GOVERNMENT, POLICY AND HEALTHCARE
ENVIRONMENT |COMPREHENSIVE LICENSURE
FINAL SPRING EXAMINATION (2025/2026)
Government Sovereignty
Nat'l government can't be sued by states or by citizens w/out its permission.
Government Authority
Derived from constitutions or charters (local versions of a constitution), statutes, executive
orders & regulations.
3 Levels
1) National
2) State
3) Local
The primary purpose of each is to provide services to citizens. Separate and distinct, yet they
may coordinate their efforts.
3 Branches
1) Legislative
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,2) Executive
3) Judicial
Separation of Powers
Feature of the Constitution that requires each of the three branches of government—legislative,
executive, and judicial—to be relatively independent of the others so that one cannot control
the others. Power is shared among the three branches of government.
Checks and Balances
Constitutionally-mandated system that allows each branch of government to amend or veto
acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.
Judicial Review
Power given to the judicial branch in order to sustain checks and balances. Courts can overturn
laws passed by the legislature & signed by the president/governor if courts deem them
unconstitutional. Enables judges to question the legality and reasonableness of a gov't
manager's administrative actions. (Test question)
Federalism
U.S. system of gov't. Power is distributed among different levels of gov't and no one level of
gov't has complete authority over all areas of public policy. No centeralized system of gov't in
U.S.
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,Popular Sovereignty
Basic concept of the Constitution. The idea that ultimate authority belongs to the voting people
and even a sovereign gov't is accountable to citizens.
Legal Constraints
Derived from constitutions, statutes, and ordinances. They can include limits on the type of tax,
rate of tax, and tax collection purposes.
Purpose
Term
Amount
Process
Ways in which constitutions and charters specify whether the government can incur debt and
limit government borrowing. (PTAP)
Reserved Clause
Stems from the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Powers not delegated to the Nat'l
gov't, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states and the people. Nat'l gov't can
influence lower levels, but can't dictate the manner in which state & local gov't will operate.
Areas of Overlap in Governmental Responsibilities
Nat'l and state gov'ts exercise authority in civil defense and the Nat'l Guard. For example, during
peacetime, Nat'l Guard units fall under the direction of state governors and meet the needs of
the state. During nat'l emergencies, these units are under command of the President,
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, Commander in Chief. State and local gov'ts have some responsibility for traffic safety. All 3 levels
impact public education.
Grants
Money that is distributed to lower-level governments with the purpose of funding special
projects.
Laboratories of Democracy
Nickname given to state and local governments because they experiment with policies and
procedures that are later adopted at the nat'l level.
Performance Reporting
Example of upward influence (laboratory of democracy). U.S. gov't requirement created in the
90s for federal agencies . Process of collecting and distributing performance information;
includes status reporting, progress measurement, and forecasting.
Legislative
Passes laws. House of Representatives and Senate form legislative branch of Nat'l gov't. Includes
Congressional Budget Office, the Library of Congress, Gov't Accountability Office, and Architect
of the Capitol.
Executive
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ENVIRONMENT |COMPREHENSIVE LICENSURE
FINAL SPRING EXAMINATION (2025/2026)
Government Sovereignty
Nat'l government can't be sued by states or by citizens w/out its permission.
Government Authority
Derived from constitutions or charters (local versions of a constitution), statutes, executive
orders & regulations.
3 Levels
1) National
2) State
3) Local
The primary purpose of each is to provide services to citizens. Separate and distinct, yet they
may coordinate their efforts.
3 Branches
1) Legislative
1|Page
,2) Executive
3) Judicial
Separation of Powers
Feature of the Constitution that requires each of the three branches of government—legislative,
executive, and judicial—to be relatively independent of the others so that one cannot control
the others. Power is shared among the three branches of government.
Checks and Balances
Constitutionally-mandated system that allows each branch of government to amend or veto
acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.
Judicial Review
Power given to the judicial branch in order to sustain checks and balances. Courts can overturn
laws passed by the legislature & signed by the president/governor if courts deem them
unconstitutional. Enables judges to question the legality and reasonableness of a gov't
manager's administrative actions. (Test question)
Federalism
U.S. system of gov't. Power is distributed among different levels of gov't and no one level of
gov't has complete authority over all areas of public policy. No centeralized system of gov't in
U.S.
2|Page
,Popular Sovereignty
Basic concept of the Constitution. The idea that ultimate authority belongs to the voting people
and even a sovereign gov't is accountable to citizens.
Legal Constraints
Derived from constitutions, statutes, and ordinances. They can include limits on the type of tax,
rate of tax, and tax collection purposes.
Purpose
Term
Amount
Process
Ways in which constitutions and charters specify whether the government can incur debt and
limit government borrowing. (PTAP)
Reserved Clause
Stems from the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Powers not delegated to the Nat'l
gov't, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states and the people. Nat'l gov't can
influence lower levels, but can't dictate the manner in which state & local gov't will operate.
Areas of Overlap in Governmental Responsibilities
Nat'l and state gov'ts exercise authority in civil defense and the Nat'l Guard. For example, during
peacetime, Nat'l Guard units fall under the direction of state governors and meet the needs of
the state. During nat'l emergencies, these units are under command of the President,
3|Page
, Commander in Chief. State and local gov'ts have some responsibility for traffic safety. All 3 levels
impact public education.
Grants
Money that is distributed to lower-level governments with the purpose of funding special
projects.
Laboratories of Democracy
Nickname given to state and local governments because they experiment with policies and
procedures that are later adopted at the nat'l level.
Performance Reporting
Example of upward influence (laboratory of democracy). U.S. gov't requirement created in the
90s for federal agencies . Process of collecting and distributing performance information;
includes status reporting, progress measurement, and forecasting.
Legislative
Passes laws. House of Representatives and Senate form legislative branch of Nat'l gov't. Includes
Congressional Budget Office, the Library of Congress, Gov't Accountability Office, and Architect
of the Capitol.
Executive
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