2d Policy Community and Interest Groups

Question 1

Who/what makes up the policy community?

Answer 1

Parliament/legislature
Federal government 
  - cabinet and central policy structure
Provincial governments
Individuals
Organizations
Interest/Pressure groups

Question 2

What is a “stakeholder”?

Answer 2

A person, group, organization, member or system who affects or can be affected by an organization’s actions.

Question 3

What are “interest groups”?

Answer 3

Interest groups are any organization of people with policy goals who work within the political process to affect the decisions of policy makers to achieve such goals

Question 4

What are the four categories of people involved in the health care community?

Answer 4

Policy makers
Providers
General public
Consumers

Question 5

Who are the policy makers in health care?

Answer 5

Government

• elected
• bureaucracy

Question 6

Who are the general public in health care?

Answer 6

Non-clients
Taxpayers
Others impacted
Interest groups

Question 7

Who are the consumers of health care?

Answer 7

Patients
Families
Interest groups

Question 8

Who are the providers of health care?

Answer 8

Direct
Suppliers
Interest groups

Question 9

What are some ways that interest groups attempt to influence policy?

Answer 9

Lobbying government
Engaging in election activities
Educating various publics
Mobilizing various publics

Question 10

Who lobbies the government?

Answer 10

Organized interests may themselves, or hire representatives to, advocate on behalf of the group’s interests

Question 11

What are lobbying activities and what do they include?

Answer 11

Lobbying activities include contacting members of government to disseminate information about the positive or adverse effects of proposed legislation.

Question 12

Why do interest groups attempt to influence elections?

Answer 12

Interests may attempt to influence elections in order to help get people who support their issues elected or reelected.

Question 13

What are electioneering techniques/what do they include?

Answer 13

Electioneering techniques include giving money to candidates, endorsing candidates or issues, and conducting grassroots activities such as get-out-the-vote drives.

Question 14

What role do interest groups do to educate various publics?

Answer 14

Interest groups work hard to educate the public at large, government officials, their own members, and potential interest group members.

Question 15

What do influence groups rely on to influence policy-making?

Answer 15

To influence policy-making, many groups rely on the efforts of people who are motivated to act on behalf of their issues and causes.

Question 16

What kind of activities do grassroots activities include?

Answer 16

So-called grassroots activities might include writing letters, making phone calls, contacting policy-makers, and demonstrating.

Question 17

What are the purposes of interest groups in Canada?

Answer 17

“to have a say you need a voice”

Aggregate and articulate views and voices.

Question 18

What are some points at which health policy can be influenced?

Answer 18

At point of origin
During formulation
During implementation
At evaluation

Question 19

What are some ways in which public policy can be influenced?

Answer 19

Defining the health issue
Providing leadership
Increasing the public profile of an issue
Applying public and private pressure
Participating in working groups
Building coalitions
Creating a readiness and changing public opinion
Developing and proposing policy options
Providing supportive research
Acting as political decision makers

Question 20

What are some types of arguments?

Answer 20

Factual assertions
Hypotheticals
Value assertions
Normative calculation

Question 21

What are factual assertions?

Answer 21

Stating that something is the case

Question 22

What are hypotheticals?

Answer 22

Stating “if P, then Q”

Question 23

What are value assertions?

Answer 23

Statements of how things out to be.

Question 24

What are normative calculations?

Answer 24

Moral absolutism (right or wrong) / consequentialism (The ends justify the means)

Question 25

What are the characteristics of an interest group?

Answer 25

Fullness
Fairness
Responsiveness
Autonomy

Question 26

What is fullness (as a characteristic of an interest group)?

Answer 26

Scope of intersts

broad representation - narrow representation

Question 27

What is fairness (as a characteristics of an interest group)?

Answer 27

Fair or privileged access to power

Unbiased access - biased access

Question 28

What is responsiveness (as a characteristic of an interest group)?

Answer 28

Democratic

Membership directed - leader directed

Question 29

What is autonomy (as a characteristic of an interest group)?

Answer 29

Independence from target

Constrained - unconstrained