Ch 1 Public Policy Flashcards
What is public policy?
Public policy is the sum of government activities, whether pursued directly or through agents, that influence the lives of citizens.
What are the three levels of public policy?
Policy choices, policy outputs, and policy impacts.
What are policy choices?
Decisions made by politicians, civil servants, and others with authority that set the framework for actions to be taken.
What are policy outputs?
The implementation of policy choices, often in the form of government programs.
What are policy impacts?
The effects that policy choices and outputs have on citizens.
What is an instrument of public policy?
A tool or method the government uses to achieve its policy goals.
Name six instruments of public policy.
Law, services, money, taxes, other economic instruments, and suasion.
How is law used as an instrument of public policy?
Law regulates economic and social conditions, creates rights, and imposes burdens.
How are services used as an instrument of public policy?
Governments provide services directly to citizens, such as defense, education, healthcare, and recreation.
How is money used as an instrument of public policy?
Governments provide financial resources to citizens, organizations, and other governments.
What are categorical grants?
Grants that target specific problems, centralize decision-making, and encourage matching local spending.
What are block grants?
Larger sums with fewer restrictions for broad categories, offering more spending flexibility to state or local governments.
How are taxes used as an instrument of public policy?
Taxes redistribute burdens and benefits, create markets, and influence behavior.
What are tax expenditures?
Loopholes or deductions used as indirect policy instruments.
What are other economic instruments of public policy?
Supplying credit, guaranteeing loans, and insuring property or activities.
What is suasion in public policy?
Persuasion that appeals to morality, patriotism, or public interest when other instruments fail.
What is the environment of public policy?
The interaction of political and socioeconomic factors with policymakers’ desires and decisions.
Name six environments of public policy.
Conservatism, participation, pragmatism, wealth, diversity, and world leadership.
What is conservatism in public policy?
Americans are often ideological conservatives but operational liberals, favoring limited government but supporting programs.
How does participation impact public policy?
Citizens value participation, creating a challenge to balance demands for direct democracy with practical governance.
What is pragmatism in public policy?
The belief in doing what works rather than adhering strictly to ideology.
How does wealth influence public policy?
Wealth enables funding for policy initiatives but is threatened by globalization, raw material dependence, and financial instability.
What role does diversity play in public policy?
Diversity provides strength but also presents challenges due to uneven wealth distribution and varied backgrounds.
How does world leadership affect U.S. public policy?
The U.S. is a global leader, creating expectations and burdens for policymakers in international and military affairs.
