Deck 16: Core Democratic Principles and Public Policy

Question 1

A public policy focusing event

A) Grabs attention immediately and puts an issue on the public agenda
B) Is exemplified by the murder of George Floyd
C) Can emerge from the left or right, Democrat or Republican, or nonpartisan sources
D) All of the above

Answer 1

All of the above

Question 2

The first stage of the policymaking process, which produces the list of issues and problems the government will pay attention to, is

A) policy formulation and adoption.
B) policy implementation.
C) policy evaluation.
D) agenda setting.

Answer 2

agenda setting.

Question 3

The second stage of the policymaking process, wherein government considers the various alternatives to the issue at hand and formally approves a particular alternative, is

A) policy formulation and adoption.
B) policy implementation.
C) policy evaluation.
D) agenda setting.

Answer 3

policy formulation and adoption.

Question 4

The third stage of the policymaking process, in which the government translates approved policy alternatives into action, is

A) policy formulation and adoption.
B) policy implementation.
C) policy evaluation.
D) agenda setting.

Question 5

The final stage of the policymaking process, wherein government and nongovernment actors assess the successes and problems of public policies, is

A) policy formulation and adoption.
B) policy implementation.
C) policy evaluation.
D) agenda setting.

Question 6

Which of the following is a formal proof that no decision-making system can guarantee that the rank-ordered preferences of a group will reflect the rank-ordered preferences of the set of rational individuals who make up that group?

A) Duverger's law
B) Arrow's impossibility theorem
C) Nash equilibrium
D) The "garbage can" model of decision making

Question 7

The theory of policy making that seeks to explain why decision making in large, complex institutions (such as universities) often seems irrational is known as

A) the "garbage can" model.
B) the "recycle bin".
C) the "policy windows" theory.
D) the "satisficing" theory.

Question 8

All of the following are forces that can move a policy problem onto the public agenda EXCEPT:

A) Indicators.
B) Focusing events.
C) Realignment.
D) Feedback.

Question 9

The rational-comprehensive decision-making approach involves considering all possible alternatives to a problem or issue and choosing the one with

A) the highest costs and the least benefit.
B) the lowest cost and the lowest benefit.
C) the most benefit and the highest cost.
D) the most benefits at the least cost.

Question 10

The decision making approach characterized by current decisions that are small adjustments to past decisions is known as

A) zero-based budgeting.
B) incrementalism.
C) five year plans.
D) satisficing.

Question 11

The decision making approach in which policy makers ignore last year's spending levels and begin current year budgeting from scratch, justifying every single dollar of proposed spending is called

A) zero-based budgeting.
B) incrementalism.
C) five year plans.
D) satisficing.

Question 12

Herbert Simon's concept of "bounded rationality" asserts that decision making will never be perfectly rational because decision makers never have

A) common sense.
B) freedom from political pressure.
C) complete information.
D) the courage to put national goals ahead of re-election goals.

Question 13

Process evaluations are intended to assess whether a program or policy is

A) being implemented according to its stated guidelines.
B) satisfying the interest groups who lobbied for the program.
C) achieving its overall objectives.
D) resulting in a high rate of re-election for members of Congress.

Question 14

Impact evaluations assess whether a program or policy is

A) being implemented according to its stated guidelines.
B) satisfying the interest groups who lobbied for the program.
C) achieving its overall objectives.
D) resulting in a high rate of re-election for members of Congress.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of a bad public policy that resulted from majority rule?

A) The League of Nations
B) Jim Crow laws
C) The Equal Rights Amendment
D) Roe v. Wade

Question 16

The political influence of wealthy lobbying groups is most detrimental to which of the following core values of democracy?

A) Political freedom
B) Majority rule
C) Popular sovereignty
D) Political equality

Question 17

The list of issues that government is actually paying attention to is

A) the public agenda.
B) the Federal Register.
C) the news cycle.
D) the State of the Union Address.

Question 18

Which of the following non-governmental actors plays the most significant role in agenda setting? c

A) public opinion.
B) the media.
C) interest groups.
D) none of the above.

Question 19

Which of the following is the most powerful agenda setter for government?

A) Congress.
B) The President.
C) The courts.
D) Regulatory agencies.

Question 20

The "garbage can model" of policy decision making suggests that

A) solutions are trying to "find" a problem.
B) problems are trying to "find" solutions.
C) neither a nor b
D) both a and b

Question 21

The failure of South Carolina to lower the Confederate Flag to half-mast after the mass shooting at the Emanual African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015 is an example of

A) a focusing event.
B) feedback.
C) an indicator.
D) a policy punctuation.

Question 22

The phrase "the science of muddling through" has been used to describe which approach to policy making?

A) Rational-comprehensive decision making
B) Zero-based budgeting.
C) Incrementalism.
D) Punctuated equilibrium.

Question 23

The type of policy making most closely associated with an incrementalist approach is

A) environmental policy.
B) budgeting.
C) civil rights.
D) education policy.

Question 24

All of the following are things that can complicate policy implementation EXCEPT:

A) multiple levels of government involved in decision making.
B) conflicting preferences expressed by constituencies and clientele groups.
C) the level of resources provided for implementation.
D) clear and realistic objectives.

Question 25

Policy evaluations can take which of the following forms?

A) Process evaluations
B) Impact evaluations
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 26

Groups of people who either receive benefits or bear costs as a result of a policy decision are known as

A) "target populations."
B) "issue publics."
C) "pressure groups."
D) "free riders."

Question 27

The role played by "target populations" in the formulation of public policy alternatives can often undermine the core democratic principle of

A) majority rule.
B) political equality.
C) popular sovereignty.
D) rational self-interest.

Question 28

Some research suggests that citizens can be manipulated into greater compliance with tax policy through a

A) social pressure.
B) threats of a fine.
C) appeals to patriotism.
D) a personal letter from your representative.

Question 29

The success of the Behavior Insight Team (or "Nudge Unit") in the United Kingdom in increasing citizen compliance with government policies reflects the influence of _________________ on policy development.

A) rational choice models
B) behavioral models
C) evolutionary frameworks
D) bounded rationality

Question 30

The goal of a policy analyst is

A) to decide which policies are politically feasible.
B) to decide which possible response to a policy problem is best.
C) to decide which policy response is most efficient.
D) to decide which policy response is most equitable.

Question 31

Which of the following groups is most likely to successfully gain agenda access in the United States?

A) A non-profit group seeking free housing for homeless people.
B) A civil liberties group seeking increased funding for public defenders.
C) A public health group seeking to expand needle exchange programs for drug addicts.
D) A coalition of investment banks pushing to lower the capital gains tax.

Question 32

The surest way to ensure that a policy will not be adopted is to

A) use the mass media to frame the issue negatively.
B) spark a protest movement that raises awareness of the negative aspects of the policy.
C) prevent the issue from ever reaching the agenda of government.
D) link the policy to a particularly unpopular public official.

Question 33

Compared to other democracies, America generally has a worse record on the core principle of political equality, a better record on political freedom, and a roughly similar record on majority rule.

Question 34

Public policy is a relatively stable, purposive course of action pursued by government officials or agencies.

Question 35

"Police Patrol" oversight is an example of the policy evaluation stage of public policymaking.

Question 36

Congress is primarily responsible for the policy implementation stage of public policymaking.

Question 37

Rational-comprehensive decision making is the most realistic approach to explaining public policy development.

Question 38

Public education is a good example of an "intractable" problem.

Question 39

Public policy should always be guided by majority preferences, even when it means denying a minority group a right to which they feel they are entitled.

Question 40

The evaluations of policy analysts can never be truly objective.

Question 41

Public policy making frequently brings our core principles of democracy into conflict with one another.

Question 42

As a purely reactive branch of government, the courts play no role in agenda setting.