Public Policy Exam 2 Flashcards
T/F Economic conditions generally do not have an impact on voters’ perceptions during elections
False
Who controls fiscal policy?
The President and Congress
What is a way of reducing the deficit?
Increase revenue through taxes or other devices
T/F The U.S. Department of Commerce is in charge of monetary policy in the U.S.
False, who is in charge?
What does recession mean?
A term used to explain the negative growth over two or more consecutive quarters
T/F Preventive care health plans usually allow regular physical examinations and diagnostic tests; education and training in diet, exercise, and stress management; and smoking cessation programs
True
In what year did employer-sponsored health insurance become popular?
1950s
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is an example of what?
- public health agency
T/F Eliminating the Affordable Care Act would contribute to the federal deficit over the next decade
True
What was the original intent of the Medicare program?
To help people who were age 65 or older
If we increase the minimum wage and expanding the EITC is considered to be what kind of policy?
Redistributive
What type of children are more likely to be in poverty?
Children born from unplanned pregnancies
What is eligibility for means-tested programs based on?
Need
What factors are taken into consideration when adjusting the poverty rate?
- number of people in the family
- the composition of the family
- inflation from year to year
T/F There is a positive externality that society gains from education
True
What government level has the major responsibilities in education policy with respect to curriculum, teacher training, and certification?
State
T/F climate change refers only to global warming and rising temperatures
False
At level of government can environmental policy actions can take place?
- local
- international
- national
Which president expanded conservation policies to deal with flood control and soil conservation as part of the New Deal?
FDR
T/F Most policy analysis would agree that the U.S. has a real comprehensive energy policy
False
What matters does foreign policy deal with?
- international trade
- climate change
- immigration
T/F Both liberals and conservatives agree it is imperative that the nation improve its gathering of information related to possible terrorism, including domestic intelligence
True
What foreign policy tool refers to the high-level communication among policymakers?
Diplomacy
Which act is considered to be the most extensive reorganization of the intelligence community since WWII?
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004
T/F Foreign conflicts, including the war Israeli-Palestinian conflict of 2023, have little impact on domestic politics in the U.S.
False
What are the five goals of economic policy?
- economic growth
-low levels of unemployment
-low levels of inflation
-positive balance of trade
-managing deficits and debt
What is fiscal policy?
A term that describes the taxing and spending tools at the government’s disposal to influence the economy
What is monetary policy?
A tool used by the Federal Reserve Board to influence economic policy goals; it attempts to control economic fluctuations (through tools such as changes to the reserve requirement) by controlling the amount of money in circulation, also referred to as the money supply.
What are the economic issues of the debt & deficit?
- decreasing entitlement spending is not easy, programs like social security and Medicare will be effected
- raising the interest in student loans may result in lesser people attending college
- increasing taxes hurt the people, and would still not be enough to cover the deficit overall
What are the political issues of the debt & deficit?
- cuts in entitlement programs would lead to the change of laws
-cutting programs leads to uproar from certain interest groups
What are the equity issues of the debt & deficit?
- questions of morality come into talk
-is it ethical to cut programs like social security and Medicare to reduce the deficit
-raising taxes to reduce the deficits bring talks on infringing on peoples freedoms
What is the consumer price index?
- 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.
- most policymakers see 1 - 4 percent as a tolerable rate
What is an entitlement program?
- A program in which payment obligations are determined by the law that created it, not by the budget associated with that program. Under entitlement programs, any person who meets the eligibility requirements is entitled to receive benefits from the program.
- Examples of this program type would be social security or medicare
What is an regressive tax?
- A tax that, when applied, taxes all individuals at the same rate regardless of their income or socioeconomic standing
- An example of this would be sales tax
What is an progressive tax?
- A tax that is based on the philosophy that higher earners should pay higher taxes both in terms of actual dollars and as a percentage of income.
- An example of this would be income tax
What is Medicare?
- A national health insurance program for senior citizens. Covers basic medical care for those age sixty-five and older, and others with permanent disabilities, diabetes, or end-stage renal disease
What is Medicaid?
- A federal state health insurance program that assists the poor and disabled. The federal government sets standards for services and pays about half the cost. States pay the rest and set standards for eligibility and overall benefit levels.
Describe healthcare as merit good
- A good or service to which people are entitled as a right. Some argue that health care should be considered a merit good and as such be provided by either employers or government regardless of ability to pay.
What are the two main problems with healthcare in the U.S.?
- cost & accessibility
What is an HMO?
- A form of managed care in which an individual chooses or is assigned to a health care provider network that contracts with physicians to deliver health care services. HMOs promote cost-effective health care by negotiating lower fees with health care providers, limiting access to expensive services, and often emphasizing preventative health care
What is a PPO
- An alternative to a health maintenance organization, in which enrollees have a financial incentive to use physicians on an approved list but may opt to see other health professionals (preferred providers) at a higher cost.
Compare beginning health care in the 60s to now
- Big push for federal health insurances in the 60s; this lead to the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965; this act lead to Medicare and Medicaid
- Next major legislation was Obama Care; later the act was repeal
What is single-payer insurance?
- A common health care policy in industrialized nations in which the national government provides health insurance to all citizens. Also called national health insurance.
What is Gini Coefficient?
- a graphical way to demonstrate a nation’s income equality/inequality by charting the percentage of income made by quintiles of families
- lowest quintile: 3.1%
- second quintile: 8.2%
- third quintile: 14.3%
- fourth quintile 23%
- highest quintile: 51.5%
What is a means-tested program?
- Social program in which recipients must meet an income test in order to qualify for benefits
- example: welfare
What is a social insurance program?
- Citizens pay into a fund from which they expect to receive money back when they are eligible
- example: social security
Why is social security’s hard to reform?
- largest federal government program today
- Retirement age and poverty issues
What was the Morrill Act of 1862?
- help develop the nations land grant college system, which in turn contributed to economic development during the 19th and 20th centuries.
What is the primary way states fund public schools?
- property tax & state funding
What is school choice?
- The term used to describe any school reform effort that provides parents with options regarding where to send their children, including charter schools and voucher programs. Sometimes the term is used more specifically to describe programs in which parents can send children to public schools in a particular area.
What are school vouchers?
- A school reform idea in which the government provides individuals with a certain amount of money that can be applied to a student’s education; often associated with a way to provide people with a private school option they may not have been able to afford in the past.
What is a charter school?
- A school reform idea in which a school is government supported but independent. A state board of education gives an independent entity the responsibility for establishing a school and delivering education services with limited control by the school board.
Describe higher education as a private good
- most of the benefits of higher education are bestowed upon the individual and he or she receives a higher wage as a result, then pushing more cost to that individual may make sense.
Describe higher education as a public good
- since the additional education will make society as a whole better through better citizenship, more economic development, and less need for social services, then public support for education is appropriate.
What are some positive externalities of education?
- society benefits from a more educated population
- individuals typically will make more money with a college degree
- the return on a states investment through tuition subsidization is a good investment
What is the role of an environmental impact statement?
- A form of impact assessment in which government agencies must provide details on the environmental consequences of major actions, such as highway construction, and make them public prior to a final decision on the project.
- NEPA 1970
What are the three areas of environmental policy?
- environmental protection or pollution control
- natural resources
- energy policy
What role does command-and-control regulation play in environmental policy?
- The traditional approach to environmental regulation (also called direct regulation) in which government sets and enforces standards for air quality, water quality, and other resources.
What are the 5 goals of foreign policy?
- rebuilding of a war-devasted Europe
- the formation and support for the United Nations
- a military buildup to ensure adequate capacity to deal with potential enemies
- the development and growth of the nation’s intelligence agencies to provide reliable knowledge about security threats
- the initiation of economic and military assistances to other nations for humanitarian and strategic purpose
Who are key advisors to the president for foreign affairs?
- secretary of state
- president’s national security adviser
- the National Security Council
- key congressional committees
How is foreign policy different than other policy areas?
- greater need for secrecy
- lack of transparency
- more reliance on policy professionals
- less input from public
- dominance by the president over congress
Why do foreign aid?
- many reasons to do foreign aid, easiest to understand is humanitarian assistance
- aid is often given to nations where it can help to support U.S. foreign policy goals
Differences between debt and deficit
- debt is money owned to someone
- deficit refers to spending more money than is received
What are the risks of having homeland security’s?
- there are risk in investigating terrorism, but the nation must learn how to identify and measure the various security risks it faces and find a way to set priorities among them. No agency or government can possibly protect the United States fully against all threats to its security.
