Deck 6: The Policy Analysis Process: Identification and Definition

Question 1

Before the scope of potential and existing health crises can be properly assessed, officials must agree on:

A) the health status of the target population.
B) the definition of the word "health."
C) the responsibilities of all involved in the situation.
D) All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is usually the starting point for a health policy assessment?

A) Public demand for change in government health policies
B) A recent critical event, such as an earthquake or epidemic
C) A request from an insurance company looking to cut costs
D) The result of investigative journalism and media pressure

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to the World Health Organization:

A) education should be a major component of any public health policy.
B) governments should play only a small role in maintaining the health of their citizens.
C) there is no relationship between health policy and politics.
D) good health is a great good, but it does not rise to the level of a fundamental human right.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

After defining a target population, a health assessment needs to:

A) ensure that the relevant problem is properly understood.
B) define what constitutes "health."
C) seek funding for its recommendations.
D) determine the health status of the population.

Question 5

Why is it a bit risky for policy makers to rely on health information entered into the claims data banks of insurance companies?

A) People tend to make large numbers of false claims, which skews the results.
B) Insurance claims contain only data about past events, not future events.
C) It is unethical for analysts to gain access to the private medical records of patients.
D) This source would not likely include relevant information on everyone in the target population.

Question 6

When proposing solutions for health policy changes, analysts need to identify:

A) those that have the most realistic chance of being implemented.
B) the solutions that have been preapproved by insurance companies.
C) only those that are the easiest for decision makers to understand.
D) the solutions that are the most likely to succeed, no matter the cost.

Question 7

If a proposed alternative is already being used in a different context, the analyst should:

A) put it into place in the new situation immediately.
B) determine if it can be improved before applying it to the new situation.
C) immediately get input from the target population about its desirability.
D) reject it with little additional consideration.

Question 8

If a policy group agrees on most points but cannot quite reach a final decision, the likely cause is:

A) fear of the consequences if the policy is unsuccessful.
B) an underlying lack of trust among group members.
C) political pressure from those writing the checks.
D) hidden assumptions among group members.

Question 9

According to MacRae, economists tend to be concerned with which of the following?

A) Group efforts in changing social norms
B) The public's impact on the general welfare
C) Satisfying individual preferences
D) Changes that may be produced in preferences

Question 10

Social science disciplines tend to:

A) disregard the physical sciences.
B) redefine issues in their own terms.
C) reward new or "alternative" ideas.
D) ridicule the notion of "value-free" research.

Question 11

If a policy group includes someone with a marketing background, that person is likely to believe that the target population:

A) tends to engage in "value-free" activities.
B) will make choices based on social rather than individual preferences.
C) is most concerned with economics rather than social norms.
D) can be persuaded to change its preferences.

Question 12

Early in the process, policy groups with members from a wide variety of social sciences need to:

A) determine a reasonable objective for social change.
B) agree not to discuss issues related to social equity.
C) decide which discipline's assumptions will guide the group.
D) dismiss group members whose views are in the minority.

Question 13

Group think is most likely to occur in policy-making settings when:

A) you attempt to work with a multidisciplinary group.
B) all group members see things in the same way.
C) questions of social equity are being discussed.
D) professional conflicts and animosities are swept under the table.

Question 14

Legally, equity requires equal payment for equal services. However, this notion fails to take into account that:

A) some people are unable to pay for services.
B) nonprofit providers are in competition with for-profit providers.
C) supply and demand dictate prices.
D) all of the above.

Question 15

The hidden assumption that receives the most attention in policy-making sessions is almost certainly:

A) whether a pre-existing condition should disqualify one from getting health insurance.
B) the ethics of health care-related marketing and advertising.
C) whether health care is a right or a privilege.
D) the extent of an individual's responsibility for his or her own health.

Question 16

One cannot deal with a public health crisis without first identifying and defining the problem.

Question 17

Any health crisis can be solved if it is properly understood and if officials truly desire a solution.

Question 18

A health impact assessment identifies, predicts, and evaluates the changes a health policy will have on a particular population.

Question 19

Health policy analysis frequently results in overcorrection of past mistakes rather than planning for potential future problems.

Question 20

Unless health policy clearly defines a target population, it is unlikely to succeed.

Question 21

The easiest job health policy analysts have is assigning causation to specific actions.

Question 22

Economic and political realities sometimes determine which potential solutions an analyst can propose, regardless of their likely effectiveness.

Question 23

One's own assumptions need to be examined carefully when engaging in interdisciplinary policy making.

Question 24

Health policy analysis is not a learning process.