Exam 2: Government Institutions and Policy Actors

Understanding the system of government is important for students of public policy because

The trend of decentralization of government in the United States transfers policy authority from ______ to ______.

One of the biggest differences between a cabinet-level department (agency) and an independent regulatory commission is that ______.

______ refer to informal clusters of organizations and individuals (working in both government and the private sector) that are deeply involved in a certain area of focus and share specialized knowledge, communication patterns, and power structures within that area of focus.

Define cooperative federalism and policy capacity.Then discuss how cooperative federalism has led to a growing need for policy capacity at the state level.

The United States has made many small, targeted changes to environmental policy, economic policy, and health care policy over time.This is called ______ policy making.

What is the benefit of citizen participation in government processes, and how might it be increased?

The United States relies heavily on ______ policy making, which falls somewhere between gridlock and innovation.

Compared to the past, the public is more accepting of business regulation such as the regulation of market failures.This acceptance has led to ______.

______ refers to the checks and balances that our Constitution sets up among the three branches of government.

______ refers to the ability of a government to address its problems effectively through public policy.

In U.S.clean air and water programs, the federal government establishes quality standards and provides funds, while the states are responsible for implementation.This is an example of ______ federalism.

When the U.S.government was formed, which three cabinet-level departments existed?

The ______ consists of White House staff and other offices such as the Office of Management and Budget that assist the president in implementing public policy.

Which reason explains the growth in the size and complexity of government over the past hundred years?

Summarize the effects of government growth.

The Senate allows its members more freedom to debate policy issues than the House.In some cases, Senators talk for hours in hopes of influencing a bill or blocking its passage.This is called a ______.

Lay out the components of the executive branch of the federal government.

Courts utilize ______ as background and foundation in order to make a current decision.

States demonstrate a wide variety of policy capacities.This refers to the fact that ______.