Exam 1 Flashcards
What is agenda setting?
The process of prioritizing the needs and demands of the population.
What is the convergence thesis?
As countries industrialize, they develop similar policy concerns.
True or False: Interest groups often attempt to influence government policymakers from the inside and out.
True
What is policy formulation?
When policymakers ccome up with alternative plans to solve, reduce, or dismiss the problem by developing and evaluating multiple proposed solutions and programs
What is the decision-making step in the policy-making process?
The decision to create a new policy, revise an existing policy, or, alternatively, take no new action.
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
The process of comparing the projected or estimated costs and benefits (or opportunities) associated with a project decision to determine whether it makes sense from a business perspective.
What is policy implementation?
This stage is concerned with what is done to put a public policy into effect.
To implement the policy, the government can use:
Direct instruments: regulation
Market instruments: deregulation or incentives intended to motivate certain behaviors within a largely free market
Voluntary Instruments: governments mobilize their powers of persuasion to convince the public to address policy concerns
To implement the policy, the government can use:
Direct instruments: regulation
Market instruments: deregulation or incentives intended to motivate certain behaviors within a largely free market
Voluntary Instruments: governments mobilize their powers of persuasion to convince the public to address policy concerns
What is policy evaluation?
The process of examining whether government action has produced desired objectives
Applying the Policy Process: The Opioid Epidemic
What is the history of pain treatment?
The crisis started in the mid-1990s when pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that prescription opioids were safe and non-addictive.
What company played an important early role?
Purdue Pharma. In 1996, they introduced OxyContin, which they aggressively marketed as having a low risk of addiction. That was not the case.
What is comparative policy?
How, why, and to what effect different governments pursue various policies. It involves comparing public policies across different countries or governmental systems to understand the similarities and differences in their approaches and outcomes.
What is the purpose of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development?
They aim to promote policies that improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
What is governance?
Refers to the manner in which authoritative decisions are made and executed in a society.
Political institutions are the most crucial part of governance.
What’s the difference between extractive and inclusive institutions?
Extractive institutions are characterized by their control by a small group of elites who aim to extract wealth and resources from the broader society, often leading to economic stagnation and inequality.
Inclusive institutions encourage broad participation from a wide segment of society in both economic and political activities, providing equal access to education, jobs, and healthcare, thus fostering innovation and economic growth.
What are the different types of political systems (spectrum of regimes)?
Democracy: Leaders are chosen in free and fair elections that result in occasional alternations in power. The state ensures basic human rights.
Hybrid: Often have democratic institutions like elections and legislatures, but these are typically flawed or manipulated to maintain the power of the ruling group.
Autocracy: Leaders are chosen without the consultation of the public. The state commits widespread violations of basic human rights.
What are the different types of economic systems?
Market: Production and distribution of goods and services are guided by the interactions of individuals and businesses in the marketplace. Market decisions (quantity and price) are determined by the forces of supply and demand.
Mixed: Some resources and businesses are privately owned and operated, while others are owned and regulated by the government. This system allows for the coexistence of free market principles, where supply and demand determine prices and production, alongside government intervention to address market failures and ensure public welfare. The government may provide essential services such as healthcare, education, and public transportation while also implementing regulations.
Command: The government has significant control over the production and distribution of goods and services. Economic decisions (quantity and price) are determined by the government, and private ownership of land and capital is either nonexistent or severely limited.
What is capitalism?
An economic system where private individuals or businesses own and control the means of production, such as factories, tools, and raw materials. The primary goal in a capitalist system is to generate profit, and economic activities are driven by the forces of supply and demand in the marketplace.
Where does the United States fall on the spectrum?
The United States is generally considered a democracy, but it is often categorized as a flawed democracy rather than a full democracy.
The United States falls towards the market economy end of the spectrum but is best described as a mixed economy.
What are some ways you could measure the prosperity of a country?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): This is the total value of goods and services produced within a country. While it’s a common measure, it doesn’t account for income distribution or quality of life.
Human Development Index (HDI): This composite index considers life expectancy, education, and per capita income to provide a broader view of human well-being.
Better Life Index: Developed by the OECD, this index considers various factors such as housing, income, jobs, community, education, environment, governance, health, life satisfaction, safety, and work-life balance.
What is an authoritarian government?
A political system where power is highly concentrated in the hands of a single leader or a small elite group.
Key points of the German elections:
How is voting different in Germany?
How does a political party qualify for seats?
What is a coalition?
What is a parliamentary government?
A democratic form of government where the executive branch derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (parliament).
Legislative elections are held for seats in Parliament.
The head of the winning party or coalition is asked to assume the office of Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister forms a government of officials to implement the policies passed by parliament, run funded programs, and manage the bureaucracy.
What is the rule of law?
No one is above the law.
What is political corruption?
The use of public authority to enrich or advantage oneself or a narrow group of persons.
Political corruption thrives under a lack of transparency.
How does insurance work?
Insurance is a financial arrangement that provides protection against potential future losses or damages. When you purchase an insurance policy, you pay regular premiums to an insurance company. In return, the company agrees to cover certain risks, such as health issues, accidents, or property damage, as specified in the policy. If an insured event occurs, you file a claim with the insurance company, which then assesses the claim and, if approved, provides compensation or coverage for the loss. This system helps individuals and businesses manage financial risks by ensuring that no single source bears the full burden of a significant financial setback.
The policy is a calculated assessment that the premiums collected reflect your
individual risk.
Why is health insurance offered by employers?
Ability to pool the risk of many people with varying health conditions
Companies receive tax incentives for contributing towards employee benefits
To attract and retain employees
What is risk pooling?
A strategy used primarily in insurance to manage and mitigate individual risks by spreading them across a larger group. When individuals or entities join a risk pool, they collectively share the financial burden of potential losses.
What are insurance options outside of employer-provided insurance?
Medicare (created in 1965)
Government medical insurance provided to people over 65
Funded by payroll tax and premiums charged to beneficiaries
Medicaid (also created in 1965)
Government medical insurance provided to people with lower incomes
Low reimbursement rates, many doctors limit their number of Medicaid patients
Veterans
Hospitals and medical clinics available at no or minimal cost to military veterans
Individual Insurance
Purchased on insurance exchanges run by participating states or the federal
government
The government subsidizes insurance premiums on a sliding scale based on the
person/family’s income
What is Medicare? How is it funded?
Medicare is a federal health insurance program in the United States primarily designed for individuals aged 65 and older.
Medicare is primarily funded through a combination of payroll taxes, premiums paid by beneficiaries, and general federal revenue.
What is Medicaid? How is it funded?
Medicaid is a public health insurance program in the United States that provides coverage to millions of low-income individuals and families.
The program is jointly funded by the federal government and state governments. The federal portion is financed through general federal tax revenues, while the state portion is funded through state taxes
What are beneficiaries?
Individuals or entities designated to receive benefits or assets from another person’s estate, insurance policy, retirement account, or other financial products.
What are subsidies and tax credits?
Subsidies are direct or indirect financial assistance provided to reduce the cost of goods and services, making them more affordable. They can come in the form of cash payments, grants, or reduced taxes.
Tax credits reduce the amount of tax owed by individuals or businesses. They are often used to incentivize certain behaviors, such as investing in renewable energy or purchasing health insurance.
Key aspects of the US healthcare system:
Fee-for-service model: Individuals/Insurers are charged based on the
services performed by the healthcare provider.
Emergency room: Federal law gives you the right to emergency care regardless
of your ability to pay.
Levels of Care
Primary care: First line of treatment—general practitioners
Secondary care: Specialized treatment
Tertiary care: Advanced stage and experimental treatment
What are deductibles and co-pay?
Deductibles: The initial amount paid by the individual before insurance coverage pays a certain percentage.
Co-Pay: The out-of-pocket expense for a doctor’s visit or prescription.
Challenges of US healthcare system:
System can encourage curative over preventative care
Restricted choice
Cost
What are the World Health Organization’s three criteria for a system to be labeled universal?
Equity in access to health services for everyone
The quality of health services should improve the health of those receiving services
People should be protected against financial risk
What is a single-payer healthcare system? How is it funded?
A type of universal healthcare where the actual delivery of care is often carried out by private providers, who are refunded for their work by the government.
In this system, the government acts as the sole payer for all healthcare services, using funds collected through taxes.
Canada and Taiwan
What is a government-run healthcare system? How is it funded?
A government-run healthcare system is one where the government owns and operates healthcare facilities, employs healthcare professionals, and directly provides medical services to the population.
In this type of system, the government is responsible for financing and managing healthcare delivery, using funds collected through taxes.
United Kingdom and Sweden
What is a dual (two-tier) healthcare system? How is it funded?
1st Tier: Funded by taxes
The government provides a basic level of healthcare to all residents, ensuring that essential medical services are accessible to everyone.
2nd Tier: Paid for out of pocket
Those who can afford to pay for additional, higher-quality, or faster-access services through private providers.
Australia and Portugal
What is a hybrid healthcare system? How is it funded?
A system that combines public and private elements. Healthcare services are delivered by a mix of public hospitals, non-profit hospitals, and private hospitals. The government generally refunds private providers (lecture) and potentially patients (ai) from most healthcare expenses. Individuals are left to pick up the remaining bill.
The system is primarily funded through taxes.
France
What are private providers?
Healthcare professionals or organizations that operate independently of government-run healthcare systems. Through private practices, clinics, or hospitals, these providers can include doctors, specialists, dentists, and other healthcare practitioners who work in privately owned facilities.
What type of healthcare system does the United States have?
It is a mixed healthcare system that includes both public and private elements. The public component includes single-payer systems like Medicare and Medicaid. Private health insurance is the dominant form of coverage and is often provided through employers. Individuals can also purchase private insurance directly.
Despite the availability of these programs, the U.S. does not have a universal healthcare system and a significant portion of the population remains uninsured.
How are the systems in Japan, Germany and Switzerland similar to the
United States?
What are their key differences?
How do they achieve universal coverage?
How do they keep costs down?
In Japan, they also have employment-based health insurance. The difference is the government doesn’t regulate like the U.S.; instead, it sets firm prices. This keeps costs manageable. Health insurance is also a mandate in Japan.
Germany operates a system with both public and private insurance options like the U.S. The difference is the sickness funds in Germany’s system, which are non-governmental insurers that are financed by wage contributions from employees. The government regulates the market while mandating all residents have healthcare.
Like the US, Switzerland relies heavily on insurance-based models to provide access to healthcare services like Medicare and Medicaid. In Switzerland, residents are required to purchase health insurance from private insurers. The government regulates the market while mandating all residents have healthcare.
What is the Affordable Care Act?
Key provisions of the ACA include the creation of health insurance marketplaces, the expansion of Medicaid eligibility, and the prohibition of insurance companies from denying coverage due to preexisting conditions. The law also mandates that most Americans obtain health insurance and provides subsidies to help lower-income individuals and families afford coverage.
Costs went up
True/False: There is no single, cross-national process through which public policies are made.
True
Which component of the policy-making process involves the smallest number of direct participants?
Decision making
True/False: In presidential systems, policy decisions are largely the responsibility of the executive branch, with legislatures playing more limited roles.
False
True/False: Public policymaking has a clear beginning and end.
False
True/False: Political dynamics have no effect on countries’ willingness and ability to borrow policies from other countries.
False
Who is more important in a parliamentary system?
Prime Minister
A prime minister is chosen:
by members of the Parliament
A free and fair election includes:
voting decisions must not be coerced, vote counting free from fraud, and universal suffrage
True/False: Economically advanced European democracies offer a rich source of policy lessons that provide valuable insights for policymaking in the United States.
True
Which of the following would be considered an obstacle to transplanting lessons from successful policies in Europe?
cultural and institutional
True/False: Up through the early decades of the twentieth century, the treatment that people received usually involved the exercise of the physician’s skills, not the application of a large amount of technology.
True
True/False: The purpose of early health insurance was to replace lost income that resulted from being away from work.
True
A risk pool involves all of the following:
members being compensated by the fund after suffering a large health care expense
each member making regular contributions to a common fund
True/False: The origins of the German health system date back to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the late 1980s.
False
True/False: In Germany, sickness funds are administered by boards of employee and employer representatives.
True
How are German sickness funds different from American-style insurance companies?
Sickness fund premiums are collected in the form of an earmarked payroll tax.
German funds have very little room to maneuver in terms of the benefits offered.
Healthcare in Sweden has the responsibility of:
regional governments
True/False: Most doctors and nurses in Sweden are public-sector workers and paid salaries.
True
True/False: Medicaid is a means-tested program financed only by the US federal government.
False
