Unit 5 Congress, Legislation, & Policy

Which entity is primarily responsible for creating and implementing public policy?

• Private Companies

• Government Agencies

• Community Organizations

• Media Outlets

What is the typical public policy process involved in addressing a societal issue through government action?

• Problem identification, solution design, policy adoption, implementation, and evaluation

• Needs assessment, resource allocation, program development, service delivery, and outcome measurement

• Planning, budgeting, execution, monitoring, and revision

• Investigation, accusation, trial, sentencing, and appeal

Payroll taxes are used to fund specific social insurance programs.
What is the primary purpose of payroll taxes, and which of the following programs do they support?

• Supporting national defense and homeland security, and funding programs like agriculture productivity.

• Funding education and transportation initiatives, and supporting programs like unemployment insurance and workers' compensation.

• Funding scientific research to eliminate diseases in the elderly and disabled.

• Supporting social insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare, and funding healthcare initiatives.

What role do political parties play in the American electoral system, and how do they support their candidates?

• Political parties focus only on federal elections, raise money to support candidates, and attempt to create common messages amongst their candidates.

• Political parties participate in local, state, and federal elections, raise money to support candidates, and attempt to inform and activate supporters.

• Political parties focus only on school board elections and raise money to support candidates who promise to increase funding for school sports programs.

• Political parties participate only in presidential elections, raise money to support candidates, and attempt to create common messages amongst their candidates.

Third parties in the United States play a significant role in shaping the political landscape, as they raise awareness about specific issues and make the two major parties choose a position on certain topics.
What is a common outcome of this process?

• The two major parties often adopt the third party's platform in its entirety.

• The two major parties are forced to take a more extreme stance on the issue.

• The two major parties are prompted to reconsider their stance on the issue and may incorporate some of the third party's ideas into their own platform.

• The two major parties ignore the third party's platform and continue with their original stance.

An example of a budget deficit is the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that reduced taxes by approximately $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
As a result, the tax cuts contributed to a significant increase in the federal deficit by reducing government revenue each year, adding roughly $1.9 trillion to the national debt.

Which of the following economic policies is the example given above an illustration of?

• Fiscal Conservatism

• Keynesian Economics

• Monetarism

• Supply-Side Economics

Rational choice voters prioritize their own personal interests and benefits when making voting decisions. Which of the following statements best describes the behavior of a rational choice voter?

• They always vote for the candidate from their preferred party, regardless of the issues.

• They vote for the candidate who has the best chance of winning, regardless of their policies.

• They carefully evaluate the policies and positions of each candidate to determine which one will best serve their own interests.

• They vote based on their assessment of the candidate's character and leadership abilities.

Which constitutional amendment marked a significant shift in the way senators are elected, changing the process from one in which senators were chosen by state legislatures to one in which they are directly elected by the people?

• 15th Amendment

• 17th Amendment

• 25th Amendment

• 27th Amendment

The Constitution's designers believed that a two-year term for House Representatives would help to ensure that the House is a body that is highly responsive to the people, with representatives who are accountable to their constituents.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this design feature, and how has it shaped the role of the House of Representatives in the US system of government?

• The two-year term allows representatives to focus on long-term policy goals, but may also lead to a lack of continuity and stability in the House.

• The two-year term ensures that representatives are closely tied to the will of the people, but may also lead to a focus on short-term political gains rather than long-term policy solutions.

• The two-year term is a reflection of the limited powers of the House of Representatives, which is only responsible for declaring war and impeaching the President.

• The two-year term is a result of the historical influence of the British parliamentary system, which has a similar system of representation.

The Founding Fathers were concerned about the potential for larger states to dominate smaller states in the federal government.
Which of the following institutional features was designed to mitigate this concern and ensure that each state has an equal voice?

• The electoral college system for presidential elections.

• The system of proportional representation in the House of Representatives.

• The fact that each state has two senators, regardless of its population.

• The process of amendment to the Constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate.