non-government) employees. B) ...are government employees who remodel government buildings. C) ...are private companies whose revenue comes entirely from private (i.e. non-governmental) sources. D) ...are only given minor, non-essential policy tasks to implement.
A
If enough citizens reject the legitimacy of a government to make and enforce policies... Multiple choice question A) ...competitions--often violent ones--often break out among groups claiming legitimate authority B) ...different social groups will typically govern themselves peacefully and disregard other groups C) ...individuals can go about there daily business without interference from groups seeking authority. D) ...disagreements about policy are typically renegotiated through standard legislative procedures.
A
Organizations that make policy-related appeals to government are often referred to as... Multiple choice question A) interest groups B) shareholder communities C) viable policy centers D) political machines
A
Policy formulation is... Multiple choice question A) ...how government designs what it might do. B)...how government chooses what it might do. C)...the list of things government could possible make policy about. D)...the list of things government has recently made policy about.
A
Public policy, implemented through public administration, is how the State fulfills the social contract with citizens. A) True B) False
A
Relative to race and ethnicity, the US Congress... Multiple choice question A) is not representative of the US population, but is becoming more diverse over time. B) has become so diverse over time that it is now almost representative of the US population. C) has long been representative of the US population. D) is far more diverse than the US population.
A
Social movements... Multiple choice question. A) ...can be considered policy stakholders. B) ...are largely irrelevant to the policy process. C) ...are best known for effectively using standard, "insider" approaches to politics. D) ...are mostly fake news pushed by the media to attract readers and viewers.
A
The US Postal Service is a government agency, created by an act of Congress. That means we should consider third party contractors hired by USPS during the busy holiday season to deliver mail... A. private agents indirectly enacting public policy. B. private workers with no role in enacting public policy. C. government agents directly enacting public policy.
A
The administrative rule-making process... Multiple choice question A)...is considered part of the legitimation process for a new law because it is another opportunity for public scrutiny and input. B) ...is not part of the legitimation process because it happens after laws are alrady passed. C) ...is the only important part of the legitimation process because it determines the details of a law's implementation. D) ...is not part of the legitimation process because it happens entirely within one branch of government.
A
The explosion appears to have happened because... A)...no one knew of the potential danger. B)...government officials failed to make or implement corrective actions. C) ...there was little time to do anything about it.
A
The names given to the steps in the so-called "stages model" of the policy process are... Multiple choice question A) Agenda setting, Formulation, Legitimation, Implementation, Evaluation B) Drafting, Revising, Voting, Announcing, Enacting C) Ideas, Facts, Opinions, Arguments, Outcomes D) Developing, Comparing, Deciding, Acting, Reflecting
A
While there are a lot of variations, think tanks generally... Multiple choice question A) ...conduct research and publish reports and other policy documents. B) ..funnel cash payments to poltical campaigns. C) ...teach college courses in addition to conducting research and making policy recommendations. D) ...bring together lawmakers from different political parties to get to know each other better.
A
A policy can have procedural legitimacy, but still lack substantive legitimacy because... Multiple choice question A) ...policymakers can follow all the rules and still make policies that citizens reject. B) ...policymakers can make policies that citizens embrace, but make mistakes in how they do it. C) ...policies can reflect popular will, but still be criticized by certain interest groups. D) ...policies can include the demands of certain interest groups, but be largely rejected by the general population.
A)
In new policy areas with few established actors or clear policy networks, policy formulation happens... Multiple choice question A) ...over time, with input from various stakeholders who try to shape the debate. B) ...rapidly, with the interests of the chief executive having the biggest impact. C) ...rarely or not at all, because stakeholders can never reach consensus on a proposal. D) slowly, because new policy areas usually don't matter very much.
A)
Pennock says a good policy problem statement should be... Multiple choice question A)...just 1-2 sentences long. B)...one modestly sized paragraph long (about 150 words). C)...about 1 page long. D)...about 5 pages long.
A)
The implementation of policies that are technically not about budgeting--like water safety regulations--are still often dependent on budgeting processes because... Multiple choice question ...agencies that enforce those policies need to spend money to do so. ...all legislation is required to include changes to relevant budgets. ...people who cheat on their taxes are also likely to ignore policies without budgetary outlays. ...the corrupt use of government funds is the real way things get done.
A)
In order to prevent the "war of all against all," Thomas Hobbes describes how people... A) ...gave up a few freedoms in exchange for safety and other benefits. B) ...used new technology to defend themselves against others. C) ...were best off when they lived in houses far from others. D) ...defended all of their personal freedoms at all costs.
A) Yes...this is the "social contract."
Which of the following could be considered an policy stakeholder organization? Multiple correct question A)Starbucks, a US-based coffee chain B) the Pour House Cafe, a coffee shop on Kirkwood Ave C) the National Coffee Association D) Professor Baggetta's household, where they make a lot of coffee E) the CLC lounge, where coffee is sometimes consumed
A, B, C
The definition of public policy that was discussed in lecture refers to impacts on "citizens." From the perspective of the author of that definition (Guy Peters) and for (most of) the purposes of our course, which of the following people will we consder to be "citizens" of the United States subject to US policies? A) A person who was born in India to Indian parents who has just gone through a US citizenship naturalization ceremony. B)A person with a US passport that says they are a US citizen C)A computer programmer from Nigeria who has moved to California to take a job with Google D) An Airman in the US Air Force who was born in the US state of Oklahoma and is currently stationed in Japan E)A Honduran refugee being detained in a US-run facility at the US-Mexico border
All of the above
The impacts of a category-5 hurricane making landfall in Miami, FL would almost certainly be on the US national policy agenda in the days immediately after the storm because... Multiple choice question...the storm likely substantially impacted a large number of people....lots of people in other places likely saw dramatic news coverage of the storm....the U.S. government has made major policy responses to hurricances in the past....the hurricane happened very recently and is fresh in people's minds....state and federal governments in the U.S. have the resources to do something about the impacts of hurricanes....for things like highway bridge repairs, only the government can effectively respond.All of these features increase the chances that hurricane impacts would be on the policy agenda.
All of the above
Organizations outside of government that often contribute ideas to policy formuation include... Multiple choice question ...think tanks. ...businesses. ...membership-based advocacy organizations. ...professional associations. ...unions. All of these contribute policy ideas in their areas of interest.
All of these
Career civil servants have a role in policy formulation because... Multiple choice question ...they have substantial expertise in their policy area. ...they are probably going to be the people implementing new policies in their areas. ...they want to shape policy changes that keep them in charge of their policy areas. All of these statements are true.
All of these statements are true
Andrew Pennock argues that "Writing about your policy problem consists of two important processes, thinking and communicating, each of which sharpens the other." He says this implies that good policy writers... Multiple choice question ...have clear thoughts about what they will write before they start writing. ...open a browser tab for each source they will use and then close it after they write about that source. ...work out their thinking by writing rough early drafts that include open questions and notes to themselves. ...typically write a single draft, but then read it through carefully to check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes.
C
Audience-centered writing... Multiple choice question A)...assumes audiences are interested in the topic you are writing about. B)...places significant demands on the attention and focus of readers. C)...considers the needs of the intended audience during the writing process. D)...focuses on the needs of the author during the writing process.
C
Audiences in policy-settings... Multiple choice question ...usually set aside large blocks of time for reviewing policy documents. ...often have substantial expertise in lots of policy areas. ...are usually pressed for time and overwhelmed with policy communications. ...are not really concerned about policy details.
C
Elected officials, bureaucrats (i.e. professional civil servants), and media representatives... Multiple choice question A)...typically have the same amount of time to devote to policy reading. B) ...typically have the same amount of expertise in most policy areas. C) ...have different policy information needs (and therefore require different kinds of documents). D) ...have similar policy information needs (and therefore require similar policy documents).
C
States that use physical force in ways that its citizens think are cruel or unfair... A) ...have the support of the governed. B) ...will last the longest. C) ...risk losing legitimacy. D) ...gain respect through fear
C
The explosion in Beirut in August of 2020 appears to have been caused by... A) ...a missile. B) ...a metorite C) ...a warehouse full of chemical fertilizer. D) ...a car bomb
C
The systemic policy agenda in the United States is... Multiple choice question A) ...a document updated daily by staffers in Congress. B) ...a list of priorities assembled by the President's White House staff. C) ...all the things that people in a country think that government could be working on. D) ...all the topics currently being debated in state legislatures and governor's offices.
C
The term "social contract" refers to the idea that... A) ...people who live close to one another tend to know each other well. B) ...legal contracts are only as good as the people who enter into them C) ...citizens give up freedoms and resources in exchange for state-provided benefits. D) ...you are required to be social and hang out with your neighbors.
C
In the U.S. governmental system, policies are legitimized... Multiple choice question A) ...always by majority vote. B) ...always by supermajority vote. C) ...always with support of the executive. D) ...using different procedures, depending on the branch of government doing the legitimating.
D
Policies developed by government actors are most commonly worked on by... Multiple choice question A) ...elected legislators. B) ...legislative staffers. C) ...elected executives. D) ...executive branch civil servants.
D
Specific government policies are typically administered through an organization with which of the following kinds of employees? Multiple choice question A) The organization has only government employees implementing policy. B) The organization includes some government employees and some contractors from outside government. C) The organization has only contractors from outside government. D) All of these are possible arrangements in the U.S. system.
D
The explosion was so large it... A) ...was mistook for an atomic mushroom cloud. B) ...tipped over a passenger ship. C) ...blew out windows more than a mile away. D) All of these
D
Over the last 60 years, the proportion of federal tax revenue from corporate taxes has... Multiple choice question ...increased. ...decreased. ...stayed about the same. ...always been zero.
decreased
Which of the following organizations mentioned in the article would be considered government policy actors engaged with this policy issue? Multiple correct question A) the Department of the Interior B) the Environmental Defense Fund C) the American Petroleum Institute D) the Bureau of Land Management E) each of the oil and gas companies impacted by the rule F) the White House during the Trump administration (when the rule was rescinded) G)the White House during the Obama administration (when the rule was proposed)
White house during Obama administration(when rule was proposed) - the Department of Interior - The bureau of Land Management - The White House during the Trump Administration (when the rule was rescinded).
A government has legitimacy if... Multiple choice question A) its citizens are willing to accept its policy choices as both legally created and necessarily followed. B) its decrees are passed my majorities in the legislature and signed by the chief executive.. C) many citizens break many laws but do not face legal consequences for it. D) large numbers of citizens fear the police and other state authorities who enforce laws
A
Citizens of Beirut were angry in the days after the explosion because... A)...the government had a long history of poor public administration. B) ...the government had never acted in this way before. C) ...foreign governments were meddling in internal Lebanese affairs.
A
For a proposed federal budget to become the actual, legal budget funding the federal government for a year... Multiple choice question A)...a budget bill must be passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President B)....the President must sign a Budgetary Executive Order. C)...the Congressional Budget Office must approve the budget. D)...the budget must be balanced (i.e., the projected revenue must equal the projected expenditures).
A
Generally speaking, city governments include... Multiple choice question A) ...closer to representative numbers of Black/African-Americans than for Hispanic/Latinos. B)...about the same level of representation for Black/African-Americans as for Hispanic/Latinos. C)...closer to representative numbers of Hispanic/Latinos than Black/African-Americans.
A
While there are many different kinds of policy documents aimed at different audiences, they all typically share a set of common components. Which of the following appear in most policy documents (even if they might look or sound different in different kinds of documents)? -Executive summary - Problem definition (or framing) - Background on the policy area - Alternatives that might work to solve the problem - Criteria for how someone should choose among options - Trade-offs that compare alteratives to one another - Recommendations for which alternative to choose
-Executive summary - Problem definition (or framing) -Background on the policy area -Alternatives that might work to solve the problem -Criteria for how someone should choose among options -Trade-offs that compare alteratives to one another -Recommendations for which alternative to choose
If you are having trouble starting to write a draft, Pennock suggests you should... Multiple correct question A) ...write as if you are having a conversation with a person in your intended audience. B) ...just write whatever you can as quickly as you can; you can always change it later. C) ...remember your goal is to communicate an idea clearly, not create an global bestseller that will be read for hundreds of years. D) ...consider that your struggle is not about the writing but about fears that lead to procrastination. E) ...wait to start writing until inspiration strikes. F) ...only write when you feel a sense of "flow" come over you while writing. G) ...wait until close to a deadline, so you have the right sense of urgency propelling you. H) ...have some caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol, because those things can stimulate good writing.
...remember your goal is to communicate an idea clearly, not create a global bestseller that will be read for hundreds of years. ...consider that your struggle is not about the writing but about fears that lead to procrastination. ...write as if you are having a conversation with a person in your intended audience. ...just write whatever you can as quickly as you can; you can always change it later.
Which of the following organizations mentioned in the article would be considered non-government policy stakeholders engaged with this policy issue? Multiple correct question A) the Department of the Interior B) the Environmental Defense Fund C) the American Petroleum Institute D) the Bureau of Land Management E) each of the oil and gas companies impacted by the rule F) the White House during the Trump administration (when the rule was rescinded) G)the White House during the Obama administration (when the rule was proposed)
-the American Petroleum Institute -each of the oil and gas companies impacted by the rule -the Environmental Defense Fund
A budget is... Multiple choice question ...an estimate of funds that will come in and a plan for how to spend those funds. ...a list of policy priorities and the estimated amounts it would costs to meet those goals. ...the tax rate established for all individuals and corporations. ...a plan for borrowing to cover costs that go beyond projected revenues.
...an estimate of funds that will come in and a plan for how to spend those funds.
An academic journal article that analyzes data collected from 1985 to 2005 is probably... Multiple choice question. ..useless for a policy document on a current policy issue. ...helpful for a policy document on a current policy issue if it addresses exactly the same policy that you are writing about. ...helpful for a policy document on a current policy issue if it addresses a similar phenomenon to the one you are writing about. ...helpful for a policy document on a current policy issue if it was written by scholars at a famous university.
...helpful for a policy document on a current policy issue if it addresses a similar phenomenon to the one you are writing about
A sentence outline... Multiple correct question ...includes one sentence for each paragraph of a paper. ...should clearly reveal the logical order of your argument. ...can be expanded into your paper by expanding each outline point into prose. ...includes all of the exact statistics you need to support your argument. ...includes all the source citations you need to support your argument. ...includes placeholders for facts, data, and sources you need to research. ...helps reveal what you don't know about a topic. ...helps you see what you know that is actually irrelevant for your paper.
...includes one sentence for each paragraph of a paper. ...includes placeholders for facts, data, and sources you need to research. ...should clearly reveal the logical order of your argument. ...includes all the source citations you need to support your argument. ...helps reveal what you don't know about a topic. ...includes all of the exact statistics you need to support your argument. ...helps you see what you know that is actually irrelevant for your paper. ...can be expanded into your paper by expanding each outline point into prose
More than 80% of federal spending each year goes to... Multiple choice question ...cash welfare payments to the poorest families. ...non-discretionary entitlement programs (mostly Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid) and national defense. ...research, education, innovation investments. ...aid to foreign countries.
...non-discretionary entitlement programs (mostly Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid) and national defense.
Generally speaking, policy implementation is handled by... Multiple choice question A) ...civil servants in executive branch agencies. B) ...staffers in legislative branch offices. C) ...clerks in judicial branch chambers. D) ...citizens in their homes.
A
An institutional policy agenda... Multiple choice question A) ...includes all issues perceived as meriting policy attention in a country. B) ...includes only policy matters that the specific institution is actively working on. C) ...includes more policy matters than a systemic agenda. D) ...is never written down in formal documents.
B
At the time of the story, David Bernhardt was the Deputy Secretary of the Interior. That position is appointed by the President and is the second-in-command of the federal Department of the Interior. That makes Dupty Secretary Bernhadt... Multiple choice question A) ...a non-governmental policy stakeholder. B) ...an executive branch governmental policy actor. He is a Public Administrator. C) ...a high-level civil servant. D) ...an interest group representative.
B
In the book Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes argues that... A) ...people should always have absolute freedom. B) ...people are naturally cooperative. C) ...people will never be able to live near each other safely. D) ...people are naturally competitive.
B
In the days after the explosion, Lebanese people... A) ...were hopeful, because policy-makers there usually work together to create responsive policies. B)...were concerned that divided political elites would provide little help to the general public. C)...were fearful that a neighboring country would invade.
B
The US Postal Service is a government agency, created by an act of Congress. That means we should consider USPS-employed mail carriers who deliver the mail each day.. A. private workers with no role in enacting public policy. b. government agents directly enacting public policy. c. private agents indirectly enacting public policy.
B
The annual federal budgeting process in the U.S.... Multiple choice question A)...is handled entirely by the Office of Management and Budget. B)...is a six step process that extends over more than a year. C)...is not concluded until the Supreme Court rules on it. D)...has never been completed on time.
B
The workforce of civil servants in large US government agencies Multiple choice question A) is about equally diverse in terms of race/ethnicity in all agencies. B) has very different levels of diversity of race/ethnicity in different agencies. C) is almost entirely made up of people who identify as "white." D) is almost entirely made up of people who identify as something other than "white."
B
Top aides and staffers in US Senate offices... Multiple choice question A) accurately represent the racial diversity of the US. B) over-represent people who identify as "white." C) over-represent people who identify as something other than "white."
B
True or False: The "stages model" presents the policy process as a clear, step-by-step process that happens in order. Political scientists consider this to be a very accurate representation of how the policy process actually works. Multiple choice question A) True B) False
B
True or False: The so-called "stages model" of the policy process is the only way political scientists and other scholars think about how policy is made and administered. Multiple choice question A) True B) False
B
Weeks after the explosion, the conditions in downtown Beirut... A) ...were back to normal. B) ..some clean-up and repairs were in progress, often done by individual youth volunteers. C...were substantially improved because international aid agencies had poured in to provide assistance.
B
A parent decides that every day before leaving the house, they and their child will wash their faces, eat breakfast, brush their teeth, and comb their hair. No one will leave the house until all four tasks are completed. True or false: We could consider this a policy
True
Policy documents based exclusively on popular media sources... Multiple choice question A) ...are likely to be complete because there are a lot of media reports out there. B) ...are likely to be detailed enough because reporters with a certain "beat" become quite expert in that area. C) ...are likely to lack the depth of understanding needed for a complex policy issue. D) ...are likely to be good for Op-Eds but not for other kinds of policy writing.
C) ...are likely to lack the depth of understanding needed for a complex policy issue.
The organization that coordinates and regulates behavior among people in a society is known as... A) ...the nation. B) ...the empire. C) ...the state. D) ...the office.
C) Yes, we may use "government" and "state" interchangeably, but they're largely the same for our purposes.
Getting feedback on drafts of your writing... Multiple choice question A)...is a waste of time because other people often don't get what I'm trying to say. B) ...is almost like cheating; I should be able to write well on my own. C) ...is only good for catching things like spelling errors or grammar mistakes. D)...is an essential part of crafting writing that communicates your ideas clearly and with sufficient support.
D
A state that fails to provide adequate protection, fairness, and benefits to its citizens may... A) ...lose the support of its citizens. B) ...fall into a civil war. C) ...experience revolutionary uprisings. D) All of the above
D
True/False: Every time a government employee does anything, it's de facto "Public Policy." A) True B) False
False
Public administration includes... A) ...the way states deliver services. B) ...the way states collect taxes. C) ...the way states regulate businesses. D) ...the way states build roads and bridges. E) ...the way states maintain their armies. F) All of the above.
F
True or False: If multiple well-trained, honest policy evaluators evaluate the same policy, they will usually come to very similar conclusions about the impacts of that policy. Multiple choice question True False
False
True or False: Policy is only considered public if it is implemented by government actors.
False
Because the administrative rulemaking process has several opportunities for input from stakeholders and the general public and plays such a large role in how a policy will actually play out, it is sometimes referred to as... Multiple choice question ...secondary legislation. ...legislative undermining. ...extra-judicial review. ...the imperial bureaucracy.
Secondary legislation
A major challenge policy evaluators face is... Multiple choice question ...deciding when the time is right to evaluate a policy. ...deciding how to measure a policy's impacts. ...determining who or what is impacted by a policy. All of these are common policy evaluation challenges.
all of these
Some policies are formulated by relatively small sets of actors from legislative committees, administrative agencies, and interest groups focused on a particular issue area. Political scientists sometimes refer to this arrangement as... Multiple choice question ...nepotism. ...back-room dealing. ...an iron triangle. ...transparent democracy.
an Iron triangle
Deleting 25% of the text and re-writing another 75% of the text you write in your first draft by the time you produce a final draft is a sign that... Multiple choice question A) ...you are not a naturally gifted writer B) ....you are revising your drafts the way professional writers do C) ....your final document will not be very good D) ....the assignment is stupid; why would anyone assign something as ridiculous as this!?!
b
Membership associations that can become involved in the policy process... Multiple choice question A)...are usually focused on extremely contentious political issues. B) ...often directly advocate for policy changes and encourage their members to advocate individually as well. C) ...are only involved a few minor policy areas. D) ...rarely have enough expertise or experience to be influential.
b
Nick's, a legendary bar on Kirkwood Avenue in downtown Bloomington, gives out free t-shirts that say "Nick's" to people who enter the bar every game day. This is an example of... A) Nope, try again. Just because members of the public visit Nick's doesn't make a policy a "public policy." B) ...a private policy, because Nick's is a private organization using its private resources to buy and give away t-shirts. C)...a public policy, because citizens in the general public are influenced (they see people wearing the shirts). D)...a public policy, because private citizens who go to the bar are are influenced (they get free shirts)
b
Nick's, the same legendary bar from before, is required to restrict who can enter it's bar to people over 21 years of age. This is an example of... A)..private policy, because Nick's can decide who it wants to let in and keep out. B)...nothing relevant. This is not a policy. C)...public policy, because state law prohibits people under 21 years of age from entering a bar; Sports has to enforce that policy.
c
The most likely outcome of a policy evaluation process is... Multiple choice question ...no change in the policy. ...expanding the policy. ...ending the policy. ...transforming the policy.
no change
