Deck 20: Government: How Can Policy Influence Sustainability

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of politics?

A) a local zoning board approving a new apartment complex
B) a state legislature increasing the age requirement to purchase tobacco
C) the environmental protection agency limiting the sulfur emissions allowed by power plants
D) All of these are correct.

Answer 1

All of these are correct.

Question 2

When crafting a policy, a decision is adopted to influence

A) laws.
B) the size of government.
C) behavior.
D) None of these are correct.

Answer 2

behavior.

Question 3

A constitutional democracy, authoritarian regime, and monarchy are very different forms of government. Which feature do they all share?

A) They have authority over the people residing in that area.
B) They all have checks and balances.
C) They all rely on a constitution.
D) Each has a central government that makes all laws and policies.

Answer 3

They have authority over the people residing in that area.

Question 4

If a leader is elected to office due to fraudulent voting, this will impact the of the government he or she represents when interacting with other countries.

A) institutions
B) political party
C) legitimacy
D) checks and balances

Question 5

If a government threatens to jail anyone who disagrees with its decisions, it is using

A) sovereignty.
B) checks and balances.
C) a unitary governing system.
D) coercion.

Question 6

The US Supreme Court, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are all examples of a(n)

A) political party.
B) interest group.
C) authoritarian system.
D) institution.

Question 7

If the US government changed its system from three branches of government to only one, which of the following would no longer be possible?

A) a democratic system
B) checks and balances
C) a proportional representation system
D) institutions

Question 8

Authoritarian and democratic systems of government mainly differ in

A) their gross domestic product.
B) their reliance on renewable energy sources.
C) the number of states within the country.
D) the role of the public.

Question 9

In Venezuela under current leader Nicolas Maduro, the government has greatly reduced individual freedoms, with the public having little role in the functioning of government institutions. This most closely resembles which type of government?

A) authoritarian system
B) federal governing system
C) democratic system
D) None of these are correct.

Question 10

Democratic systems can involve the public in which of the following ways?

A) electing representatives to vote on policies
B) voting directly on policies
C) approving a constitution
D) All of these are correct.

Question 11

In the political system of Brazil, there are three branches of the federal government, and the country is divided into 26 states that are autonomous entities with their own governments. Which of the following best describes this system of government?

A) authoritarian
B) federal governing
C) democratic
D) proportional representation

Question 12

Two countries are trying to increase their percentage of electric vehicles that are sold each year. Which type of government would more likely include the public in drafting legislation to do this?

A) unitary governing system
B) federal governing system
C) authoritarian system
D) single-member-district plurality system

Question 13

A small town of 100 people is voting to elect representatives to the government. The candidates and the number of votes are shown below.

A) single-member-district plurality system
B) proportional representation system
C) authoritarian system
D) federal governing system

Question 14

A small town of 100 people is voting to elect representatives to the government. The candidates and the number of votes are shown below.

A) single-member-district plurality system
B) proportional representation system
C) authoritarian system
D) federal governing system

Question 15

Two students decide they are interested in preserving a forested area just outside their college campus that is scheduled to become a new apartment complex. In order to have greater influence, they need to increase their

A) politics.
B) power.
C) subsidies.
D) legitimacy.

Question 16

Two students decide they are interested in preserving a forested area just outside their college campus that is scheduled to become a new apartment complex. They find many other students on campus that share their views. This would be considered

A) an institution.
B) a political party.
C) an interest group.
D) prescriptive regulation.

Question 17

Two students decide they are interested in preserving a forested area just outside their college campus that is scheduled to become a new apartment complex. They organize a meeting with several local politicians to argue why the forest should be preserved. This demonstrates which of the following?

A) a political party
B) payment
C) policy
D) lobbying

Question 18

Water quality laws utilize which of the following tools in order to set standards?

A) subsidies
B) penalties
C) permits
D) prescriptive regulation

Question 19

If a state wanted to encourage more people to use public transportation, it could provide a gift card when someone purchases a bus pass. This would serve as a

A) penalty.
B) payment.
C) prescriptive regulation.
D) form of lobbying.

Question 20

As the governments of many countries have looked to increase the use of solar and wind power for electricity generation, they have provided tax credits, also known as , to individuals who install devices on their properties.

A) payments
B) tax reductions
C) subsidies
D) All of these are correct.

Question 21

A city ordinance bans individuals from burning any materials on their properties. Several city residents complain that they need the ability to burn materials on specific occasions. How could the city allow some residents to burn despite it being banned?

A) Encourage them to form an interest group.
B) Allow them to lobby to the city government.
C) Grant permits for burning.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 22

Which of the following is an example of penalties related to environmental damage?

A) fines for pollution
B) a tax subsidy for companies that limit emissions
C) a permit to allow companies to emit higher-than-allowed amounts of pollutants
D) a published list of polluting companies

Question 23

Which of the following is one of the "5 P's" of policy design that involves dissemination of information to change behavior?

A) prescriptive regulation
B) penalties
C) property rights
D) persuasion

Question 24

Subsidies, research grants, and governmental contracts are all forms of

A) prescriptive regulation.
B) payments.
C) persuasion.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 25

A new vehicle is purchased with an overall fuel economy of 12 miles per gallon, well below the required fuel economy standards. Which of the following is a penalty enacted on this purchase?

A) adding a subsidy to the purchase of the vehicle
B) including a gas guzzler tax on the purchase
C) regulations on the total mileage the vehicle can drive each year
D) disseminating information on the low gas mileage

Question 26

Rachel Carson initiated the environmental movement with the publishing of Silent Spring in 1962. Which of the following chemicals was the main focus of this book?

A) carbon dioxide
B) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
C) benzene
D) dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)

Question 27

The dusty gopher frog (Rana sevosa) is found in Alabama and is listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Alabama would like to institute new regulations that would allow hunting of the dusty gopher frog. Will this be allowed?

A) Yes; the state policy will override the federal policy.
B) Yes; states have authority of all animals and plants within their borders.
C) No; the Endangered Species Act will override state policy.
D) No; hunting regulations are passed at the local level only.

Question 28

The Amazon River runs through parts of both Peru and Brazil. How is it possible for each country to have different rules and regulations on pollution levels allowed in the same river?

A) Brazil has more manufacturing than Peru.
B) Peru has more agricultural pollution than Brazil.
C) Each country has sovereignty over the river in its borders.
D) None of these are correct.

Question 29

Which of the following best describes the United Nations?

A) an intergovernmental organization
B) one branch of the US government
C) an organization of the top 20 economies in the world
D) a group that includes every nation in the world

Question 30

US participation in international agreements stems commonly from

A) approval by a two-thirds majority of the US Senate.
B) executive congressional agreement.
C) a national vote.
D) approval by state legislatures.

Question 31

The Framework Convention of Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement were all focused on which of the following?

A) developing penalties for countries polluting
B) developing a plan for global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
C) approving new renewable energy technologies for use
D) mandating reductions in carbon dioxide emissions

Question 32

How is it possible that authoritarian regimes can often implement environmental law changes faster than democratic systems of government?

Question 33

Why are Green Party candidates seen much more often in proportional representation systems compared to other electoral systems?

Question 34

Describe the role of interest groups in the development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Be sure to include the arguments for and against development in this region.

Question 35

Based on your understanding of the "5 P's" of policy design, discuss how each (prescriptive regulations, payments, penalties, property rights, and persuasion) could be used to help the United States reach its goal of increasing the use of renewable energy for electricity production.

Question 36

Describe two reasons why the Paris Agreement will be unlikely to reach its targeted goals.