Deck 15: Domestic Policy

Question 1

Which of the following terms describes the procedures involved in getting an issue on the political agenda; formulating,adopting,and implementing a policy with regard to the issue; and then evaluating the results of the policy? 

A) Agenda setting process 
B) Policymaking process 
C) Domestic policy process 
D) Politicization process 
E) Issue identification process

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The second stage of the policymaking process involves the _____ of specific plans for achieving a particular goal.

A) formulation and adoption 
B) identification and evaluation 
C) evaluation and execution 
D) identification and formulation 
E) adoption and execution

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The final stage of policymaking involves: 

A) evaluating the success of a policy. 
B) implementing a policy. 
C) getting an issue on the political agenda. 
D) developing proposed legislation. 
E) assessing legislation through congressional hearings.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

For conservatives,entitlements are an essential part of the social compact that binds people together.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the second part of the first stage of the policymaking process? 

A) It involves getting an issue on the political agenda to be addressed by Congress. 
B) It involves developing proposed legislation.  
C) It requires a consensus on what policy should be adopted. 
D) It entails the formulation and adoption of specific plans for achieving a particular goal. 
E) It involves congressional hearings and expert studies.

Question 6

The centerpiece of the 2014 farm bill was the abolition of direct payments for certain crops.

Question 7

Identify a true statement about the U.S.health-care system.

A) Only five percent of national spending in the United States goes to health care. 
B) There are many health-care insurance policies in the United States. 
C) A problem associated with the health care system is the lack of health-care insurance. 
D) U.S. health-care costs have been declining for years. 
E) Health care is completely ignored by the federal government.

Question 8

Congressional Republicans and Democrats have a common ground on questions of how potential climate change might be reduced and its effects mitigated.

Question 9

The American income tax system is regressive.

Question 10

The _____ national policies necessarily requires the cooperation of the federal government and the various state and local governments because of the American federal system.

A) identification of issues to be addressed by 
B) formulation of  
C) adoption of 
D) evaluation of 
E) implementation of 

Question 11

When scholars and scientists conduct studies to determine whether a law has achieved desired results,they are engaging in: 

A) policy evaluation. 
B) policy formulation. 
C) policy adoption. 
D) policy implementation. 
E) agenda setting.

Question 12

Identify a newly insured product under the 2014 farm bill.

A) Black pepper 
B) Saffron 
C) Mustard 
D) Flax 
E) Sushi rice

Question 13

Sixty-two-year-old William is a retired bank employee.He stays in a nursing home facility with other retired persons.The nursing home mostly caters to low-income people.William's medical expenses are most likely to be covered by _____.

A) employment compensation 
B) PeachCare 
C) Medicaid 
D) TRICARE 
E) Medicare

Question 14

Which of the following terms refers to a plan or course of action taken by the government to respond to a political issue or to enhance the social or political well-being of society? 

A) Writ 
B) Caucus 
C) Subpoena 
D) Bureaucracy 
E) Policy

Question 15

Since nuclear reactors release greenhouse gases,nuclear power greatly contributes to global warming.

Question 16

Every bill that passes through Congress is an opportunity for individual members of Congress to: 

A) veto the bill. 
B) lobby the president. 
C) help constituents. 
D) set the national economic policy. 
E) solicit money from interest groups.

Question 17

Steven is a cashier at a local retail store.He was recently diagnosed with diabetes and has begun treatment.His monthly income is low and is not enough to pay his medical bills.Steven's medical expenses are most likely to be covered by _____.

A) employment compensation 
B) PeachCare 
C) TRICARE  
D) Medicaid 
E) Medicare

Question 18

All of the following are key participants in developing proposed legislation EXCEPT: 

A) the president. 
B) the members of Congress. 
C) administrative agencies. 
D) the citizens of the country. 
E) interest group leaders.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes domestic policy? 

A) Public policy concerning matters of foreign affairs 
B) Public policy concerning issues within a national unit 
C) Policy that focuses on families and households 
D) Policy that encompasses scientific inventions and innovations 
E) Policies that concern domestic workers, such as maids and caregivers

Question 20

Until recently,support for Keynesianism was relatively bipartisan.

Question 21

_____ is usually defined as two or more quarters of economic decline.

A) Inflation 
B) A recession 
C) Expansion 
D) An appreciation period 
E) A boom period

Question 22

Silas is ten years old.His mother is a homemaker,while his father is a door-to-door salesman with a modest income.Silas is most likely to be covered by _____.

A) the Children's Health Insurance Program  
B) TRICARE 
C) the Family Social Security Plan 
D) the Family Wellness Scheme 
E) Medicare

Question 23

Which of the following statements is true of nuclear energy? 

A) It involves the release of greenhouse gases. 
B) It is also known as hydropower. 
C) It does not contribute to global warming. 
D) It is a renewable source of energy. 
E) It does not pose any threat.

Question 24

A gas that,when released into the atmosphere,traps the sun's heat and slows its release into outer space is known as a(n)_____.

A) noble gas 
B) inert gas 
C) greenhouse gas 
D) dielectric gas 
E) insulating gas

Question 25

Bradley is a seventy-year-old war veteran.Which of the following health-care insurance policies is he most likely to have? 

A) TexCare 
B) TRICARE 
C) Medicaid 
D) PeachCare 
E) Medicare

Question 26

Identify a technique adopted by Congress to fund the universal health-insurance coverage program it had developed in 2009.

A) An increased unemployment compensation rate 
B) An increased Medicaid tax rate 
C) A new tax on low-end health policies 
D) A new tax on investments for middle-class Americans 
E) An increased Medicare tax rate

Question 27

Observations collected by agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)suggest that during the last half century,average global temperatures: 

A) did not greatly vary. 
B) increased by about 0.74 degrees Celsius. 
C) decreased significantly, by about 3.4 degrees Celsius. 
D) increased by about 1.2 degrees Celsius. 
E) decreased by about 0.03 degrees Celsius.

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true of Medicare? 

A) Medicare pays for health-care services for low-income persons. 
B) Medicare is now the government's second-largest domestic spending program, after Social Security. 
C) The Medicare program pays for nursing home expenses. 
D) The costs of Medicare are expected to decline over the next two decades with the retirement of baby boomers. 
E) Medicare is an example of federal discretionary spending.

Question 29

Which of the following statements is true of energy sources in the United States? 

A) U.S. oil production, which rose sharply after 1985, began to decline again in 2009. 
B) Low natural gas prices plus new air-pollution regulations have made coal uncompetitive as a source of electricity. 
C) It is expected that in 2016 crude oil imports will increase to 25 percent of consumption. 
D) The Obama administration approved the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline along the U.S. Gulf Coast. 
E) Imports of natural gas are cost-effective as natural gas can be transported by ship efficiently.

Question 30

Which of the following is a provision of the health-care bills passed by Congress and signed by President Obama? 

A) Health-care policies could only be purchased through licensed insurance brokers. 
B) Insurance could be purchased through online insurance exchanges solely run by the federal government. 
C) Subsidies would be provided to citizens only if they are covered by an employer's plan. 
D) Subsidies would be granted to small employers that obtain insurance plans for their employees. 
E) Young people could remain covered by their parents' insurance until they turned eighteen.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true of fracking? 

A) It has turned the United States into the number-one oil producer in the world as of 2014. 
B) It greatly contributes to the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. 
C) It is a costly process owing to high prices of oil and gas. 
D) It involves pumping a high-pressure mixture of iron and sulfur into oil- or gas-bearing underground rock. 
E) It is commonly known as hydraulic drilling.

Question 32

Identify a true statement about an entitlement program.

A) An entitlement program needs to be renewed every year only if Congress passes an annual funding measure. 
B) Congress has direct control over how much an entitlement program will cost in any particular year. 
C) It is impossible to estimate the costs of an entitlement program. 
D) An entitlement program is quite similar to discretionary spending. 
E) An entitlement program pays out benefits to persons who meet specified requirements.

Question 33

The costs of Medicare are expected to rise over the next two decades as: 

A) population growth outpaces the growth in the job market. 
B) Obama's stimulus packages expire. 
C) population growth outpaces GDP growth. 
D) people are brought into the health-care system under Obamacare. 
E) millions of baby boomers retire.

Question 34

Which of the following statements is true of offshore drilling? 

A) As of 2014, offshore drilling has turned the United States into the number-one oil producer in the world. 
B) For twenty years, the federal government has endorsed offshore drilling in much of the ocean. 
C) Offshore drilling results in the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere. 
D) Offshore drilling is also known as hydraulic fracturing. 
E) Offshore drilling is a method used by the United States to reduce its reliance on foreign oil.

Question 35

Gerald is a retired businessman.At the age of seventy-two years,he is diagnosed with throat cancer.His medical expenses are most likely to be covered by _____.

A) TexCare 
B) TRICARE 
C) Medicare 
D) PeachCare 
E) Medicaid

Question 36

Which of the following statements is true of Medicaid?​ 

A) Medicaid pays for health-care insurance for Americans aged sixty-five years and over. 
B) The Medicaid program does not pay for nursing home expenses. 
C) The cost of Medicaid has declined in the last decade. 
D) Recent cost-containment measures have slowed the growth of Medicaid spending. 
E) Medicaid is now the government's second-largest domestic spending program, after Social Security.

Question 37

Identify a true statement about health-insurance coverage.

A) The national health insurance plan that the United States has adopted provides a minor role for the private sector. 
B) The United States is the only economically advanced nation that provides universal health-insurance coverage to its citizens. 
C) The universal health insurance plan proposed by President Bill Clinton during his first term failed to pass Congress. 
D) The national health insurance plan is only found in the world's economically backward nations. 
E) Under the national health insurance, private insurance companies provide basic health-care insurance coverage to everyone in the country.

Question 38

Which of the following is a renewable source of energy? 

A) Nuclear fuel 
B) Natural gas 
C) Coal 
D) Petroleum 
E) Solar power

Question 39

Identify a true statement about oil imports by the United States.

A) The U.S. is not excessively dependent on only one nation for oil imports. 
B) The U.S. does not import oil from its neighbors. 
C) The U.S. has very friendly ties with all the countries from which it imports oil. 
D) The U.S. does not have diversified sources for its imported oil. 
E) The U.S. is not dependent on foreign countries for oil.

Question 40

Taupe Inc.,a truck manufacturer,sets the fuel efficiency of all its newly-manufactured trucks to 49 miles per gallon.This is in accordance with the _____.

A) National Traffic Safety Administration standards 
B) National Fuel Emission standards 
C) Energy Conversion Efficiency standards 
D) Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards 
E) Renewable Energy standards

Question 41

According to the principle underlying fiscal policy,during inflation,fiscal policy should: 

A) stimulate economic activity by decreasing taxes, increasing government spending, or both. 
B) curb economic activity by reducing government spending, increasing taxes, or both. 
C) let the forces of supply and demand operate on their own. 
D) expand the rate of growth of the money supply. 
E) reduce the rate of growth in the amount of money in circulation.

Question 42

Jared works at a software firm.He is promoted to the post of senior engineer after three years of employment.Despite his promotion,he has to cut down on purchases as his cost of living has almost doubled within the same time period.This situation is characteristic of _____.

A) inflation 
B) a recession 
C) deflation 
D) disintermediation 
E) deregulation

Question 43

In the context of the American tax system,the action-reaction syndrome suggests that for every action taken by: 

A) Congress, there will be a reaction by the president. 
B) Democrats, there will be a reaction by Republicans. 
C) the House of Representatives, there will be a reaction by the Senate. 
D) the government, there will be a reaction by the public. 
E) the federal government, there will be a reaction by state governments.

Question 44

Public debt refers to the total value of all outstanding:​ 

A) corporate borrowing. 
B) federal, state, and local government borrowing. 
C) federal government borrowing. 
D) borrowing by the public. 
E) public institution borrowing.

Question 45

Every time there is a federal government deficit,there is an increase in: 

A) consumer spending. 
B) business investments. 
C) the value of the dollar. 
D) the rate of growth of the money supply. 
E) the total accumulated public debt.

Question 46

Which of the following actions is most likely to be taken by the Federal Reserve System in periods of rising inflation? 

A) Pursuing an easy-money policy 
B) Reducing interest rates 
C) Inducing consumers to spend more and businesses to invest more 
D) Reducing the rate of growth in the amount of money in circulation 
E) Expanding the rate of growth of the money supply

Question 47

The _____ sells IOUs on behalf of the U.S.government.

A) Department of Commerce 
B) U.S. Treasury 
C) Federal Reserve Board 
D) U.S. Postal Service 
E) U.S. Judiciary

Question 48

When the U.S.government spends more than it receives,it typically finances the shortfall by selling IOUs,commonly called _____.

A) entitlements 
B) long-term loans 
C) credit vouchers 
D) treasuries 
E) interest investments

Question 49

In August 2012,the Obama administration issued new rules that raised fuel efficiency standards.By 2025,the nation's combined fleet of new cars and trucks must have an average fuel efficiency of _________ miles per gallon.A.30B.36C.65D.49

Question 50

Monetary policy is under the control of: 

A) the Bureau of the Fiscal Services. 
B) the Committee on Ways and Means. 
C) the Federal Reserve System. 
D) the Internal Revenue Service. 
E) the Department of the Treasury.

Question 51

An outcome of the action-reaction syndrome on tax laws are efforts to add _____ that allow the wealthy to reduce their taxable incomes.

A) brackets 
B) reforms 
C) debts 
D) margins 
E) loopholes

Question 52

The _____ is an independent regulatory agency that was established by Congress as the nation's central banking system in 1913.

A) Internal Revenue Service 
B) Department of the Treasury 
C) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 
D) Congressional Budget Office 
E) Federal Reserve System

Question 53

Identify a true statement about the tax system in the United States.

A) The Tax Reform Act of 1986 was intended to lower taxes and simplify the tax code-and it did just that for most taxpayers. 
B) A few years after the Tax Reform Act of 1986 was passed, large federal deficits forced Congress to cut spending. 
C) Those affected by the Tax Reform Act of 1986 lobbied Congress to legislate special exceptions so that the full impact of the rate increase would be felt by the wealthiest Americans. 
D) Tax cuts occurred under the administrations of both George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) and Bill Clinton (1993-2001). 
E) The tax rate for the highest income bracket decreased from 39.6 percent in 1986 to 28 percent in 1993.

Question 54

Chad,a sales executive at Ochre Inc.,is laid off after Ochre faces severe financial losses in the second and third quarters of 2014.As a result,Chad is struggling to make ends meet with his limited savings.His debt has considerably increased,and he finding it difficult to pay his household bills.This situation is characteristic of _____.

A) foreclosure 
B) an appreciation period 
C) a recession 
D) disintermediation 
E) a boom period

Question 55

The principle underlying fiscal policy suggests that when unemployment is rising and the economy is going into a recession,fiscal policy should: 

A) stimulate economic activity by decreasing taxes, increasing government spending, or both. 
B) curb economic activity by reducing government spending, increasing taxes, or both. 
C) let the forces of supply and demand operate on their own. 
D) expand the rate of growth of the money supply. 
E) reduce the rate of growth in the amount of money in circulation.

Question 56

_________ involves changing the amount of money in circulation to affect interest rates,credit markets,the rate of inflation,the rate of economic growth,and the rate of unemployment.A.Monetary policyB.Fiscal policyC.Zero interest-rate policyD.Keynesian policy

Question 57

Which of the following actions is most likely to be taken by the Federal Reserve System in periods of recession and high unemployment? 

A) Expanding the rate of growth of the money supply 
B) Causing interest rates to rise 
C) Inducing consumers to spend less and businesses to invest less 
D) Pursuing a tight-money policy 
E) Reducing the rate of growth in the amount of money in circulation

Question 58

The _________ is a joint federal-state program that provides health-care insurance for low-income children.A.Children's Health Insurance ProgramB.Family Social Security PlanC.Children's MedicareD.Family Wellness Scheme

Question 59

For _________,entitlements breed a dangerous dependency on the government.A.liberalsB.conservativesC.mercantilistsD.symbolic interactionists

Question 60

Which of the following statements is true of public debt? 

A) Public debt is also known as fiscal debt. 
B) The net public debt includes sums that the government owes to itself. 
C) The Department of Commerce sells IOUs on behalf of the U.S. government. 
D) The interest on treasuries is paid by federal taxes. 
E) The net public debt does not include funds held by the Federal Reserve System.

Question 61

Discuss the major controversies surrounding climate change.Explain how climate change has impacted U.S.politics.

Question 62

Conservative advocates of the _________ believe that the government should not be in the business of creating money at all,but should tie the value of the dollar to commodities such as gold.A.fiscal-union policyB.hard-money policyC.tight-money policyD.easy-money policy

Question 63

Discuss Keynesian economics.

Question 64

Discuss the provisions of the Agricultural Act of 2014.

Question 65

Describe the two problems associated with U.S.health care.

Question 66

Describe the characteristics of entitlement programs.How are entitlements different from discretionary spending?