Vocabulary
How government officials and other policy actors appraise the acceptability of a proposal
What is Policy Feasibility?
Policy actors claim that juvenile crime is on a rise due to the presence of gangs in metropolitan areas, what kind of cause would this be?
What is.. proximate cause
A local government wants to redesign its K-12 schools science curriculum. The board of education creates a committee composed of parents, teachers, and scientific experts. The committee meetings are also able to be observed by the general public. The committee openly discuses and debates what should be included in the new curriculum prior to finalizing the textbooks. What stage of the policy process is depicted in this scenario?
What is... Policy Formulation
City leaders notice that local private companies refuse to fund or construct streetlights along dark neighborhood sidewalks because they cannot exclude non-paying residents from using the light once installed. Because streetlights are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, private markets fail to provide them, creating a rationale for public action known as what?
What is…market failure
A type of federal grant providing funding to state or local governments for a specific purpose, often with restrictions on how the money can be used?
What is Categorical Grant?
Pieces of information available on the problem,whom it affects, and in what ways
What is Problem Stream?
Explain the difference between Policy outcomes and Policy outputs
What is... Policy outputs refers to the formal actions that governments take to pursue their goals, while policy outcomes refer to the effects of formal government actions usually have on society
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is looking to implement a major clean-air policy that can combat air pollution. In order to ensure that their policy is optimal, they must consider nearly all relevant options, effects, and consequences. What approach is the agency utilizing to assess the proper policy solution?
What is... Rational-Comprehensive Approach.
Following a rise in e-scooter crashes, a city council holds public hearings to study safety data and put scooter safety on their official legislative calendar, drafts three potential safety ordinances, votes to officially pass a 15 mph speed limit, and directs the Department of Transportation to post speed signs and enforce the rule. Name two of the policy cycle stages described in this case.
What is Agenda Setting (hearings/calendar), Policy Formulation (drafting ordinances), Policy Adoption (passing ordinance), or Policy Implementation (enforcing & posting signs)?
Policy actors from various public and private institutions and levels of government who share a common set of beliefs about policies the government should promote
What is Advocacy Coalition Framework?
A demanding form of analysis that attempts to consider nearly all relevant options, effects, and consequences.
What is Rational-Comprehensive Approach
Define the policy cycle. What would be the 5th step in this process?
What is.. a policy cycle is the process from the beginning public interest to the formalization of legislation. the 5th step would be policy evaluation, which is an assessment of whether policies and programs are working well. Analysts look for evidence that a program is achieving its stated goals and objectives
In an attempt to curb late-night street takeovers by youth, state legislation has now passed a statute prohibiting the use of mopeds, scooters, and e-bikes in metropolitan areas. However, commuters and delivery drivers using these vehicles are disgruntled with this statute, citing issues with its ambiguity. In this scenario, what was the policy output and what was the policy outcome?
What is...Policy output was the statute prohibiting mopeds and other non-car vehicles. The outcome was an unintentional consequence of commuters and delivery drivers being negatively affected.
A city health department tracks local healthcare access using the indicator: "Average driving distance to the nearest hospital." While this operational measure captures geographic proximity, an analyst points out that for low-income residents without cars, it completely misses what key factor of healthcare access?
What is Public Transit Access?
One is the process of gaining power and influence to represent certain interests, while the other is the specific course of action the government takes to address a public issue.
What is Politics vs Public Policy?
Concrete indicators used to represent and measure a problem so analysis can move beyond vague concern.
What is Operational Measures
Define a Policy Instrument and give an example.
Tools used by governments to pursue a desired outcome.
regulatory/authority
economic/fiscal
government management
U.S. security and defense, especially regarding aviation, has stayed relatively consistent and routine for decades. Yet the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 was the major catalyst that propelled interest in national intelligence and security, leading to the swift passage of public policies such as the Patriot Act and creation of the Department of Homeland Security. What kind of policy model is this an example of?
What is ...Punctuated Equilibrium Model.
To reduce plastic waste, a city considers a total mandatory ban on all single-use plastic grocery bags. However, small business owners and low-income shoppers heavily oppose the ban due to compliance costs and hardship. To achieve the environmental goal while improving political feasibility and equity, what is one alternative policy tool analysts could construct instead of a strict ban?
What is a Bag Fee / Tax, Reusable Bag Subsidy / Giveaway, Recycling Rebate / Incentive, Store Exemption, or Voluntary Retailer Agreement)
A state government proposes increasing taxes on high-income households to fund free community college and expanded financial aid for low-income students. Wealthier taxpayers would bear higher costs, while lower-income students would receive additional educational resources, creating clear winners and losers. What policy tool was used here?
What is Redistributive Policies?
Those problems that legislators or public officials feel obliged to take appropriate measures and actually act on
What is Institutional or Governmental Agenda
Define process equity and it's relevance to democratic political processes.
What is...Fairness in the decision-making process and opportunity to participate. The implementation of process equity helps promote democratic involvement.
Consider the following scenarios:
Scenario A: The government provides federal funds to a state that are exclusively to be used to fix a major highway route.
Scenario B: The government provides federal funds to a state for general transportation infrastructure repairs but the state has discretion on how to spend the money.
What type of federal grants are being used in each scenario? Explain the purpose of each grant.
Scenario A: Categorical Grants
Scenario B: Block Grants
Categorical grants are federal dollars given to states for an exclusive purpose. Block grants are federal dollars given to states but the states have discretion on how to spend the money to address the needs of their citizens.
A city introduces a new flat-rate municipal trash collection fee of $50 per household per month. While the policy is highly efficient and covers all operating costs, low-income residents must spend 5% of their monthly income on the fee while high-income residents spend less than 0.1%. An analyst arguing that this policy unfairly burdens lower-income households is criticizing the policy under which evaluative criterion?
What is equity/justice
A method used to estimate how much people are willing to pay for a public good by asking them hypothetical questions about its value
What is Contingent Valuation Method?