Intro to Public Policy Final Exam

An economic depression is characterized by a. extremely high unemployment and significant reduction in the GDP that is deeper and longer than a typical recession b. a period of economic contraction when the value of the GDP shrinks for two consecutive quarters c. a crisis in the stock market d. a rise in the national gross product

a. extremely high unemployment and significant reduction in the GDP that is deeper and longer than a typical recession

In scholarly research, a good theory should a. generate hypotheses that can be tested b. solve pressing societal problems c. be easy to understand d. conform to what people know about how the world works

a. generate hypotheses that can be tested

Which of the following is not a coalition resource? a. geographic proximity to decision makers b. skillful leadership c. information d. formal legal decision making authority

a. geographic proximity to decision makers

People belong to membership interest groups by virtue of a. having joined and paid dues b. being a member of a profession c. joining an institution such as a university d. having an economic interest in the outcome of policy decisions

a. having joined and paid dues

Coercive policy tools are generally characterized by a. high compliance, and high administrative costs b. low compliance, and low administrative costs c. high compliance, and low administrative costs d. low compliance, and high administrative costs

a. high compliance, and high administrative costs

The first era of implementation studies tended to focus on a. individual case studies b. attempts to create more general approaches (top-down, bottom-up) to the study of implementation c. attempts to synthesize theories of implementation into theories that encompass the strengths of earlier approaches d. the attempt to reconcile implementation studies with the problems studies of agenda setting

a. individual case studies

Which of the following is not a weakness of the Comparative Statistics model? a. it relies on concepts that are too ambiguous to effectively operationalize and measure b. in many cases, policy change occurs absent electoral change c. it has no method to understand issue prioritization d. conservatives may expand government at certain times; while liberals have been known to shrink its size

a. it relies on concepts that are too ambiguous to effectively operationalize and measure

Outputs from the systems model of politics and policy include a. laws, regulations and decisions b. election results, public opinion, communication to elected officials, and personal experiences of decision-makers c. rules developed by administrative agencies d. none of the above

a. laws, regulations and decisions

Punctuated equilibrium is the term used by Baumgartner and Jones to describe polciy making and change in terms of a. long-term periods of stability in policy with short bursts of policy change b. the joining of problems, policies, and politics in "windows of opportunity for change" c. how groups join together into larger alliances to promote shared interests d. the idea that boundedly rational people come together in "institutions" to pursue policy goals

a. long-term periods of stability in policy with short bursts of policy change

An example of a public good is a. national defense b. coffee c. pizza d. air travel

a. national defense

Three factors policy designers must consider when developing policy are a. political feasibility, resources, and behavior of policy target b. political power, public opinion, and finances c. party expertise, political seniority, and ease of implementation d. administrative expertise, national mood, and political power

a. political feasibility, resources, and behavior of policy target

The Comparative Agendas Database is maintained by scholars who use which of the policy process frameworks? a. Punctuated Equilibrium theory b. Advocacy coalition framework c. multiple streams approach d. none of the above

a. punctuated equilibrium theory

Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution contains the Commerce Clause, which gives the federal government the power to a. regulate interstate and international commerce b. establish a national bank c. establish capitalism as the only possible economic system in the United States d. subsidize the beginning of the Industrial Revolution

a. regulate interstate and international commerce

Policies that are intended to govern the conduct of business are called a. regulatory policies b. distributive policies c. redistributive policies d. agenda policies

a. regulatory policies

Federalism refers to a. relationships between the state and federal government b. the assignment of powers and duties to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches c. the relative strength of large states in presidential elections d. the difference in size and prestige between the House and the Senate

a. relationships between the state and federal government

The laws that are drafted by the legislature are called a. statutes b. case law c. regulations d. statues e. out laws

a. statutes

The way we investigate social and natural phenomena owes a great deal to what major historical movement? a. the enlightenment b. the dark ages c. the renaissance d. the industrial revolution

a. the enlightenment

Which of the following is an explanation of policy failure discussed by Ingram and Mann? a. the impact of changing circumstance b. partison opposition c. lack of focus d. insufficient motivation e. none of the above

a. the impact of changing circumstance

The Advocacy Coalition Framework illustrates a. the important role of interest groups b. how implementation takes place in policy subsystems rather than in one-to-one relationships c. how members of Congress can work together to set the national agenda d. the centrality of the executive branch in setting the national agenda

a. the important role of interest groups

The Advocacy Coalition Framework illustrates a. the important role of interest groups and group alliances b. how members of Congress can work together to set the national agenda c. the centrality of the executive branch in setting the national agenda d. the importance of arguing claims before the Supreme Court

a. the important role of interest groups and group alliances

Policy makers often use what as a way of floating "trial balloons" to assess the reaction of the public to certain policy issues? a. the media b. other policy makers c. focus groups d. community forums

a. the media

When we discuss the outcomes of policies, we are concerned with a. the substantive accomplishments of the policies b. the amount of money the government spends to implement policy c. the number of people employed in enacting the policy d. the influence of the policy on congressional elections

a. the substantive accomplishments of the policies

Classifying policies as either liberal or conservative is to classify policies according to a. their ideological content b. their cost-benefit ratio c. the amount of support a political party gives them d. their material or symbolic content

a. their ideological content

The DARE program lost federal funding, and many school districts dropped it, because a. there is extensive scientific evidence of its ineffectiveness b. a competing group put together a better national program c. the government doesn't agree that there's a drug problem d. parents and students didn't like the program

a. there is extensive scientific evidence of its ineffectiveness

A policy tool is a. a law that compels action on the part of implementers b. a method through which government seeks to achieve a policy objective c. the equipment government uses to address problems, such as computers, police cars, or medicines d. an agent of the government whose job it is to implement policy

b. a method through which government seeks to achieve a policy objective

When a window of opportunity opens for a particular policy area, this increases the changes that a window will open for a related policy area. This is an example of a. a focusing event b. a spillover c. indicators d. agenda setting

b. a spillover

Official actors in the policy process gain their role by virtue of a. monetary wealth b. a statutory or constitutional role c. vested interests d. heredity

b. a statutory or constitutional role

A model developed by Paul Sabatier that states that interest groups are organized in policy communities within a policy domain is called the a. framework model b. advocacy coalition framework c. window of opportunity model d. interest group framework e. policy community framework

b. advocacy coalition framework

The news media a. have little role in the policy process because they simply cover celebrity news and fluff b. are important for highlighting issues and problems, but do not generally provide policy solutions c. are central to the policy process d. are ignored by policy makers because they have their own source of expertise and information

b. are important for highlighting issues and problems, but do not generally provide policy solutions

The main critique of the Stages Model of the policy process is that it a. is too complicated b. assumes a linear and orderly policy process c. ignores politics d. fails to account for the shortcomings of Congress

b. assumes a linear and orderly policy process

The second era of implementation studies tended to focus on a. individual case studies b. attempts to create more general approaches (top-down, bottom-up) to the study of implementation c. attempts to synthesize theories of implementation into theories that encompass the strengths of earlier approaches d. the attempt to reconcile implementation studies with the problems studies of agenda setting

b. attempts to create more general approaches (top-down, bottom-up) to the study of implementation

What are two ways in which groups and society as a whole learn of problems in the national or the world? a. changes in institutional and systemic agenda b. changes in indicators and focusing events c. changes in regulatory and distributive policies d. none of the above

b. changes in indicators and focusing events

Which of the following is an example of an institutional interest group? a. National Rifle Association b. college students c. the Sierra Club d. the NAACP

b. college students

The allocation of television and radio frequencies and the awarding of cable television franchises are examples of which policy type? a. redistributive b. competitive regulatory c. protective regulatory d. procedural

b. competitive regulatory

Inputs into the systems model of politics and policy include a. laws, regulations and decisions b. election results, public opinion, communication to elected officials, and personal experiences of decision-makers c. rules developed by administrative agencies d. none of the above

b. election results, public opinion, communication to elected officials, and personal experiences of decision-makers

The theory that states that a few people in government, business, academia, and the media have a disproportionate share of the control over America's political and economic resources is called a. rational-choice theory b. elite theory c. institutionalism d. group theory e. pluralism

b. elite theory

What role does ambiguity play in politics? a. confuses political actors and voters b. enables the transformation of individual intentions and action into collective results and purposes through persuasion and compromise c. allows politicians to change their policy positions quickly d. causes iron triangles to open up

b. enables the transformation of individual intentions and action into collective results and purposes through persuasion and compromise

Anecdotal evidence is based on a. careful scientific analysis of public problems and solutions b. individual stories and examples of problems and solutions c. evidence collected in scientific laboratories d. the accumulated knowledge of an academic discipline

b. individual stories and examples of problems and solutions

In a systems model of the policy process, the demands on the policy making system to do something about a problem are called a. outputs b. inputs c. initiatives d. demographics

b. inputs

The mutually reinforcing relationship between a congressional subcommittee, a federal agency, and a regulated interest group is known as which model of policy relationships? a. triple play b. iron triangle c. iron cross d. golden triangle e. ion network

b. iron triangle

The streams metaphor is associated with which scholar? a. paul sabatier b. john kingdon c. david easton d. helen ingram

b. john kingdon

Social policy learning entails a. learning about better strategies for making political arguments b. learning about social causes of problems c. an analysis of attitudes toward program goals d. learning about how to use computer technology to improve implementation

b. learning about social causes of problems

Instrumental policy learning entails a. learning about better strategies for making political arguments b. learning about the effectiveness of policy tools c. an analysis of attitudes toward program goals d. learning about how to use computer technology to improve implementation

b. learning about the effectiveness of policy tools

Our system of multiple levels of government (federalism) a. makes implementation easier because there are many participants in delivering government services b. makes implementation more difficult because policy designers cannot always count on state and local cooperation c. makes implementation more difficult because there are too many states and local governments d. makes implementation easier because state and local governments prefer to fund national or state programs

b. makes implementation more difficult because policy designers cannot always count on state and local cooperation

Why were the Articles of Confederation ultimately replaced by the federal Constitution? a. Federal taxes were to high b. many people thought that the national government was too weak to confront national challenges c. the smaller states felt they had less power under the Articles of Confederation d. the Articles of Confederation were set to expire in 1789 no matter what

b. many people thought that the national government was too weak to confront national challenges

The Civil War Amendments a. made secession illegal b. outlawed slavery, provided voting rights to American American men, and required states to respect individuals' equal protection and due process of law c. required only that states give everyone due process of law d. enshrined the peace treaty between the Union and the Confederacy in the Constitution

b. outlawed slavery, provided voting rights to American American men, and required states to respect individuals' equal protection and due process of law

Street-level bureaucrats are a. people with near total discretion to implement the law as they see fit b. people in positions where they directly implement policies by interacting with people with minimal immediate supervision c. the lowest-level people in an organization d. government officials whose work tends to be solely outdoors

b. people in positions where they directly implement policies by interacting with people with minimal immediate supervision

Trust in government is part of which policy environment? a. social environment b. political environment c. structural environment d. public environment e. none of the above

b. political environment

Which of the following is one of the stages in the Stages Model of the policy process a. evaluation b. public approval c. enactment d. issue emergence e. alternative selection

b. public approval

The separation of powers refers to a. relationships between the state and federal government b. the assignment of powers and duties to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches c. the relative strength of large states in presidential elections d. the difference in size and prestige between the House and the Senate

b. the assignment of powers and duties to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

To the extent that there are "biases" in most news outlets, these biases are best attributed to a. the ideological preferences of owners b. the competitive, economic, and organizational logic of news gathering itself c. the ideological preferences of reporters d. misinformation provided to the media by government and business

b. the competitive, economic, and organizational logic of news gathering itself

Since the mid-1960s, the most important issue cited by respondents to opinion polls has been a. defense b. the economy c. energy d. health care e. international relations

b. the economy

Which of the following is an example of a condition? a. the federal budget deficit b. the frequency of earthquakes in California c. airline hijackings d. low literacy rates in developing nations

b. the frequency of earthquakes in California

Classic liberalism refers to a. the Democratic party's belief system b. the idea that power is derived from the consent of the governed c. a type of policy evidence d. none of the above

b. the idea that power is derived from the consent of the governed

Kingdon's "streams metaphor" describes policy making and change in terms of a. long-term periods of stability in policy with short bursts of policy change b. the joining of problems, policies, and politics in windows of opportunity for change c. how groups join into larger alliances to promote shared interests d. the idea that boundedly rational people come together in "institutions" to pursue policy goals

b. the joining of problems, policies, and politics in "windows of opportunity" for change

Evidence gathered using the scientific method is superior to anecdotal evidence because a. scientists are smarter than other people b. the scientific method generally yields better knowledge than do anecdotes c. it's easier to gather evidence using the scientific method d. there is only one scientific method that all scientists use consistently

b. the scientific method generally yields better knowledge than do anecdotes

In the mid-1960s, David Easton first pioneered a model that states that the public policy process is a product of a system. The public policy process is influenced by and influences the environment in which it operates. This model is know as a. bi-linear model b. systems model c. linear model d. dave's model e. analysis model

b. the systems model

Controversial questions and problems that cannot be weighed and addressed through science alone are called a. non-scientific problems b. trans-scientific problems c. normal problems d. intractable problems

b. trans-scientific problems

Of the following forms of political participation in the United States, in what form do Americans most often engage? a. joining an interest group b. voting c. writing to members of Congress of state legislatures d. mass protests and rallies

b. voting

What is the main debate over who learns in notions of organizational learning in the policy process? a. the idea that people never learn no matter what happens to them b. whether or not we can attribute learning to nonhuman entities, such as organizations c. the idea that people cannot learn under conditions of bounded rationality d. the idea that experience is an unreliable basis for learning

b. whether or not we can attribute learning to nonhuman entities, such as organizations

Which of the following are the streams Kingdon describes in his "streams metaphor" of the policy process? a. policy, problems, solutions b. economics, policy, problems c. policy, politics, problems d. elections, problems, policy

c. Policy, politics, problems

Which of the following is not one of the classic three policy categories of Theodore Lowi? a. Distributive b. Redistributive c. Procedural d. Regulatory

c. Procedural

Which of the following is not a feature of most definitions of public policy? a. policy is made in response to some sort of problem that requires attention b. policy is made on the "public's behalf" c. public policy is made by individuals acting in a free market d. policy is oriented toward a goal or desired state, such as the solution of a problem e. policy is what the government chooses to do or not to do

c. Public policy is made by individuals acting in a free market

In the Advocacy Coalition Framework, Sabatier argues that most policy communities consist of how many advocacy coalitions? a. One b. Ten c. Two to four d. Dozens

c. Two to four

The idea that interest groups are organized in policy communities within a policy domain is associated with which model of the policy process a. punctuated equilibrium b. systems model c. advocacy coalition framework d. streams metaphor

c. advocacy coalition framework

The third era of implementation studies tended to focus on a. individual case studies b. attempts to create more general approaches (top-down, bottom-up) to the study of implementation c. attempts to synthesize theories of implementation into theories that encompass the strengths of earlier approaches d. the attempt to reconcile implementation studies with the problems studies of agenda setting

c. attempts to synthesize theories of implementation into theories that encompass the strengths of earlier approaches

The process of comparing the outcomes with achieving a goal with the resources used to achieve the goal is known as a. lateral thinking b. alternative selection c. cost-benefit analysis d. choice objectivity

c. cost-benefit analysis

James Q. Wilson's policy typology arranges policies along with two continua? a. state and federal policies b. expensive versus inexpensive policies c. costs and benefits to those paying for or receiving services d. policies that are easily implemented versus policies that are hard to implement

c. costs and benefits to those paying for or receiving services

Which of the following is not one of Peter May's categories of learning? a. instrumental policy learning b. political learning c. environmental learning d. social policy learning

c. environmental learning

"The list of items explicitly up for the active consideration of authoritative decision-makers" best describes the a. agenda universe b. systemic agenda c. institutional agenda d. decision agenda

c. institutional agenda

Group mobilization refers to the idea that a. groups mount big get-out-the-vote campaigns b. people are apathetic and never get involved in policy making c. people can be persuaded to care about issues and become more active in discussions of politics and policy d. most people are always politically active and engaged in group politics in some way

c. people can be persuaded to care about issues and become more active in discussions of politics and policy

Policies without publics are a. policies that no one wants to see passed b. policies that dont get a lot of news media attention c. policies developed with relatively little public input or attention d. secret policies that governments hide from their people

c. policies developed with relatively little public input or attention

The most visible and controversial type of policies are called a. regulatory policies b. distributive policies c. redistributive policies d. agenda policies

c. redistributive policies

In the past three decades, people have been allowed greater access to government by laws such as a. open public meetings b. Administrative Procedure Act c. Freedom of Information Act d. all of the above

d. all of the above

People study the policy process because a. they are interested in theories of how policy comes to be b. they want to be more effective advocates for particular policies c. they may be called upon to address policy matters that directly affect their communities and professions d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Poor causal theory results in a. policy failing to meet its goals or desired outcomes b. a focus on measuring outputs, rather than outcomes c. difficulty in linking outputs to outcomes d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Power in the United States is said to be fragmented because a. there are 50 states b. there are three branches of government c. there are a large number of units of government at all levels d. all of the above

d. all of the above

The policy environment a. contains the structural, social, and economic environments where policy making takes place b. contains the political system in which public policy takes place c. is influenced and influences its environment d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Which one of the following is not one of the three main approaches used to study implementation? a. bottom-up b. top-down c. synthesis of top-down and bottom-up d. alternative selection

d. alternative selection

The writing of vague policy and law by the Congress implies what for government agencies a. highly restricted agency action b. the lack of administrative decision c. a highly accountable government agency d. an opportunity for government agencies to shape policy through implementation

d. an opportunity for government agencies to shape policy through implementation

What are some of the ways we learn about problems? a. by comparing policies b. when there are changes in problem indicators c. when focusing events occur d. both b and c

d. both b and c

Harold Lasswell's call for the creation of a policy science was based on a desire to a. find the best solutions to practical problems b. simply develop excellent theories of social science c. train policy analysts d. develop sound social science theory that would help to solve societal problems

d. develop sound social science theory that would help to solve societal problems

The following are elements of policy design except a. goals b. targets c. tools d. focusing events

d. focusing events

Which of the following is not one of the three streams in Kingdon's model of the public policy process a. politics stream b. policy stream c. problem stream d. implementation stream

d. implementation stream

Political learning entails a. learning about better strategies for making political arguments b. an evaluation of policy tools and techniques c. an analysis of attitudes toward program goals d. learning about how to use computer technology to improve implementation

d. learning about how to use computer technology to improve implementation

Bounded rationality states which of the following about people and information processing? a. people are skilled at multitasking b. people like information c. people do not know how to process information d. people cannot process all information

d. people cannot process all information

Which of the following is not a part of the policy environment in the systems model? a. social environment b. political environment c. structural environment d. public environment e. all of the above are part of the policy environment

d. public environment

Protective regulatory policy a. regulates competition between actors in society and the market place b. distributes resources amongst various members of the public c. regulates the interactions between welfare recipients and the wealthiest members of society d. seeks to protect the public from the negative effects of private activity

d. seeks to protect the public from the negative effects of private activity

What type of policy tool aims to alter behavior by making some activities more or less economically desirable? a. hortatory tools b. loans c. sanctions d. taxes

d. taxes

The "Institutional Analysis and Development" framework, associated with Elinor Ostrom's work, describes policy making and change in terms of a. long-term periods of stability in policy with short bursts of policy change b. the joining of problems, policies, and politics in "windows of opportunity" for change c. how groups join into larger alliances to promote shared interests d. the idea that boundedly rational people come together in "institutions" to pursue policy goals

d. the idea that boundedly rational people come together in "institutions" to pursue policy goals

(t/f) The dominant ideological foundation of out constitutional system is welfare socialism

false

(t/f) The news media simply holds up a mirror to society, without making any judgments about the relative importance of issues

false

(t/f) The rational-comprehensive approach to decision-making can be applied in real-world situations

false

(t/f) The top-down approach to the study of implementation has proven superior to the bottom-up approach.

false

(t/f) Theories of the public policy process have no value for policy makers because they are just "theories".

false

(t/f) There is one distinct and clear set of principles that govern the study of public policy

false

(t/f) Evidence and emotion play an important role in policy making

true

(t/f) Filibuster is a procedural technique used by legislatures to slow the progress of legislation

true

(t/f) Incrementalism describes how policy is made in small steps, rather than in big sweeping changes

true

(t/f) Laws and regulations are examples of outputs in the systems model

true

(t/f) Overall, the mean age of the population of the US is becoming older

true

(t/f) Policies that do not make any substantive changes to the law or policy outcomes are called symbolic policies

true

(t/f) Policy designers working from the top levels can structure policy designs in such a way as to promote greater compliance and implementation success.

true

(t/f) Policy goals are usually unclear, ambiguous, and subject to change.

true

(t/f) Public policy is whatever the government chooses to do or not to do

true

(t/f) Punctuated equilibrium rests on the idea that the balance of political power between groups of interests remains relatively stable over long periods of time, punctuated by relatively sudden shifts in public understanding of problems and in the balance of power between the groups.

true

(t/f) Teachers, firefighters, and police officers are examples of street-level bureaucrats.

true

(t/f) The constitutional system slows down the process of policy decision-making in the US

true

(t/f) The policies enacted in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act had all been debated and considered before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks

true

(t/f) The public's preferences for particular policies cannot be determined from the results of an election

true

(t/f) The study of implementation is both theoretical and practical.

true

(t/f) The study of public policy is firmly grounded in the study of politics

true

(t/f) You cannot make a policy argument without sound scientific evidence

false

(t/f) For policy makers and public managers, policy implementation is the easiest aspect of the policy-making process.

False

(t/f) Problems become self-evident after looking at statistical indicators of problems

false

(t/f) Public policy studies share a common unified approach to theory called a paradigm.

false

(t/f) The "stages" heuristic is useless as a model of the policy process.

false

(t/f) The ability to make regulations means that executive branch agencies' powers are largely unchecked

false

(t/f) The bottom-up approach to the study of policy implementation focuses on the policy designers intention.

false

(t/f) The central approach of this textbook is in policy analysis focusing on the rigorous application of economic analysis

false

To effectively analyze policy change using the ACF, you should a period of at least ______ years a. 10 b. 5 c. 7 d. 20

a. 10

What kind of distribution of data points can be characterized as supportive of the PE approach due to its broad shoulders and narrow peak? a. Leptokurtic distribution b. normal distribution c. Mesokurtic distribution d. Platykurtic distribution

a. Leptokurtic distribution

Why doesn't everyone engage with major issues of public policy all the time? a. no one can be concerned about all issues all the time b. public policy study is boring c. public policies are too confusing for citizens to understand d. public policies don't really affect most people

a. No one can be concerned about all issues all the time

Which of these statements is true? a. Voting turnout is always lower for congressional elections than for presidential elections b. voting turnout is always higher for congressional elections than for presidential elections c. voting turnout for presidential and congressional elections is roughly equal d. none of these statements are true

a. Voting turnout is always lower for congressional elections than for presidential elections

"The list of all the possible ideas that could ever be advanced in any society" describes the a. agenda universe b. systemic agenda c. institutional agenda d. decision agenda

a. agenda universe

Interest groups that are made to look like "grassroots" groups, but are really created by a larger interest group to create illusions of grassroots support are called a. astroturf groups b. field turf groups c. public interest groups d. popular movements

a. astroturf groups

What is the role of emotion in the PET? a. emotion is the key governor of the allocation of attention b. emotion holds coalitions together c. emotion drives policy entrepreneurs to seek out policy windows d. emotion drives campaign donations to particular candidates who influence policy

a. emotion is the key governor of the allocation of attention

Causal stories are a part of the policy process by virtue of being a. modes of problem definition b. policy solutions c. policy tools d. the glue that holds the advocacy coalition networks together

a. modes of problem definition

Which of the following policy scholars was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for their work? a. Frank Baumgartner and Bryan Jones, the proponents of the idea of "punctuated equilibrium" and policy change b. Elinor Ostrom, proponent of Institutional Analysis and Development c. John Kingdon, for his work on the "streams" metaphor d. Paul Sabatier, for his work on the Advocacy Coalition Framework

b. Elinor Ostrom, proponent of Institutional Analysis and Development

The daily newspaper of federal regulatory activity is called a. Congressional Record b. Federal Register c. New York Times d. Regulatory Tribune e. Federal Regulatory Times

b. Federal Register

The fastest growing racial or ethnic category into which Americans are classified is a. African American b. Hispanic c. Asian d. Caucasian

b. Hispanic

Ingram and Mann say that all of the following are potential explanations for policy failure except a. the impact of changing circumstance b. the problem of bounded rationality c. excessive policy demand d. realizable policy expectations e. accurate theory of causation f. choice of effective policy tools

b. the problem of bounded rationality

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act did all of the following except a. requiring more stringent searches of airline passengers b. "federalizing" airport screening processes c. requiring airlines to install anti-missile technology on airplanes d. requiring airlines to install more secure doors between the cockpit and the passenger cabin

c. requiring airlines to install anti-missile technology on airplanes

To be boundedly rational means that a person acts within which of the following limits? a. temporal, financial, and political b. financial and political c. temporal, informational, and cognitive d. none of the above

c. temporal, informational, and cognitive

Agenda in the policy process refers to a. the semi-secret plans of interest groups to gain support for unpopular ideas b. the implementation of public policy c. the matters before public institutions that are available for discussion and decision d. the annual budget bill

c. the matters before public institutions that are available for discussion and decision

The top 20 percent of Americans earned approximately what proportion of national income in 2012? a. 20% b. 40% c. 90% d. 50%

d. 50%

The largest broad racial or ethnic category into which Americans are classified is a. African American b. Hispanic c. Asian d. Caucasian

d. Caucasian

What part of the Constitution is said to give Congress very broad powers to make policy? a. Due Process Clause b. Commerce Clause c. Equal Protection Clause d. Elastic Clause

d. Elastic Clause

Which of the following political theorists was most important to the founders of the US Constitution? a. James Q. Wilson b. Machiavelli c. Karl Marx d. John Locke

d. John Locke

Beginning from the largest level of the agenda to the smallest, which grouping is correct in its order? a. agenda universe, institutional agenda, decision agenda, systemic agenda b. agenda universe, systemic agenda, decision agenda, institutional agenda c. decision agenda, institutional agenda, systemic agenda, agenda universe d. agenda universe, systemic agenda, institutional agenda, decision agenda

d. agenda universe, systemic agenda, institutional agenda, decision agenda

Policy communities are composed of specialists in a given policy area such as a. health b. housing c. environmental protection d. criminal justice e. all of the above

e. all of the above

Which of the following is one of the stages in the Stages Model of the policy process? a. evaluation b. enactment c. issue emergence d. alternative selection e. all of the above

e. all of the above

The rational actor model includes all of the following assumptions except that a. decision-makers clearly understand the problems and goals before them b. decision-makers are set to solve the problem c. decision-makers collect all possible information d. decision-makers consider multiple options, including not acting at all e. decision-makers take their own person values and goals into account when making policy

e. decision-makers take their own person values and goals into account when making policy

(t/f) Theories of the policy process tend to be sweeping and all encompassing, and account for all relevant aspects of the process.

false

According to the ACF, policy subsystems do not include the following: a. interest groups b. members of the media c. consultants d. scientists e. legislators f. all of the above actors are included

f. all of the above actors are included

(t/f) A window of opportunity only occurs during a focusing event.

false

(t/f) Agendas are first set, and then alternative policy choices are generated

false

(t/f) All regulations by agencies are approved by Congress before they are issued

false

(t/f) Anecdotal evidence is the product of rigorous scientific analysis

false

(t/f) Better scientific evidence will always be more influential in policy debates than good stories or anecdotes.

false

(t/f) Electoral turnout is higher for congressional elections than for presidential elections

false

(t/f) If a policy is technically sound, it will be politically acceptable

false

(t/f) Income and wealth are generally evenly distributed in the US

false

(t/f) Its easier to measure outcomes than outputs

false

(t/f) Judicial decisions are unrelated to policy

false

(t/f) McNamara emphasized in lesson number 6 that you should "Get the data". This is because he thought that rationality is the only thing that can save humanity

false

(t/f) One weakness of causal stories is that they fail to assign responsibility for problems

false

(t/f) Policy failure is easy to detect and is clear to all participants in the policy process

false

(t/f) Policy goals are nearly always clear and unambiguous

false

(t/f) President JFK initially offered McNamara a position as secretary of state

false

(t/f) Problems are obvious and self-evident `

false

(t/f) There are some policies about which most members of the public know or care very little

true

(t/f) There is no one shared sense of the "public interest" in most policy decisions

true

(t/f)Policy typologies, if well-constructed, can help us explain and predict what sort of political conflict will accompany policy debates

true

(t/f) A complex combination of factors is generally responsible for the movement of a given item into agenda prominence

true

(t/f) A powerful interest group does not necessarily have to have a lot of members

true

(t/f) According to Woodrow Wilson, the implementation of a policy should be easy because the agencies need only carry out the will of the legislature.

true

(t/f) All other things being equal, a larger interest group is likely to be more influential in policy making than is a smaller group

true

(t/f) Anecdotal evidence may be as persuasive in causal stories as rigorous scientific analysis

true

(t/f) Anecdotes can mobilize people to seek policy change.

true

(t/f) Because policy decisions can be made at a variety of points in the political system, there are also several institutional agendas

true

(t/f) Contributing money to a political candidate, who may then support your policy preferences, is a form of free speech that is protected under the Constitution

true

(t/f) Decision-making power in Congress is in many ways decentralized

true

(t/f) Decisions made by courts are states of public policy

true