Deck 15: American Public Policy

Question 1

What must happen in order for executive agencies to devote resources to the implementation and enforcement of a policy?

A) The federal budget must account for those resources.
B) Usage of resources must be okayed by the president.
C) A law must be evaluated as effective at solving an issue.
D) A policy must be adopted by Congress as legitimate.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What happens at the implementation stage of the policymaking process?

A) A law is evaluated for its effectiveness in meeting stated objectives and goals.
B) Alternative courses of action for a policy are considered.
C) Both a problematic issue and potential solutions are recognized and defined.
D) An executive agency adopts administrative regulations to carry out a policy.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What is the purpose of the formulation stage of the policymaking process?

A) to make sure that the policy will be effective both in solving an issue and in terms of cost to taxpayers
B) to ensure that all possible courses of action have been considered before choosing a preferred plan
C) to get the president's approval of a bill so the policy will have the force of law and can be enforced
D) to allow an executive agency to adopt the law into policy that can be enforced by officials

Answer 3

B

Question 4

When a policy successfully passes through Congress, it has just completed which stage of the policymaking process?

A) the formulation stage
B) the evaluation stage
C) the adoption stage
D) the implementation stage

Question 5

Given that Congress is responsible for introducing and passing legislation, its role in policymaking is focused on the ______ stage(s) of the process.

A) early
B) final
C) implementation
D) recognition

Question 6

Which fiscal policy favors almost no government intervention in the economy?

A) Keynesian economic theory
B) laissez-faire economics
C) supply-side economics
D) democratic socialist economics

Question 7

What function do interest groups and think tanks serve in the policymaking process?

A) They lobby the president to pressure him into signing a bill into law at the adoption stage of the policymaking process.
B) They bring attention to issues and policies to solve those issues for Congress to consider as part of the recognition stage.
C) They provide Congress with research to demonstrate that those policies are effective in practice as part of the implementation stage.
D) They give members of Congress money to give priority to certain issues and policies as part of the formulation stage.

Question 8

Which actor influences the policymaking process at the recognition and formulation stages by providing specialized research about an issue or area of public policy?

A) the president
B) Congress
C) think tanks
D) the courts

Question 9

The federal government manage fiscal policy ______.

A) by collecting taxes from Americans each year
B) by fixing the prices of goods in the economy
C) through the formation of the federal budget each year
D) through the increase and decrease of interest rates

Question 10

What is the purpose of the evaluation stage of the policymaking process?

A) to determine the best course of action to be taken to address an issue
B) to determine if the policy should be maintained, modified, or abandoned
C) to allow the general public to make their opinions known about the policy
D) to review the resources and manpower available to enforce the policy

Question 11

What must happen before a policy is written and presented as formal legislation?

A) The president must give the go-ahead to write up a draft of the policy.
B) An issue and a clear path of solving the issue with policy must be identified.
C) A policy must be accepted by a majority of Congress as worth the time and effort.
D) The policy must be evaluated for effectiveness in solving the issue at hand.

Question 12

Which actor(s) is/are likely to be involved at every stage of the policymaking process?

A) interest groups
B) Congress
C) bureaucrats
D) the president

Question 13

Which is an example of a president's involvement in the adoption stage of the policymaking process?

A) President George W. Bush's support for the Patriot Act following the September 11, 2001 attacks
B) Congress's decision to vote on the consideration of the Green New Deal to address climate change
C) the Trump administration's examination of the effectiveness of current border security measures
D) President Obama signing Executive Order 13491 to ensure lawful interrogations

Question 14

What is the first step in the public policymaking process?

A) recognizing a problem to be solved with policy
B) the adoption of a policy as law
C) formulation of a new policy to address an issue
D) evaluation of the effectiveness of a policy

Question 15

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which called for the internment of all Japanese Americans in camps. Which stage of policymaking is this executive action an example of?

A) the formulation stage
B) the adoption stage
C) the recognition stage
D) the implementation stage

Question 16

What distinguishes executive agencies from other actors in the policymaking process?

A) They focus on influencing program choices and decisions.
B) Their role is largely overlooked by the media.
C) They are involved in every stage of the process.
D) Their role is limited to the final evaluation stage.

Question 17

Which statement summarizes the role the courts play in the policymaking process?

A) The court system must remain separate from the policymaking process completely.
B) The courts may be called upon to interpret the rules and policies that result from policymaking.
C) The courts are involved in the implementation stage of the policymaking process.
D) The courts assist Congress in identifying an issue by setting precedent that should become law.

Question 18

The second stage of the policymaking process is known as the ______.

A) evaluation stage
B) recognition stage
C) adoption stage
D) formulation stage

Question 19

______ policy involves raising revenue through taxation and determining how to spend that revenue.

A) Fiscal policy
B) Economic policy
C) Monetary policy
D) Discretionary policy

Question 20

In 2019, a law was introduced in Congress called the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety Act, which would develop a behavioral threat assessment test that could be adopted and used by local law enforcement officers across the United States to cut down on violent gun crimes. Suppose the legislation is widely supported by members of Congress. What stage must this legislation pass through in order to assume the authority of law?

A) the legitimation stage
B) the recognition stage
C) the evaluation stage
D) the formulation stage

Question 21

A nation that adopts a laissez-faire approach to forming economic policy is more likely to be classified as ______.

A) anarchist
B) socialist
C) capitalist
D) communist

Question 22

What impact did the Employment Act of 1946 have on the federal budget-making process?

A) It set aside a certain amount of federal funds for the creation of government jobs if needed.
B) It required Congress to form the budget in a way that would maximize employment.
C) It mandated that Congress utilize supply-side economic theory to spur the economy.
D) It created a slate of social welfare policies to be funded by the federal government.

Question 23

Which pair of concepts are most compatible with each other?

A) supply-side economics and the welfare state
B) Keynesian economic theory and laissez-faire economics
C) Keynesian economic theory and socialism
D) laissez-faire and supply-side economics

Question 24

What is the main purpose of a government instituting a welfare state?

A) to redistribute the wealth of the top earners in a society to those who earn less
B) to provide education, employment, health care, and other benefits to its citizens
C) to use taxpayer money to fund the lives and health care of the unemployed
D) to create a system of governance wherein the citizens depend on the government

Question 25

The idea that the government should increase spending in times of economic struggle to raise demand for goods and services is characteristic of which economic theory?

A) Keynesian economic theory
B) trickle-down economic theory
C) supply-side economics
D) laissez-faire economics

Question 26

Suppose that both houses in Congress have a Republican supermajority. During the federal budget-making process, the House and Senate approve a budget that completely eliminates federal funding for Planned Parenthood and significantly decreases the funding for welfare programs with the intent for those programs to be handled at the state level. The president, a Democrat, refuses to allow that budget to pass and is holding out for Congress to make the appropriate changes. What will likely result if the budget does not pass before the October deadline?

A) The budget proposal will be put to a referendum vote by the people.
B) The president will be compelled to pass the budget due to public pressure.
C) Congress will be forced by constitutional law to update the budget.
D) The government will likely shut down until an agreement is reached.

Question 27

In his The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith described the economic measures required to make a country wealthy. He described a ______ system built on the division of labor, low government intervention, and the entrepreneurship of private individuals who controlled the means of production.

A) socialist
B) capitalist
C) supply-side
D) Keynesian

Question 28

In late 2008, the United States was experiencing a crippling economic crisis that led to a recession. In response to the economic hardship, the Federal Reserve Board lowered interest rates to zero percent, lent money to various financial institutions and funds, and purchased mortgage bonds in bulk to stimulate the housing market. These actions are an example of ______.

A) fiscal policy
B) laissez-faire economics
C) monetary policy
D) supply-side economics

Question 29

In the Soviet Union before 1987, the government utilized centralized planning for the economy, through which the production and distribution of goods was controlled and directed by the government. This makes the Soviet Union an archetype of a ______ economy.

A) socialist
B) laissez-faire
C) capitalist
D) fascist

Question 30

What is the main function of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees?

A) informing the president of policy goals to be included in the federal budget
B) creating a budget based on the one received from the president and their revenue projections
C) drafting several budgets to be presented and approved by the president
D) collaborating with the Office of Management and Budget to form a budget

Question 31

Which is a feature of an economic policy that utilizes supply-side economic theory?

A) tax cuts
B) government spending
C) recessions
D) government job creation

Question 32

As a way to help the economy recover from the financial crisis that lasted from 2007 through 2010 and get the United States out of a recession, President Obama passed a stimulus package that increased government spending and injected money into the economy. What is this policy an example of?

A) poor economic planning
B) Keynesian economics
C) supply-side economic policy
D) a revival of New Deal policies

Question 33

How does the government fund Social Security payouts, Medicare benefits, veterans' benefits, and other entitlements that must be paid to those who qualify to receive them?

A) mandatory spending
B) discretionary spending
C) entitlement spending
D) deficit spending

Question 34

Who is responsible for creating an overall budget for the upcoming fiscal year?

A) the Office of Management and Budget
B) the House of Representatives
C) the Senate
D) the president

Question 35

Which is an example of monetary policy?

A) an increase in the federal income tax rate for each level of income
B) an increase in the amount of minimum liquid assets each bank must keep on hand
C) a decrease in the percentage of the annual federal budget allotted to NASA
D) a decrease in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $7.00 per hour

Question 36

What is the difference between monetary policy and fiscal policy?

A) Fiscal policy deals with taxation and how to spend tax revenue, while monetary policy allows the government to set the price and supply of money.
B) Fiscal policy gives the government the power to create jobs, whereas monetary policy sets the minimum wage for those jobs.
C) Fiscal policy allows the government to set interest rates, while monetary policy allows the government to set tax rates.
D) Fiscal policy is handled by the House of Representatives, whereas monetary policy is handled by the Senate.

Question 37

Spending that must be paid toward a policy due to previous laws and that cannot be modified by the annual budget is referred to as ______.

A) deficit spending
B) discretionary spending
C) mandatory spending
D) compelled spending

Question 38

What is monetary policy?

A) policy that prevents the government from cutting funds to entitlement programs like Social Security
B) policy that deals with raising revenue for the government via taxes and how to spend that revenue
C) policy that requires for all appropriations bills to originate in the House of Representatives
D) policy that gives the government the ability to control the supply and price of money in the economy

Question 39

The idea that high taxes take money out of the economy that would otherwise be used to purchase goods and services is part of which economic theory?

A) laissez-faire economics
B) Keynesian economics
C) supply-side economics
D) socialist economics

Question 40

When a state adds to its welfare programs, it must also take which action?

A) making that program a mandatory spending program
B) lowering government spending
C) cutting another welfare program
D) raising the tax rate for citizens

Question 41

Which New Deal program was intended to act as a national pension system?

A) Medicare
B) Social Security
C) Medicaid
D) food stamps

Question 42

Which factor contributed to the erosion of the Social Security fund?

A) a decrease in inflation
B) economic strain in the 1970s
C) high interest rates
D) less beneficiaries of the funds

Question 43

Which president is credited with establishing the modern welfare state in the United States?

A) Dwight Eisenhower
B) Bill Clinton
C) Franklin D. Roosevelt
D) Lyndon B. Johnson

Question 44

Which statement best summarizes the functioning of the Social Security system?

A) The government taxes the employed at a higher rate to create an income for the unemployed.
B) Workers are required to set aside a certain portion of their paycheck for a retirement fund.
C) Workers pay Social Security taxes, which would be disbursed to current retirees.
D) The federal government collects taxes to fund entitlement programs like Medicare.

Question 45

What is the difference between the Medicare program and the Medicaid program?

A) Medicare was introduced by President Johnson, whereas Medicaid was established by President Roosevelt.
B) Medicare provides health insurance to the elderly, while Medicaid provides health care services to the poor.
C) Medicare is funded through taxpayer money, whereas Medicaid is a private health insurance service.
D) Medicare provides physician services to the poor, while Medicaid provides health care for the elderly.

Question 46

Prior to the Great Depression and the introduction of the New Deal, how were the poorest members of society taken care of?

A) Private organizations within communities like charities and churches assisted them.
B) The government had rudimentary welfare programs in place, but nothing extensive.
C) States had implemented welfare programs, but they were not applied equally.
D) They were not taken care of, which made the Great Depression worse.

Question 47

According to the text, why are politicians often unable to propose or pass any effective reforms to the Social Security system?

A) Presidents have historically refused to approve such a budget.
B) American citizens and interest groups support the current system.
C) Bipartisan leaders in Congress vehemently oppose such a move.
D) The Supreme Court has ruled that doing so is unconstitutional.

Question 48

Michael is a recent college graduate who just got his first full-time job with benefits that includes the option to contribute to a 401(k). Michael's company even offers a funds-matching program for 401(k) contributions up to 3 percent. What incentive does Michael have to enroll in the 401(k) plan with his company?

A) Having a 401(k) boosts an individual's payouts when they retire and draw upon Social Security.
B) Enrolling in the 401(k) program would supplement his guaranteed Social Security payments.
C) The 401(k) will give Michael some type of income upon retirement in case Social Security runs out.
D) Enrolling in the 401(k) program will put Michael ahead of his peers in terms of retirement savings.

Question 49

Suppose it is the 1930s and the Great Depression has hit your family hard. You have been unemployed for a few weeks now and must find some way to make enough money to just put some food on the table. Which New Deal program should you take advantage of?

A) Medicare
B) Social Security
C) the Works Progress Administration
D) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

Question 50

Why might individuals see Social Security benefits as a different type of entitlement that is not welfare?

A) All Americans pay into the Social Security system and receive its benefits regardless of income.
B) Americans are fine with providing financial support for the elderly and those unable to work.
C) Social Security has stricter requirements for receiving benefits than all other welfare programs.
D) Welfare programs hurt an economy, but Social Security actually helps the economy overall.

Question 51

Why might the Social Security fund be broke by the time all Baby Boomers are eligible for benefits in 2035?

A) The Boomer generation was so large that the ratio of workers contributing to Social Security will be less than the beneficiaries.
B) The younger generations of workers are not subject to the level of payroll taxes that the older generations were.
C) The Social Security fund is often abused by those who technically qualify for benefits but draw upon the fund too soon.
D) The current generation of workers is making significantly less than the older generations, which means less taxable income.

Question 52

What was one of President Bill Clinton's victories in his mission to "end welfare as we know it" in America?

A) He worked with Congress to replace the AFDC with the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
B) He increased the age requirements and lessened benefits for Social Security payments to the elderly.
C) He passed bipartisan reforms of the health care system to provide health care to more Americans.
D) He passed legislation that lessened the requirements and removed limits to receiving welfare entitlements.

Question 53

Which major event led to the adoption of welfare state policies in the United States?

A) the Vietnam War
B) the Great Depression
C) the September 11, 2001 attacks
D) the financial crisis of 2008

Question 54

Which program(s) scaled back the food stamps program and imposed stricter employment requirements for those who receive certain welfare benefits?

A) the Aid to Families with Dependent Children
B) the Works Progress Administration
C) Medicare and Medicaid
D) the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

Question 55

What was President Bill Clinton's attitude toward the welfare state in America?

A) He wanted to shift the United States toward more socialist policies.
B) He wanted to privatize all areas of public assistance.
C) He wanted to expand it beyond what President Johnson had done.
D) He wanted to reform the welfare system significantly.

Question 56

Which is a defining characteristic of welfare states?

A) relatively low taxes
B) thriving private companies
C) increased tension and discrimination
D) benefits provided for all who qualify

Question 57

What effect did President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs have on the welfare state in the United States?

A) They expanded the welfare state in pursuit of the goal to end poverty in America.
B) They devolved several welfare programs to the states and private charities.
C) They provided welfare entitlements to all Americans, not just the needy.
D) They forced the government to cut spending and cut taxes to benefit all citizens.

Question 58

Which New Deal program provided public jobs to the unemployed?

A) the Aid to Families with Dependent Children
B) the Medicare program
C) the Social Security Administration
D) the Federal Emergency Relief Administration

Question 59

Which is an example of the principle that welfare benefits are universally applied to those who qualify for them?

A) Canada's publicly funded health care system that provides health care services to all citizens.
B) the system of privatized health insurance coverage provided by employers in the United States
C) a retired man drawing on his 401(k) savings during retirement instead of Social Security
D) a high school graduate receiving scholarships to attend a private university to study engineering

Question 60

The health of Social Security is determined by ______.

A) the payout amounts to beneficiaries
B) the age of retirees receiving benefits
C) how much each person contributes
D) the ratio of workers to beneficiaries

Question 61

What was the main function of the United States in terms of foreign affairs under the Truman Doctrine?

A) to create a domino effect by which communist governments would collapse and be replaced by democratic ones
B) to establish a network of allied nations in Europe to oppose the territorial expansion of the Soviet Union
C) to prevent the spread of communism and Soviet influence through financial and material incentives
D) to keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts outside the Western Hemisphere and focus instead on domestic development

Question 62

According to the text, which is a benefit of utilizing a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account (IRA) to save for retirement?

A) Using those accounts is more cost-effective than Social Security.
B) Those accounts are a safe way to save up a guaranteed amount of money.
C) Such accounts are simple to set up and have no limits on contributions.
D) Those accounts have various tax incentives for saving money.

Question 63

Which action is the best example of the United States fulfilling its objectives under manifest destiny?

A) the establishment of Washington, D.C. as the capital of the United States
B) ending the practice of slavery in the North and South after the Civil War
C) Thomas Jefferson's acquisition of land west of the Mississippi with the Louisiana Purchase
D) the United States' attempt to join the League of Nations following World War I

Question 64

Which approach did the United States take to foreign policy in the early years after its founding?

A) expansionism
B) interventionism
C) containment
D) isolationism

Question 65

Which statement best describes the United States' approach to foreign policy during its early years as a nation?

A) The United States was opposed to getting involved in foreign wars outside of Western influence.
B) The United States saw it as its responsibility to expand its economic power and values to others.
C) The United States had the duty to take any actions necessary to keep communism out of the West.
D) In order to assert the United States as a dominant military power, involvement in war was necessary.

Question 66

What is the relationship between the foreign policy doctrine of expansionism and the concept of manifest destiny?

A) Expansion into other territories was part of the Founders' notion of the United States' manifest destiny.
B) The United States was seen as destined to be an economic superpower, which required territorial expansion.
C) Americans had the moral obligation to expand its territory and influence over less modernized societies.
D) It was seen as the inherent destiny of America to expand its territory and influence in the Western hemisphere.

Question 67

Which type of foreign policy was adopted by the United States after World War II?

A) internationalism
B) containment
C) expansionism
D) isolationism

Question 68

Which is one advantage of the adoption of a system of universal health care?

A) Highly skilled physicians tend to be drawn to universal systems.
B) Universal health care systems incentivize medical research.
C) Taxes tend to be much lower in nations with this type of system.
D) Citizens do not have to pay outright for health care services.

Question 69

The foreign policy approach of increasing the territorial or economic influence of one's own country is known as ______.

A) the Monroe Doctrine
B) expansionism
C) containment
D) the Marshall Plan

Question 70

Who has the power to raise armies, declare war, and regulate foreign commerce in the United States?

A) Congress
B) the president
C) the Senate Majority Leader
D) the Speaker of the House

Question 71

Other than lowering taxes for most Americans, what did President Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 do?

A) lowered the costs and other fees of Obamacare programs
B) removed the individual mandate aspect of the PPACA
C) completely privatized all forms of health insurance
D) extended the open enrollment period for health insurance

Question 72

What was the main goal of the United States according to the concept of manifest destiny?

A) taking over Mexican territories to find gold and other precious metals
B) pushing the French and British out of Canada for Northern expansion
C) expanding economic and religious influence to Caribbean territories
D) occupying North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast

Question 73

During his bids for the presidency in 2016 and 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed a universal health care plan that would guarantee access to health care services for all Americans at no cost to them. This proposed program would also include dental and hearing aids and apply to all Americans universally, not just select members of disadvantaged groups. What is one likely impact this plan would have on the United States if it were to come to fruition?

A) Taxes in the United States would increase significantly to cover the costs of universal health care.
B) Private health insurance companies would be required to lower premiums and other fees.
C) The cost of common prescription drugs for conditions like diabetes and hypertension would skyrocket.
D) The quality and standards for health care professionals would improve significantly.

Question 74

How do most Americans with health insurance receive their coverage?

A) through the federal government
B) through a private plan, paid for out-of-pocket
C) through their employer
D) through their parents' health insurance

Question 75

The idea that the president has a more expanded and powerful role in foreign affairs and a more restricted, less-powerful role in domestic affairs is consistent with which concept?

A) the Monroe doctrine
B) Keynesian theory
C) two presidencies theory
D) containment doctrine

Question 76

The idea that territories in North and South America were not to be colonized by European powers and that any plans to do so would be seen as a threat to the national security of the United States is foundational to which American foreign policy?

A) the Monroe Doctrine
B) the Roosevelt Corollary
C) the Marshall Plan
D) the Truman Doctrine

Question 77

In Canada, the cost of prescription drugs is significantly less compared to the cost of prescription drugs in the United States, and health care services are provided at the expense of the government, not the patient. Which type of health care system does Canada use?

A) privatized health care
B) democratized health care
C) universal health care
D) citizen-funded health care

Question 78

How does the health care system in the United States differ from the systems in other modern industrial nations?

A) The United States has a mostly privatized health care system, while others have universal health care.
B) The United States provides less costly health care services than most other nations.
C) The United States has a free, universal health care system that most other nations do not have.
D) The United States has a higher standard of care than other modern industrial nations.

Question 79

What was the purpose of the individual mandate of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010?

A) to require that all employers give their employees the option for coverage
B) to lower the individual costs of private health insurance
C) to penalize private health insurance companies for denying coverage
D) to compel all Americans to obtain health care coverage

Question 80

Which legislation was passed with the intent to move the United States toward a more universal system of health care?

A) the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
B) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010
C) the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
D) the Dependents' Medical Care Act of 1956