Deck 3: Obtaining Skills and Competencies for Policy Advocacy

Question 1

"Policy initiators" are persons or groups who:

A)Try to block policy modifications.
B)Have a vested interest in a specific policy or issue.
C)Gather data to support policy changes.
D)Propose changes to existing policy.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

"Policy leadership" is:

A)Taking the initiative to develop new policies and to change existing ones to improve the human condition.
B)Instituting policy change at all levels of government.
C)Influencing policy at the legislature.
D)Taking the lead on all policy matters in an organizational setting.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A person who seeking elective office:

A)Engages in the same tasks and uses the same skills as policy advocates.
B)Primarily engages in the agenda-setting task.
C)Primarily uses value-clarifying skills.
D)Rarely uses policy analysis skills.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The first of the eight tasks in policy advocacy is:

A)Navigating policy arenas.
B)Setting an agenda.
C)Analyzing policy.
D)Deciding what is right and wrong.

Question 5

Designing a presentation is an example of:

A)Political competency.
B)Interactional competency.
C)Analytical competency.
D)Value clarifying competency.

Question 6

A policy practitioner should:

A)Focus on modifying simple,administrative policies.
B)Focus on policies that have the most impact on citizens.
C)Focus on any policy that they feel needs changing.
D)Focus on policies within agencies.

Question 7

Which of the following is an incorrect use of power by a social worker?

A)Enforcement of agency procedures.
B)Subtly taking sides in family conflicts.
C)Offering a client a single option when more are available.
D)Steering a client towards a certain decision.

Question 8

Policy practice and policy advocacy provide social workers with:

A)Extra tasks to do.
B)A unifying theme.
C)A feeling of well-being.
D)A new perspective.

Question 9

Political conflict during policy deliberations may result in _______,especially when the level of conflict is high.

A)Value clarification.
B)Polarization.
C)Bipartisanship.
D)Hasty decisions.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT one of the four policy advocacy skills?

A)Value-clarifying skills.
B)Interactional skills.
C)Analytic skills.
D)Active listening skills.

Question 11

What is a value issue?

A)An economic problem.
B)An idea for raising funds.
C)A tactic that poses ethical questions.
D)A decision that is made based on morals.

Question 12

Ballot-based advocacy is a style of policy advocacy that:

A)Focuses upon eradicating voter fraud.
B)Aims to change campaign finance policies.
C)Seeks to change the composition of government.
D)Strives to protect constituents.

Question 13

The legislative-advocacy style of policy advocacy:

A)Aims to make legislatures change their procedures.
B)Seeks enactment of specific reforms.
C)Focuses on getting social workers involved in elections.
D)Emphasizes the legal aspect of policy issues.

Question 14

In order to build a policy agenda,policy practitioners:

A)Use interactional skills to place issues on the agendas of decision makers.
B)Use analytic skills to create the impression that a problem deserves attention.
C)Use political skills to associate issues with political threats.
D)All of these choices.

Question 15

Power is used in policy advocacy to:

A)Help enact or block proposals.
B)Gain access to networks of people who have information.
C)Persuade highly placed officials to prioritize an agenda.
D)All of these choices.

Question 16

Policy advocacy is a(n)_____________ intervention because it is geared toward improving the well-being of citizens and clients:

A)unnecessary
B)professional
C)cost-effective
D)difficult

Question 17

The diversity of opportunities for policy practice,result in a greater need for:

A)Versatility.
B)Formally sanctioned projects.
C)Policy advocates who are also social workers.
D)Concentration on a single style of policy making.

Question 18

What are stakeholders?

A)Persons and groups with a vested interest in a specific policy or issue.
B)Persons or groups who characteristically support policy reforms.
C)The only decision makers in shaping policy reform.
D)Persons and groups concerned with business reform.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Powerful interest groups can single-handedly shape the course of policy deliberations.
B)Interest groups have very little interest in anything other than their own agenda.
C)Powerful interests are only interested in financial gain.
D)Powerful interests pay attention to social policy changes.