Question 1

Ethical analysis is most appropriate for what kinds of issues?

Accepted Answer

Ethical analysis is most appropriated for issues dealing with the role of government authority, individual rights, and similar issues. Examples may include issues of private property use or the amount of government intrusion into personal issues.

Question 2

What is a discount rate and what does it allow analysts to do.

Accepted Answer

It allows analysts to determine the value of future benefits today, but the choice of the rate, essentially an estimate of inflation over time, clearly can have a profound impact on the results.

Question 3

Compare and contrast cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis.

Accepted Answer

Both are measures of efficiency, that is, the benefits relative to the invested costs. Cost-benefit analysis monetizes the impacts or outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analysis does not attempt to put the benefits of an action in dollar terms; it assumes that benefits will occur using the alternatives and may select an alternative based on the least cost.

Question 4

Which of the following policy analysis criteria deals with whether a policy has a fair process or policy outcome?

Accepted Answer

A)   legitimation
B)   equity
C)   effectiveness
D)   efficiency

Question 5

Which evaluative criterion is concerned with how that policy proposal might impinge on individuals' rights and choices?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which evaluative criterion is concerned with how...

Question 6

Which government office is in charge of monitoring how other agencies conduct cost-benefit analyses?

Accepted Answer

A)   Office of Management and Budget
B)   Office of Cost Efficiency
C)   Council of Economic Advisors
D)   Council of Environmental Quality

Question 7

Which evaluative criterion is concerned with the likely outcomes of the policy relative to the cost to implement it?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which evaluative criterion is concerned with the...

Question 8

Not every state has laws that require motorcyclists to wear helmets even though they have been shown to reduce the severity of injuries in the event of an accident. States without these laws have weighed the criterion of ______ more strongly than effectiveness.

Accepted Answer

A)   equity
B)   efficiency
C)   social acceptability
D)   liberty/freedom

Question 9

Which term is used in cost-benefit analysis when discussing the present value of future benefits?

Accepted Answer

A)   discount rate
B)   indexing
C)   opportunity cost
D)   sensitivity analysis

Question 10

Identify different types of job impact studies.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identify different types of job impact studies....

Question 11

Policy analysts can estimate the value of the time sitting in traffic through ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   contingent valuation methods
B)   sensitivity analysis
C)   risk evaluation
D)   impact assessment

Question 12

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated a U.S. population of about 390 million in ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   2020
B)   2030
C)   2040
D)   2050

Question 13

In some states, legislators may be more likely to propose laws allowing gay marriage than in other states. Gay marriage is more ______ in the states that pass such laws.

Accepted Answer

A)   equitable
B)   technically feasible
C)   effective
D)   socially acceptable

Question 14

A local government is interested in planning for certain services for older adults as the baby boom generation ages. The agency develops estimates of the number of older adults who will be living in the area in 2015, 2020, 2025, and 2030. This is an example of ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   impact analysis
B)   cost-benefit analysis
C)   risk assessment
D)   forecasting

Question 15

Why have conservatives and business interests favored the use of risk assessment methods for domestic policy conflicts?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why have conservatives and business interests favored...

Question 16

Explain the general approach to conducting a cost-benefit analysis.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the general approach to conducting a...

Question 17

When determining how to respond to rising energy costs, policymakers assessed the likely environmental, health, and safety impacts of energy exploration, development, and use. This is an example of ______.

Accepted Answer

A)   applying risk-assessment approaches to analyze policy options
B)   the evaluative criterion of liberty
C)   assessing the cost-benefit of the policy options
D)   assessing the technical feasibility of the options

Question 18

With the scarcity of government resources in the past several years, the evaluative criterion of ______ has become more and more important.

Accepted Answer

A)   political feasibility
B)   efficiency
C)   effectiveness
D)   social acceptability

Question 19

Being stuck in traffic imposes ______ on drivers because they could be doing something more productive with their time.

Accepted Answer

A)   a policy gridlock
B)   an opportunity cost
C)   a risk assessment
D)   an inducement

Question 20

In a general sense, what are evaluative criteria, and what is their value to policymakers attempting to choose the best policy options?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a general sense, what are evaluative...

Exam 6: Assessing Policy Alternatives