Public Policy Final Quiz

Currently, the U.S. uses which approach to pay for health care for its citizens?

Hybrid system of public and private funding for care

Which government program provides medical insurance for the elderly as an entitlement?

Medicare

The _____ program, established in 1965 and funded jointly by states and the Federal government, provides health care coverage for poor adults and children.

Medicaid

Overall, the two broad problems that the US health care system faces right now are:

Growing costs and poor access to health care services

This program, added in 1997, expanded health insurance for children.

SCHIP

Until 2010, the US had pursued a strategy of making ____ reforms to its health care system.

Incremental

One of the most promising ways to reduce health care costs may be

Emphasize preventative health care

In the US, what are the leading causes of death?

Diseases that are due to unhealthy lifestyles (such as cancer, stroke, heart attack)

In the US, health care is viewed as a ____, in contrast to many other countries, who consider health care to be a right.

Merit good

The Veterans Health System faces concerns related to ____ and _____.

Poor quality of medical care and growing numbers of veterans needing care

In a national health insurance system, the ___ is generally responsible for payments.

National government

In recent years, the approximate number of uninsured Americans was:

45-55 million

In the US health care system, insurance typically pays for each doctor's visit, test, and exam separately. This is called:

Fee-for-service health care

Which statement is true regarding medical errors in the US?

Medical errors lead to a significant number of deaths each year; many are preventable

Which statement describes health care spending over the past 20 years?

Total spending, per capita spending, and percent of GDP spent on health care are all increasing

The three primary areas of focus for environmental policy are described by which of the following statements?

Pollution control, resource conservation/management, and energy policy

Which best describes describes the recent history of environmental policymaking in the US?

Much policy-making activity in the late 60s through 70s followed by a long period of gridlock and incremental changes

In the US, relating to almost all kinds of environmental policy, there is ongoing tension between environmental interests and ___ interests.

Business/economic

Which statement best summarizes the effectiveness of US environmental policies enacted over the past 30-40 years?

They have had mixed results: while point source pollution has declined and air quality has improved, other conditions have not improved.

___ refers to a policy approach to manage natural resources by looking more broadly a the diversity of wildlife, natural resources, and pollution issues that affect a wider area.

Ecosystem management

Environmental policies such as the Clean Air Act, Water Pollution Control Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act tended to emphasize which policy tool?

Command and control regulation

The seven major statutes that were enacted in the 70s focused on:

Pollution control and protection of human health

____ is defined as economic growth that is compatible with natural environmental systems and social goals.

Sustainable development

The Clean Air Act amendment of 1990 provided for the use of buying and selling of pollution permits to combat acid rain. What type of policy instrument does this describe?

Market incentives

The EPA is an:

independent executive agency

What is meant by multiple use when discussing natural resource policy?

Natural resources should be managed in a way that encourages economic development but also protects the environment

With regard to environmental policy formulation, in the 1970s, ___ was the norm in the US, while ___ was the norm in the 80s and 90s.

Consensus; disagreement

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970, for the first time, developed

Uniform air quality standards across the US

___ are two of the most frequently proposed policy options for future natural resource policies.

Imposition of user fees and reduction of resource subsidies

Which statement describes the branch(es) of the federal government that is/are most heavily involved in foreign policy?

Executive branch, including Cabinet level departments, councils, and agencies

The major thrust of US foreign policy between the 1950s to the early 1990s could be described as:

A policy of deterrence through military buildup

The most recently established cabinet-level department that deals with issues of terrorism and security within the US is the:

Department of Homeland Security

This controversial law provided for an increase in use of surveillance by the US government to prevent terrorism.

The USA PATRIOT Act

To conduct the war in Iraq, the US used a new foreign policy "tool" more extensively than ever before. What was this tool?

Private contractors for all facets of war, including security, construction, and other support devices

The foreign policy area that refers to actions taken by government officials to conduct military affairs.

Defense

The policy tool used in foreign policy to reconstruct or otherwise improper conditions in another country in order to promote stability, reducing threats to US interests.

Foreign Aid

The ___ includes a range of US military and government officials who advise the president on issues of foreign policy.

National Security Council

Which statement best describes the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?

An organization of the US and other Western European nations that cooperatively pursue their shared security interests

The United States spends ___ on its defense budget compared to the spending by other individual countries.

Much more

Which organization is a global association of governments facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity?

United Nations

What organization administers trade agreements among about 150 nations to settle conflicts over trade disputes?

World Traded Organization

Which country is the top recipient of US foreign aid?

Israel

The ___ analyzed the many failures of the FBI, CIA and other departments and agencies involved in national security, leading to the most sweeping overhaul of the intelligence functions of government

The 9/11 Commission Report

The ___ is the US government division that distributes and manages the distribution of financial resources directly to other nations.

US Agency for International Development

Political perspectives on the root causes of poverty vary. Conservatives tend to see poverty as a result of ___, while liberals are more likely to believe that poverty is a result of ____.

Personal choice; economic and social conditions outside of one's control

Over the past two decades, which statement best describes the income distribution of US citizens?

Income has become more concentrated in the hands of fewer wealthy individuals

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), emphasized:

Personal responsibility and work for those receiving subsidies

Which of the following describes what is known about the effectiveness of the TANF legislation?

It has reduced the number of people receiving welfare but had an unclear impact on numbers in poverty

One of the challenges to reforming the Social Security program is the influence of strong advocacy groups such as ___, an active group representing the interests of ___.

AARP; older adults

The main problem with the Social Security program is that:

It will soon run out of money to pay benefits because too few workers will be paying into the system

The primary goal of all welfare and social security programs is to:

Reduce the number of people living in poverty

Privatization of Social Security is one of the major proposals for reform. Privatization refers to:

The government provides funds to individuals that they are responsible to invest

Redistributive policies and programs are those where:

Government provides benefits to one group of individuals by collecting money from other individuals

Social Security would typically be categorized as what type of federal spending?

Entitlement

The Social Security tax is capped at about what level?

$100,000

With the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program became:

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

One of the largest federal programs for the poor is SNAP. What does it provide?

Financial resources to purchase food

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable federal income tax for working individuals and families that is intended to ____.

Encourage people to work

According to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, what was the effect of the Social Security Program on the poverty rates of older adults?

Almost half of older adults were kept out of poverty by the Social Security program

Education is often cited as something that benefits more than just the person getting an education; it benefits society in a number of ways. This is called:

Positive externality

Concerns about separation of church and state primarily relate to which two issues?

Freedom of religion and public funding of religious schools

In an attempt to use market incentives to improve school quality, the Obama administration created the ___ program, a competition for significant funding which required states to collect better data, innovate, and enhance teaching.

Race to the Top

Which statement reflects the Obama administration's stance with regard to No Child Left Behind?

NCLB should be changed to offer states more flexibility; offer incentives rather than punishments

Who has played the biggest role in educational policy through US history?

State and local government

____ is based on the idea that teachers should only receive pay raises for successful student performance.

Merit pay

How is public education (K-12) funded in the US?

Mostly local property taxes and state funds, minor amount from federal

Which of the following is one of the most important funding issues for K-12 education?

Lack of buoyancy of property taxes when compared to education costs

School choice and school vouchers are examples of

Market-based policy alternatives to improve education quality

By most recent accounts, what is the most important issue facing US higher education today?

Reduced access to college among lower-income students

The growing cost of tuition at public universities in the US is directly related to ____.

Decreasing support for higher education from states

What is the federal government's role in higher education?

The federal government established land grant colleges and gives grants and loans to categories of individual

Current trends point to a reduction in college attendance by middle and low income college students. This trend causes policy makers to be concerned about the policy criteria of:

Equity of access

How are public colleges in the United States funded?

Some state funding, tuition, and grants/donation

The Supreme Court has consistently___ school-sponsored prayer.

Ruled against

Oregon has experienced almost a decade of implementing, revising, and changing its policies with regard to:

Land use and growth management

The group of American citizens is the least likely to vote.

College students

The public can get involved in the policy-making process by?

all of the above

According to chapter 13, the conflict and polarization that typify American government today often leads to:

incremental decision making

__ allows policymakers to evaluate the situation while taking incremental policy steps.

Adaptive management

The __ principle encourages a prudent o conservative policy response to potentially serious threats.

Precautionary

____ issues can deal with a range of concerns, from protecting individual freedoms to how the cost and benefits of a program are distributed across the population

Equity

A relatively new form of citizen participation ____ allows citizens to access gov't agencies and their policies through various web sites

E-government

___ refers to the ability of a gov't to address its problems effectively through public policy

policy capacity

Policy analysis is used most heavily during which stages of the policy-making process?

problem analysis and policy alternative development

A systematic and organized way to study problems, policy alternatives, or the effectiveness of gov't programs called?

policy analysis

Evaluative criteria are:

The important aspects of the policy proposal on which you will make comparisons

With regard to policies that address access to quality education at k-12 and higher levels, which of the following evaluative criterion is most important?

Equity

Measuring whether the Economic stimulus of 2009 has sparked creation of jobs and economic growth is an example of using which evaluative criterion:

effectiveness

Which statement best describes the relationship of policy analysis to the policy process model?

Policy analysis supports the policy process at several points by increasing understanding of problems and possible solutions