Domestic Policy
Foreign Policy
Economic Policy
Randomly Random
100
What part of the US Constitution did the US Supreme Court use to justify the legality of the Affordable Care Act "Obamacare"?
The power of Congress to levy taxes (from Article One, Section Eight).
100
List 2 formal foreign policy powers of Congress.
Many possible answers exist: - Declare war - "Power of the purse"; control of funding/appropriations - Senate must confirm presidential appointments - Senate must confirm treaties
100
What does the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measure?
GDP measures the total value of all new goods & services produced in the USA.
100
List one way the media can influence the public policy process.
Many possible answers exist, though the best answer should focus on how the media helps set the agenda of which issues/problems are the most important at a given time.
200
List 2 differences between Medicare and Medicaid.
Here are the main differences: Medicare: - For senior citizens - No means test - Run by the federal government Medicaid: - For low income Americans - Means test exists - Run by the states, but with federal guidelines
200
If a president follows a REALISTIC foreign policy, what does this mean?
A REALIST foreign policy emphasizes that the government should make foreign policy decisions that benefit the country's self interest without worrying about their own political ideals/philosophy.
200
What does the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure?
CPI measures how much money people spend on consumer goods, thus showing whether price inflation or deflation is occurring.
200
List 3 items that currently fall under the mandatory spending category in the federal budget.
Here are the possible answers: - Social Security - Medicare - Interest on the federal debt - Unemployment assistance
300
Define PLURALISM.
A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.
300
List 2 formal foreign policy powers of the president.
1. Act as Commander-in-Chief of the military 2. Negotiate treaties 3. Appoints ambassadors
300
Describe the theory of “Reaganomics”.
The economy will improve with less government interference, therefore the government should lower taxes & regulations, and spend more money on the military.
300
What is 1 benefit and 1 disadvantage of the Federal Reserve being insulated from politics?
Many possible answers exist, thus here are the main ones: Benefit: - The Fed can make politically unpopular decisions for the benefit of the economy's health without fear of losing their jobs Disadvantage: - People do not directly elect members of the Fed, thus making the institution not completely accountable to the people
400
1. What is a “means test”?
A "means test" refers to a government program that an individual or family to be eligible for help from the government. Government help is based upon whether the individual or family possesses the money (means) to do without that help.
400
How does an EXECUTIVE AGREEMENT differ with a TREATY?
EXECUTIVE AGREEMENT: An agreement a president makes with another country that does not require congressional approval. An E.A. only lasts for the term of the president. TREATY: An agreement the president negotiates with another country, BUT it requires 2/3 approval from the US Senate to ratify a treaty.
400
1. Define BUDGET DEFICIT. 2. List at least one way the federal government could eliminate deficits.
1. Government spends more money than it takes in, causing the government to borrow money for a given year. 2. Many answers exist, here are the main two: - Increase tax rates - Cut spending on programs
400
List 1 positive & 1 negative effect that federalism has on public policymaking.
Many possible answers exist.. Positive: - states can act as laboratories and test out new policy approaches - states are able to retain a bit of sovereignty in making policy - states can use block grants to try policies to help correct problems; these grants give states more flexibility Negative: - states can be forced to follow federal mandates (sometimes these are unfunded) - categorical grants can hinder state creativity in solving their own problems
500
List 2 reasons why healthcare costs in the US are rising.
Many answers exist, but here are the main reasons: - More people are living longer, thus needing more medical assistance - Modern technology being developed and used is costly - Use of prescription medicines has increased - More people are using long-term healthcare services than in the past
500
Describe specifically how the War Powers Act of 1973 works.
- The president can place troops into a foreign country, only needs to inform Congress within 48 hours of doing this (can be done after the fact) - Within the first 60 days, the president must receive congressional approval to keep troops in the foreign country - If Congress does not provide formal support of keeping troops in the foreign nation, the president has 30 more days to remove the troops, thus the troops can technically stay in a foreign country for a total of 90 days.
500
If the economy was in a recession, list 2 monetary policy measures that the Federal Reserve will likely take to remedy the economy?
1. The Fed would likely lower interest rates by buying government securities. 2. The Fed would also lower the Reserve Requirement & Discount Rate too. All of these monetary policies would attempt to increase money availability to help spurn economic growth.
500
A. List the 3 parts of an iron triangle. B. List one tangible item each part receives.
A. Congress, Bureaucracy, Interest Group B. These are the main items each part receives: - Congress can receive campaign donations from interest groups - Bureaucracy can receive a bigger budget, thus giving their department/agency more influence - Interest group is able to get favorable public policies
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