Deck 17: Public Policy

Question 1

Congress made it more difficult to create rules with the passage of the

A)Administrative Procedure Act of 1946.
B)National Deregulation Act of 1983.
C)Executive Reorganization Act of 1936.
D)Fair Practices in Regulation Act of 1997.
E)Proper Policy Process Act of 1975.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Efforts to educate the public are an example of

A)material benefits.
B)tangible benefits.
C)symbolic benefits.
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Redistributive policies are often designed to impose sacrifices on all citizens in pursuit of a common goal.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Political scientist Anthony Downs calls the stage where the problem moves into prolonged limbo what?

A)Pre-problem stage
B)Alarmed discovery
C)Cost-benefit stage
D)Post-problem stage
E)Public-interest decline stage

Question 5

The essential decision in setting the policy agenda is choosing the problem to be solved.

Question 6

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

A)Making rules for implementation
B)Choosing a tool for solving the problem
C)Deciding to act
D)Judicial review of proposed rules
E)Making assumptions about the world

Question 7

The interaction of the people and their government, including citizens, interest groups, political parties, and the institutions of government at all levels is known as

A)federalism.
B)public policy.
C)democracy.
D)politics.
E)pluralism.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a stage in the issue-attention cycle?

A)Making rules for implementation
B)The gradual decline of intense public interest
C)The pre-problem stage
D)Alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm on an issue
E)The realization that change will incur significant cost

Question 9

Welfare, poverty programs, and Head Start for poor preschool children are examples of reverse distributive policy.

Question 10

What type of policy makes a small-scale adjustment in an existing program?

A)Comprehensive
B)Punctuating
C)Incremental
D)Network
E)None of the above

Question 11

A(n) _________________________ is a policy making instrument composed of a tightly related alliance of a congressional committee, interest groups, and federal department or agency.

A)aluminum cage
B)iron triangle
C)glass house
D)titanium tryst
E)issue network

Question 12

The government turns to lobbying when it decides to solve a problem.

Question 13

Redistributive policy in the United States tends to benefit

A)the rich.
B)individuals who are most active politically.
C)everyone equally.
D)the less fortunate.
E)None of the above

Question 14

____________________ policy is a policy that reduces benefits for all groups, such as imposing a tax increase in society, to pursue a common goal or solve a common problem.

A)Joint
B)Utopian
C)Reverse distributive
D)Security
E)Regulatory

Question 15

What starts with the pre-problem stage?

A)Issue-attention cycle
B)Zero-sum game
C)Lobbying
D)Policy agenda
E)None of the above

Question 16

A nongovernmental organization that seeks to influence public policy through research and education is known as a(n)

A)institute.
B)think tank.
C)influence organization.
D)agenda-setter.
E)propaganda machine.

Question 17

Head Start programs for preschoolers are an example of what type of public policy?

A)Distributive
B)Reverse distributive
C)Redistributive
D)Cost-benefit
E)None of the above

Question 18

____________________ is a specific course of action that government takes to address a problem.

A)Public policy
B)Negotiation
C)Arbitration
D)Introspection
E)Examination

Question 19

Reducing college loan costs, increasing police patrols, and creating prescription drug coverage are examples of politics.

Question 20

What provides a daily record of all new and proposed federal government rules?

A)Congressional Record
B)Federal Register
C)Congressional Daily
D)Daily Federal Roster
E)Rules of Federal Government

Question 21

Lower prescription drug costs, higher profits, cleaner air, and safer neighborhoods are examples of

A)the people.
B)politics.
C)outcomes.
D)government.
E)policies.

Question 22

Welfare, poverty programs, and Head Start for poor preschool children are examples of _________________ policy.

A)redistributive
B)conservative
C)regulatory
D)regressive
E)paternalistic

Question 23

Social Security, air traffic control, national defense, and education spending are examples of _________________ policy.

A)pejorative
B)unrewarded
C)redistributive
D)regulatory
E)distributive

Question 24

Which of the following is a way in which government can convey a public policy to the nation?

A)Official proclamation
B)News bulletins
C)Press conferences
D)Laws passed by Congress and signed by the president
E)Elections

Question 25

Policy that takes away exactly as much in benefits as another group gains is sometimes called a

A)socialist trap.
B)cost-benefit tradeoff.
C)pay-as-you-go approach.
D)government ploy.
E)zero-sum game.

Question 26

What is a policy that reduces benefits for all groups?

A)Distributive
B)Zero-sum
C)Redistributive
D)Reverse distributive
E)None of the above

Question 27

Radical changes to public policy that occur only after the mobilization of large segments of society to demand action are known as punctuating policy.

Question 28

National parks are an example of what type of public policy?

A)Distributive
B)Zero-sum
C)Redistributive
D)Reverse distributive
E)None of the above

Question 29

A policy that provides to one group of society while taking away benefits for another is known as

A)cost-benefit policy.
B)positive gains policy.
C)redistributive policy.
D)monetary policy.
E)social policy.

Question 30

College students, businesses, environmental groups, and older Americans are examples of

A)the people.
B)politics.
C)outcomes.
D)government.
E)policies.

Question 31

When we compare and contrast policy proposals, such as electric cars that reduce the nation's need for oil but increase the demand for the electricity produced by coal-fired plants, we are using a(n)

A)energy promotion evaluation.
B)auto industry impact analysis.
C)cost-benefit analysis.
D)policy impact assessment.
E)None of the above

Question 32

The issue-attention cycle begins with the realization that change will incur significant cost.

Question 33

Politics is about interaction or process while policy is the __________ of that process.

A)input
B)development
C)policing
D)duration
E)product

Question 34

Voting, writing e-mails, contributing money to campaigns, and filing lawsuits are all examples of

A)the people.
B)politics.
C)outcomes.
D)government.
E)policies.

Question 35

The policy-making process always follows six key steps in the same order.

Question 36

In the 2008 presidential election campaign, Barack Obama told Joe the Plumber that his tax plan would help "distribute the wealth" by increasing taxes on people making more than $250,000 a year.This is an example of

A)communism.
B)redistributive policy.
C)anti-American behavior.
D)regressive policy.
E)paternalistic policy.

Question 37

In 2007 Congress passed a law creating new mileage standards for cars and light trucks.This legislation raised the cost of manufacturing and those costs were expected to be passed on to consumers. This is an example of what type of policy?

A)Reverse distributive
B)Monetary
C)Redistributive
D)Social
E)Security

Question 38

A policy-making alliance that involves very strong ties among a congressional committee, an interest group, and a federal department or agency is known as an issue network.

Question 39

When government decides to tackle a problem, it does so through

A)intervention.
B)elections.
C)public policy.
D)referenda.
E)constitutional convention.

Question 40

Reducing college loan costs, increasing police patrols, and creating prescription drug coverage are examples of

A)the people.
B)politics.
C)outcomes.
D)government.
E)policies.

Question 41

The first stage in the issue-attention cycle is

A)making rules for implementation.
B)the gradual decline of intense public interest.
C)the pre-problem stage.
D)deciding who will deliver the goods or services.
E)the realization that change will incur significant cost.

Question 42

Politics is concerned with

A)what the government gets from the people.
B)who gets what, when, where, and how from government.
C)free and open elections.
D)maintaining the power and influence of elected officials.
E)None of the above

Question 43

____________________ is the fourth step in the process of making public policy.

A)Making assumptions about the world
B)Deciding to act
C)Setting the agenda
D)Making rules for implementation
E)Deciding how much to do

Question 44

The third step in the policy-making process is

A)choosing a tool for solving the problem.
B)deciding who will deliver the goods or services.
C)running the program itself.
D)deciding to act.
E)making assumptions about the world.

Question 45

The final stage in the issue-attention cycle is

A)the post-problem stage.
B)the gradual decline of intense public interest.
C)setting the agenda.
D)the realization that change will incur significant cost.
E)running the program itself.

Question 46

____________________ is the fourth stage in the issue-attention cycle.

A)The realization that change will incur significant cost
B)Deciding to act
C)Setting the agenda
D)The pre-problem stage
E)The gradual decline of intense public interest

Question 47

The fifth step in the policy-making process is

A)choosing a tool for solving the problem.
B)deciding how much to do.
C)making assumptions about the world.
D)setting the agenda.
E)running the program itself.

Question 48

____________________ is the second step in the process of making public policy.

A)Running the program itself
B)Setting the agenda
C)Choosing a tool for solving the problem
D)Deciding how much to do
E)Making rules for implementation

Question 49

____________________ is the final step in the process of making public policy.

A)Setting the agenda
B)Running the program itself
C)Reviewing decision making procedures
D)Deciding how much to do
E)Making assumptions about the world

Question 50

The third stage in the issue-attention cycle is

A)alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm on an issue.
B)the gradual decline of intense public interest.
C)running the program itself.
D)the realization that change will incur significant cost.
E)choosing a tool for solving the problem.

Question 51

____________________ is the second stage in the issue-attention cycle.

A)Running the program itself
B)Alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm on an issue
C)Choosing a tool for solving the problem
D)The realization that change will incur significant cost
E)The post-problem stage

Question 52

A public policy that provides benefits to all groups in society is called

A)pork barrel spending.
B)welfare policy.
C)distributive policy.
D)monetary policy.
E)reverse distributive policy.

Question 53

____________________ is the sixth step in the process of making public policy.

A)Running the program itself
B)Choosing a tool for solving the problem
C)Deciding who will deliver the goods or services
D)Evaluating the program
E)Measuring outputs

Question 54

National parks such as Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and the National Air and Space Museum are examples of what type of policy tool?

A)Federal spending
B)Providing goods and services directly
C)Regulation
D)Using taxes to regulate the economy and encourage certain behaviors
E)Environmental policy

Question 55

The seventh step in the policy-making process is

A)deciding who will deliver the goods and services.
B)measuring outputs.
C)making assumptions about the world.
D)deciding how much to do.
E)making rules for implementation.

Question 56

A precise statement of how a law is implemented is called a(n)

A)evaluation report.
B)final project.
C)policy plan.
D)rule.
E)regulation.

Question 57

The first step in the policy-making process is

A)making rules for implementation.
B)choosing a tool for solving the problem.
C)deciding to act.
D)deciding who will deliver the goods or services.
E)making assumptions about the world.

Question 58

Small adjustments to existing public policies are known as

A)comprehensive policy.
B)non-existent policy.
C)punctuated policy.
D)conservative policy.
E)incremental policy.

Question 59

The list of issues that the federal government pays attention to is called the

A)federal docket.
B)policy agenda.
C)presidential priorities.
D)programs watch.
E)implementation items.

Question 60

The three elements of iron triangles are

A)interest groups, a federal agency, and a related congressional committee.
B)the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
C)think tanks, the public, and protesters.
D)state governments, local governments, and the federal government.
E)the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Question 61

Because of their role in battling problems such as poverty, illiteracy, hunger, and disease, charities are often called

A)social-benefit organizations.
B)shadow welfare agencies.
C)defenders of the downtrodden.
D)policy preemptors.
E)None of the above

Question 62

What is an organization composed of scholars who study public policy known as?

A)Lobbies
B)Think tanks
C)Zero-sum games
D)Issue networks
E)None of the above

Question 63

The movement of public opinion toward public policy from initial enthusiasm for action to realization of costs and a decline in interest is called a(n)

A)policy agenda.
B)issue flowchart.
C)policy progression.
D)issue-attention cycle.
E)policy making circle.

Question 64

Figure 17-4 illustrates that

A)the number of rules issued by the federal government has declined substantially since the mid 1980s.
B)making rules became much easier in the 1960s.
C)the number of pages in the Federal Register increased dramatically in the 1970s.
D)rules have become a less common approach by the government in the past decade.
E)the number of pages in the Federal Register has remained constant since the 1950s.

Question 65

To allow for affected parties to express concerns and suggest amendments about possible rules, the Administrative Procedure Act requires departments and agencies to post a

A)Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
B)Notice of Intended Consequences.
C)Cost-Benefit Analysis Statement.
D)Statement of Regulatory Impact.
E)Notice of Legislative History.

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT a source of what political scientists call third-party government?

A)Charities
B)Private businesses
C)Colleges and universities
D)Interest groups
E)State and local governments

Question 67

Efforts to study an issue, appoint a blue-ribbon commission, or highlight the need for future action are examples of _______________ benefits.

A)enlisted
B)pretend
C)symbolic
D)federal
E)regulatory

Question 68

How many steps are there in making public policy?

A)Three
B)Eight
C)Fourteen
D)Twenty-three
E)Five

Question 69

When a bill is passed and signed into law it is sent to the appropriate department or agency in the executive branch for

A)constitutional evaluation.
B)intent interpretation.
C)implied implementation.
D)regulatory review.
E)faithful execution.

Question 70

The 1946 Administrative Procedure Act made creating a rule

A)more difficult.
B)easier.
C)more straightforward.
D)more popular.
E)None of the above

Question 71

Who generally has the most influence over the construction of rules?

A)The House of Representatives
B)Interest groups
C)The Supreme Court
D)Citizens
E)The White House staff

Question 72

The total size of the Federal Register decreased in which of the following periods?

A)1966-1971
B)1936-1941
C)1971-1976
D)1961-1966
E)1981-1986

Question 73

Which is described as the list of issues that the federal government pays attention to?

A)Lobbying
B)Public policies
C)Policy agenda
D)Nondecisions
E)None of the above

Question 74

A decision NOT to move ahead with the policy process is known as

A)escapism.
B)agenda-setting.
C)abdication.
D)nondecision.
E)circling.

Question 75

What does political scientist John Kingdon describe as taking place in a "primordial swamp?"

A)constitutional interpretation
B)judicial review
C)the policy-making process
D)the making of rules
E)voting

Question 76

Which of the following is NOT one of the tools used by the federal government to solve most public problems?

A)Providing protection against risk
B)Spending money
C)Providing goods and services directly
D)Using taxes to regulate the economy and encourage certain behaviors
E)Asking the judicial branch for rulings on state government policies

Question 77

A tool the federal government uses to solve most public problems is

A)directly providing goods.
B)providing protection against risk.
C)spending money.
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 78

Making public policy is often a(n) ___________ process.

A)unpredictable
B)stable
C)planned
D)smooth
E)None of the above

Question 79

Successful implementation of the laws required more than how much money in 2008?

A)$15 billion
B)$3 trillion
C)$1 trillion
D)$30 billion
E)$600 million

Question 80

Which of the following is a source of what political scientists call third-party government?

A)Charitable organizations
B)Local governments
C)Colleges and universities
D)All of the above
E)None of the above