AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY TEST WITH GRADED
SOLUTIONS #6
What is public Policy? - correct answer What public officials within government, by the
extensions of the people, chose to do or not to do.
Why should we study public policy? - correct answer To learn what the government is
doing and not doing. To see what difference it makes in peoples lives.
Policy Output - correct answer The actual policy that results from choices made by
public officials.
Policy Outcome - correct answer The impact of policy on a problem. ( How we judge its
effectiveness )
Why does the government get involved? - correct answer Political reasons, moral /
ethical reasons, but mostly economic reasons (market failures)
Types of market failures? - correct answer Monopolies, externalities, information
asymmetry, providing for public good
Monopoly - correct answer one firm controls market for a product, form barriers to entry,
government regulates pricing / breaks up. Natural monopolies allowed
Externality - correct answer actions of a private market exchange that affect an
uninvolved third party. Positive-helped, negative-hurt
Information Asymmetry - correct answer consumers know less about products then the
seller
Collective Action Problem - correct answer Free rider problem. Number of people with
common goal increases, individuals have a greater incentive to be a free rider. Doesn't
contribute but still benefits
What are some government policy tools? - correct answer laws / regulations, services,
direct payments, taxes, education
How is power fragmented? - correct answer Horizontal: separation of powers / checks
and balances. Overlapping federal branches / powers.
Vertical: Federalism. Many local government. States are laboratories of democracy.
Advantages of fragmented policymaking? - correct answer many decision makers
reduce error, encourages innovation, power diffused, many access points
Disadvantages of fragmented policymaking? - correct answer lack of policy productivity
(gridlock), lack of policy coordination and coherence, hard to hold leaders accountable
, Who are policy actors? - correct answer congress, president, interest groups
Congress - correct answer primary goal is reelection
Advertise, credit claiming, position taking
Split into committees to be more efficient
President - correct answer primarily an agenda setter
Persuasion: media
Unilateral power: executive orders, pss, exec agree
Interest Groups - correct answer concentrates benefits and diffuses costs
Tactics: lobbying, electioneering, litigation
Gives citizens a voice
Unequal voice
Issue Networks - correct answer Each policy area has its own subset of legislators
Highly specialized knowledge
What are the theories of public policymaking? - correct answer elite theory, group theory
(pluralism), populist theory
Elite Theory - correct answer Small groups of elites dictate pubic policy
They are elected officials, economic elites and cultural elites
Group Theory (Pluralism) - correct answer power is shared among competing groups
Groups vary dramatically in resources in support though
Populist Theory - correct answer regular citizens are the base of political power,
politicians pay careful attention to public opinion polls and or ignore them at their own
peril
How does an idea become a policy? - correct answer policy process
What are the 6 steps of the policy process model? - correct answer agenda setting
(problem definition)
Policy formulation
Policy legitimization
Policy implementation
Policy (program) evaluation
Policy change
Agenda Setting - correct answer list of subject or problem to which government is
paying attention to. Three stream metaphor
SOLUTIONS #6
What is public Policy? - correct answer What public officials within government, by the
extensions of the people, chose to do or not to do.
Why should we study public policy? - correct answer To learn what the government is
doing and not doing. To see what difference it makes in peoples lives.
Policy Output - correct answer The actual policy that results from choices made by
public officials.
Policy Outcome - correct answer The impact of policy on a problem. ( How we judge its
effectiveness )
Why does the government get involved? - correct answer Political reasons, moral /
ethical reasons, but mostly economic reasons (market failures)
Types of market failures? - correct answer Monopolies, externalities, information
asymmetry, providing for public good
Monopoly - correct answer one firm controls market for a product, form barriers to entry,
government regulates pricing / breaks up. Natural monopolies allowed
Externality - correct answer actions of a private market exchange that affect an
uninvolved third party. Positive-helped, negative-hurt
Information Asymmetry - correct answer consumers know less about products then the
seller
Collective Action Problem - correct answer Free rider problem. Number of people with
common goal increases, individuals have a greater incentive to be a free rider. Doesn't
contribute but still benefits
What are some government policy tools? - correct answer laws / regulations, services,
direct payments, taxes, education
How is power fragmented? - correct answer Horizontal: separation of powers / checks
and balances. Overlapping federal branches / powers.
Vertical: Federalism. Many local government. States are laboratories of democracy.
Advantages of fragmented policymaking? - correct answer many decision makers
reduce error, encourages innovation, power diffused, many access points
Disadvantages of fragmented policymaking? - correct answer lack of policy productivity
(gridlock), lack of policy coordination and coherence, hard to hold leaders accountable
, Who are policy actors? - correct answer congress, president, interest groups
Congress - correct answer primary goal is reelection
Advertise, credit claiming, position taking
Split into committees to be more efficient
President - correct answer primarily an agenda setter
Persuasion: media
Unilateral power: executive orders, pss, exec agree
Interest Groups - correct answer concentrates benefits and diffuses costs
Tactics: lobbying, electioneering, litigation
Gives citizens a voice
Unequal voice
Issue Networks - correct answer Each policy area has its own subset of legislators
Highly specialized knowledge
What are the theories of public policymaking? - correct answer elite theory, group theory
(pluralism), populist theory
Elite Theory - correct answer Small groups of elites dictate pubic policy
They are elected officials, economic elites and cultural elites
Group Theory (Pluralism) - correct answer power is shared among competing groups
Groups vary dramatically in resources in support though
Populist Theory - correct answer regular citizens are the base of political power,
politicians pay careful attention to public opinion polls and or ignore them at their own
peril
How does an idea become a policy? - correct answer policy process
What are the 6 steps of the policy process model? - correct answer agenda setting
(problem definition)
Policy formulation
Policy legitimization
Policy implementation
Policy (program) evaluation
Policy change
Agenda Setting - correct answer list of subject or problem to which government is
paying attention to. Three stream metaphor
