Question 1

Which creative thinking tool begins with an analysis of the status quo as a baseline?

Accepted Answer

A)  analogy 
B)  brainstorming 
C)  no-action analysis 
D)  quick surveys

Question 2

What is involved in problem analysis? Explain how trying to define a simple problem is often political. Give your own example of analyzing a problem (such as illegal immigration).

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is involved in problem analysis? Explain...

Question 3

Statistical information can be displayed in which of the following ways?

Accepted Answer

A)  pie charts 
B)  line figures 
C)  bar charts 
D)  all of these

Question 4

The ______ is essential to make sense of a problem, to see how it compares to other concerns in our personal lives or in society, and to estimate what effects a proposal or action might have.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ______ is essential to make sense...

Question 5

Providing direct payments or benefits to individuals is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  regulating 
B)  subsidizing 
C)  educating 
D)  taxing and spending

Question 6

The first step in policy making is to ______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The first step in policy making is...

Question 7

______ involve talking with people in a particular policy network or searching through hearing transcripts, minutes of meetings, newspaper accounts, and the like for pertinent information about a problem and policy alternatives.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ______ involve talking with people in a...

Question 8

In the early 1990s, the state of Wisconsin pilot tested a variety of welfare reform programs such as Workfare and Learnfare. These programs helped the federal government reform its major welfare program in 1996. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  authority policy tools. 
B)  taxing and spending. 
C)  the politics of problem definition. 
D)  use of real-world situations to develop policies.

Question 9

______ encourage people to act in a certain way because they will gain from doing so.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ______ encourage people to act in a...

Question 10

Public service announcements on television or radio represent what form of government policy tool?

Accepted Answer

A)  privatization 
B)  regulation 
C)  taxing and spending 
D)  education

Question 11

Examining books, journals, and reports regarding a particular problem or solution represents the use of the ______ technique of collecting information.

Accepted Answer

A)  brainstorming 
B)  literature review 
C)  parallel situations 
D)  quick surveys

Question 12

Examples of ______ include economic projections, population estimates, and future energy needs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examples of ______ include economic projections, population...

Question 13

Give an example of an educational policy tool that government uses or could use. Why might policy makers choose to use these tools (rather than another alternative) to deal with a particular public problem?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Give an example of an educational policy...

Question 14

Local governments often hire nonprofit organizations to provide some of the services government provides, such as treatment for drug addiction or maintenance of trails. These are examples of ______.

Accepted Answer

A)  contracting out 
B)  subsidizing 
C)  regulating 
D)  educating

Question 15

Cities that use "visioning" exercises to get citizens to think about what they desire for future development in their community are using ______ to compare policy alternatives.

Accepted Answer

A)  a case study 
B)  a parallel situation 
C)  a literature review 
D)  an ideal situation

Question 16

In 2015, the U.S. government reported that ______ million Americans were poor.

Accepted Answer

A)  23.2 
B)  37.6 
C)  43.1 
D)  51.9

Question 17

Based on your study of policy tools in Chapter 5, choose an example policy issue to work with (such as illegal immigration, cell phone use while driving, reforming health care, reduction of carbon emissions, or your own). Discuss four of the policy tools available and how they could be applied to this problem, explaining what they are and how they work.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Based on your study of policy tools...

Question 18

Which of the following illustrates an operational measure of the safety of a community?

Accepted Answer

A)  index crime rates, such as violent and property crimes 
B)  automobile crashes per capita 
C)  how safe residents report that they feel on a survey 
D)  all of these

Question 19

______ refers to the process of the government choosing which specific policy instruments will be used to address a public problem.

Accepted Answer

A)  Policy design 
B)  Problem analysis 
C)  Parallel situation analysis 
D)  Quantitative data

Question 20

______ are abundant for most contemporary public problems.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ______ are abundant for most contemporary public...

Exam 5: Public Problems and Policy Alternatives