Deck 22: The Political Process

Question 1

The political system is a complex process of public decision making.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

What is one of the functions of the political process? Which category includes such things as interest articulation,interest aggregation,communication,making laws,administering laws,and adjudicating disputes?

A) media communication
B) personal communication
C) professional communication
D) secretive communication

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The Liberal Party of Canada announces that any Canadian Citizen can vote in the party's upcoming leadership race.What is this an example of?

A) a formal-legal institution facilitating political participation
B) The transition from a formal-legal to an informal organization
C) an informal institution facilitating political participation
D) The transition from an informal to a formal-legal organization

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT an example of a policy community?

A) government agencies
B) professional associations
C) business groups
D) the public at large

Question 5

Which term refers to actors with common policy focus and influence in policy outcomes?

A) policy communities
B) public policy
C) foreign policy
D) interest groups

Question 6

Gabriel Almond and G.B.Powell isolated six important structures that carry out the functions of the political process.Which of the following is NOT an example of one of these structures?

A) a local organization dedicated to cleaning up public parks
B) a popular online news blog
C) a provincial legislature
D) a highly structured criminal organization

Question 7

Handing out pamphlets that promote hatred and violence towards targeted groups goes against traditions of openness and acceptance.What kind of law does this activity infringe?

A) symbolic law
B) distributive law
C) regulative law
D) extraction law

Question 8

Which of the following examples is analogous to David Easton's "black box"?

A) The computer on an aircraft where important flight information is stored.
B) A business merger where all the compromising and decision-making occurs behind closed doors.
C) A list of demands that an interest group asks from a municipal government.
D) The decisions made on the floor of the House of Commons in Parliament.

Question 9

The black box of the political process stands for the role that the media plays in the system.

Question 10

What does the term "political system" refer to?

A) a flow of inputs converted into outputs
B) the systematic study of politics
C) the electoral system of a democratic nation
D) the structure of the executive

Question 11

The process of politics includes inputs,outputs,and feedback.

Question 12

Almond and Powell wrote the classic text on political parties in Australia.

Question 13

The political process is characterized by the presence of a variety of actors and institutions working together to create laws and policies.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT an informal institution?

A) pressure groups
B) political parties
C) media
D) Parliament

Question 15

Which of the following statements best describes the key distinction between understanding the political process as a "systemic process" or as a "policy process"?

A) The systemic process is straightforward and understandable while the policy process is more convoluted.
B) The systemic process is ongoing, while the policy process begins once a problem has been identified.
C) The systemic process is difficult to understand because of the "black box," while the policy process is more transparent.
D) The systemic process deals more specifically with formal-legal institutions, while the policy process encompasses more informal institutions.

Question 16

In a political system,what is it that allows the system to adjust spontaneously to ever changing conditions as outputs are evaluated and give rise to new inputs?

A) feedback
B) decision making
C) political parties
D) formal institutions

Question 17

In a situation where different groups hold conflicting interests,what does the political process guarantee?

A) that all groups will have equal access to legislative and executive bodies
B) that all groups will be involved in the decision-making process
C) that groups have the freedom to organize and voice their opinions
D) that all interests will be balanced in the resulting policy outcome

Question 18

What is the primary difference between an informal and a formal-legal institution of government?

A) An informal institution is unable to co-ordinate participation in the political process, whereas formal-legal institutions are more organized.
B) An informal institution is not established in the constitution, whereas formal-legal institutions are.
C) An informal institution is part of the political culture, whereas formal-legal institutions are not.
D) An informal institution is responsible for formalizing laws and policies in a society, whereas formal-legal institutions implement and enforce the policies.

Question 19

Which term refers to institutions that are created explicitly by a constitution?

A) parliamentary institutions
B) quasi-legal institutions
C) constitutional conventions
D) formal-legal institutions

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a member of a policy community?

A) members of the media
B) members of social policy networks
C) members of the general public
D) educated professionals

Question 21

A ____________ includes all actors who have an interest in a specific policy area.This includes _____________ groups and the ________ public.

Question 22

David Easton described the political system as a systemic flow of ___________,_________,___________ and__________.

Question 23

Symbolic policy and laws involve things like the Canadian flag or the national anthem.

Question 24

Informal institutions of government include the Governor General and the Royal Canadian Mint.

Question 25

Interest groups,political parties and the media are frequently referred to as the ___________ institutions of government because they are not established by a ___________.

Question 26

Define what is meant by the four types of law and policy.List one example from each type.

Question 27

Almond and Powell pointed to six important __________that carry out necessary_________ of the political process.

Question 28

The political process is either comprehensive systemic,or "problem oriented."

Question 29

Laws and policies can be classified as regulative,extractive,distributive and symbolic.

Question 30

Policy Communities are created by and for the Canadian federal government.

Question 31

Define and explain the significance of a policy community.In your definition give three examples.

Question 32

According to Almond and Powell,what are the six most important elements of the political process?

Question 33

Almond and Powell pointed to six important structures that carry out necessary functions of the political process: _________,___________,__________,__________,___________,__________.

Question 34

In this chapter there are two different ways of conceptualizing politics: politics as a __________ process and politics as a "___________" process.

Question 35

According to Les Pal,existing public policies contain some definition of a new problem that needs to be solved.

Question 36

Institutions created explicitly by a constitution are called ____________.

Question 37

The general public is an important and indeed necessary aspect of any policy community.

Question 38

Policy communities are made up of those people and institutions that coalesce around a specific policy area.

Question 39

The main function of the political process is to keep the government in power.

Question 40

Laws and policies are regulative when they provide a mechanism for regulating the economy.

Question 41

What are the essential differences between formal and informal political institutions? In your answer,list three examples of each.

Question 42

Explain why greater freedom leads to more complex political processes. Discuss at least three of Almond and Powell's structures in your response.

Question 43

The political process does not guarantee equal influence for groups with competing influence.How might a group with little resources influence policy outcomes?

Question 44

Compare and contrast Easton,Almond and Powell,Pross,and Pal on the political process.

Question 45

What did David Easton mean by the black box? In your answer explain his organic model of the political process.

Question 46

Explain Almond and Powell's analysis of the political process.