Deck 7: Policymaking

Question 1

Which of the following most accurately reflects the relationship between policymaking and public opinion?

A)Policymakers are not heavily influenced by public opinion.
B)Policymakers are more influenced by insider claimsmaking when public attention is focused on the issue.
C)Policymakers tend to be influenced by public opinion,especially on high-profile issues.
D)Policymakers are more influenced by lobbyists than by public opinion.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Saying that policymaking involves causal stories means that policymakers must

A)explain to the public why a specific policy will be effective.
B)offer a story that explains the cause of a troubling condition in a way that will encourage the public to favor the policymakers' interpretation.
C)work hard to maintain their reputation as honest and trustworthy.
D)work closely with the media so that their interpretation of a situation will gain wide publicity.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

It is argued in your text that legislators often hold hearings to

A)draw attention to a problem.
B)examine more carefully the details of a problem.
C)assess which advocates have the most viable claims.
D)determine the best course of action with regard to a problem.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

__________ tend to maintain permanent lobbying operations.

A)The more radical activist organizations
B)Large businesses
C)Professional groups
D)all of the above

Question 5

Most legislative reform emerges

A)quickly,in response to one or two high-profile situations.
B)quickly,after advocates catch the attention of the right policymakers.
C)slowly,as a series of incremental legal steps toward change.
D)slowly,as policymakers debate the specific details of one large legal move toward change.

Question 6

The policy proposal stream tends to be populated by

A)activist-oriented claimsmakers.
B)insider claimsmakers.
C)outsider claimsmakers.
D)research-oriented claimsmakers.

Question 7

When it is argued in your text that legislators typically have a policymaking agenda,it means that they

A)often engage in behaviors that will benefit them personally.
B)allow their personal biases to influence their decision making.
C)must rank or prioritize the issues that they must address.
D)are not heavily influenced by claimsmakers.

Question 8

In the modern world,the relationship between private foundations and the federal government typically involves foundations

A)testing social programs that might later be adopted by the government.
B)operating independently of the government on the basis of the theory that private groups can provide services more effectively.
C)making policy recommendations to the government.
D)relying on the government to make policy recommendations.

Question 9

Which of the following is most true of the influence of multiple arenas on policymaking?

A)Policymaking can flow in any direction (federal to state or state to federal)and can occur in multiple arenas at once.
B)Policy change typically begins at the federal level and then works its way down to the state level.
C)Policymaking typically begins at the local or state level and then works its way up to the federal level.
D)Policymaking typically originates in one particular committee or subcommittee and then works its way out to other areas.

Question 10

In the example of wildlife agencies having to choose between differing constructions of wildlife,claims about __________ won out over claims about __________.

A)human needs;animal needs
B)the need to manage nature;emotional pleas
C)political struggle;activist ethics
D)due process;the need for quick action

Question 11

Laws define what is and is not

A)required.
B)permissible.
C)forbidden.
D)all of the above

Question 12

__________ can engage in policymaking.

A)Only those with legal authority such as legislators or courts
B)Any person or entity that can establish rules that govern others
C)Only those who have the power to coerce others
D)Any group affiliated with federal,state,or local government

Question 13

When it comes to the enforcement and implementation of laws,most of the work is done by

A)law enforcement personnel.
B)federal agencies.
C)state agencies.
D)a combination of many types of agencies at various levels.

Question 14

The way in which a small provision in the large Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was used to make sweeping changes in the treatment of people with disabilities illustrates how

A)changes in the way people view disability have influenced our communities.
B)significantly the claimsmaking process has changed since the early 1970s.
C)policymakers can take advantage of policy arenas where they are not carefully watched to make significant changes without a great deal of attention.
D)policymakers can use political connections to sway public opinion.

Question 15

With regard to laws in the United States,

A)legislators have the final say.
B)elected officials have the final say.
C)courts can overturn laws created by legislators.
D)legislators can overturn laws created by courts.

Question 16

The creation and implementation of laws is an area of policymaking where the public tends to

A)have a great deal of knowledge.
B)have little knowledge.
C)know a great deal about a few high-profile cases but little about the large number of less-visible but important actions.
D)know about the important issues but does not follow smaller,less-visible actions.

Question 17

A policy domain is

A)the part of the political system concerned with a particular troubling condition.
B)the aspect of a troubling condition dealt with by a particular set of policymakers.
C)the governing body or lawmaker most associated with a troubling condition.
D)an Internet site set up to inform the public about a troubling condition.

Question 18

Lobbyists are people who

A)are particularly knowledgeable about the legislative process.
B)work to establish contacts with legislators and their staff members.
C)are particularly knowledgeable about how to package claims in ways that will appeal to legislators.
D)all of the above

Question 19

__________ tends to influence the political stream.

A)The person recently elected to office
B)The economy
C)Public opinion
D)all of the above

Question 20

John Kingdon suggests that in order to get their issue on the policy agenda,advocates must be

A)prepared so that they can quickly respond to opportunities.
B)flexible so that they can adapt to changing conditions.
C)persistent because they have to wait for the right opportunity.
D)all of the above

Question 21

Choose any social problem with which you are familiar and provide at least three causal stories that can explain it.Briefly discuss how each causal story,if used,might influence which solutions might be favored.

Question 22

The causal stories that are most appealing to policymakers tend to be

A)linked to an inexpensive solution.
B)easy to explain to multiple audiences.
C)appealing to the media.
D)all of the above

Question 23

The number of traffic fatalities dropped dramatically between 1964 and 2004 because

A)the war on traffic deaths resulted in major policy changes.
B)an assortment of public and private policy changes gradually influenced the death rate.
C)public attention became more focused on the problem.
D)fewer people were driving during that period.

Question 24

Describe John Kingdon's policy stream model.Be sure to discuss all the elements of the model and how they can help us understand when policy change is most likely to occur.

Question 25

Describe and discuss the instrumental and symbolic aspects of the social policy associated with the war on drugs.

Question 26

Describe and discuss the evolution of causal stories related to gender and the workplace between the 1950s and the 1980s.

Question 27

Describe and discuss the relationship between the relative power of the target population and the types of causal stories likely to be employed by policymakers.

Question 28

In policymaking,the term target population refers to

A)the group of voters most likely to favor the policy.
B)all members of the policy domain with which the issue is associated.
C)the people affected by the troubling condition that the policy addresses.
D)the political party that supports the policy.