American Government 3e - Chapter 16 - Domestic Policy

bottom-up implementation

a strategy in which the federal government allows local areas some flexibility to meet their specific challenges and needs in implementing policy

Congressional Budget Office

the congressional office that scores the spending or revenue impact of all proposed legislation to assess its net effect on the budget

debt

the total amount the government owes across all years

deficit

the annual amount by which expenditures are greater than revenues

discretionary spending

government spending that Congress must pass legislation to authorize each year

distributive policy

a policy that collects payments or resources broadly but concentrates direct benefits on relatively few

entitlement

a program that guarantees benefits to members of a specific group or segment of the population

excise taxes

taxes applied to specific goods or services as a source of revenue

free-market economics

a school of thought that believes the forces of supply and demand, working without any government intervention, are the most effective way for markets to operate

Keynesian economics

an economic policy based on the idea that economic growth is closely tied to the ability of individuals to consume goods

laissez-faire

an economic policy that assumes the key to economic growth and development is for the government to allow private markets to operate efficiently without interference

libertarians

people who believe that government almost always operates less efficiently than the private sector and that its actions should be kept to a minimum

mandatory spending

government spending earmarked for entitlement programs guaranteeing support to those who meet certain qualifications

Medicaid

a health insurance program for low-income citizens

Medicare

an entitlement health insurance program for older people and retirees who no longer get health insurance through their work

policy advocates

people who actively work to propose or maintain public policy

policy analysts

people who identify all possible choices available to a decision maker and assess the potential impact of each

progressive tax

a tax that tends to increase the effective tax rate as the wealth or income of the taxpayer increases

public policy

the broad strategy government uses to do its job; the relatively stable set of purposive governmental behaviors that address matters of concern to some part of society

recession

a temporary contraction of the economy in which there is no economic growth for two consecutive quarters

redistributive policy

a policy in which costs are borne by a relatively small number of groups or individuals, but benefits are expected to be enjoyed by a different group in society

regressive tax

a tax applied at a lower overall rate as individuals' income rises

regulatory policy

a policy that regulates companies and organizations in a way that protects the public

safety net

a way to provide for members of society experiencing economic hardship

Social Security

a social welfare policy for people who no longer receive an income from employment

supply-side economics

an economic policy that assumes economic growth is largely a function of a country's productive capacity

top-down implementation

a strategy in which the federal government dictates the specifics of public policy and each state implements it the same exact way

Which of the following is not an example of a public policy outcome?

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

none of the above; all are public policy outcomes

Public policy ________.

is more of a theory than a reality

is typically made by one branch of government acting alone

requires multiple actors and branches to carry out

focuses on only a few special individuals

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

Toll goods differ from public goods in that ________.

they provide special access to some and not all

they require the payment of a fee up front

they provide a service for only the wealthy

they are free and available to all

Which type of policy directly benefits the most citizens?

regulatory policy

distributive policy

redistributive policy

self-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?

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

the poor

young families starting out

those in urban areas

the elderly

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

constitute over half the budget

constitute well under one-quarter of the budget

are paid for by the states with no cost to the Federal government

none of the above

What societal ills are social welfare programs designed to address?

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

agenda setting

enactment

implementation

evaluation

Policy analysts seek ________.

evidence

their chosen outputs

influence

money

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?

A deficit is ________.

the overall amount owed by government for past borrowing

the annual budget shortfall between revenues and expenditures

the cancellation of an entitlement program

all the above

Entitlement (or mandatory) spending is ________.

formula-based spending that goes to individual citizens

a program of contracts to aerospace companies

focused on children

concentrated on education

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

What might indicate that a government is passing the policies the country needs?

If you had to define the poverty line, what would you expect people to be able to afford just above that line? For those below that line, what programs should the government offer to improve quality of life?

What is the proper role of the government in regulating the private sector so people are protected from unfair or dangerous business practices? Why?

Is it realistic to expect the U.S. government to balance its budget? Why or why not?

What in your view is the most important policy issue facing the United States? Why is it important and which specific problems need to be solved?

What are some suggested solutions to the anticipated Social Security shortfall? Why haven't these solutions tended to gain support?

Whose role is more important in a democracy, the policy advocate's or the policy analyst's? Why?

Which stage of the policy progress is the most important and why?

Public policy by definition

Public policy refers to government actions and decisions designed to address societal problems, shape public behavior, and allocate resources, aimed at achieving specific goals and outcomes for the public good.

Categorizing policies

Policies can be categorized into regulatory policies (laws and regulations governing behavior), distributive policies (allocating resources and benefits), redistributive policies (transferring resources between groups), and constituent policies (addressing specific issues affecting individuals or groups).

Policy arenas and scope

Policy arenas refer to the areas or sectors where policies are developed and implemented, such as healthcare, education, environment, and economic regulation. Policy scope varies from local to national and global levels, influencing the scale and impact of government actions.

Taxation and financing to implement policies and programs (progressive v. regressive taxation), and the danger of government shutdown in case they cannot secure enough funds

Governments finance policies through taxation, either progressive (higher rates for higher incomes) or regressive (imposing higher burdens on lower incomes). Inadequate funding risks government shutdowns, halting essential services and disrupting governance until funding issues are resolved.