POS 250 EXAM 1 February 14, 2002 ID#__________________

Public Policy Dr. Ostergren

This section of your exam is worth 50 points. Imagine reading 52 exams by next Tuesday. Write clearly and to the point. Short answer means short answer. For multiple choice choose the BEST answer. Some questions are worth more than others. (Points VARY and are indicated in parentheses.) Good luck! You have plenty of time.

1. Describe or list the five steps for a "rational" model of reasoning. (2)

Identify objectives
Identify alternative courses to achieve objectives
Predict possible consequences of each alternative.
Evaluate those consequences.
Select the best alternative.-------How to win-win.------spin.

2. What is the difference between the market model of policy analysis and the "polis" or community model of policy analysis? (2)

The market model is one where each person is trying to acquire things for the least amount of money and sell it for the most to their advantage. COMMUNITY-----Collective will-collective consensus. Membership-who is allowed to participate? A political community is a group of people living under the same rules. Communities also are defined by mutual aid-Relationships are important!!!!

3. According to Stone, the essence of policy making is: (2)

a. the struggle over ideas.
b. the battle between good and evil.
c. eliminating all the bad choices before choosing a poor solution.
d. collecting all the possible data and making a solid, justifiable choice.
e. none of the above.

4. Stone discussed Loyalty, Groups, Information and Passion. Choose one of these and describe how Stone used it to demonstrate that policy making is a NON rational process. (2)

LOYALTY--in the market the buyer may switch-that makes markets work. In politics a good system relies on people sticking to the decision even when the going gets tough-GROUPS---People belong to groups, organizations groups forming, splitting and re-forming. INFORMATION--We make decisions with incomplete information but it is power. PASSION----resource expansion through use.the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

5. A "Hobson's Choice" is (2)

a. a process in Congress to determine a policy decision.
b. usually presented so that it is a false choice.
c. two options but one is obviously poor, and the other usually the choice of the speaker.
d. a procedure in the Senate that was established by Senator Hobson (1863) to force a decision.
e. a and b
f. b and c

6. What does Stone have to say about POWER? (2)
Look it UP!!! End of Chapter 1

7. According to the authors, in general what is a "Public Problem?" (2)
A conflict over VALUES

8. According to the authors, disenfranchised groups can gain power through trading, compromising, rewarding and coercion. Choose and define one of these methods. (2)

Variations on...........
I'll give you this for that.
Let's meet in the middle.
I will vote for you or give you money if. . . .
I will not vote for you if you will.

9. Choose one of Clemens & McBeth's "linkage mechanisms" and describe how it works and one potential drawback or negative aspect to that mechanism. (2)

Political parties bring together groups of citizens to nominate candidates who will then represent the citizens.
Interest groups lobby elected officials IG may/may not accurately reflect the desires and demands of members
The media influences public opinion and helps set the agenda. However it rarely attacks the hand feeding it.
Public Opinion influences politicians through aggregated data.
Voting/Elections sends a relatively clear message by retaining the old or ushering in the new.

10. The Sierra Club board of directors decides that all roads in national forests should be closed. They write a letter that goes directly to Vice President Dick Cheney. What model of democracy best describes this form of politics? (1)

a. Ideal
b. Representative
c. Interest groups (Pluralism)
d. Elitism
e. None of the above

11. The people in Harmon, West Virginia (pop. 487) call a town meeting and decide to start their own school. What model of democracy best describes this form of politics? (1)

a. Ideal
b. Representative
c. Interest groups (Pluralism)
d. Elitism
e. None of the above

12. Dr. Ostergren convinces most of the NAU political science majors to go down to Governor Jane Hull's office to press for funds to hire more professors in political science (experts in democracy and mental health politics). What model of democracy best describes this form of politics? (1)

a. Ideal
b. Representative
c. Interest groups (Pluralism)
d. Elitism
e. None of the above

13. What does a model do? What three criteria are models judged by? (3-4 sentences to answer. 4 pts)

a model is created to explain and depict reality. We are not concerned with the topic nor the solutions. But we now need to consider how well the model represents reality.
Three Criteria----verisimilitude, Explanatory power., The ability to Predict the future.

14. Sec. Robert McNamara may or may not have used the rational model to make policy for the Vietnam War. What two points from the rational model do you think he should have used MORE to make a better decision. (2)

The Rational Model

• •Gather data and expert analysis
• •Understanding the problem
• •Define and operationalize the goals (make the goals measurable).
• •Intense and thorough consideration of the facts.
• •Reasoned choice based on the facts, calculation and cost-benefit ratios.

15. Neustadt and May's model supports the idea that policy making is non-rational. Which one of the following IS NOT part of their model? (2)

a. Key presumptions and assumptions are not challenged.
b. Decisions based on "fuzzy" analysis.
c. Actors plunging towards decisions.
d. Understanding the problem.
e. The alternatives are not placed into historical context.

16. Whose assumptions should you challenge when conducting a policy analysis (or, in the future, when you are making policy)? (2)

a. Your own.
b. Your supervisor's.
c. The assumptions of agency, institution or organization that you work for.
d. The assumptions of agency that you are analyzing.
e. All except c.
f. All of the above (a through d).

17. Residents in the Verde River watershed are worried that they may have to stop using water from their wells. What may they have to prove to be able to continue pumping? (2)

a. That they are using groundwater.
b. That they are using surface water.
c. They may have to show they have lived in the valley for more than 50 years.
d. That they know the difference between holocene glacial till and the "N" aquifer.
e. Only b and c

20. What is the Axiom of political science? (1)

Attempts to produce policy will often produce unintended results.

18. According to lecture and readings, in one sentence tell me what is incrementalism? (1)

small changes over time.

19. What is the central value conflict in the Verde River watershed dispute? Provide one interest group that represents each side of the value conflict (two groups). (3)

Anything reasonable goes but you can leave this to me if you need to. SRP is the Salt River Project and they are aligned with the People of Phoenix who have first claim to the water. The people in the Verde want to keep their way of life

21. What are two points within Clemons and McBeth's Intellectual/Analytical critique of the rational model? (2)

We are human and therefor limited and bias. There are just too many choices. Hubris is an exaggerated self confidence that results in punishment or failure. Preconceptions are a form of bounded rationality whereby we are presented with several possibilities but choose one because it is most attractive. We rely on simple rules of thumb rather than affirm the complex inter-relatedness of all things. Complexity.Time-issues are crowded off the table. Data-too little and too much

22. In Clemons and McBeth's political/Institutional critique of the rational model we discussed that an organizational culture may contribute to non-rational policy making/analysis. How can a leader in an organization influence the results of a policy analysis? (2)

Organization-leaders set goals, train and hire employees, limit information, shape the information gathered (personal freedom or war--war or personal freedom), limit the time and personnel. An agency culture is created that predisposes people to decisions

23. To illustrate how words and definitions make a difference in policy formulation, I used following example.

The American Academy of Pediatrics supports homosexual couples being legally recognized to raise children because it will improve the health of the child.

OR The American Academy of Pediatrics supports homosexual couples being legally recognized to raise children because they are trying to erode the institution and values of marriage.

Use your favorite policy issue and one fact (underlined above) to describe it from two perspectives (one sentence for, and one sentence opposed). (2)

Anything along these lines is OK

24. How does a problem gain agenda status--list two ways? (i.e. When is it put on the political agenda?) (2)

-can no longer be ignored (A CRISIS), DOES the issue dramatize a larger problem?, emotional aspect that appeals to and attracts media attention wide impact or raises fundamental questions about power and legitimacy in society. Or it may just be fashionable

25. Clemons and McBeth make an argument for studying the biography of a political actor. Why? (2 sentences. 2pts)

to understand what motivate's an actor and try to predict their future actions. to understand the policy process. Anything along these lines is OK Some actors are more prone to be wooden headed or act on their intuition and personal experience

26. Choose and define one of Kingdon's "process streams." (2)

The problem stream---Reports, budget renewals, disasters and other triggering events.

The policy proposal stream---supplied by academicians, staffers, think tanks and other analysts constantly supply policies that are considered (or not) and used or discarded. a policy primeval soup

The politics stream----the willingness of our political system to put something on the agenda.