Ch 3/4 Public Policy

Question 1

Politics Tree Analogy

soil & root structure?

Answer 1

Soil & root structure: Values (America couldn’t grow from weak values (like w/o freedom))

Question 2

Politics Tree Analogy

Trunk?

Answer 2

Trunk: Constitution (don’t expect much change)

Question 3

Politics Tree Analogy

Large Branches?

Answer 3

Large Branches: Amendments (extension of constitution)

don’t expect much change

Question 4

Politics Tree Analogy

Smaller Branches & Leaves?

Answer 4

Smaller Branches & Leaves: Federal Laws & regs, local laws, regs, ordinances, ruling, temporary directives, executive orders, etc.
(expect change & they are temporary)

Question 5

Policymaking process

what are the 3 steps?

Answer 5

(general set of ideas)

1) Demands
2) Political Process
3) Outputs

Question 6

Policymaking process

Demands, aka?

Answer 6

Agenda Setting

recognize demands of America saying they want ___

Question 7

Policymaking process

Political Process, aka?

Answer 7

formulation; adoption;

process like elections, inputs, opinions, etc

Question 8

Policymaking process

Outputs, aka?

Answer 8

implementation

outcome: what answers demands

Question 9

Policymaking process

after the outcome what happens?

Answer 9

Feedback evaluation

(after gov addresses what we’ve demanded, evaluate if goal was achieved

Question 10

Policymaking process involves what in the political process?

Answer 10

Easton’s Black Box (mysterious bc don’t know what is going on behind closed doors)

Question 11

Policy Categorization

what are the 2 different policies? (further than domestic and foreign)

Answer 11

Distributive policy

Re-Distributive policy

Question 12

Policy Categorization

Distributive policy

Answer 12

(policy benefits huge majority of american ppl, like our defense
everyone wants to participate in & enjoys benefits from)
-society valued & large population of recipients

Question 13

Policy Categorization

Re-Distributive policy

Answer 13

(majority contribute, but only some benefit (sub-group))

-targeted to limited # of recipients

Question 14

Agenda Setting

This implies what (2)? Kingdon’s 3 stream typology includes?

Answer 14

• Deciding what’s going to be acted upon (prioritizing, top of list)
• Function of who’s got the momentum (like newly elected pres.,on & off competition)
• Kingdon’s 3 stream typology: problem, political, solution (way to dominate agenda)

Question 15

Kingdon’s Typology: Problem stream

Answer 15

Indicators (stats) (make it seem like Crisis by using these)
Focusing event (focus attention on like 9/11)
Feedback (use existing info)

Question 16

Kingdon’s Typology: Political stream

Answer 16

(urgency of problem) - Idea’s time has come

changes in personnel ie) electoral changes

Question 17

Kingdon’s Typology: Solution stream

Answer 17

right program= favorable decision

problem ->urgency-> know solution

Question 18

Policy Formation What should be done is often a function of who? Best case scenario?

Answer 18

function of who you ask (your solution may not be the only solution)
best case scenario: be in on both the policy formation and policy adoption

Question 19

Policy Adoption

def? includes (2)? ex? efficacy & detail tension? when is there higher demand?

Answer 19

selection of program
includes legitimization & budgeting
-ex) Healthcare left up to policy advisors & came up w/ Obamacare, lots of ppl contributing to what program to choose)
(the tension btwn efficacy & details eg: “feed the ppl of CLE) - more info given, higher demand (like study guide= higher expectation)

Question 20

Policy Implementation

aka? ex? in some cases what is the role of the implementers?

Answer 20

also called “outputs”; is actually doing the program
-like Obamacare-> where ppl are actually signing up and seeing doctors
in some cases, the implementers play a large role in the agenda-setting, formulation, & adoption stages

Question 21

Policy Feedback

outputs vs outcomes? What does Kingdon believe about feedback? What can feedback be helpful for?

Answer 21

(analysis of it)
“Outputs” are the program (what they do, implement the program)
“Outcomes” are the results (whether or not program achieved goal)
(Kingdon argues that feedback is also an “indicator”,use results)
Programs can be both strengthened & terminated by feedback

Question 22

Food-stamp policy triangle

where is congress always located & where is the executive always located? ultimate beneficiary?

Answer 22

congress in bottom right
executive on top of triangle
ultimate beneficiary in bottom left

Question 23

Food-stamp policy triangle

What does the policy triangle present?

Answer 23

Currency of Exchange: Mutual Self-Interest

-all 3 players dependent on each other for something important (one can’t exist w/o each other)