Question 1

What are two of the main challenges to the implementation of effective policy?

Accepted Answer

C  Complexity of issues and government capacity are major challenges because they can hinder understanding and execution, while conflicting preferences of stakeholders can lead to disagreements and impede consensus-building.

Question 2

A city has decided to open a community health center. It has asked a number of for-profit companies to submit proposals in a bidding process through which one of these companies will be selected to run the center. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of competition and outsourcing, as the city is using a bidding process to select a for-profit company to manage the community health center, thereby outsourcing the operation to a private entity.

Question 3

American catfish farmers asked Washington to regulate their industry to prevent their prices from being undercut by imports. This scenario describes what reason that agencies extend their regulatory reach?

Accepted Answer

The answer of American catfish farmers asked Washington to regulate...

Question 4

Which of the following acts held agencies accountable for their performance?

Accepted Answer

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) was enacted in 1993 to improve government performance management. It requires agencies to set goals, measure performance, and report on their progress, thereby holding them accountable for their performance.

Question 5

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), you are trying to secure services for a student that you know. The administrators at the student's school are offering fewer services than the law actually calls for. Why would the administrators do that?

Accepted Answer

Administrators may offer fewer services due to norms that develop about how to allocate scarce resources, balancing limited resources with the needs of multiple students.

Question 6

You work in a bureaucratic organization. A citizen impacted by your agency's regulation has made a good case to you for bending the rules in a particular situation. You explain the circumstances to your superiors, who insist that you "go by the book," with no exceptions. Why?

Accepted Answer

"The book" consists of the laws they are obligated to enforce.

Question 7

To implement the regulations mandated by the Clean Air Act, a state legislature created an Air Quality Commission. That commission had to work with local governments in the state, as well as the EPA and several transportation and industry-related agencies. In this scenario, what factor will likely make policy implementation difficult?

Accepted Answer

The involvement of multiple agencies and jurisdictions can lead to conflicts, coordination challenges, and delays, making policy implementation difficult.

Question 8

Because they believe it will promote efficiency and a growing economy, which of the following have been champions of deregulation?

Accepted Answer

Conservatives typically advocate for deregulation as they believe it reduces government intervention, promotes free market efficiency, and stimulates economic growth.

Question 9

When the government sets limits on ingredients found in prescription medications or on factory emissions, this would be an example of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Regulation refers to rules or limits set by the government on various activities or products for the purpose of protecting public health, safety, or welfare. Setting limits on ingredients found in prescription medications or factory emissions is part of the regulatory process. A referendum is a direct vote by the people on a particular issue, while deregulation refers to the reduction or elimination of rules and restrictions on certain industries or activities. Gerrymandering is the intentional manipulation of electoral district boundaries to benefit a particular political party or group. An initiative is a process by which citizens can propose new laws or changes to existing ones through a petition process.

Question 10

Putting specific policies into operation is known as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Implementation refers to the process of putting specific policies into action.

Question 11

To solve the problem of failing schools, the council in one city worked with the school board and outside consultants to devise and implement changes. What should they do to make sure parents, teachers, and school administrators will be on board with any new policies?

Accepted Answer

Involving all stakeholders in the process ensures that parents, teachers, and school administrators have a say in the changes, increasing their buy-in and support for new policies.

Question 12

Bureaucracies are often influenced in their policy options by the prevailing customs of the people working for them. For example, the Army Corps of Engineers tends to protect citizens from floods by doing which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The Army Corps of Engineers is known for building dams as a method to control and prevent flooding, which aligns with their traditional approach to managing water resources.

Question 13

The government wants to roll out a new program that will fight poverty and strengthen families with at-risk teens by nurturing and maintaining relationships. Which of the following best explains why this policy will not be successfully implemented?

Accepted Answer

The government may struggle to implement programs that are not well-suited to bureaucracies, as bureaucratic systems can be inefficient or inflexible, hindering the program's success.

Question 14

What is one reason implementation of policies is often difficult?

Accepted Answer

Implementation is often difficult because it involves coordination among many different agencies and layers of government, which can lead to inefficiencies and complications.

Question 15

Outsourcing is a challenge to policy implementation that arises when government agencies hire some other entity to do what?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Outsourcing is a challenge to policy implementation...

Question 16

When government implements deregulation, what does it do?

Accepted Answer

Deregulation involves reducing government intervention and allowing market forces to operate more freely.

Question 17

Which of the following statements best describes incrementalism?

Accepted Answer

Incrementalism is a decision-making process that involves making small, gradual changes to a program over time. This can significantly alter the program over time, as the small changes accumulate.

Question 18

Consider a situation in which the president who makes the agency appointees is a Democrat. What would you expect of the bureaucracy in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

Democratic administrations are generally more supportive of regulatory measures, so a Democratic president is likely to appoint agency heads who favor a more forceful stance toward regulation.

Question 19

After policies are developed, what happens next?

Accepted Answer

After policies are developed, the next step is typically implementation, where the policies are put into action and enforced.

Question 20

A certain county wanted to require all residents to recycle. It provided recycling bins, but found that they were not being used. It then instructed trash collectors to check the garbage before taking it, and not collect garbage bins that contained recyclable materials. This took too long, and the trash collectors were not able to complete their routes. Next, the county sent out informative flyers about the benefits of recycling and explaining how to sort materials. This was followed up with an incentive program in which neighborhoods or municipalities within the county could get rewards based on their recycling efforts. What does this process illustrate regarding successful implementation?

Accepted Answer

The process illustrates that successful implementation often requires a great deal of trial and error, as the county had to try multiple strategies before finding a more effective approach.

Quiz 13: The Bureaucracy