Deck 14: The Policy Process and Economic Policy

Question 1

All of the following are always considered steps in the policy process model EXCEPT _____, which is only sometimes included.

A) identifying the problem
B) setting the agenda
C) formulating a solution
D) evaluating the solution
E) implementing the solution

Answer 1

evaluating the solution

Question 2

George W. Bush signed a bill into law that made it harder for people to declare _____ and thus avoid repaying their debts.

A) impunity
B) bankruptcy
C) solvency
D) citizenship
E) tax withholdings

Answer 2

bankruptcy

Question 3

_____ liberty or freedom exists to the extent that we can do what we wish.

A) Positive
B) Negative
C) Ultimate
D) Passive
E) Progressive

Answer 3

Positive

Question 4

The ideas of someone who holds the process view of equality and the negative view of freedom resemble

A) progressivism.
B) communism.
C) classical liberalism.
D) modern liberalism.
E) feminism.

Question 5

Although the term usually carries negative connotations, "special interests" is merely another term describing the use of the

A) elections pathway.
B) court pathway.
C) grassroots mobilization pathway.
D) cultural change pathway.
E) lobbying pathway.

Question 6

The government function of distribution is often decried by critics as

A) "special interests."
B) "pork barrel spending."
C) "entitlements."
D) "democratic deficit."
E) "effective governance."

Question 7

The independent commission that investigated the intelligence failures leading up to 9/11 provided _____ benefits to American citizens.

A) symbolic
B) tangible
C) terrestrial
D) patriotic
E) referential

Question 8

The process of publicizing a problem and demanding government action to address it is usually referred to as

A) agenda setting.
B) problem identification.
C) policy evaluation.
D) policy implementation.
E) policy legitimation.

Question 9

_____ is the power to review the implementation of policy.

A) Going public
B) Assessment
C) Reform
D) Oversight
E) Evaluation

Question 10

Unlike legislatures, courts do not control the _____ of programs directly.

A) evaluation
B) operation
C) formulation
D) implementation
E) funding

Question 11

_____ policy means crafting solutions to identified problems.

A) Formulating
B) Disrupting
C) Implementing
D) Evaluating
E) Assessing

Question 12

The main institution(s) of government exerting oversight over the implementation of policy is (are)

A) the legislature only.
B) the courts only.
C) the executive only.
D) both the legislature and the courts only.
E) the legislature, the courts and the executive.

Question 13

The inflation rate is measured by the

A) the gross domestic product.
B) the unemployment rate.
C) the Consumer Price Index.
D) the Laffer curve.
E) All of these answers are correct

Question 14

Impoundment refers to a practice of President Nixon in which he

A) refused to enforce legislation he opposed.
B) refused to spend money allocated by the Congress.
C) unilaterally reallocated money between federal programs.
D) unilaterally eliminated congressional budget items.
E) overturned decisions by the federal courts.

Question 15

Which of the following expense items is always "off budget"?

A) Defense
B) Education
C) Medicare
D) Unemployment insurance
E) Interest payments on the debt

Question 16

In the United States, income tax is a _____ tax-the more money you make, the higher percentage you pay in taxes.

A) progressive
B) regressive
C) payroll
D) flat
E) insurance

Question 17

The single-largest portion of federal revenue, accounting for approximately 43 percent of all revenue to the national government, is provided by

A) corporate income taxes.
B) individual income taxes.
C) customs and excise taxes.
D) estate taxes.
E) the federal gas tax.

Question 18

The _____ curve is an economic model that maintains that a higher level of taxation can result in lower government revenues.

A) Phillips
B) macroeconomic
C) Keynes
D) Laffer
E) Friedman

Question 19

Which of the programs or departments has the HIGHEST allocation of funds in President Obama's 2011 proposed budget?

A) Defense
B) Education
C) Interest on the debt
D) Medicare
E) Income Security

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a component of the income security program?

A) Medicare
B) food stamps
C) the earned-income credit
D) unemployment compensation
E) the child tax credit

Question 21

The Federal Reserve must strike a balance in setting monetary policy because too much money in the system results in

A) deflation, while too little money causes stagnation.
B) deflation, while too little money causes inflation.
C) stagnation, while too little money causes inflation.
D) stagnation, while too little money causes deflation.
E) inflation, while too little money causes stagnation.

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a tool used by the Fed to manipulate monetary policy?

A) Discount rate
B) Open-market operations
C) Income tax rate
D) Federal funds rate
E) Buying and selling foreign currencies

Question 23

The ideas of someone who holds the process view of equality and the negative view of freedom resemble classical liberalism.

Question 24

The difference between distributive and redistributive policies rests primarily in the number of people affected by the policy.

Question 25

Congress was designed by the founders to be the most open of the policymaking institutions of the federal government.

Question 26

It is often difficult to reduce government spending because current year expenditures have become the baseline for future budget years.

Question 27

Policy is the output of

A) politics.
B) society.
C) legislation.
D) the judiciary.
E) reform.

Question 28

The _____ model begins with the identification of a problem and concludes with the analysis of the effectiveness of the solutions applied to that problem.

A) negative freedom
B) policy process
C) political process
D) econometric
E) evaluative

Question 29

The philosophical perspective based on the belief that government is the best actor to solve social, economic, and political problems is

A) progressivism.
B) anarchism.
C) classical liberalism.
D) conservatism.
E) direct democracy.

Question 30

Modern liberals tend to favor a more ______ government.

A) anarchist
B) moralistic
C) limited
D) activist
E) militaristic

Question 31

In the 1970s, the _____ movement scored major legislative victories with the passage of laws such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.

A) environmentalist
B) animal rights
C) conservative
D) feminist
E) anti-tax

Question 32

The transformation of social practices of waste disposal, shifting from automatically throwing away aluminum cans, glass bottles, newspaper, and cardboard, to a social practice of recycling demonstrates the impact of the

A) elections pathway.
B) court pathway.
C) grassroots mobilization pathway.
D) cultural change pathway.
E) lobbying pathway.

Question 33

Although the term usually carries negative connotations, "special interests" is merely another term describing the use of the

A) elections pathway.
B) court pathway.
C) grassroots mobilization pathway.
D) cultural change pathway.
E) lobbying pathway.

Question 34

_____ takes place when a government provides specific groups within society with something of value.

A) Distribution
B) Redistribution
C) Liquidation
D) Deregulation
E) Regulation

Question 35

Because they involve the shifting of scarce resources, the most controversial government programs are usually those that center on

A) distribution.
B) redistribution.
C) liquidation.
D) deregulation.
E) regulation.

Question 36

A _____ benefit is something that the recipients will experience in a material way.

A) symbolic
B) tangible
C) terrestrial
D) concrete
E) referential

Question 37

The process of selecting a policy proposal, generating political support for it, enacting it into law, and ruling on its Constitutionality is usually referred to as

A) agenda setting.
B) problem identification.
C) policy evaluation.
D) policy implementation.
E) policy legitimation.

Question 38

The process of organizing departments and agencies, providing payments or services, and levying taxes to support a specific public policy is usually referred to as

A) agenda setting.
B) problem identification.
C) policy evaluation.
D) policy implementation.
E) policy legitimation.

Question 39

The process of assessing policy impact and considering potential changes or reforms is usually referred to as

A) agenda setting.
B) problem identification.
C) policy evaluation.
D) policy implementation.
E) policy legitimation.

Question 40

The process of deciding what issues will be resolved and what matters government will address is referred to as

A) agenda setting.
B) problem identification.
C) policy evaluation.
D) policy implementation.
E) policy legitimation.

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT a step in the policy process model?

A) Implementing policy
B) Identifying the problem
C) Dismissing the problem
D) Setting an agenda
E) All of the above are steps in the policy process model

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT generally involved in policy legitimating?

A) interest groups
B) the president
C) Congress
D) the courts
E) think tanks

Question 43

_____ actors can affect the policy process at any stage, and sometimes they cause an unexpected progression of phases or the elimination of phases.

A) Social
B) Movie
C) Focal
D) Bureaucratic
E) Political

Question 44

_____ argue that our system of open government, with its multiple points of access to policymakers, allows people without resources like money and connections to still have their voices heard.

A) Populists
B) Elitists
C) Pluralists
D) Socialists
E) Reformers

Question 45

_____ describes a system in which only people with power and money will get access to decision makers.

A) Populism
B) Pluralism
C) Elitism
D) Fascism
E) Communism

Question 46

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, are examples of _____ events.

A) spotlight
B) distributive
C) focusing
D) distracting
E) obscuring

Question 47

Focusing events are most closely associated with which step in the policy process?

A) Identifying the problem
B) Setting an agenda
C) Formulating and legitimating policy
D) Implementing policy
E) Evaluating policy

Question 48

The pattern of certain problems quickly garnering attention but then failing to remain in the spotlight is often described as a function of the

A) issue-attention cycle.
B) trigger mechanism cycle.
C) redistribution cycle.
D) policy process cycle.
E) reformation-revolution cycle.

Question 49

The issue-attention cycle is most closely associated with which step in the policy process?

A) Identifying the problem
B) Setting an agenda
C) Formulating and legitimating policy
D) Implementing policy
E) Evaluating policy

Question 50

The set of problems that governmental decision makers are actively working to solve is usually referred to as the

A) issue-attention cycle.
B) rule-making authority.
C) legislative calendar.
D) institutional agenda.
E) policy framework.

Question 51

Which of the following is a characteristic of issues likely to fall out of the issue-attention cycle?

A) An issue that affects a small portion of the population
B) An issue that is expensive to address
C) An issue that is complex in its causes
D) An issue that lacks political or social clout
E) All of these answers are correct

Question 52

In which phase of the legislative cycle can public policy change?

A) The introduction of bills
B) Hearings
C) Floor debates
D) Public policy can change at any point in the legislative process
E) Public policy cannot be changed through the legislative process

Question 53

The lawmaking power delegated to executive branch agencies or departments by the U.S. Congress is normally referred to as

A) authoritative decision.
B) executive orders.
C) rule-making authority.
D) dictates.
E) decision-making authority.

Question 54

When presidents issue _____ orders directing the federal government to do-or stop doing-various things, they are engaging in problem solving.

A) judicial
B) mandate
C) legislative
D) executive
E) popular

Question 55

The _____ made by courts, especially the U.S. Supreme Court, are policies, since other branches of government and the nation's citizens are bound to these decisions as if they were laws passed by Congress.

A) statute
B) regulations
C) rules
D) appropriations
E) decisions

Question 56

Rule-making authority is most closely associated with which step in the policy process?

A) Identifying the problem
B) Setting an agenda
C) Formulating and legitimating policy
D) Implementing policy
E) Evaluating policy

Question 57

Which of the following is NOT considered an access point to the federal government?

A) The Supreme Court
B) The federal bureaucracy
C) City councils
D) Congress
E) Executive agencies

Question 58

_____ was designed by the founders to be the most open of the policymaking institutions of the federal government.

A) The president
B) Congress
C) The Supreme Court
D) The federal bureaucracy
E) The lower courts

Question 59

_____ implies fairness; formal rules and the ability to see the process in action help ensure fairness.

A) Duress
B) Legitimacy
C) Coercion
D) Discretion
E) Democracy

Question 60

Policy implementation is largely done by

A) the executive branch.
B) the legislative branch.
C) the judicial branch.
D) congressional committees.
E) local governments.

Question 61

Legislatures often write laws with the presumption that reasonable _____ will be used in applying them.

A) measures
B) diplomacy
C) discretion
D) Understanding
E) expectations

Question 62

Congress often writes vague laws because

A) it allows members of Congress to satisfy multiple constituencies with the same piece of legislation.
B) it often lacks the scientific or technical expertise to deal with complex questions.
C) it is out of touch with contemporary debates in American society.
D) it both allows members of Congress to satisfy multiple constituencies with the same piece of legislation and often lacks the scientific or technical expertise to deal with complex questions.
E) it often lacks both the scientific or technical expertise to deal with complex questions and is out of touch with contemporary debates in American society.

Question 63

______ refers to the form of congressional oversight exercised in hearings deciding whether a program should be continued or not.

A) Discretion
B) Certification
C) Reauthorization
D) Investigation
E) Identification

Question 64

Oversight is most closely associated with which step in the policy process?

A) Identifying the problem
B) Setting an agenda
C) Formulating and legitimating policy
D) Implementing policy
E) None of the above

Question 65

_____ policy refers to the taxing and spending decisions enacted by Congress in cooperation with the president.

A) Speculative
B) Fiscal
C) Monetary
D) Reactive
E) Central

Question 66

_____ policy concerns the money supply.

A) Speculative
B) Fiscal
C) Monetary
D) Reactive
E) Central

Question 67

The price at which prices increase is measured by the

A) rate of inflation.
B) balance of payments.
C) balance of trade.
D) gross domestic product.
E) unemployment rate.

Question 68

The unemployment rate does NOT include

A) only people who have been unemployed for more than 30 days.
B) only people who have given up looking for work.
C) only undocumented workers.
D) both people who have been unemployed for more than 30 days and people who have given up looking for work.
E) both people who have given up looking for work and undocumented workers.

Question 69

According to many economists, a "good" rate of unemployment is about

A) one percent.
B) three percent.
C) five percent.
D) ten percent.
E) fifteen percent.

Question 70

_____ calculates the total value of goods and services produced in the United States in a year.

A) Balance of payments
B) Balance of trade
C) Inflation
D) Gross domestic product
E) Consumer Price Index

Question 71

According to most economists, a "good" rate of growth in U.S. gross domestic product is about _____ per year.

A) one percent
B) three percent
C) five percent
D) eight percent
E) ten percent

Question 72

The net sum of the budget deficit minus the surplus is the _____, or the amount that the government owes.

A) inflation rate
B) national debt
C) gross domestic product
D) balance of trade
E) trade deficit

Question 73

_____ measures the difference between imports and exports.

A) Unemployment rate
B) Balance of trade
C) Inflation
D) Gross domestic product
E) Consumer Price Index

Question 74

With the exception of the four years between 1998 and 2001, the federal government has run a budget deficit every year since

A) 1950.
B) 1960.
C) 1970.
D) 1980.
E) 1990.

Question 75

The federal budget is approximately

A) $250 million.
B) $2.5 billion.
C) $250 billion.
D) $3.5 trillion.
E) $250 trillion.

Question 76

The _____ was created by the Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974, which fundamentally changed how the budget of the United States is crafted.

A) White House Office of Management and Budget
B) Consumer Price Index
C) Council of Economic Advisers
D) Congressional Budget Office
E) Department of Treasury

Question 77

As a result of the Budget and Impoundment Act of 1974, the

A) president became the primary player in creating the federal budget.
B) Congress became the primary player in creating the federal budget.
C) federal budget must be passed by a 2/3 supermajority.
D) Office of Management and Budget was eliminated.
E) federal budget must, by law, be balanced.

Question 78

Progressive taxes

A) increase the level of taxation each year.
B) are tied to increases in the rate of inflation.
C) tax higher incomes at a higher tax rate.
D) tax higher income at a lower tax rate.
E) tax all incomes at the same rate, regardless of source.

Question 79

As of 2010, the highest marginal personal income tax rate in the United States tops out at

A) 10 percent.
B) 15 percent.
C) 24 percent.
D) 35 percent.
E) 45 percent.

Question 80

The _____ program is funded by payroll taxes.

A) FBI
B) Medicaid
C) Food Stamp
D) Social Security
E) Defense