Question 1

Which of the following statements best describes how policies in the private sector are different from policies in the public sector?

Accepted Answer

Private policy is largely influenced by theories of economics and business management, including consumerism and market trends. Such policies can react quickly and are often proactive. In comparison, public policies are slow and reactive, and economics is just one of many factors involved. Public policies are determined by voting shifts, electoral realignment, and term limits.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the history of the State Child Health Improvement Act (SCHIP) of 1997?

Accepted Answer

The law was extended several times, and then it was not renewed by the Bush administration. In January 2009, the law was renewed again by the Obama administration.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes how the local government is provided authority?

Accepted Answer

States may delegate powers to the local government. Which powers they delegate vary widely from state to state. The federal government does not directly delegate power to the local level, this occurs through state government. Taxation and creation of a community do not provide the local government with authority.

Question 4

An individual has been terminated from his job and has lost his health insurance. Which of the following federal laws allows him to continue his insurance benefits for a specified period of time?

Accepted Answer

An important requirement of COBRA focuses on the problem of the loss of insurance when a person loses his or her job. With the growing number of unemployed, COBRA is even more important. Employers who terminate an employee must continue benefits for the employee and dependents for a specified period of time if the employee had health benefits before the termination. HIPPA offers protections for patient privacy and confidentiality. The Family Support Act expanded coverage for poor women and children and required states to extend Medicaid coverage for 12 months to families who have increased earnings but are no longer receiving cash assistance. The HMO Act provides grants for HMO development.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes how the government controls conditions that individuals cannot?

Accepted Answer

Government regulates conditions that individuals cannot control and provides individual protection through a population-wide focus. These tasks are accomplished through passage and enforcement of laws. These laws control individuals' behaviors, which may lead to the establishment of social mores and common sense related to the laws that have been established.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes who has the authority to act in every area except those specifically mentioned in the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Any powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states. Thus, individual citizens, the federal government, and local governments are excluded.

Question 7

Which of the following is the basis for any American citizen to feel comfortable expressing an opinion on a political issue?

Accepted Answer

Amendments to the Constitution, later known as the Bill of Rights, were added after the original Articles of the Constitution were ratified. These amendments protect individuals' rights and freedoms. The Declaration of Independence announced the freedom of America from the British Empire. The Gettysburg Address was a speech given by President Abraham Lincoln following the Civil War.

Question 8

Which of the following nurses used political expertise to influence the federal government to develop a Children's Bureau?

Accepted Answer

Lillian Wald recognized the connection between social conditions and health. She was a driving force behind the federal government's development of the Children's Bureau in 1912. Lavinia Dock was a political activist who waged a campaign for legislation to allow nurses to control the nursing profession. Florence Nightingale was the first nurse to exert political pressure on a government. Clara Barton was responsible for organizing relief efforts during the U.S. Civil War.

Question 9

A nurse is employed by the state public health department. Which of the following activities would she most likely complete?

Accepted Answer

One of the state health care functions is assessment of health needs based on statewide data collection. This could be done by monitoring the incidence of influenza in the state. Setting up a flu shot clinic would most likely be done at the local level, while lobbying for health care reform would most likely be done at the federal level. Serving as a volunteer for a campaign may be something a nurse would do, but would not be specifically related to employment by the state public health department.

Question 10

Which of the following statements best describe what happened to the hospitals built or expanded by Hill-Burton Act funds?

Accepted Answer

The Hill-Burton Act authorized federal assistance in construction of hospitals, making hospitals more accessible. However, with the high cost of health care and the decreasing lengths of stay and increasing use of primary care, many hospitals are closing. Because hospitals have closed, they are not further expanding or upgrading facilities.

Question 11

Which of the following is accomplished through the use of public policy?

Accepted Answer

The field of public policy involves the study of specific policy problems and governmental responses to them. Political scientists involved in the study of public policy attempt to devise solutions for problems of public concern. The use of public policy may not involve the implementation of a logical problem-solving decision-making process. Public policy addresses more than safety nets for vulnerable populations. Additional principles besides economics and business management are applied through the use of public policy.

Question 12

The president was sent a bill that he did not really like, but he would have been unpopular if he vetoed it, so he did nothing. Which of the following best describes what will happen to the bill?

Accepted Answer

A bill that has been passed by the legislature goes to the president. The president may sign it so it becomes law; however, if he neither signs nor vetoes it, the bill becomes law by default.

Question 13

Which of the following statements best describes an effect of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996?

Accepted Answer

The law decreased the number of people on welfare and forced many individuals to take low-paying jobs, many of which did not offer health insurance. Many individuals, particularly women and children, subsequently lost Medicaid coverage.

Question 14

The forces for the proposed bill are roughly as persuasive, powerful, and well financed as the forces against the proposed bill. Which of the following describes the most likely outcome?

Accepted Answer

It is far easier to defeat a bill than get one passed; therefore, the opposition always has the advantage.

Question 15

Which of the following nurses fought to have American nursing controlled by nurses rather than physicians?

Accepted Answer

Lavinia Dock was a political activist who waged a campaign for legislation to allow nurses to control the nursing profession. Florence Nightingale was the first nurse to exert political pressure on a government. Clara Barton was responsible for organizing relief efforts during the U.S. Civil War. Lillian Wald was the driving force behind the federal government's development of the Children's Bureau in 1912.

Question 16

It has been proposed that a new, better approach to health care be tested with a small group to evaluate its effectiveness. Which of the following best describes why this cannot be done?

Accepted Answer

Once a direct health care service is offered, it is difficult to discontinue it. Existing programs create tradition by establishing vested interest and a sense of entitlement.

Question 17

Which of the following statements best describes why the federal government is unable to do whatever politicians currently in power want?

Accepted Answer

The federal government is a government of limited powers, which means that, for a federal action to be legitimate, it must be authorized. Only those actions that are within the scope of the Constitution, the supreme law of the land, are authorized. Power of the states and citizens is limited under the overall umbrella of the federal government. Funding is also controlled through the powers of the federal government.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes what happened after the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was enacted?

Accepted Answer

The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 provides seniors and people living with disabilities with some prescription drug benefit coverage, as well as more choices and better benefits. The act did not impose additional restrictions to coverage, approve experimental treatments, or provide efficiency with reimbursement procedures.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes why it is so difficult to change the paradigm of health care from disease orientation to promoting health orientation?

Accepted Answer

A shift in the paradigm would necessitate a substantial reallocation of resources because the vast majority of health spending is currently directed to medical care and biomedical research and reflects a viewpoint of health care as a commodity. The allocation of resources has the most influence on creating a paradigm shift. Individual opinions and the use of media do not play as great of role as where resources are spent.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the most important factor in legislation?

Accepted Answer

Public policy encompasses the choices made regarding goals, priorities, and how resources are allocated. Policy choices reflect the values, beliefs, and attitudes of those designing the policy. The influence of the president, preferences of Americans, and amount of financing related to the legislation are not as important as the beliefs, attitudes, and values of the policy.

Quiz 10: Policy, Politics, Legislation, and Community Health Nursing