Question 1

Develop a research design for an impact analysis of mandatory seat belt laws. Make sure to develop a strategy for dealing with (1) the possibility that the publicity surrounding the law, rather than the statute itself, affects individuals' behavior, and (2) the extent to which the laws change drivers' behavior by making them generally more safety conscious.

Accepted Answer

To conduct an impact analysis of mandatory seat belt laws, the research design should incorporate both quantitative and qualitative methods to address the complexity of the issue.

Firstly, a pre-post study design can be used to compare data before and after the implementation of mandatory seat belt laws. This will allow for the measurement of changes in seat belt usage rates, as well as other related outcomes such as car accident rates, severity of injuries, and overall road safety.

To address the possibility that the publicity surrounding the law may influence individuals' behavior, a mixed-methods approach can be utilized. This could involve conducting surveys and interviews to assess public awareness and perceptions of the seat belt laws, as well as analyzing media coverage and public discourse surrounding the legislation.

In addition, to account for the potential impact of the laws on overall driver behavior and safety consciousness, a comparison group can be used. This would involve comparing the effects of the mandatory seat belt laws in a jurisdiction where the laws are in place with a similar jurisdiction where the laws are not yet in effect.

Furthermore, observational studies can be conducted to assess changes in driving behavior and attitudes towards safety, such as the use of other safety equipment, adherence to speed limits, and overall risk-taking behaviors.

Overall, the research design should be comprehensive and multifaceted, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods to account for the various factors that may influence individuals' behavior and overall road safety. By considering the broader context and potential confounding variables, the impact analysis can provide a more accurate understanding of the effects of mandatory seat belt laws.

Question 2

Identify areas of public policy in which experimental research designs involving control groups would be technically, politically, and legally plausible.

Accepted Answer

Experimental research designs involving control groups would be technically, politically, and legally plausible in a variety of public policy areas. Some examples include:

1. Education policy: Experimental research could be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of different teaching methods, curriculum designs, or school interventions. Control groups could be used to compare outcomes between students who receive the intervention and those who do not.

2. Healthcare policy: Experimental research could be used to assess the impact of new healthcare delivery models, treatment protocols, or preventive interventions. Control groups could be used to compare health outcomes between individuals who receive the new intervention and those who receive standard care.

3. Criminal justice policy: Experimental research could be employed to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs, diversion alternatives, or law enforcement strategies. Control groups could be used to compare recidivism rates or crime rates between individuals who participate in the intervention and those who do not.

4. Environmental policy: Experimental research could be utilized to assess the impact of conservation initiatives, pollution control measures, or sustainable development projects. Control groups could be used to compare environmental outcomes between areas where the intervention is implemented and areas where it is not.

In each of these areas, experimental research designs involving control groups could provide valuable evidence to inform policy decisions. From a technical standpoint, it is feasible to implement control groups and random assignment in these contexts. Politically, there may be support for evidence-based policy making, and experimental research could help to build consensus around effective interventions. Legally, as long as research protocols adhere to ethical guidelines and informed consent is obtained, there should be no legal barriers to conducting experimental research in these policy areas.

Question 3

The chapter asks, "Why not just leave it up to the individual whether he or she wants to use seat belts?" Whatever your personal opinion on the matter, what is the best

Accepted Answer

The best answer to this question, regardless of personal opinion, is that seat belts are mandated by law primarily for safety reasons. Seat belts have been proven to significantly reduce the risk of serious injury and death in the event of a car accident. If left up to the individual, some may choose not to wear them, putting themselves and others at risk. Furthermore, the societal costs of people not wearing seat belts, such as increased healthcare costs due to more severe injuries, are also a consideration. Therefore, it is not just left up to the individual whether he or she wants to use seat belts.

Question 4

The NPM favors deregulating public employees' functions and trusting them to exercise discretion responsibly. Do you think employee empowerment in this sense will breed incompetence or corruption, or will it inevitably lead to better administration?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The NPM favors deregulating public employees' functions...

Question 5

Describe the differing viewpoints regarding estoppel from the traditional managerial and NPM perspectives. Do you think the government should be liable if a public administrator gives faulty advice to customers?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the differing viewpoints regarding estoppel from...

Question 6

Which of the following was least related to the growth of contemporary interest in policy analysis?
A) the Great Society program
B) Woodrow Wilson's call for a scientific study of public administration
C)the development of new research techniques
D)sunset legislation

Accepted Answer

Woodrow Wilson's call for a scientific study of public administration, while foundational for the field of public administration, is less directly related to the contemporary growth of interest in policy analysis compared to the other options. The Great Society program, development of new research techniques, and sunset legislation are more directly tied to the evolution and application of policy analysis in recent times.

Question 7

Shapiro v. Thompson held that residency requirements for welfare benefits interfered with
A) equal protection
B)the right to travel
C) both (A) and (B)
D) neither (A) nor (B)

Accepted Answer

Shapiro v. Thompson ruled that residency requirements for welfare benefits violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and interfered with the right to travel by penalizing those who wish to migrate to a different state by denying them welfare benefits.

Question 8

A reduction in the number of fatal traffic accidents after a mandatory seat belt law has been implemented is an indicator of
A) policy impact
B) policy process
C)policy evaluation
D)policy output

Accepted Answer

A reduction in the number of fatal traffic accidents after implementing a mandatory seat belt law indicates the effect or impact of the policy, showing how the policy has achieved its intended goal of improving road safety.

Question 9

Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha dealt with
A) the separation of powers
B) administrative discretion
C)equal protection
D)all of the above

Accepted Answer

Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha (1983) was a landmark Supreme Court case that dealt with the separation of powers within the United States government, specifically challenging the constitutionality of a legislative veto in the context of immigration law.

Question 10

Pure experimental designs are preferable to quasiexperimental and nonexperimental designs because of
A) randomization from a population
B)the use of treatment and control groups
C) both (A) and (B)
D) neither (A) nor (B)

Accepted Answer

Pure experimental designs are preferred because they involve both randomization from a population, which helps in controlling for extraneous variables, and the use of treatment and control groups, which allows for a direct comparison of outcomes.

Question 11

Generally, we would expect the following pattern when administering a new program:
A) marginal costs would decline and then rise
B) marginal costs would keep declining indefinitely
C)marginal costs would rise and then decline
D)marginal costs would keep rising indefinitely

Accepted Answer

Initially, marginal costs decline due to efficiencies and learning curves, but eventually, they rise due to factors like resource limitations and increased complexity.

Question 12

Process measures would include
A) funds authorized
B) levels of organization involved in evaluation
C)the number of decision points in an organization
D)the number of cases processed

Accepted Answer

Process measures are metrics that track the efficiency and effectiveness of a process. The number of cases processed is a direct measure of a process's output, making it a suitable example of a process measure.

Question 13

Barriers to utilizing policy analysis include
A) evaluation results are often hard to interpret
B) evaluation may be difficult for organizations to digest
C)evaluation often fails to find a policy impact
D)all of the above

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed are common barriers to utilizing policy analysis. Evaluation results can be complex and hard to interpret, organizations may find the process and results of evaluation difficult to digest and integrate into decision-making, and it's also possible for evaluations to fail in finding a significant impact of a policy, making it challenging to justify or assess policy effectiveness.

Question 14

The main problem with the "bad blood" experiment described in the chapter was that
A) it was expensive
B) it was clearly illegal when it began
C)according to present national standards, it was immoral
D)the research design was quasiexperimental

Accepted Answer

The "bad blood" experiment, more commonly known as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, is criticized for its immorality by today's ethical standards, as it involved the non-treatment of African-American men with syphilis without their informed consent.

Question 15

Deborah Stone reminds us that
A) cost-benefit analysis is a completely valid and rational tool in policy analysis
B) "reasoned analysis is necessarily cost-benefit analysis"
C)"reasoned analysis is necessarily political"
D)agencies should establish benchmarks using business practices and customer surveys to establish standards

Accepted Answer

Stone argues that policy analysis is inherently political, challenging the notion that it can be purely rational or solely based on cost-benefit analysis.

Question 16

According to the chapter, the traditional managerial approach is likely to judge policies as desirable when
A) their goals are highly general
B) their goals require street-level administration
C)their goals are "operational"
D)none of the above

Accepted Answer

The traditional managerial approach favors policies with "operational" goals because they are specific, measurable, and achievable, making it easier to plan, execute, and evaluate the policy's success.

Question 17

Which of the following is not generally considered a means of promoting administrative accountability?
A) the merit system
B) legislative oversight
C)sunset provisions
D)all of the above promote accountability

Accepted Answer

The merit system is primarily concerned with hiring and promoting government employees based on ability and qualifications, rather than promoting administrative accountability.

Question 18

"The Seven Deadly Sins of Policy Analysis" were identified by
A) Arnold Meltzner
B) Peter Drucker
C)Aaron Wildavsky
D)none of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of "The Seven Deadly Sins of Policy Analysis"...

Question 19

An example of using a social attribute as a "proxy" for a type of behavior would be
A) using race to determine eligibility for a benefit
B) using residency requirements to reduce fraud
C)using age as an indicator of ability
D)all of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of An example of using a social attribute...

Question 20

According to the chapter, the TIPS program
A) used focus groups to develop the Sacagewea Dollar
B) is an example of tunnel vision that can result from administrative specialization
C)was supported by Congressman Richard Armey
D)improved public service motivation

Accepted Answer

The TIPS program is an example of tunnel vision that can result from administrative specialization, as it demonstrates how a narrow focus within a specialized administrative context can lead to oversight or neglect of broader implications or considerations.

Quiz 8: Policy Analysis and Implementation Evaluation

Identify areas of public policy in which experimental research designs involving control groups would be technically, politically, and legally plausible.

The chapter asks, "Why not just leave it up to the individual whether he or she wants to use seat belts?" Whatever your personal opinion on the matter, what is the best

The NPM favors deregulating public employees' functions and trusting them to exercise discretion responsibly. Do you think employee empowerment in this sense will breed incompetence or corruption, or will it inevitably lead to better administration?

Describe the differing viewpoints regarding estoppel from the traditional managerial and NPM perspectives. Do you think the government should be liable if a public administrator gives faulty advice to customers?

Which of the following was least related to the growth of contemporary interest in policy analysis?

Shapiro v. Thompson held that residency requirements for welfare benefits interfered with

A reduction in the number of fatal traffic accidents after a mandatory seat belt law has been implemented is an indicator of

Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha dealt with

Pure experimental designs are preferable to quasiexperimental and nonexperimental designs because of

Generally, we would expect the following pattern when administering a new program:

Process measures would include

Barriers to utilizing policy analysis include

The main problem with the "bad blood" experiment described in the chapter was that

Deborah Stone reminds us that

According to the chapter, the traditional managerial approach is likely to judge policies as desirable when

Which of the following is not generally considered a means of promoting administrative accountability?

"The Seven Deadly Sins of Policy Analysis" were identified by

An example of using a social attribute as a "proxy" for a type of behavior would be

According to the chapter, the TIPS program