Public Policy Final Flashcards
What are national policies often implemented chiefly by?
states
Which of the following level of government play the dominant role in crime control and land-use regulation?
local and state
T/F Politics is one of the principal reasons public policy is so riddled with conflict and why it can be so difficult to analyze
T
T/F Political cultures are similar across all of the states
F
T/F Policy problems can only be addressed via government action
F
T/F Policy Performance, such as state Medicaid and SNAP programs, is uniform across all states
F
T/F Incremental decision making is considered to be more realistic approach in the policy making process
T
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
Who are key advisors to the president for foreign affairs?
- secretary of state
- presidents national security adviser
- the national security council
- key congressional committes
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 nations intelligence agencies to provide
- the initiation of economic and military assistances to other nations for humanitarian and strategic
What are the three areas of environmental policy?
- environmental protection or pollution control
- natural resources
- energy policy
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
Describe higher education as a private good
most 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 educations is appropriate
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
What is incremental policymaking?
policy changes that occur in small steps; adjustments are made at the margins of existing policies through minor amendments or the gradual extension of a programs mandates or the group it serves
What is policy capacity?
the ability of government to identify and evaluate public problems, and to develop suitable policies to deal with them
What are block grants?
transfer of federal dollars to the states, where the states have substantial discretion in how to spend the money to meet the needs of their citizens
What are categorical grants?
transfer of federal dollars to the states where the funding must be used for specific purposes
What are unfunded mandates?
federal requirements placed upon the state government without sufficient funds for implementation
What is decentralization?
- transfer of policy authority from the federal government to the states
- both political parties aren’t too keen on this
- questions about policy capacity comes up
What is the order of the policy process model?
- agenda setting
- policy formulation
- policy legitimation
- policy implementation
- policy evaluation
- policy change
What are the three types of policy analysis?
- scientific
- professional
- political