question

Currently, the U.S. uses which approach to pay for health care for its citizens?

answer

Hybrid system of public and private funding for care

question

Which government program provides medical insurance for the elderly as an entitlement?

answer

Medicare

question

The _____ program, established in 1965 and funded jointly by states and the Federal government, provides health care coverage for poor adults and children.

answer

Medicaid

question

Overall, the two broad problems that the US health care system faces right now are:

answer

Growing costs and poor access to health care services

question

This program, added in 1997, expanded health insurance for children.

answer

SCHIP

question

Until 2010, the US had pursued a strategy of making ____ reforms to its health care system.

answer

Incremental

question

One of the most promising ways to reduce health care costs may be

answer

Emphasize preventative health care

question

In the US, what are the leading causes of death?

answer

Diseases that are due to unhealthy lifestyles (such as cancer, stroke, heart attack)

question

In the US, health care is viewed as a ____, in contrast to many other countries, who consider health care to be a right.

answer

Merit good

question

The Veterans Health System faces concerns related to ____ and _____.

answer

Poor quality of medical care and growing numbers of veterans needing care

question

In a national health insurance system, the ___ is generally responsible for payments.

answer

National government

question

In recent years, the approximate number of uninsured Americans was:

answer

45-55 million

question

In the US health care system, insurance typically pays for each doctor's visit, test, and exam separately. This is called:

answer

Fee-for-service health care

question

Which statement is true regarding medical errors in the US?

answer

Medical errors lead to a significant number of deaths each year; many are preventable

question

Which statement describes health care spending over the past 20 years?

answer

Total spending, per capita spending, and percent of GDP spent on health care are all increasing

question

The three primary areas of focus for environmental policy are described by which of the following statements?

answer

Pollution control, resource conservation/management, and energy policy

question

Which best describes describes the recent history of environmental policymaking in the US?

answer

Much policy-making activity in the late 60s through 70s followed by a long period of gridlock and incremental changes

question

In the US, relating to almost all kinds of environmental policy, there is ongoing tension between environmental interests and ___ interests.

answer

Business/economic

question

Which statement best summarizes the effectiveness of US environmental policies enacted over the past 30-40 years?

answer

They have had mixed results: while point source pollution has declined and air quality has improved, other conditions have not improved.

question

___ refers to a policy approach to manage natural resources by looking more broadly a the diversity of wildlife, natural resources, and pollution issues that affect a wider area.

answer

Ecosystem management

question

Environmental policies such as the Clean Air Act, Water Pollution Control Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act tended to emphasize which policy tool?

answer

Command and control regulation

question

The seven major statutes that were enacted in the 70s focused on:

answer

Pollution control and protection of human health

question

____ is defined as economic growth that is compatible with natural environmental systems and social goals.

answer

Sustainable development

question

The Clean Air Act amendment of 1990 provided for the use of buying and selling of pollution permits to combat acid rain. What type of policy instrument does this describe?

answer

Market incentives

question

The EPA is an:

answer

independent executive agency

question

What is meant by multiple use when discussing natural resource policy?

answer

Natural resources should be managed in a way that encourages economic development but also protects the environment

question

With regard to environmental policy formulation, in the 1970s, ___ was the norm in the US, while ___ was the norm in the 80s and 90s.

answer

Consensus; disagreement

question

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970, for the first time, developed

answer

Uniform air quality standards across the US

question

___ are two of the most frequently proposed policy options for future natural resource policies.

answer

Imposition of user fees and reduction of resource subsidies

question

Which statement describes the branch(es) of the federal government that is/are most heavily involved in foreign policy?

answer

Executive branch, including Cabinet level departments, councils, and agencies

question

The major thrust of US foreign policy between the 1950s to the early 1990s could be described as:

answer

A policy of deterrence through military buildup

question

The most recently established cabinet-level department that deals with issues of terrorism and security within the US is the:

answer

Department of Homeland Security

question

This controversial law provided for an increase in use of surveillance by the US government to prevent terrorism.

answer

The USA PATRIOT Act

question

To conduct the war in Iraq, the US used a new foreign policy "tool" more extensively than ever before. What was this tool?

answer

Private contractors for all facets of war, including security, construction, and other support devices

question

The foreign policy area that refers to actions taken by government officials to conduct military affairs.

answer

Defense

question

The policy tool used in foreign policy to reconstruct or otherwise improper conditions in another country in order to promote stability, reducing threats to US interests.

answer

Foreign Aid

question

The ___ includes a range of US military and government officials who advise the president on issues of foreign policy.

answer

National Security Council

question

Which statement best describes the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?

answer

An organization of the US and other Western European nations that cooperatively pursue their shared security interests

question

The United States spends ___ on its defense budget compared to the spending by other individual countries.

answer

Much more

question

Which organization is a global association of governments facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity?

answer

United Nations

question

What organization administers trade agreements among about 150 nations to settle conflicts over trade disputes?

answer

World Traded Organization

question

Which country is the top recipient of US foreign aid?

answer

Israel

question

The ___ analyzed the many failures of the FBI, CIA and other departments and agencies involved in national security, leading to the most sweeping overhaul of the intelligence functions of government

answer

The 9/11 Commission Report

question

The ___ is the US government division that distributes and manages the distribution of financial resources directly to other nations.

answer

US Agency for International Development

question

Political perspectives on the root causes of poverty vary. Conservatives tend to see poverty as a result of ___, while liberals are more likely to believe that poverty is a result of ____.

answer

Personal choice; economic and social conditions outside of one's control

question

Over the past two decades, which statement best describes the income distribution of US citizens?

answer

Income has become more concentrated in the hands of fewer wealthy individuals

question

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 (TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), emphasized:

answer

Personal responsibility and work for those receiving subsidies

question

Which of the following describes what is known about the effectiveness of the TANF legislation?

answer

It has reduced the number of people receiving welfare but had an unclear impact on numbers in poverty

question

One of the challenges to reforming the Social Security program is the influence of strong advocacy groups such as ___, an active group representing the interests of ___.

answer

AARP; older adults

question

The main problem with the Social Security program is that:

answer

It will soon run out of money to pay benefits because too few workers will be paying into the system

question

The primary goal of all welfare and social security programs is to:

answer

Reduce the number of people living in poverty

question

Privatization of Social Security is one of the major proposals for reform. Privatization refers to:

answer

The government provides funds to individuals that they are responsible to invest

question

Redistributive policies and programs are those where:

answer

Government provides benefits to one group of individuals by collecting money from other individuals

question

Social Security would typically be categorized as what type of federal spending?

answer

Entitlement

question

The Social Security tax is capped at about what level?

answer

$100,000

question

With the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program became:

answer

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

question

One of the largest federal programs for the poor is SNAP. What does it provide?

answer

Financial resources to purchase food

question

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable federal income tax for working individuals and families that is intended to ____.

answer

Encourage people to work

question

According to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, what was the effect of the Social Security Program on the poverty rates of older adults?

answer

Almost half of older adults were kept out of poverty by the Social Security program

question

Education is often cited as something that benefits more than just the person getting an education; it benefits society in a number of ways. This is called:

answer

Positive externality

question

Concerns about separation of church and state primarily relate to which two issues?

answer

Freedom of religion and public funding of religious schools

question

In an attempt to use market incentives to improve school quality, the Obama administration created the ___ program, a competition for significant funding which required states to collect better data, innovate, and enhance teaching.

answer

Race to the Top

question

Which statement reflects the Obama administration's stance with regard to No Child Left Behind?

answer

NCLB should be changed to offer states more flexibility; offer incentives rather than punishments

question

Who has played the biggest role in educational policy through US history?

answer

State and local government

question

____ is based on the idea that teachers should only receive pay raises for successful student performance.

answer

Merit pay

question

How is public education (K-12) funded in the US?

answer

Mostly local property taxes and state funds, minor amount from federal

question

Which of the following is one of the most important funding issues for K-12 education?

answer

Lack of buoyancy of property taxes when compared to education costs

question

School choice and school vouchers are examples of

answer

Market-based policy alternatives to improve education quality

question

By most recent accounts, what is the most important issue facing US higher education today?

answer

Reduced access to college among lower-income students

question

The growing cost of tuition at public universities in the US is directly related to ____.

answer

Decreasing support for higher education from states

question

What is the federal government's role in higher education?

answer

The federal government established land grant colleges and gives grants and loans to categories of individual

question

Current trends point to a reduction in college attendance by middle and low income college students. This trend causes policy makers to be concerned about the policy criteria of:

answer

Equity of access

question

How are public colleges in the United States funded?

answer

Some state funding, tuition, and grants/donation

question

The Supreme Court has consistently___ school-sponsored prayer.

answer

Ruled against

question

Oregon has experienced almost a decade of implementing, revising, and changing its policies with regard to:

answer

Land use and growth management

question

The group of American citizens is the least likely to vote.

answer

College students

question

The public can get involved in the policy-making process by?

answer

all of the above

question

According to chapter 13, the conflict and polarization that typify American government today often leads to:

answer

incremental decision making

question

__ allows policymakers to evaluate the situation while taking incremental policy steps.

answer

Adaptive management

question

The __ principle encourages a prudent o conservative policy response to potentially serious threats.

answer

Precautionary

question

____ issues can deal with a range of concerns, from protecting individual freedoms to how the cost and benefits of a program are distributed across the population

answer

Equity

question

A relatively new form of citizen participation ____ allows citizens to access gov't agencies and their policies through various web sites

answer

E-government

question

___ refers to the ability of a gov't to address its problems effectively through public policy

answer

policy capacity

question

Policy analysis is used most heavily during which stages of the policy-making process?

answer

problem analysis and policy alternative development

question

A systematic and organized way to study problems, policy alternatives, or the effectiveness of gov't programs called?

answer

policy analysis

question

Evaluative criteria are:

answer

The important aspects of the policy proposal on which you will make comparisons

question

With regard to policies that address access to quality education at k-12 and higher levels, which of the following evaluative criterion is most important?

answer

Equity

question

Measuring whether the Economic stimulus of 2009 has sparked creation of jobs and economic growth is an example of using which evaluative criterion:

answer

effectiveness

question

Which statement best describes the relationship of policy analysis to the policy process model?

answer

Policy analysis supports the policy process at several points by increasing understanding of problems and possible solutions

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