Chapter 4

Question 1

Institutionalism

Answer 1

The study of politics and policy based on the interaction of formal institutions in government

Question 2

Behaviorism

Answer 2

The approach pioneered in the late ’30s and ’40s, sought to study social phenomena based on the postulated and observed behavior of individuals.

Question 3

Neo-institutionalism

Answer 3

The study of politics and policy that retains the focus on institutionalism, but incorporates a great deal of behaviorist thinking as well

Question 4

Official actor

Answer 4

A participant in the policy process whose involvement is motivated or mandated by their official position in a government agency or office

Question 5

Unofficial actor

Answer 5

A participant in the process who does not have constitutionally or legally created incentives or mandates to be part of the process
Ex: experts, researchers, reporters, and all of whom are important to the policy process

Question 6

Casework

Answer 6

The tasks undertaken by a legislator to help constituents solve problems with government agencies or to gain privilege or benefit from the government

Question 7

Oversight

Answer 7

The process by which Congress supervises the executive branch’s imple mentation of laws and programs

Question 8

Field hearing

Answer 8

A legislative hearing often for the purpose of highlighting a local issue, capitalizing on an accident, disaster, or scandal, or providing local residents with an opportunity to make their views known to their elected officials

Question 9

Issue network

Answer 9

A term that describes the relationships between the various actors and interests in a particular policy issue

Question 10

Policy subsystem

Answer 10

Policy network or issue network
Although ‘subsystem’ implies a somewhat less open, more mutually accommodating set of relationships between members of the subsystem

Question 11

Veto

Answer 11

The power the president has to reject legislation passed by Congress, which, in turn, may attempt to override. This requires that two-thirds of each of the house and senate members vote to override, which is relatively rare

Question 12

Pocket veto

Answer 12

This occurs when Congress adjourns before the president is given the constitutionally mandated ten days to sign or veto a bill. Normally, a bill that is unsigned automatically becomes law, but if Congress adjourns and the president chooses not to sign the law, it is effectively vetoed

Question 13

Bureaucracy meanings

Answer 13

1. A term of derision used for any complicated, cumbersome process characterized by paperwork, unresponsiveness, and slow results
2. A system of social organization in which tasks are divided among bureaus, each of which follows particular procedures to evenhandedly administer rules
3. The organization that administers government through rules and procedures

Question 14

Free rider

Answer 14

Someone who consumes a good provided to everyone, but does not pay for it. This problem is called freeriding and is one rationale for the government’s provision of public goods

Question 15

Public goods

Answer 15

Goods that, once provided for one user, are provided for everyone. Economists say that public goods are indivisible and nonexclusive, because they cannot be divided into parts for individuals to consume and because one person’s use of the good does not deny others the use of the good

Question 16

bureaucratic discretion

Answer 16

The ability of agencies in government to make decisions without the explicit direction or consent of any other branch of government. some agencies have a great deal of bureaucratic discretion while others have very limited discretion

Question 17

Judicial review

Answer 17

The power of the courts to review the acts of the legislative and the executive branch and to strike them down if the courts find them to be unconstitutional