CPM Public Policy Development & Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which policy analysis framework specifically evaluates the distribution of costs and benefits across different population groups?
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Distributional analysis (Correct answer)
- Risk assessment
- Feasibility analysis
Correct answer: Distributional analysis
Distributional analysis examines how the costs and benefits of a policy are spread across different segments of the population, revealing equity implications.
Question 2: In the policy cycle, what is the primary purpose of the agenda-setting stage?
- Evaluating program outcomes
- Determining which issues receive government attention (Correct answer)
- Implementing approved regulations
- Allocating budget resources to departments
Correct answer: Determining which issues receive government attention
Agenda-setting is the process by which problems and issues gain sufficient attention to be considered for government action.
Question 3: A public manager uses a logic model to plan a new workforce development program. What does the 'outputs' column represent?
- Long-term community changes
- Direct products of program activities (Correct answer)
- Resources invested in the program
- Underlying assumptions about change
Correct answer: Direct products of program activities
Outputs are the direct, tangible products of program activities, such as the number of training sessions held or participants served.
Question 4: Which concept describes the tendency for a policy to persist even when it is no longer optimal, due to accumulated rules, constituencies, and expectations?
- Policy diffusion
- Path dependency (Correct answer)
- Regulatory capture
- Policy termination
Correct answer: Path dependency
Path dependency describes how early policy choices constrain future decisions, making it difficult to abandon established programs even when better alternatives exist.
Question 5: A state agency is considering two policy options. Option A has a net present value of $4M; Option B has a net present value of $6M but carries higher implementation risk. What analysis tool best helps compare these options on a risk-adjusted basis?
- SWOT analysis
- Expected value analysis (Correct answer)
- Regression analysis
- Content analysis
Correct answer: Expected value analysis
Expected value analysis weights each option's value by the probability of success, enabling a risk-adjusted comparison between alternatives.
Question 6: Which stakeholder engagement strategy is MOST appropriate when a community has historically low trust in government agencies?
- One-way informational briefings
- Expert panel presentations
- Collaborative co-design processes (Correct answer)
- Anonymous online surveys only
Correct answer: Collaborative co-design processes
Co-design processes give community members genuine input into policy development, helping rebuild trust through shared ownership of the outcome.
Question 7: Under the Kingdon 'multiple streams' model, a 'policy window' opens when which conditions align?
- Budget surplus, legislative majority, and public approval
- Problem stream, policy stream, and political stream (Correct answer)
- Research findings, media coverage, and advocacy
- Federal mandate, state funding, and local capacity
Correct answer: Problem stream, policy stream, and political stream
Kingdon's model holds that policy change becomes possible when a recognized problem, a viable solution, and favorable political conditions converge simultaneously.
CPM Public Policy Development & Analysis 2
Which policy analysis framework specifically evaluates the distribution of costs and benefits across different population groups?