LPPP 3230 EXAM STUDY SET
Veto - Answer A presidential power to reject a bill approved by Congress; Congress may
override the president's veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses
Bicameralism - Answer The term used to describe a two-house congress. In the United
States, this consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate
Unfunded Mandate - Answer Federal requirements placed upon the state governments
without sufficient funds for implementation
Filibuster - Answer The senatorial procedure whereby a single senator or group of
senators can talk for an extended period of time in hope of delaying, modifying, or
defeating a proposal
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards - Answer A federal program that
mandates achievement of an average level of fuel efficiency for a given automaker's line
of vehicles. That is, it sets minimum fuel economy standards, but only for the average of
all vehicles produced
Policy Implementation - Answer The actual development of a program's details to
ensure that policy goals and objectives will be attained; it is during this part of the policy
process when one sees actual government intervention and real consequences for
society
Deterrence - Answer A policy strategy used most often in national defense in which the
object is to deter or prevent a potential enemy from taking actions harmful to the nation.
The strategy of nuclear deterrence, for example, was based on the assumption that no
nation would engage in a preemptive, or first-strike, war because the likely retaliation
would be too massive to accept
Agenda Setting - Answer A step in the policy process whereby policy actors attempt to
get an issue seriously considered for public action
Market Failure - Answer A term used when the private market is not efficient; some
argue that such a failure provides a justification for government intervention
Positive Externality - Answer A type of market failure that occurs the same way as a
negative externality, but the third party gains something from the two-party interaction
and does not have to pay for it
Political Feasibility - Answer A calculation of the likely acceptability to policymakers of
proposed policy ideas or alternatives. Refers to whether elected officials are likely to
support the idea. This is assumed to reflect a broader social acceptability of the same
ideas or alternatives
Collective Good - Answer The general good of all people in a community, state, or
, nation. Also refers to goods, such as national defense, that could in principle be private
but instead are provided by government because private markets cannot do so. Also
called a public good
Block Grants - Answer Transfers of federal dollars to the states, where the states have
substantial discretion in how to spend the money to meet the needs of their citizens
Policy Gridlock - Answer When political decision makers are unable or unwilling to
compromise in a way that permits public policy action
Cap-and-trade policy - Answer A policy action that relies on market-based mechanisms
in which an overall cap or ceiling is set and trading of permits or allowances is allowed
within that cap. The cap may be lowered over time
Redistributive Policies - Answer Policies that provide benefits to one category of
individuals at the expense of another; often reflect ideological or class conflict
Paris Agreement - Answer The late 2015 commitment by nearly all nations to adopt
policies to lower greenhouse gas emissions in a major effort to combat climate change
Realpolitik - Answer A hardheaded or practical appraisal of national interests that
emphasizes competition among nation-states
National Security Agency (NSA) - Answer A secretive intelligence agency created in
1952 to coordinate, direct, and perform activities to protect U.S. government
information systems as well as assess a diversity of foreign communications related to
national security
Interest Groups - Answer organization of people who share political, social or other
goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals.
NGOs - Answer A non-governmental, non-profit organization that runs aid programs and
lobbies for people's rights around the world
Gerrymandering - Answer Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose
of benefiting the party in power.
Executive Order - Answer a rule or order issued by the president to an executive branch
of the government and having the force of law.
Signing Statement - Answer A written declaration that a president may make when
signing a bill into law. Usually, such statements point out sections of the law that the
president deems unconstitutional.
Cloture - Answer A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the
Senate.
Omnibus Bill - Answer A single document that is accepted in a single vote by a
legislature but contains amendments to a number of other laws or even many entirely
Veto - Answer A presidential power to reject a bill approved by Congress; Congress may
override the president's veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses
Bicameralism - Answer The term used to describe a two-house congress. In the United
States, this consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate
Unfunded Mandate - Answer Federal requirements placed upon the state governments
without sufficient funds for implementation
Filibuster - Answer The senatorial procedure whereby a single senator or group of
senators can talk for an extended period of time in hope of delaying, modifying, or
defeating a proposal
Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards - Answer A federal program that
mandates achievement of an average level of fuel efficiency for a given automaker's line
of vehicles. That is, it sets minimum fuel economy standards, but only for the average of
all vehicles produced
Policy Implementation - Answer The actual development of a program's details to
ensure that policy goals and objectives will be attained; it is during this part of the policy
process when one sees actual government intervention and real consequences for
society
Deterrence - Answer A policy strategy used most often in national defense in which the
object is to deter or prevent a potential enemy from taking actions harmful to the nation.
The strategy of nuclear deterrence, for example, was based on the assumption that no
nation would engage in a preemptive, or first-strike, war because the likely retaliation
would be too massive to accept
Agenda Setting - Answer A step in the policy process whereby policy actors attempt to
get an issue seriously considered for public action
Market Failure - Answer A term used when the private market is not efficient; some
argue that such a failure provides a justification for government intervention
Positive Externality - Answer A type of market failure that occurs the same way as a
negative externality, but the third party gains something from the two-party interaction
and does not have to pay for it
Political Feasibility - Answer A calculation of the likely acceptability to policymakers of
proposed policy ideas or alternatives. Refers to whether elected officials are likely to
support the idea. This is assumed to reflect a broader social acceptability of the same
ideas or alternatives
Collective Good - Answer The general good of all people in a community, state, or
, nation. Also refers to goods, such as national defense, that could in principle be private
but instead are provided by government because private markets cannot do so. Also
called a public good
Block Grants - Answer Transfers of federal dollars to the states, where the states have
substantial discretion in how to spend the money to meet the needs of their citizens
Policy Gridlock - Answer When political decision makers are unable or unwilling to
compromise in a way that permits public policy action
Cap-and-trade policy - Answer A policy action that relies on market-based mechanisms
in which an overall cap or ceiling is set and trading of permits or allowances is allowed
within that cap. The cap may be lowered over time
Redistributive Policies - Answer Policies that provide benefits to one category of
individuals at the expense of another; often reflect ideological or class conflict
Paris Agreement - Answer The late 2015 commitment by nearly all nations to adopt
policies to lower greenhouse gas emissions in a major effort to combat climate change
Realpolitik - Answer A hardheaded or practical appraisal of national interests that
emphasizes competition among nation-states
National Security Agency (NSA) - Answer A secretive intelligence agency created in
1952 to coordinate, direct, and perform activities to protect U.S. government
information systems as well as assess a diversity of foreign communications related to
national security
Interest Groups - Answer organization of people who share political, social or other
goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals.
NGOs - Answer A non-governmental, non-profit organization that runs aid programs and
lobbies for people's rights around the world
Gerrymandering - Answer Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose
of benefiting the party in power.
Executive Order - Answer a rule or order issued by the president to an executive branch
of the government and having the force of law.
Signing Statement - Answer A written declaration that a president may make when
signing a bill into law. Usually, such statements point out sections of the law that the
president deems unconstitutional.
Cloture - Answer A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the
Senate.
Omnibus Bill - Answer A single document that is accepted in a single vote by a
legislature but contains amendments to a number of other laws or even many entirely
