MPA Public Policy Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept refers to unintended negative consequences borne by third parties who are not directly involved in a policy or transaction?
- Externalities (Correct answer)
- Deadweight loss
- Moral hazard
- Adverse selection
Correct answer: Externalities
Negative externalities are costs imposed on parties external to a transaction or policy decision, such as pollution affecting people who are not buyers or sellers of a product.
Question 2: In Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework, a 'policy window' opens when:
- A bill passes committee and reaches the full legislative chamber
- The problem stream, policy stream, and political stream converge, creating an opportunity for policy change (Correct answer)
- The president submits a budget proposal to Congress
- A court strikes down an existing regulation
Correct answer: The problem stream, policy stream, and political stream converge, creating an opportunity for policy change
According to Kingdon, a policy window is a brief opportunity for advocates to push their preferred solutions when a compelling problem, a viable solution, and a favorable political climate all align simultaneously.
Question 3: What is 'evidence-based policymaking'?
- Relying exclusively on public opinion polls to guide policy decisions
- An approach that uses rigorous research and data to identify effective interventions and inform policy choices (Correct answer)
- Writing regulations based only on prior court precedents
- Using only anecdotal evidence from constituent feedback
Correct answer: An approach that uses rigorous research and data to identify effective interventions and inform policy choices
Evidence-based policymaking integrates the best available research, data, and program evaluations into government decision-making to improve policy effectiveness.
Question 4: Which theory holds that policies, once established, are difficult to change because they create constituencies and institutions that reinforce the status quo?
- Rational choice theory
- Path dependency (Correct answer)
- Public choice theory
- Systems theory
Correct answer: Path dependency
Path dependency in policy analysis explains how early policy choices create self-reinforcing feedback loops — interest groups, institutions, and expectations that make policy reversal costly.
Question 5: A 'sunset provision' in legislation requires that:
- A law takes effect only after a specified future date
- A program or law automatically expires after a set period unless affirmatively reauthorized (Correct answer)
- Regulations must be published before sunset of the legislative session
- Agencies report after-hours performance metrics
Correct answer: A program or law automatically expires after a set period unless affirmatively reauthorized
Sunset provisions build an expiration date into a law or program, forcing periodic legislative review and reauthorization rather than allowing programs to continue indefinitely.
Question 6: In public policy, 'distributive policies' are characterized by:
- Taking from one group to give to another in a zero-sum manner
- Providing benefits to many groups or geographic areas with widely dispersed costs, creating little visible conflict (Correct answer)
- Regulating industry behavior through direct government mandates
- Redistributing income through progressive taxation
Correct answer: Providing benefits to many groups or geographic areas with widely dispersed costs, creating little visible conflict
Distributive policies, such as agriculture subsidies or highway grants, disperse benefits widely while spreading costs broadly, typically generating little political opposition because no single group bears high visible costs.
MPA Public Policy Analysis 3
Which concept refers to unintended negative consequences borne by third parties who are not directly involved in a policy or transaction?