Deck 21: Environmental Policy

Question 1

All of the following statements concerning the Kyoto Protocol are correct except that

A) President Bush scrapped the treaty.
B) President Clinton pushed hard for its ratification.
C) it would have had little effect on countries such as China and India.
D) it was strongly opposed in the Senate.
E) it called for a 5 percent reduction in worldwide greenhouse gases.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Today, there are more than ________ species on the endangered species list.

A) one hundred
B) three hundred
C) six hundred
D) two thousand
E) thirteen thousand

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Most of the debate surrounding the 1970 Clean Air Act centered on the issue of pollution from

A) automobile air-conditioning units.
B) tire factories.
C) automobile tailpipes.
D) battery factories.
E) oil refineries.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Between 1970 and 1990, pollution from cars was cut from

A) 10 to 15 percent.
B) 20 to 25 percent.
C) 25 to 30 percent.
D) 40 to 60 percent.
E) 60 to 80 percent.

Question 5

Which of the following statements regarding toxic wastes is incorrect?

A) They are to be cleaned up by the EPA.
B) Funds for the process are raised by taxes on chemical and petroleum industries.
C) Funders are also drawn from the general revenue.
D) Many thousand sites exist.
E) None of the above.

Question 6

The type of politics illustrated by debates over endangered species is

A) entrepreneurial politics.
B) majoritarian politics.
C) interest group politics.
D) client politics.
E) reciprocal politics.

Question 7

One reason environmental policy tends to be so controversial is that

A) environmental policy creates winners and losers who share equally in costs and benefits.
B) environmental policy often takes the form of majoritarian politics, which requires strong emotional appeals to overcome the political advantage of client groups.
C) so many environmental issues are enmeshed in scientific uncertainty.
D) environmental issues mobilize voters and swing elections.
E) most people feel that government is already doing enough to control pollution.

Question 8

The environmental movement was launched, in part, in reaction to

A) the appearance of dead whales on the West Coast.
B) the overpopulation of deer in Oregon.
C) an outbreak of diseases among birds in the Northeast.
D) an oil spill on the beaches of Santa Barbara, California.
E) a natural-gas eruption in Destin, Florida.

Question 9

The device used in automobile engines to remove emission pollutants is the

A) manifold scrubber.
B) transmission plate.
C) carburetor emission activator (CEA).
D) distributor cap.
E) catalytic converter.

Question 10

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created during the administration of

A) Richard Nixon.
B) John F. Kennedy.
C) Jimmy Carter.
D) Lyndon Johnson.
E) none of the above.

Question 11

Which of the following statements regarding Environmental Impact Statements is incorrect?

A) They have been required since 1969.
B) They are applicable to federal agencies.
C) They are applicable to most state agencies.
D) They must be prepared in advance of the project.
E) They are required if the human environment would be significantly affected.

Question 12

The type of politics illustrated by controversies over global warming is

A) entrepreneurial politics.
B) majoritarian politics.
C) interest group politics.
D) client politics.
E) reciprocal politics.

Question 13

The national event held on April 22, 1970, that celebrated the new environmental movement was called

A) Global Awareness Day.
B) Greenpeace Day.
C) National Conservation Day.
D) Cosmos Appreciation Day.
E) Earth Day.

Question 14

Which of the following is a correct pairing of one style of politics and an example of this style applied to environmental policymaking?

A) Majoritarian politics: timber cutting on federal lands
B) Client politics: acid rain
C) Entrepreneurial politics: global warming
D) Interest group politics: agricultural pesticides
E) Reciprocal politics: protection of the spotted owl

Question 15

According to the text, environmental politics was particularly a major concern of

A) the media.
B) Republicans.
C) older voters
D) less educated voters.
E) younger voters.

Question 16

Which of the following might be associated with rising global temperatures?

A) Floods in coastal areas
B) Melting polar ice caps
C) Wilder weather as more storms are generated
D) Spread of tropical diseases to North America
E) All of the above

Question 17

Controversies over controlling pollution from stationary sources, such as factories and power plants, take the form of __________ politics.

A) interest group
B) entrepreneurial
C) client
D) majoritarian
E) reciprocal

Question 18

When decision makers are mobilized through strong, often emotional appeals, in order to overcome the advantages of client groups, it is evident that much of environmental policy takes the form of

A) majoritarian politics.
B) entrepreneurial politics.
C) interest group politics.
D) client politics.
E) inclusive politics.

Question 19

The government agency established in 1970 to implement environmental legislation was the

A) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
B) Department of the Interior.
C) Environmental Legal Counsel.
D) Air and Water Pollution Agency.
E) Department of Public Lands.

Question 20

After gray wolves and bald eagles were placed on the endangered species list,

A) their number decreased.
B) their numbers remained about the same.
C) their numbers increased only marginally.
D) their numbers increased to the point that they were removed from the list.
E) they have remained there longer than any other animals.

Question 21

Of the following, the approach preferred by most environmentalists as a solution to acid rain is the

A) use of smokestack scrubbers.
B) burning of low-sulfur coal.
C) use of extremely tall smokestacks.
D) burning of high-sulfur coal.
E) use of small smokestacks with pivoting caps.

Question 22

Two organized groups with a material stake in the outcome are fighting over who will pay for and who will benefit from a proposed environmental measure. An example used by the text to illustrate this type of politics is the battle over

A) agricultural pesticides.
B) acid rain.
C) automobile emissions.
D) factory pollution.
E) protection of the spotted owl.

Question 23

Your state proposes a special tax on automobile tires and batteries. You are most likely to support such an increase if the tax revenues are going into

A) measures to reduce air pollution.
B) measures to reduce traffic congestion.
C) a new highway.
D) a new crime-prevention program.
E) further testing of tires and batteries.

Question 24

The form of pollutant thought to be caused by the burning of high-sulfur coal by Midwestern power and industrial plants is

A) black snow.
B) river ooze.
C) smog.
D) ozone.
E) acid rain.

Question 25

The acidification of lakes and rivers in the eastern United States and in Canada raises which interesting (but unanswered) question(s)?

A) How much of the acidification is caused by human activity?
B) How much of the acidification is natural?
C) Why are some lakes affected by acid rain, but others are not?
D) What are the long-term effects of higher acid levels?
E) All of the above

Question 26

The type of politics best illustrated by the acid rain controversy is

A) entrepreneurial politics.
B) majoritarian politics.
C) interest group politics.
D) client politics.
E) reciprocal politics.

Question 27

In Union Electric Co. v. Environmental Protection Agency (1976), the Supreme Court ruled that EPA rules must be observed without regard to their

A) cost.
B) complexity.
C) popularity.
D) technological feasibility.
E) Both A and D.

Question 28

Under the Clean Air Act of 1970, states were required to

A) end all air pollution by 1985.
B) install smokestack scrubbers on all power plants.
C) pay the costs of eliminating smog.
D) restrict the public's use of cars.
E) eliminate air pollution in the nation's largest cities by 1990.

Question 29

Congressional policy with respect to coal scrubbers had all the following political advantages except that

A) the jobs of miners were protected.
B) environmentalists liked scrubbers.
C) scrubber manufacturers liked the idea.
D) scrubbers made production more efficient and less costly.
E) eastern governors liked scrubbers.

Question 30

Which of the following statements best describes popular support for the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, including its call for environmental impact statements?

A) It remains strong.
B) It was strong initially but has weakened considerably.
C) It was weak initially but has grown stronger.
D) It was weak initially and has grown weaker.
E) It was weak initially and has remained so.

Question 31

The purpose of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is to

A) limit land development by private firms.
B) protect the human environment.
C) allow businesses to challenge Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rulings.
D) bring suit against a company that pollutes.
E) allow for flexibility in environmental codes.

Question 32

Which of the following statements concerning catalytic converters is correct?

A) They contributed to a reduction in the costs of automobiles.
B) The were associated with an increase in horsepower.
C) It was not possible to cheat by disconnecting them.
D) Their potential impact eventually drew the concern of the United Auto Workers.
E) None of the above.

Question 33

The type of politics best illustrated by auto-emission-control regulations is

A) entrepreneurial politics.
B) majoritarian politics.
C) interest group politics.
D) client politics.
E) reciprocal politics.

Question 34

Activists challenged the Alaska pipeline on the basis of

A) technological feasibility.
B) environmental impact.
C) production regulations.
D) quota imbalances.
E) Options A, C, and D

Question 35

If burning low-sulfur coal significantly reduces the emission of sulfurous fumes and therefore reduces acid rain, why don't plants in the Midwest and Great Lakes region burn only low-sulfur coal?

A) Because low-sulfur coal is expensive
B) Because unions insist that high-sulfur coal be burned
C) Because low-sulfur coal produces less energy than high-sulfur coal
D) Because most low-sulfur coal comes from the eastern United States
E) Because low-sulfur coal is inexpensive

Question 36

Two major opposing groups in the acid rain controversy are

A) Canadian power and coal companies and eastern environmentalists.
B) Eastern power and coal companies and Midwestern environmentalists.
C) Midwestern power and coal companies and eastern environmentalists.
D) Eastern power and coal companies and Canadian environmentalists.
E) Canadian power and coal companies and Midwestern environmentalists.

Question 37

One provision of the Clean Air Act of 1970 required cities where smog was still a problem, despite emission controls placed on new cars, to impose rules restricting the public's use of cars. This provision failed because

A) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted an overly zealous command-and-control strategy.
B) public opposition was too great.
C) the provision was ruled unconstitutional.
D) powerful client groups worked to defeat the provision.
E) automobiles were soon viewed as having little or no impact on air pollution.

Question 38

Congressional policy with respect to coal scrubbers was considered the wrong decision by

A) eastern governors.
B) economists.
C) environmentalists.
D) party leaders.
E) unions.

Question 39

Average citizens are most likely to support tough environmental protection measures when

A) the costs of the measures are considerable.
B) they believe the benefits are great enough.
C) almost everyone benefits from the measures.
D) benefits are deferred to some later date.
E) the costs of the measures are hidden or deferred.

Question 40

A device used to remove sulfurous pollutants from smoke as it comes out of coal-burning plants is a

A) scrubber.
B) catalytic converter.
C) bubble.
D) PCV.
E) hatch plate.

Question 41

Assume that Congress orders the Department of the Interior to sell gold mined on federal lands at below-market prices, thereby subsidizing the precious-metals industry. Such a program would best illustrate

A) entrepreneurial politics.
B) client politics.
C) majoritarian politics.
D) interest group politics.
E) reciprocal politics.

Question 42

Many policy entrepreneurs favor tough measures to control the use of agricultural pesticides. They have been unable to get laws passed to do this, however, in part because

A) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is opposed to such legislation.
B) pesticides have many beneficial uses.
C) media coverage has tended to support farmers and manufacturers of pesticides.
D) pesticide control does not lend itself to client politics.
E) the dangers of pesticides have never been seriously questioned.

Question 43

Which book raised public awareness about DDT?

A) The Jungle
B) RAW
C) Unsafe at Any Speed
D) Love Canal
E) Silent Spring

Question 44

One complication regarding the regulation and/or removal of pesticides is the fact that there are more than ___________ in current use.

A) fifty thousand
B) five hundred
C) two hundred fifty
D) one hundred
E) two dozen

Question 45

The law that included the compromise reached by Congress and the George H. W. Bush administration over acid rain was the

A) National Environmental Policy Act of 1989.
B) Water Quality Improvement Act of 1991.
C) Clean Air Act of 1990.
D) Environmental Omnibus Act of 1989.
E) Protective Shield Act of 1988.

Question 46

Under the acid rain plan adopted by Congress in 1977, a new coal-burning power plant was required to install smokestack scrubbers

A) only if it was situated near a low-sulfur coal mine.
B) only if it was situated near a high-sulfur coal mine.
C) regardless of its proximity to a low-sulfur coal mine.
D) only if the level of its pollution exceeded federal limits.
E) if smaller smokestacks were not capped.

Question 47

Compared with European countries, environmental policymaking in the United States tends to be

A) more regional.
B) less centralized.
C) more adversarial.
D) less client centered.
E) more uniform.

Question 48

In 1972, the EPA _______ the use of DDT.

A) banned
B) first began to regulate
C) mandated strict controls on
D) gave its qualified approval for
E) investigated, then recommended

Question 49

The 111 power plants singled out under the George H. W. Bush administration's 1990 compromise acid rain regulations were required to do which of the following?

A) Install smokestack scrubbers to lower their sulfur emissions
B) Burn low-sulfur coal to lower their sulfur emissions
C) Both install smokestack scrubbers and burn low-sulfur coal to lower their sulfur emissions
D) Do whatever was required to lower their sulfur emissions
E) Install small smokestacks with pivoting caps

Question 50

The EPA's budget for reviewing pesticides has

A) increased dramatically since the 1980s.
B) increased dramatically in the Carter and Clinton administrations.
C) increased dramatically in the Reagan and Bush administrations.
D) generally doubled each year.
E) been kept small.

Question 51

The law passed by Congress in 1977 to deal with acid rain called for

A) the burning of only low-sulfur coal in all new plants.
B) both scrubbers and the burning of low-sulfur coal in all new plants.
C) scrubbers in all new plants.
D) both scrubbers and the burning of low-sulfur coal in all plants, both new and existing.
E) use of small smokestacks with pivoting caps.

Question 52

Only a few agricultural pesticides have been taken off the market thus far. Those that have tend to be those that lend themselves to

A) majoritarian politics.
B) interest group politics.
C) client politics.
D) entrepreneurial politics.
E) reciprocal politics.

Question 53

The 1977 legislation addressing coal smokestack scrubbers did not solve much because

A) many of the scrubbers did not work.
B) compliance was difficult to verify.
C) scrubber manufacturers could not keep up with demand.
D) it did not address the issue of existing power plants and factories.
E) both A and D.

Question 54

One effect of subsidizing farmers for their crops is to

A) put pressure on farmers to follow Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines on pesticide use.
B) force farmers to rely on the EPA for guidance in production levels.
C) reduce economic pressure on farmers, which discourages the overuse of pesticides.
D) force farmers to become overreliant on a handful of EPA-approved pesticides.
E) encourage overproduction, which encourages the overuse of pesticides.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about the efforts of policy entrepreneurs to restrict the use of agricultural pesticides is true?

A) Farmers have effectively resisted such efforts.
B) These entrepreneurs have been largely successful.
C) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has consistently sided with farmers.
D) Volunteer compliance by farmers has replaced the need for legislation.
E) None of the above

Question 56

Under the second phase of the compromise acid rain regulation proposed by the George H. W. Bush administration in 1990, which of the following was true?

A) All new power plants were required to install smokestack scrubbers.
B) Specified power plants could decide for themselves how to reduce their emission of sulfur by a fixed amount.
C) All new power plants were required to burn low-sulfur coal.
D) Specified power plants were allowed to buy and sell sulfur dioxide allowances.
E) All new power plants were required to construct small smokestacks with pivoting caps.

Question 57

A battle between residents and developers over the use of farmland is most likely to involve

A) client politics.
B) entrepreneurial politics.
C) interest group politics.
D) majoritarian politics.
E) reciprocal politics.

Question 58

About ___ percent of all cut timber comes from forests under the control of the U.S. Forest Service.

A) 2
B) 13
C) 45
D) 56
E) 75

Question 59

Minimum auto-emissions standards are uniform across the nation, regardless of local conditions, but states can

A) set higher standards if they wish.
B) violate such standards for a period of five years.
C) interpret the standards in such a way as to make them meaningless.
D) be waived from compliance by the U.S. Senate.
E) set lower standards with the permission of the House of Representatives.

Question 60

A recent example of how media coverage brought entrepreneurial politics to bear on an issue that had been dominated by client politics is that of

A) acid rain.
B) the spotted owl.
C) automobile pollution.
D) agricultural pesticides.
E) riverbed ooze.

Question 61

What guarantees that almost anybody who wants to wield influence over environmental policy will have an opportunity to do so?

A) The media
B) Runoff elections
C) The electoral system
D) Judicial review
E) Separation of powers

Question 62

Superfund legislation was strengthened with additional dollars and power for the EPA during the presidency of

A) Richard Nixon.
B) John F. Kennedy.
C) Jimmy Carter.
D) Ronald Reagan.
E) none of the above.

Question 63

Allocation decisions regarding environmental policy are typically made on the basis of

A) scientific evidence gathered by the federal government.
B) local politics.
C) federal court decisions.
D) recommendations by the House Ways and Means Committee.
E) the EPA and congressional leaders.

Question 64

The EPA began to devise incentives to replace some of its rules during the administration of

A) Richard Nixon.
B) George Bush.
C) Jimmy Carter.
D) Ronald Reagan.
E) none of the above.

Question 65

The text suggests that by the year 2005, more than _______ waste sites had yet not been treated.

A) two hundred
B) seven hundred
C) one thousand
D) two thousand
E) sixteen thousand

Question 66

The text suggests that more Superfund money went to ______ than to waste removers.

A) CEOs
B) congressmen
C) lawyers
D) senators
E) reporters

Question 67

In sharp contrast with that of the United States, air pollution policy in Great Britain involves

A) strict deadlines.
B) inflexible rules.
C) voluntary compliance.
D) a uniform national policy.
E) numerous qualifications and exceptions.

Question 68

The text suggests the congressional deadline regarding the complete elimination of water pollutants was

A) politically wise.
B) sound.
C) clearly feasible.
D) utterly unrealistic.
E) unconstitutional.

Question 69

In Great Britain, rules designated to reduce air pollution were written by

A) the government.
B) business leaders.
C) academics.
D) environmental interest groups.
E) both A and B.

Question 70

Offsets, bubbles, and banks are all

A) pollution-control devices that effectively reduce air contamination.
B) tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on agricultural pesticides.
C) devices that restrict air pollutants in certain types of manufacturing environments.
D) pollution-control rules devised by the EPA under its command-and-control strategy.
E) EPA incentives for companies to reduce pollution.

Question 71

The text suggests that the government's dramatic mandate to ________ helps almost no one.

A) label drugs
B) regulate water supplies
C) remove asbestos from public school buildings
D) landscape interstate highways
E) inspect smoke stacks in factories

Question 72

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (commonly known as Superfund) was signed into law by

A) Richard Nixon.
B) John F. Kennedy.
C) Jimmy Carter.
D) Ronald Reagan.
E) none of the above.

Question 73

Superfund legislation created a tax on

A) chemical industries.
B) petroleum industries.
C) automobile industries.
D) state-owned industries.
E) both A and B.

Question 74

As the environmental lobby got stronger, the number of hazardous sites on the Superfund list

A) fell to fewer than ten.
B) dropped somewhat.
C) remained about the same.
D) increased.
E) became confidential.

Question 75

The rules and regulations typically used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to achieve its environmental policy goals are part of its

A) command-and-control strategy.
B) incentive programs.
C) environmental impact statements (EIS).
D) clear-cutting policy.
E) regulatory-expansion statutes.

Question 76

A decade after the Superfund legislation came into law, about ____ of 1,200 known hazardous waste sites had been cleaned up.

A) 1,100
B) 980
C) 500
D) 112
E) 14

Question 77

One obstacle to a sane environmental policy in this country is that

A) the means of achieving the goals of such a policy are complicated by local considerations, technological problems, and costs.
B) most people give a low priority to environmental protection.
C) environmental politics is largely majoritarian in nature.
D) Congress has been reluctant to become involved in environmental matters.
E) many environmentalists are within government.

Question 78

Which of the following is not cited as a reason for the apparent failure of the Superfund?

A) Finding and suing the responsible parties were very difficult.
B) Cleaning up a site is a complicated and time-consuming task.
C) Environmental lobbyists insisted that the list of sites be increased but not necessarily assigned priorities.
D) Lawyers representing major corporations effectively blocked suits.
E) There was rapid turnover in EPA Superfund managers.

Question 79

Which of the following statements regarding pollution control in Great Britain is incorrect?

A) The rules are not nationally uniform.
B) Lawsuits are rare.
C) The quality of air and water has improved considerably.
D) The rules allow for very few exceptions.
E) None of the above.

Question 80

The conflicts among interests involved in environmental policymaking are evident by the fact that it took thirteen years to

A) draft a letter of complaint to automobile manufacturers regarding auto emissions.
B) select the first director of the EPA.
C) provide funding for the offices of the EPA.
D) agree on a congressional revision of the Clean Air Act.
E) form a bipartisan committee on water pollution.