Test 3 review questions

Why are foreign policy issues more complicated than domestic policy issues?

The international environment is unpredictable.

Which of the following is not a foreign policy type?

bureaucratic oversight

What are two key differences between domestic policymaking and foreign policymaking?

Domestic policies focus on problems or concerns within a particular country. They are laws passed and decisions made to address issues the public invokes. Foreign policy deals with the interchange of two countries for the purpose of solving a problem and strengthening ties between nations.

A sole executive agreement is likely to be in effect longer than is a treaty.

False

All the following are examples of sharply focused foreign policy outputs except ________.

international agreements

The War Powers Resolution ________.

strengthened presidential war powers

The federal budget process matters in foreign policy for all the following reasons except ________.

the budget for every presidential action has to be approved in advance

Which types of foreign policy outputs have more impact, broadly conceived ones or sharply focused ones? Why?

Broadly conceived foreign policy outputs tend to have a longer impact overall because of their permanence, though sharply focused foreign policy outputs can have more impact in the short term.

In terms of formal powers in the realm of foreign policy, ________.

the president and Congress share power

Why do House members and senators tend to be less active on foreign policy matters than domestic ones?

Constituents are more directly affected by domestic policy topics than foreign ones.

Neoconservativism is an isolationist foreign policy approach of a nation keeping to itself and engaging less internationally.

False

President George W. Bush was a proponent of liberal internationalism in his foreign policy.

False

The U.S. policy of containment during the Cold War related to keeping ________.

communism from spreading

The use of drones within other countries' borders is consistent with which school of thought?

neoconservativism

What are the pros of the neoconservative foreign policy approach followed in recent decades?

The United States is less bogged down in the international process and can move more quickly to squelch conflict.

What are the cons of the neoconservative foreign policy approach followed in recent decades?

The United States, in acting alone, might offend other countries that would prefer everyone act together, and that the country might decide to go directly to military-based solutions rather than using diplomacy.

What are some examples of public policy outcomes?

• the creation of a program to combat drug trafficking

• the passage of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

• the passage of tax cuts during the George W. Bush administration

Public policy ________.

requires multiple acts and branches to carry out

What are some of the challenges to getting a new public policy considered and passed as law?

Approval of a new policy requires the government to recognize that a problem needs solving, and the approval of the elected branches of government. This process can take a long time.

Toll goods differ from public goods in that ________.

they require the payment of a fee up front

Which type of policy directly benefits the most citizens?

regulatory policy

Of the types of goods introduced in this section, which do you feel is the most important to the public generally and why? Which public policies are most important and why?

When lawmakers pass legislation protecting workers, instituting wage-and-hour laws and providing enforcement for wage-and-hour laws, this is a public policy decision. The policy is to protect the rights of workers within the society.

Social Security and Medicare are notable for their assistance to which group?

the elderly

Setting aside Social Security and Medicare, other entitlement programs in the U.S. government ________.

constitute well under one-quarter of the budget

What societal ills are social welfare programs designed to address?

Need-based programs exist to provide at least a minimal standard of living for those in dire straits and to provide opportunities to improve their fate in life. In the short term, they allow mere survival, while in the long term, they can help the individual and society.

Which stage of the public policy process includes identification of problems in need of fixing?

agenda setting

Policy analysts seek ________.

evidence

In the implementation phase of the policy process, is it better to use a top-down approach or a bottom-up approach on Federal policies? Why?

Bottom up; more local, smaller scale

A deficit is ________.

the annual budget shortfall between revenues and expenditures

Entitlement (or mandatory) spending is ________.

formula-based spending that goes to individual citizens

When times are tough economically, what can the government do to get the economy moving again?

A Keynesian approach would recommend deficit spending to stimulate the economy. Supply-side economists would advocate cutting taxes to get more money flowing in the economy.

During George Washington's administration, there were ________ cabinet positions.

four

The "spoils system" allocated political appointments on the basis of ________.

party loyalty

Two recent periods of large-scale bureaucratic expansion were ________.

the 1930s and the 1960s

Briefly explain the underlying reason for the emergence of the spoils system.

govt employment in which workers are hired on party loyalty.

The Civil Service Commission was created by
the ________.

Pendleton Act of 1883

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 created
the Office of Personnel Management and the
________.

Merit Systems Protection Board

Briefly explain the benefits and drawbacks of a merit system.

benefits: helps to ensure the most qualified gets position.

drawbacks: bureaucracy is less responsive to the will of the elected leaders than under patronage

Which describes the ideal bureaucracy according to Max Weber?

An apolitical, hierarchically, organized agency

Which of the following models of bureaucracy
best accounts for the way bureaucracies tend to
push Congress for more funding each year?

the acquisitive model

(as resources dwindle, certain government agencies fight others to survive and advance their agendas)

An example of a government corporation is
________.

Amtrak

Briefly explain why government might create a government corporation.

To perform services that respond to market forces but are too important to the public to be allowed to fall

The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 helps citizens exercise oversight over the bureaucracy by
________.

opening government records to citizen
scrutiny

When reformers speak of bureaucratic privatization, they mean all the following processes except ________.

whistleblowing

Briefly explain the advantages of negotiated rulemaking.

neutral advisors known as convenors put together a committee of those who have vested interests in the proposed rules. The convenors then set about devising procedures for reaching a consensus on the proposed rules. The committee uses these procedures to govern the process through which the committee members discuss the various merits and demerits of the proposals. With the help of neutral mediators, the committee eventually reaches a general consensus on the rules.

______ dictate the terms and conditions state governments would have to meet in order to qualify for financial assistance in a specific policy area.

categorical grants

The tenth amendment created a class of powers exclusive to state governments. These powers are referred to as _____.

reserved powers

Dillon's Rule gives local governments the freedom and flexibility to make decisions for themselves.

False

Under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government was quite weak relative to the states. What changes were made to strengthen the role of the federal government under the U.S. Constitution?

The biggest change that allowed for the federal government to become stronger was allowing it to tax the citizens of the U.S. This in turn gave them funds to build up infrastructure, raise armies, and create a stronger, total force.

In a _________ political culture, the government is seen as a mechanism for maintaining the existing social order or status quo.

traditionalistic

Under a _____ political culture, citizens will tend to be more tolerant of corruption from their political leaders and less likely to see politics as a noble profession in which all citizens should engage.

individualistic

_________ was the first state to institute all mail-in voting and automatic voter registration

Oregon

A ________ is an officeholder who represents the will of those who elected him or her and acts in constituents' expressed interest.

delegate

In a _______ legislature, members tend to have low salaries, shorter sessions, and few staff members to assist them with their legislative functions.

citizen

A(n) _ veto allows the governor to cross out budget lines in the legislature-approved budget, while signing the remainder of the budget into law

reduction

Which branch would you consider to be closest to the people? Why?

The state legislature, particularly the state house, where members represent fewer people per district. Constituency service is part of the job of a state representative or senator, and house members' need to be frequently reelected means they will have to pay attention to the electorate.

Under consecutive term limits, legislators can serve one time for the number of years allotted and are not permitted to ever compete for the office again.

False

The most common term limit across the states that have imposed them is _________ years

8

When term limits have been overturned, the most common method was ________.

a decision by the state Supreme Court

Term limits have produced a statistically significant increase in the number of women serving in state legislators.

False

Currently, ________ states have term limits in place.

15

Under the mayor-council system, the ________.

legislative and executive responsibilities are separated

Which of the following is not one of the three forms of county government?

the mayor-council system

What are the primary responsibilities of municipal governments?

Municipal governments are responsible for providing clean water as well as sewage and garbage disposal. They maintain city facilities, such as parks, streetlights, and stadiums. In addition, they address zoning and building regulations, promote economic development, and provide law enforcement, public transportation, and fire protection.

The Supreme Court's power of judicial review ________.

enables it to declare acts of the other branches unconstitutional

The Supreme Court most typically functions as ________.

an appeals court

In Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton characterized the judiciary as the ________ branch of government.

least dangerous

Explain one positive and one negative aspect of the lifetime term of office for judges and justices in the federal court system. Why do you believe the constitution's framers chose lifetime terms?

On the positive side, a lifetime term of office protects judges and justices so they do not have to fear their decisions in cases (particularly controversial ones) will threaten their job security. Likewise, it prevents judges and justices from being removed from their jobs on a whim. On the negative side, a judge or justice could serve for decades in his or her position, preventing turnover and the introduction of fresh ideas. Lifetime terms seem contradictory under the principles of the U.S. system, which values limited government

What do you find most significant about having a common law system?

The judicial branch is involved in the system of law-making in the United States. Through their interpretation of the law, judges are an important part of the legal system and influence the way law is made and interpreted. They don't just apply the law; they also make it.

Of all the court cases in the United States, the majority are handled ________.

at the state level

Both state and federal courts hear matters that involve ________.

both civil and criminal law

A state case is more likely to be heard by the federal courts when ________.

it involves a federal question

The existence of the dual court system is an unnecessary duplication to some but beneficial to others. Provide at least one positive and one negative characteristic of having overlapping court systems in the United States.

Overlapping court systems provide each individual with more than just one court to protect his or her rights. A person seeking a wrong to be righted may have alternate places to pursue his or her case. On the other hand, having overlapping court systems opens the door to the possibility of unequal or disparate administration of justice.

Which court would you consider to be closest to the people? Why?

The state courts (and especially the most local courts) deal with many day-to-day issues that are very close to the lives of the citizens and thus are close to the people. Or, on the other hand, the federal courts and the Supreme Court in particular are closest because they have done the most to expand individual rights and liberties grounded in the Bill of Rights

Besides the Supreme Court, there are lower courts in the national system called ________.

district and circuit courts

In standing by precedent, a judge relies on the principle of ________.

stare decisis

The justices of the Supreme Court are ________.

nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Do you believe federal judges should be elected rather than appointed? Why or why not?

Elections would make judges in a representative democracy more accountable to the people who elected them. Appointments, on the other hand, isolate them somewhat from the political whim of the day and from ever-changing public opinion, so they can make decisions without having to worry that they won't be re-elected in reprisal for their rulings.

When it comes to filling judicial positions in the federal courts, do you believe race, gender, religion, and ethnicity should matter? Why or why not?

The United States has become much more diverse, and it is only fitting that the judicial branch more accurately reflects the demographic composition of the population. At the same time, judicial positions should be filled by the most competent and qualified candidates.

The Supreme Court consists of ________.

one chief justice and eight associate justices

A case will be placed on the Court's docket when ________ justices agree to do so.

four

One of the main ways interest groups participate in Supreme Court cases is by ________.

filing amicus curiae briefs

The lawyer who represents the federal government and argues cases before the Supreme Court is the ________.

solicitor general

What do the appointments of the Supreme Court's two newest justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, reveal about the changing selection process for the high court?

Justice Sotomayor is the first Latina justice. As the fourth female justice, Elena Kagan joins Sotomayor in demonstrating the growing diversity of the court system.

When using judicial restraint, a judge will usually ________.

defer to the decisions of the elected branches of government

When a Supreme Court ruling is made, justices may write a ________ to show they agree with the majority but for different reasons.

concurring opinion

Which of the following is a check that the legislative branch has over the courts?

Senate approval is needed for the appointment of justices and federal judges, Congress may rewrite a law the courts have declared unconstitutional, Congress may withhold funding needed to implement court decisions.

What are the core factors that determine how judges decide in court cases?

evidence, oral argument, judicial opinion, past court rulings

Discuss some of the difficulties involved in the implementation and enforcement of judicial decisions.

The judicial branch has no power of its own over implementation of enforcement of its rulings and is thus dependent on the other two branches to make this happen, relying on the executive to enforce its decisions and on the legislature to fund it. Hamilton said the judiciary has "no influence over either the sword or the purse" and "neither force nor will, but merely judgment," stressing the court system's reliance on assistance from the other two branches.

Many at the Continental Congress were
skeptical of allowing presidents to be directly
elected by the legislature because ________.

b. they feared the opportunities created for
corruption

Which of the following is a way George
Washington expanded the power of the
presidency?

b. He appointed the heads of various federal
departments as his own advisors

How did presidents who served in the decades
directly after Washington expand the powers of
the presidency?

John Adams expanded War Powers by waging undeclared war, Thomas Jefferson and the purchase of Louisiana from France, James Monroe - foreign policy Monroe Doctrine

What factors contributed to the growth of presidential power in the twentieth century?

As the nation's economy grew, the government needed to assume a larger regulatory role. As the world shrank, the federal government needed to expand its diplomatic presence.

How did the election of 1824 change the way presidents were selected?

d. the selection of the candidate with fewer electoral votes trigger the rise of party control over nominations

Which of the following is an unintended
consequence of the rise of the primary and caucus
system?

c. The conventions have become more
powerful than the voters.

What problems exist with the Electoral College?

-Winner of popular vote doesn't always win the electoral college.
-Nothing requires electors to vote for candidate chosen by popular vote
-If no one gets 270 votes, votes goes to the HoR

The people who make up the modern
president's cabinet are the heads of the major
federal departments and ________.

a. must be confirmed by the Senate

A very challenging job for new presidents is to ______.

c. nominate and gain confirmation for their
cabinet and hundreds of other officials

How do presidents work to fulfill their
campaign promises once in office?

They try to work around divided govt (when one or more houses of the legislature are controlled by
the party in opposition to the executive.)

President Theodore Roosevelt's concept of the
bully pulpit was the office's ________.

d. ability to use technology to enhance the voice of the president