Question 1

What is policy capacity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is policy capacity?...

Question 2

The founders of the United States established a government structure with numerous checks and balances due to which of the following motives?

Accepted Answer

The founders established a system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful and potentially tyrannical over the population.

Question 3

One of the biggest differences between a cabinet-level department (agency) and an independent regulatory commission is that ______.

Accepted Answer

One of the key aspects of independent regulatory commissions is that commissioners cannot be removed by the president for policy disagreements, whereas department heads (who are part of the executive branch) can be removed by the president at any time.

Question 4

Which statement accurately reflects the activity of lobbying by interest groups?

Accepted Answer

Lobbying refers to supplying information on policy positions to legislators. While lobbying groups may make contributions to legislators, this is not the only or even primary way in which they influence policy. Lobbying is typically a legal activity that involves advocating for specific policy positions and providing information to legislators in order to influence their votes or opinions on legislation. Testifying before Congress is also a form of lobbying, as it allows groups to present their views on legislation directly to lawmakers. However, the primary activity of lobbying is providing information and advocating for policy positions. Illegal pressure tactics are not considered a legitimate form of lobbying.

Question 5

______, or supplying information supporting their policy positions to legislators, is/are a visible role played by interest groups.

Accepted Answer

Lobbying involves interest groups communicating with legislators in order to support their policy positions. Option A, incremental policy making, refers to the gradual process of building upon existing policies, but is not specific to interest groups. Option C, issue networks, refers to the loose connections between various interest groups, policymakers, and experts working together to address a particular policy issue, but does not necessarily involve direct communication with legislators. Option D, conducting campaign advertising, involves interest groups spending money on advertising to influence public opinion, but does not necessarily involve direct communication with legislators.

Question 6

Compared to the past, the public is more accepting of business regulation such as the regulation of market failures. This acceptance has led to ______.

Accepted Answer

The acceptance of business regulation leads to the growth in the size and power of government as it is the government's responsibility to enforce and monitor regulations. Increased acceptance of regulation does not necessarily lead to increasing polarization of political views, changes in the structure of Congress, or changes in the Constitution.

Question 7

Conflict between states and the federal government can be caused by ______, in which the federal government emplaces new rules about government services that must be provided by states, but does not provide funds to cover the new costs that might be incurred.

Accepted Answer

Unfunded mandates occur when the federal government requires states to provide new services or programs but does not allocate funds to cover the costs. This can create conflict between states and the federal government as states may be unable or unwilling to fund these new mandates. Decentralization refers to the transfer of power from a centralized government to local or regional authorities. Block grants are federal funds given to states with broad guidelines on how they can be used. Financial mandates are not a commonly used term in the context of state-federal relations.

Question 8

Because of greater decentralization of policy making to the states, it has become more important that states have strong ______ or the ability to make effective and efficient policies.

Accepted Answer

The sentence states that policy making has become more decentralized to the states, which means that the states need to have a strong "policy capacity" in order to effectively and efficiently make policies. Mandates are orders or directives from higher authorities, division of authority refers to the distribution of power between different branches or levels of government, and policy instruments refer to the tools or methods used to implement policies, none of which are mentioned as being more important due to decentralization.

Question 9

The case of health-care reform exemplifies ______.

Accepted Answer

The question refers to the difficulty of enacting health-care reform, which is a contentious issue that has been addressed by numerous policymakers in the United States. The constitutional structure of the U.S. government makes policymaking difficult because it divides authority among multiple branches of government, and the structure of the federal system sometimes makes it difficult for state and federal actors to align their interests. The complexity caused by categorical grants and unfunded mandates is another factor that can impede policymaking because it may create confusion about the roles and responsibilities of different levels of government. The power of the presidency may be influential in overcoming incremental reform, but it is unlikely to be the primary reason why health-care reform has been difficult to enact. The use of sanctions and diplomatic maneuvers may also have some relevance in specific contexts, but it is not a major factor in the health-care reform debate. Therefore, the best answer is A, as it provides the most comprehensive and accurate explanation.

Question 10

Which statement captures the theme of Chapter 2 when it comes to the U.S. government?

Accepted Answer

Chapter 2 discusses the federal form of government in the United States and how it distributes power among different actors, yet also leads to inefficiencies and difficulties in addressing complex issues. The chapter also explores the challenges of federalism in modern times, such as the rise of globalization and political gridlock. Option A is partly correct but only discusses the negative aspects of federalism without acknowledging its distribution of power. Option C is incorrect as the chapter does not suggest that globalization has made federalism irrelevant. Option D is incorrect as the chapter does not argue for more federal authority in response to new threats but rather explores the tension between federal and state power.

Question 11

What is federalism and how does it affect policymaking?

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

______ refers to the ability to identify, assess, and respond to public problems.

Accepted Answer

Policy capacity refers to the ability of governments to identify, assess, and respond to public problems. This involves having the necessary resources, knowledge, and skills to effectively develop and implement policies. Policy analysis is a related concept, but specifically refers to the process of evaluating policy options and their potential effects. Incremental policy development refers to the gradual and iterative process of policy change, while decentralization involves transferring power and decision-making authority from central governments to local or regional authorities.

Question 13

Explain incremental policymaking.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain incremental policymaking....

Question 14

The federal court system plays a vital role in policy making by ______.

Accepted Answer

The federal court system interprets the Constitution, laws, and policy decisions made by Congress, the President, and other government agencies. They ensure that these policies are consistent with the Constitution and other laws, and provide guidance and limitations for how they can be implemented. However, they do not develop new laws or implement policies themselves.

Question 15

Growth in the size of government has led to ______.

Accepted Answer

As the government grows, it generally requires more employees to manage its increased operations, leading to the emergence of a large employment sector. Additionally, as policy-making processes become more complex, they can become more time-consuming. However, there is no clear correlation between government size and GDP, poverty rates, or quality of life, making options B, C, and D incorrect.

Question 16

Provide an example of an informal policy actor.

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

Which statement summarizes the structure of the federal judiciary? It is made up of ______.

Accepted Answer

The federal judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, Circuit and Federal District Courts, and various specialty courts such as the Court of International Trade and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This structure allows for a comprehensive system to handle a wide range of legal matters at the federal level.

Question 18

The United States has made many small, targeted changes to environmental policy, economic policy, and health-care policy over time. This is called ______ policy making.

Accepted Answer

Incremental policy making refers to the gradual, step-by-step changes made to policy over time, often by making small adjustments to existing policies rather than enacting large-scale reforms. This type of policy making is often employed in the United States, where the political system is characterized by fragmentation of power and a preference for compromise and consensus building.

Question 19

In U.S. clean air and water programs, the federal government establishes quality standards and provides funds, while the states are responsible for implementation. This is an example of ______ federalism.

Accepted Answer

In cooperative federalism, also known as marble cake federalism, the federal government works closely with state and local governments to implement policies and programs. This is demonstrated in the example given, where the federal government provides funding and establishes standards while the states are responsible for implementation.

Question 20

Understanding the system of government is important for students of public policy because ______.

Accepted Answer

Understanding the system of government is important for students of public policy because it enables them to assess constraints on policy development and the opportunities that exist within the system to develop solutions through policy.

Quiz 2: Government Institutions and Policy Actors