PUBLIC AFFAIRS FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS #3
Elements of public policy - correct answer A. Governmental authority: under the direct
development and influence of government, legitimacy; principals and agents
B. Develop through (in)action: do or prevent something
C. Carry purposes and intentions: based on values, opinions, prejudices, biases; policy
is culturally driven
D. Outcomes/effects on people and society: affecting lives of people in direct, personal
and continuous ways
E. Problem-oriented: governmental response to perceived need or public demand
Elements in public policy discussion (as defined by public and politicians) - correct
answer A. What governments do and not do (eg. Non-decision making)
B. Extend to which all levels of government are involved (think of policy field map)
(interwoven government)
C. Public policy not limited to legislation, but also executive orders, rules, regulations
D. Public policy is intentional course of action with objectives
E. It serves both short- and long-term objectives
F. Interconnection of policy making and execution
Definitions of public policy - correct answer Harold Lasswell: who gets what, and how
(advocates "policy sciences of democracy")
Thomas Dye: what governments choose to do/not to do
Lawrence Lynn: public policy can be readily be viewed as the output of a political
system that comprises individuals who come together in small groups within the
framework of organizations characterized by hierarchy, division of labor, and
specialization
Guy Peters: public policy is the sum of government activities, whether directly or
through agents who have an influence on the lives of citizens
,Gotkug Morcol: public policy is an emergent and self-organizational complex system.
The relations among the elements (actors) of this complex system are nonlinear and its
relations with its elements and with other systems are co-evolutionary
Policy as substance - correct answer Focus on specific policy areas:
Agriculture
Alcohol abuse
Discrimination, diversity, and inclusion
Education
Energy
Environment
Health care
Refugee migration
Sexual harassment
Space travel
Transportation
Policy analysis - correct answer ...is client oriented
...is future oriented, but can also be retrospective
...seeks to provide rational advice about best course of action
...considers biases, as well as efficiency and democracy concerns
Can be done at any moment in the policy making process
Policy as process - correct answer Problem definition: pinpointing the problem
Identification of alternative solutions: developing several options to solve the problem
Evaluation of options: ranking alternative solutions according to problem-solving
capability
Selection of policy option: the decision making process
Planning of policy implementation: what and how to do it
Implementation of the policy: the actual execution of the policy and the decision(s)
made
Evaluation of the policy: have the policy goals been reached adequately, both in terms
of their effectiveness and efficiency as well as in terms of democracy?
, Linear and cyclical perspectives - correct answer Many policy process theories are
linear, conceive of the policy process as a step-wise process (see previous slide) that
breaks social complexity down to manageable proportions
In reality the policy process is much more chaotic/erratic (eg revisiting earlier stages)
and cyclical (eg budget process)
Forward mapping: from problem to solution, top-down, rational
Backward mapping: incremental, bottom-up approach to policy making
Types of public policy - correct answer Theodore Lowi:
A. Distributive policy: specific and individual impact, focused on particular group, no
consideration of limited resources necessary, not really a policy, risk of patronage, often
concerns use of property
B. Regulatory policy: specific and individual impact, but a choice between favored and
deprived, broad categories of individuals, general rule determines action, concerns
equal treatment of people
C. Redistributive policy: much larger group of people eg social class. Concerns property
itself and equal possession (welfare programs, proportional taxation)
D. Constituent policy: creation reorganization and reform of institutions, focused on
government and/or society as a whole
Deciding policy: various considerations - correct answer (Politics, religious) ideology,
worldviews
Available budget
(political, societal) feasibility, support
Previous/existing policy
International trends (which domestic policies are most influenced by this?)
Bureaucratic expertise, experience
Balancing efficiency (incl. Effectiveness, economy) with democracy (incl. Equity,
fairness, due process)
Framing
Accountability - correct answer What is the evidence that government is inefficient?
Can we 'run' government as if it's a business?
What parts of government can actually be run as a business?
Why is it difficult to get people to understand what government actually does?
ANSWERS #3
Elements of public policy - correct answer A. Governmental authority: under the direct
development and influence of government, legitimacy; principals and agents
B. Develop through (in)action: do or prevent something
C. Carry purposes and intentions: based on values, opinions, prejudices, biases; policy
is culturally driven
D. Outcomes/effects on people and society: affecting lives of people in direct, personal
and continuous ways
E. Problem-oriented: governmental response to perceived need or public demand
Elements in public policy discussion (as defined by public and politicians) - correct
answer A. What governments do and not do (eg. Non-decision making)
B. Extend to which all levels of government are involved (think of policy field map)
(interwoven government)
C. Public policy not limited to legislation, but also executive orders, rules, regulations
D. Public policy is intentional course of action with objectives
E. It serves both short- and long-term objectives
F. Interconnection of policy making and execution
Definitions of public policy - correct answer Harold Lasswell: who gets what, and how
(advocates "policy sciences of democracy")
Thomas Dye: what governments choose to do/not to do
Lawrence Lynn: public policy can be readily be viewed as the output of a political
system that comprises individuals who come together in small groups within the
framework of organizations characterized by hierarchy, division of labor, and
specialization
Guy Peters: public policy is the sum of government activities, whether directly or
through agents who have an influence on the lives of citizens
,Gotkug Morcol: public policy is an emergent and self-organizational complex system.
The relations among the elements (actors) of this complex system are nonlinear and its
relations with its elements and with other systems are co-evolutionary
Policy as substance - correct answer Focus on specific policy areas:
Agriculture
Alcohol abuse
Discrimination, diversity, and inclusion
Education
Energy
Environment
Health care
Refugee migration
Sexual harassment
Space travel
Transportation
Policy analysis - correct answer ...is client oriented
...is future oriented, but can also be retrospective
...seeks to provide rational advice about best course of action
...considers biases, as well as efficiency and democracy concerns
Can be done at any moment in the policy making process
Policy as process - correct answer Problem definition: pinpointing the problem
Identification of alternative solutions: developing several options to solve the problem
Evaluation of options: ranking alternative solutions according to problem-solving
capability
Selection of policy option: the decision making process
Planning of policy implementation: what and how to do it
Implementation of the policy: the actual execution of the policy and the decision(s)
made
Evaluation of the policy: have the policy goals been reached adequately, both in terms
of their effectiveness and efficiency as well as in terms of democracy?
, Linear and cyclical perspectives - correct answer Many policy process theories are
linear, conceive of the policy process as a step-wise process (see previous slide) that
breaks social complexity down to manageable proportions
In reality the policy process is much more chaotic/erratic (eg revisiting earlier stages)
and cyclical (eg budget process)
Forward mapping: from problem to solution, top-down, rational
Backward mapping: incremental, bottom-up approach to policy making
Types of public policy - correct answer Theodore Lowi:
A. Distributive policy: specific and individual impact, focused on particular group, no
consideration of limited resources necessary, not really a policy, risk of patronage, often
concerns use of property
B. Regulatory policy: specific and individual impact, but a choice between favored and
deprived, broad categories of individuals, general rule determines action, concerns
equal treatment of people
C. Redistributive policy: much larger group of people eg social class. Concerns property
itself and equal possession (welfare programs, proportional taxation)
D. Constituent policy: creation reorganization and reform of institutions, focused on
government and/or society as a whole
Deciding policy: various considerations - correct answer (Politics, religious) ideology,
worldviews
Available budget
(political, societal) feasibility, support
Previous/existing policy
International trends (which domestic policies are most influenced by this?)
Bureaucratic expertise, experience
Balancing efficiency (incl. Effectiveness, economy) with democracy (incl. Equity,
fairness, due process)
Framing
Accountability - correct answer What is the evidence that government is inefficient?
Can we 'run' government as if it's a business?
What parts of government can actually be run as a business?
Why is it difficult to get people to understand what government actually does?
