Deck 4: Policy Analysis

Question 1

Policy analysts often investigate the ______ of a social problem in order to develop policy solutions that attack the problem before it might develop.

A) root causes
B) proximate causes
C) incremental causes
D) factorial causes

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Think tanks study problems and alternatives in order to help policy makers make decisions. The type of policy analysis typically conducted by think tanks is called ______.

A) scientific
B) professional
C) political
D) economic

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The ______ approach to policy analysis defines a problem, indicates the goals and objectives to be sought, considers a range of alternative solutions, evaluates each of the alternatives to clarify their consequences, and then recommends or chooses the alternative with the greatest potential for solving the problem.

A) political
B) generative
C) elite
D) rational-comprehensive

Answer 3

D

Question 4

______ involves making more minor or modest policy changes.

A) Rational decision making
B) Comprehensive decision making
C) Feasible decision making
D) Incremental decision making

Question 5

Policy analysts that propose policies that align with mainstream public values are taking an approach to policy formulation known as ______.

A) contentious analysis
B) adhering to consensual norms
C) proximate cause analysis
D) adhering to professional practice standards

Question 6

Policy alternatives relating to the use of cell phones while driving are discussed in the first part of Chapter 4. Several agencies of the federal government have recommended which of the following policy actions?

A) a national ban on texting while driving
B) pressing state governments to develop and implement policies
C) organizing local governments to improve enforcement of local bans on texting while driving
D) Nothing has been proposed; that's why it continues to be a problem.

Question 7

Which is the correct sequence in the policy analysis process?

A) set agenda, formulate policy, legitimize policy, implement, and evaluate
B) define and Analyze problem, analyze policy alternatives, develop criteria, and assess
C) define problem, gather data, and operationalize problem
D) analyze problem, set criteria, implement policy and regulations, and legitimize

Question 8

Analyzing problems, studying possible policy alternatives, and evaluating the efficiency or effectiveness of policies are examples of what?

A) incremental decision making
B) policy analysis
C) assessing alternatives
D) rational decision making

Question 9

Making modest changes in policy is known as what?

A) incremental decision making
B) rational-comprehensive policy making
C) constructing policy alternatives
D) root cause policy making

Question 10

Which statement lists the most common use of policy analysis?

A) assessment of various policy alternatives and their likely effects
B) conducting scientific research into the root causes of social problems
C) analyzing the political feasibility of policy proposals
D) conducting polling of the public to assess support for various proposals

Question 11

Policy analysis draws from the ideas and methods of which of the following disciplines?

A) economics
B) sociology
C) political science
D) all of these

Question 12

A systematic and organized way to evaluate problems, policy alternatives, or the effectiveness of government programs is referred to as _____.

A) policy formulation
B) policy legitimation
C) policy analysis
D) policy capacity

Question 13

A growing sector of private organizations that conduct policy research often used by government policy makers is called ______.

A) political action committees
B) state policy institutes
C) political parties
D) think tanks

Question 14

______ refer to the important factors that policy analysts will use to assess the proposed policy alternatives. They are also used to analyze the impact of the policy after implementation.

A) Alternative assessment
B) Evaluative criteria
C) Ex post facto criteria
D) Redistributive factors

Question 15

______ involves defining the problem, indicating goals and objectives to be sought, considering a range of alternatives, and evaluating each alternative before recommending a particular solution. a. Rational decision making
B) Incremental decision making
C) Policy evaluation
D) Political analysis

Question 16

Which of the following accurately refers to the relationship between policy analysis and politics in policy development?

A) The two are completely distinct.
B) Politics often plays a stronger role than policy analysis throughout the policy-making process.
C) Policy analysis, since it is based on data and scientific research, always plays a stronger role in decision making.
D) Politics often dominates in early states of policy development and less in the later stages.

Question 17

Being committed to specific policy values and goals as well as ideological and partisan agendas is known as the ______ approach to policy analysis.

A) professional
B) political
C) scientific
D) elite

Question 18

______ refers to collecting and interpreting information that clarifies the causes and effects of public problems.

A) Policy-making process
B) Incremental decision making
C) Root cause analysis
D) Policy analysis

Question 19

___ are defined as the immediate causes of a given social problem.

A) Limited causes
B) Acknowledged causes
C) Proximate causes
D) Root causes

Question 20

Policy analysis that puts a priority on citizen involvement and alignment with public opinion emphasizes ______.

A) democratic political processes
B) rational comprehensive decision making
C) scientific analysis
D) pragmatic adjustments

Question 21

Researchers and academics conduct research to develop a rigorous and in-depth understanding of public problems and policy alternatives. This approach to policy analysis is ______.

A) professional
B) political
C) scientific
D) none of these

Question 22

The American Enterprise Institute was founded in ______.

A) 1930
B) 1938
C) 1940
D) 1943

Question 23

In order to choose which policy options (such as sanctions or public education) are better than others to reduce cell phone use, policy analysts might use the criterion of liberty. What question would they ask related to liberty?

A) For what we invest, which of these options is likely to do the best job of reducing cell phone use?
B) Which of these options is projected to reduce cell phone use the most?
C) Which of these options will least restrict people's freedom and choice?
D) Which of these options will be the most acceptable to the driving public?

Question 24

In order to choose which policy options (such as sanctions or public education) are better than others to reduce cell phone use, policy analysts might use the criterion of efficiency. What question would they ask related to efficiency?

A) Which of these options will be the most acceptable to the driving public?
B) Which of these options is projected to reduce cell phone use the most?
C) Which of these options will least restrict people's freedom and choice?
D) For what we invest, which of these options is likely to do the best job of reducing cell phone use?

Question 25

Which best describes the approaches being taken by states to address the problem of cell phone use by drivers?

A) Most states have banned text messaging by drivers, but states have done a variety of things with regard to cell phone use while driving.
B) Most states have not dealt with the issue of texting and cell phone use.
C) All 50 states have banned cell phone use by novice drivers.
D) Only a handful of states have attempted to create policies to address this problem.

Question 26

Which of the following policy analysis criteria is used if the acceptability of a particular alternative to interest groups, the general public, or politicians is a concern?

A) political feasibility
B) efficiency
C) equity
D) effectiveness

Question 27

A ______ approach to policy analysis focuses on understanding the underlying conditions that are causing a public problem, while the ______ approach focuses more on how to alleviate shorter term symptoms of the problem.

A) democratic; rational
B) consensual; contentious
C) root cause; proximate cause
D) underlying; rational

Question 28

Which of the following best defines the rational-comprehensive approach to policy making?

A) rigorous, complete analysis of the problem and the likely impacts of proposed policies
B) strong efforts to include public opinion in the policy-making process
C) extensive use of cutting-edge policy approaches that may lead to conflict and disagreement
D) relatively minor changes to policy that are accomplished over time in a thoughtful manner

Question 29

To reduce drivers' cell phone use, should state governments institute sanctions such as tickets or fines? Or should they try to educate drivers on cell phone use? These are examples of which part of the policy analysis process?

A) construct policy alternatives
B) develop evaluative criteria
C) draw conclusions
D) define and analyze the problem

Question 30

Which of the following is most likely to conduct political forms of policy analysis?

A) National Rifle Association
B) Brookings Institution
C) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
D) National Academy of Sciences

Question 31

The ______ orientation/approach to policy making often involves peer-reviewed research using controlled studies.

A) scientific
B) methodological
C) political
D) professional

Question 32

The Clean Air Act Amendments took place in ______.

A) 1980
B) 1990
C) 2000
D) 2010

Question 33

Which of the following policy analysis criteria would be used if a fair and just evaluation were a concern?

A) efficiency
B) equity
C) effectiveness
D) political feasibility

Question 34

Which of the following statements best illustrates the rational-comprehensive approach to decision making?

A) The government collected data about illegal immigrants (geographic location, type of employment, and how they got here) and then developed a comprehensive new policy tailored to their findings.
B) The economic crisis arose quickly, and the government implemented a bailout of automakers in order to prevent the loss of jobs.
C) Because a lot of children did not have health insurance, the government passed an expansion of the Medicaid program to cover more children.
D) After 9/11 terrorist attacks, the United States soon conducted military operations in Afghanistan to reduce the threat of terrorism.

Question 35

Which of the following is an example of data that could be collected to study the root causes of poverty?

A) the number of students who drop out of high school
B) the number of people in poverty
C) the unemployment rate
D) the median family income

Question 36

The purpose of policy analysis is to

A) provide information and impartial assessments of options to aid the policy-making process.
B) evaluate existing policy criteria.
C) legitimize and implement public policies.
D) provide rational-comprehensive models of public behavior.

Question 37

The Center for American Progress and the Heritage Foundation often use ______ to promote a preferred policy.

A) scientific policy analysis
B) professional policy analysis
C) political policy analysis
D) program evaluation

Question 38

Which of the following conduct different kinds of policy analysis that is often very helpful to the policymaking process?

A) government agencies
B) interest groups
C) think tanks
D) all of these

Question 39

The Brookings Institution was founded in ______.

A) 1900
B) 1912
C) 1918
D) 1922

Question 40

Which of the following think tanks is not considering one of the "leading"?

A) Heritage Foundation
B) Lexington Institute
C) Brookings Institution
D) Urban Institute

Question 41

______ approaches to policy making use rigorous methods but are committed to specific policy values and goals.

Question 42

The first step in policy analysis is to define and analyze the ______.

Question 43

Policy analysis is part science and part ______.

Question 44

In which year did the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) call for a total ban on cell phone use while driving (no calling, texting, or updating)?

A) 2000
B) 2011
C) 2013
D) 2016

Question 45

Policy analysis refers to the assessment of ______.

Question 46

A ______ is one proposal that policy analysts have developed to address the problem.

Question 47

In the policy analysis process, after policy alternatives are developed, policy analysts then should develop the ______ upon which policies are assessed.

Question 48

What are think tanks, and how are they involved in policy development? What concerns might be raised about their involvement?

Question 49

The term ______ refers to the existence of an unsatisfactory set of conditions for which relief is sought.

Question 50

Explain the difference between consensual and contentious policy analysis.

Question 51

In the 1980s, the federal government sponsored a decade long study of the causes and consequences of acid rain at a cost of ______ million.

A) 100
B) 300
C) 500
D) 700

Question 52

______ states prohibit school bus drivers from any cell phone use while driving.

A) Ten
B) Twenty
C) Thirty
D) Forty

Question 53

Practical policy analysis is also sometimes referred to as "______."

Question 54

The term ______ covers many different activities.

Question 55

______ approaches to policy making are studies conducted by government agencies or think tanks; they are often rigorous studies yet are done to answer policy questions, not to develop theories.

Question 56

______ is more limited than the rational comprehensive approach in the extent of analysis required.

Question 57

By 2016, ______ states had banned texting for all drivers.

A) 25
B) 37
C) 46
D) 50

Question 58

______ approaches to policy making seek "truth" through rigorous, academic research.

Question 59

Constructing ______ is perhaps the most important stage in the policy analysis process.

Question 60

What kind of information would you want to collect to conduct a political feasibility analysis of Social Security reform (and from whom, in general terms)?

Question 61

Discuss the five major steps involved in the policy analysis process. What types of questions are asked in each step? Provide an example for each step.

Question 62

Explain what "policy analysis" is and what it entails.

Question 63

In policy analysis, what is involved in "analyzing the problem"? What are the challenges one faces in doing so? And what is the benefit of a good analysis to policy making?

Question 64

Describe the objectives, advantages, and limitations of the three types of policy analysis. Provide examples of organizations or studies for each type.

Question 65

Policy analysis has been called "part science, part judgment." Explain what this means.

Question 66

Contrast the three major approaches to or types of policy analysis. What are the objectives of each? What are their limitations? Give an example of the kind of organization that would implement each approach.