Final Review

Question 1

Effectiveness

Answer 1

Likelihood of achieving policy goals and objectives or demonstrated achievement of them.

Question 2

Efficiency

Answer 2

The achievement of program goals or benefits in relationship to the costs. Least cost for given benefit or the large benefit for a given cost.

Question 3

Equity

Answer 3

Fairness or justice in the distribution of the policy’s costs, benefits and risks across population subgroups.

Question 4

Where is Equity criterion used?

Answer 4

Civil rights, disability rights, tax cuts for the well off and/or the middle class, access to health services and higher education.

Question 5

Where is Efficiency criterion used?

Answer 5

Regulatory policies, such as consumer product protection, food safety, workplace safety and environmental protection.

Question 6

Liberty/freedom

Answer 6

Extent to which public policy extends or restricts privacy and individual rights and choices.

Question 7

Political feasibility

Answer 7

The extent to which elected officials accept and support a policy proposal.

Question 8

Where is Political feasibility most likely used?

Answer 8

Any controversial policy such as gun control, immigration, raising gas taxes, tax cuts for the wealthy or subsidies for oil and gas drilling.

Question 9

Social acceptance

Answer 9

The extent to which the public will accept and support a policy proposal.

Question 10

Administrative feasibility

Answer 10

the likelihood that a department or agency can implement the policy well.

Question 11

Technical feasibility

Answer 11

The availability and reliability of technology needed for policy implementation.

Question 12

Cost benefit analysis

Answer 12

A form of policy analysis in which the costs and benefits or proposed policy actions are considered carefully. Fogged although not all always, the major costs and benefits are measured quantitatively by their value in dollars.

Question 13

Opportunity costs

Answer 13

The value of opportunities that are forgone when time or resources are spent on a given activity.

Question 14

Discount rate

Answer 14

Allows analysts to determinate value of future benefits today, but the choice if the rate, essentially an estimate of inflation over time, clearly can have a profound impact on the results.

Question 15

Contingent valuation method

Answer 15

The use of questionnaires or interviews to determine the economic value that people place on good or services for which there is no market value. (time spent stuck in traffic or the preservation of lakes or forests)

Question 16

Sensitivity analysis

Answer 16

A way to adjust policy analysis by making it sensitive or responsive to changes in any one variable so that the consequences can be better understood under thee varying assumptions.
Example: forecasting can be made sensitive to different assumptions about economic growth or inflation.

Question 17

Cost-effectiveness analysis

Answer 17

A comparison of the relative value of policy alternatives in terms of a given benefit that is delivered; a method for comparing policy alternatives when a dollar value cannot easily be placed on the benefits of action, such as the value lives that are saved by requiring safer automobiles.

Question 18

Risk management

Answer 18

Identifies, estimates, and evaluates the magnitude of the risk to citizens from exposure to various situations such as terrorism, natural hazards ( what governments do to deal with risks)

Question 19

Impact assessment

Answer 19

A form of policy analysis that examines the likely effects or impacts of proposed or adopted policies. May be environmental, social, economic, or other significant impacts.

Question 20

Ethical analysis

Answer 20

The systematic examination of ethical or normative issues in public policy, as problematic.

Question 21

Full employment

Answer 21

A goal of economic policy generally defined as the lowest level of unemployment that can be sustained in light of structure of the overall economy. Also described as the condition in which everyone who wishes to work, can find a job.

Question 22

Consumer price index

Answer 22

An economic statistic used to measure the inflation rate. The index is calculated by examining percent price changes for a typical market basket of goods.

Question 23

Balance of trade

Answer 23

An economic goal related to the role of the United States in an international economy; examines the value of a nations exports compared to its imports.

Question 24

Fiscal policy

Answer 24

Created by the government through the budget process, to influence the economy through taxing and spending.

Question 25

Monetary policy

Answer 25

Tool used to by the Federal Reserve Board to influence economic policy goals; it attempts to control economic fluctuations by controlling the amount of money in circulation. (money supply)

Question 26

National debt

Answer 26

The accumulation of all of the deficits the nation has run historically.

Question 27

Progressive tax

Answer 27

A tax that is based on the philosophy that higher earners should pay higher taxes both in terms pf actual dollars and as a percentage of income.

Question 28

Regressive tax

Answer 28

A tax that when applied, taxes all individuals at the same time regardless of their income or socioeconomic standing.

Question 29

Tax expenditure

Answer 29

A tax subsidy, such as an investment credit or deduction, that is designed to favor a particular industry, activity, or set or people. Called an expenditure because such a subsidy reduces government revenue and thus is like spending money.

Question 30

Children health insurance program

Answer 30

A program that helps to ensure that children living in poverty have medical coverage. The gov’t provides the states with funds, which the states match.

Question 31

Medicaid

Answer 31

A federal state health insurance program that assists the poor and disabled. The gov’t sets standards for services and pays about half the cost. States pay the rest and set standards for eligibility.

Question 32

Medicare

Answer 32

A national health insurance program for senior citizens . Cover basic medical care for 65 and older and others with permanent disabilities.

Question 33

Tricare

Answer 33

A health insurance program offered by the U.S department of defense. Includes substantial benefits for retirees with at least twenty years of military service when they become eligible for medicare.

Question 34

Veterans health care system

Answer 34

A medical system designed to serve the needs of America veterans by providing primary medical care, specialized care and other medical and social services such as rehabilitation.

Question 35

Cost of living adjustment

Answer 35

Programs with COLA have benefits tied to the inflation rate so that benefits increase as inflation increases

Question 36

Culture of poverty

Answer 36

A term used by some to describe how those living in poverty learn to work the welfare system to their benefit and pass this information on to their children.

Question 37

Earned income tax credit

Answer 37

A tax credit for people who work but have low wages; it reduces the amount of taxes they owe or provides a tax refund.

Question 38

Food stamp program

Answer 38

Provides low-income households with coupons that they can use to purchase food. Also called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Question 39

Gini coefficient

Answer 39

A graphical way to demonstrate a nation’s income equality/inequality by charting the percentage of income made by quintiles (when the population is divided into five groups) of families

Question 40

Means tested programs

Answer 40

Social programs in which recipients must meet an income test in order to qualify for benefits

Question 41

Social security

Answer 41

Government entitlement program program that provides money for retired workers and their beneficiaries and disabled workers.

Question 42

Department of homeland security

Answer 42

The federal executive department, has diverse responsibilities related to protection of the nation from security threats.

Question 43

Defense policy

Answer 43

A major component of foreign policy that encompasses the conduct of military affairs, such as choice of weapons systems and deployment troops. Intended to achieve policy goals set by civilian policy makers in white house and congress.

Question 44

Deterrence

Answer 44

A policy strategy used most often in national defense in which an object is to deter or prevent a potential enemy from taking harmful actions on the nation.

Question 45

Foreign Policy

Answer 45

the collection of gov’t actions that affect U.S national security and the economic and political goals associated with it. Encompasses issues as diverse as international trade, economic assistance to poor nations and immigration.

Question 46

Globalization

Answer 46

The growing interrelationship of all nations through global trade. Facilitates the development of an international marketplace in an increasingly connected world.

Question 47

National security agency

Answer 47

A secretive intelligence agency created to coordinate, direct and perform activities to protect the U.S gov’t information systems as well as assess a diversity of foreign communications related to national security.

Question 48

National security council

Answer 48

A white house advisory body that focuses on issues of national security. Chaired by the president. It includes vice pres, the secretary of state, secretary of treasury, secretary of defense and the assistant to the president for national security affairs (national security advisor)