Deck 13: Politics, Analysis, and Policy Choice

Question 1

______ allows policy makers to evaluate the situation while taking incremental policy steps.

A) Decision analysis
B) Rational analysis
C) Policy evaluation
D) Adaptive management

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The presidential election of ______ clearly showed that modern Internet technologies facilitate a much greater level of citizen involvement even in national elections and governing.

A) 2004
B) 2008
C) 2012
D) 2016

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The dominant policy-making style in the United States is ______.

A) rational analysis
B) incremental
C) rational choice
D) pluralism

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Measuring whether the Economic Stimulus of 2009 has sparked creation of jobs and economic growth is an example of using which evaluative criterion?

A) effectiveness
B) equity
C) administrative feasibility
D) liberty

Question 5

Which of the following evaluative criteria are emphasized in all of the following policy debates: income gap, urban K-12 education, cost of higher education, taxation of wealthy, Social Security benefits, access to health care, and climate change?

A) efficiency
B) feasibility
C) equity
D) effectiveness

Question 6

As budget pressures and scarce funding become dominant issues at all levels of government, use of which evaluative criterion has increased?

A) efficiency
B) equity
C) effectiveness
D) political feasibility

Question 7

A relatively new form of citizen participation, ______ allows citizens to access government agencies and their policies through various Web sites.

A) policy engagement
B) WWW government
C) e-government
D) authority analysis

Question 8

The ______ has led to more evaluations of public policies and programs, an important way to improve policy capacity.

A) Administrative Procedure Act
B) Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act
C) No Child Left Behind Act
D) Government Performance and Results Act of 1993

Question 9

What is the typical result of compromise on policy alternatives?

A) policies that are only partially effective and have continued debate
B) greater public involvement
C) political parties working with greater harmony
D) reduced equity of policy decisions

Question 10

______ issues can deal with a range of concerns, from protecting individual freedoms to how the cost and benefits of a program are distributed across the population.

A) Equity
B) Effectiveness
C) Efficiency
D) Administrative feasibility

Question 11

This group of American citizens is the least likely to vote ______.

A) wealthy individuals
B) college students
C) senior citizens
D) highly educated individuals

Question 12

What criterion is most likely to receive increased attention in contemporary policy making as policy alternatives and existing programs are assessed?

A) effectiveness
B) efficiency
C) equity
D) liberty

Question 13

With regard to policies that address access to quality public education (at K-12 and higher levels), which of the following evaluative criterion is most important?

A) effectiveness
B) political feasibility
C) equity
D) capacity

Question 14

The policy-making approach defined as a series of small policy actions that lead to modest and relatively slow policymaking is referred to as ______.

A) strategic policy making
B) rational-economic policy making
C) incremental policy making
D) innovative policy making

Question 15

Clinton won the popular vote by a margin of over ______ million votes.

A) 1.3
B) 2.9
C) 3.1
D) 4.7

Question 16

Which states were identified as having tried to make registration and voting easier?

A) Oregon
B) California
C) Vermont
D) All of these

Question 17

Voter turnout in ______ was the highest in decades.

A) 2000
B) 2004
C) 2008
D) 2012

Question 18

The public can get involved in the policy-making process by ______.

A) joining an interest group
B) voting in elections
C) staying informed
D) all of these

Question 19

______ is often difficult to evaluate because this criterion relies on assumptions and projections of the future that may or may not come to pass.

A) Equity
B) Efficiency
C) Effectiveness
D) Political feasibility

Question 20

______ refers to the ability of government to identify and act on public problems within a reasonable time.

A) Policy analysis
B) Policy capacity
C) Incremental policy development
D) Decentralization

Question 21

Explain policy analysis.

Question 22

What does Wisconsin's Act 23 do?

Question 23

About ______ states chose to require a photo ID for voting.

A) 15
B) 20
C) 25
D) 30

Question 24

How has technology changed citizen participation?

Question 25

Which issues and personal freedoms are addressed less frequently?

Question 26

What is the dominant style of policymaking in the United States?

Question 27

The Affordable Care Act provided insurance to ______ million that previously lacked it.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 30
D) 40

Question 28

What does compromise mean in policymaking?

Question 29

Which criterion is most often emphasized due to economic and fiscal concerns?

Question 30

The Government Performance and Results Act was passed in ______.

A) 1990
B) 1991
C) 1993
D) 1995

Question 31

A 2016 Gallup poll found that ______% of Americans favor a photo ID requirement.

A) 70
B) 80
C) 50
D) 40

Question 32

How can policy analysis contribute to improving the policy capacity of government?

Question 33

What arises when policy actors have differing views about the substance of public policies or whether government intervention is justifiable at all?

Question 34

______ is probably the criterion most likely to receive attention in contemporary policy making.

A) Equity
B) Efficiency
C) Effectiveness
D) None of these

Question 35

The world's population is expected to climb to some 9.9 billion by ______.

A) 2020
B) 2030
C) 2040
D) 2050

Question 36

Which criterion is used to determine how well a policy has lived up to expectations?

Question 37

The Dodd-Frank Act was passed in ______.

A) 2008
B) 2009
C) 2010
D) 2011

Question 38

Explain citizen capacity.

Question 39

What does the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 do?

Question 40

The Food Safety Modernization Act was passed in ______.

A) 2008
B) 2010
C) 2012
D) 2014

Question 41

Identify one of the downsides to technological developments.

Question 42

Discuss some ways the public can be involved in any stage of the policy-making process, including new and emerging ways. How might your input improve the process?

Question 43

What impact can policy analysis have on policymaking?

Question 44

Provide an example of public participation.

Question 45

What is one advantage of incremental policymaking?

Question 46

Provide an example of a program that you believe to be effective.

Question 47

Provide a good example of forward-looking and wide-ranging policymaking.

Question 48

Select a recent public policy alternative and, to the best of your ability, evaluate it using the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. What kind of information might you need? What problems may arise in trying to conduct your evaluation?

Question 49

How can citizen participation improve policy capacity?

Question 50

What did the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 do?

Question 51

In what ways might technology make public involvement in government easier? Develop at least three ways that governments and individuals are utilizing technology to involve citizens in government.

Question 52

What do the policy outcomes reflect?

Question 53

Explain how global climate change offers a context in which to consider the relative advantages of incrementalism.

Question 54

Why does the policymaking process never end?

Question 55

Identify one way to strengthen citizen capacity.

Question 56

How does the case of voter ID laws remind us that public policy changes over time?

Question 57

Identify an element of policy capacity.

Question 58

Why might incremental decision-making be the most suitable way to make policy in the United States?

Question 59

What are some limitations of incremental policymaking?

Question 60

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the U.S. federal government's incremental policy-making approach.