WILKES NSG 505 HEALTH POLICY &
POLITICS EXAM 2026/2027: 100
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS & RATIONALES —
PASSAN SCHOOL OF NURSING MSN
PREP
Module 1: Foundations of Health Policy & Politics
1. A graduate nurse is distinguishing health policy from bedside clinical
protocols. Which description best captures health policy?
A) A hospital schedule that assigns nurses to shifts
B) A set of unit-specific steps for completing a nursing procedure
C) Decisions and actions that shape how health goals are pursued across populations
and systems
D) A private contract between one clinician and one patient
Correct Answer: C. Rationale: Health policy operates at organizational, community,
state, or national levels and guides priorities, resources, rights, and responsibilities.
Clinical protocols are narrower tools for care delivery, whereas policy influences the
environment in which that care occurs.
2. Which statement best describes health policy?
A) A hospital's internal procedure manual
B) A set of decisions and actions designed to address health-related goals
C) A nurse's individualized plan of care
D) A physician's treatment recommendation
Correct Answer: B. Rationale: Health policy consists of decisions, plans, laws,
regulations, and actions intended to address health-related problems and goals. It can
operate at organizational, local, state, federal, and international levels.
3. What is the primary reason nurses should understand health policy?
,A) To replace legislators in making healthcare decisions
B) To avoid participating in political activities
C) To understand and influence systems that affect patient and population health
D) To eliminate the need for clinical judgment
Correct Answer: C. Rationale: Nurses encounter the effects of healthcare policies every
day. Understanding policy enables nurses to advocate for patients, participate in
policymaking, and evaluate how decisions affect health outcomes.
4. Which characteristic distinguishes politics from policy?
A) Politics concerns only elections
B) Policy is always created by nurses
C) Politics involves the processes through which competing interests influence
decisions
D) Policy applies only to government programs
Correct Answer: C. Rationale: Politics involves power, negotiation, competing interests,
coalition building, and decision-making. Policy is the resulting course of action, rule, or
set of decisions.
5. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of health policy in
the United States?
A) To reduce healthcare costs for all citizens
B) To protect and promote the health of individuals and populations
C) To increase the profits of healthcare organizations
D) To limit access to healthcare services
Correct Answer: B. Rationale: Health policy encompasses decisions, plans, and actions
undertaken to achieve specific healthcare goals within a society. The primary purpose
is to protect and promote the health of individuals and populations through legislation,
regulation, and resource allocation.
Module 2: Policy Analysis Frameworks
6. A nurse practitioner is conducting a policy analysis of a proposed state bill
that would expand Medicaid coverage for low-income adults. Which of the
following is the FIRST step in the policy analysis process?
A) Evaluating the policy's effectiveness after implementation
B) Defining the problem and its context
C) Lobbying legislators for the policy's passage
D) Drafting the legislative language
, Correct Answer: B. Rationale: The first step in policy analysis is defining the problem
and its context. This involves understanding the nature and scope of the problem,
identifying stakeholders, and assessing the political, economic, and social environment.
Without a clear problem definition, subsequent analysis may be misdirected.
7. According to Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework, which stream is
characterized by the "national mood," interest group pressure, and
administrative changes?
A) Problem stream
B) Policy stream
C) Politics stream
D) Solution stream
Correct Answer: C. Rationale: Kingdon's framework identifies three streams: the
problem stream (conditions defined as problems), the policy stream (proposed solutions
developed by experts), and the politics stream (national mood, interest group pressure,
and administrative turnover). Policy change occurs when the three streams converge.
8. A nurse is analyzing a policy that benefits one group at the expense of others
for the public good. This is an example of:
A) Regulatory policy
B) Allocative policy
C) Distributive policy
D) Self-regulatory policy
Correct Answer: B. Rationale: Allocative policies benefit one group at the expense of
others for the public good. Examples include Medicaid and Medicare, which redistribute
resources from taxpayers to beneficiaries.
9. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the "policy window" in Kingdon's
Multiple Streams Framework?
A) It is always open for policy entrepreneurs
B) It opens when the problem, policy, and politics streams converge
C) It is controlled by the judicial branch
D) It only opens during election years
Correct Answer: B. Rationale: The policy window opens when the three streams
converge, creating a brief opportunity for policy entrepreneurs to advance their
proposed solutions. Policy windows are temporary and require timely action.
10. A nurse practitioner is using a policy analysis framework to evaluate a
proposed policy. Which of the following is a key component of a
comprehensive policy analysis?
POLITICS EXAM 2026/2027: 100
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS & RATIONALES —
PASSAN SCHOOL OF NURSING MSN
PREP
Module 1: Foundations of Health Policy & Politics
1. A graduate nurse is distinguishing health policy from bedside clinical
protocols. Which description best captures health policy?
A) A hospital schedule that assigns nurses to shifts
B) A set of unit-specific steps for completing a nursing procedure
C) Decisions and actions that shape how health goals are pursued across populations
and systems
D) A private contract between one clinician and one patient
Correct Answer: C. Rationale: Health policy operates at organizational, community,
state, or national levels and guides priorities, resources, rights, and responsibilities.
Clinical protocols are narrower tools for care delivery, whereas policy influences the
environment in which that care occurs.
2. Which statement best describes health policy?
A) A hospital's internal procedure manual
B) A set of decisions and actions designed to address health-related goals
C) A nurse's individualized plan of care
D) A physician's treatment recommendation
Correct Answer: B. Rationale: Health policy consists of decisions, plans, laws,
regulations, and actions intended to address health-related problems and goals. It can
operate at organizational, local, state, federal, and international levels.
3. What is the primary reason nurses should understand health policy?
,A) To replace legislators in making healthcare decisions
B) To avoid participating in political activities
C) To understand and influence systems that affect patient and population health
D) To eliminate the need for clinical judgment
Correct Answer: C. Rationale: Nurses encounter the effects of healthcare policies every
day. Understanding policy enables nurses to advocate for patients, participate in
policymaking, and evaluate how decisions affect health outcomes.
4. Which characteristic distinguishes politics from policy?
A) Politics concerns only elections
B) Policy is always created by nurses
C) Politics involves the processes through which competing interests influence
decisions
D) Policy applies only to government programs
Correct Answer: C. Rationale: Politics involves power, negotiation, competing interests,
coalition building, and decision-making. Policy is the resulting course of action, rule, or
set of decisions.
5. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of health policy in
the United States?
A) To reduce healthcare costs for all citizens
B) To protect and promote the health of individuals and populations
C) To increase the profits of healthcare organizations
D) To limit access to healthcare services
Correct Answer: B. Rationale: Health policy encompasses decisions, plans, and actions
undertaken to achieve specific healthcare goals within a society. The primary purpose
is to protect and promote the health of individuals and populations through legislation,
regulation, and resource allocation.
Module 2: Policy Analysis Frameworks
6. A nurse practitioner is conducting a policy analysis of a proposed state bill
that would expand Medicaid coverage for low-income adults. Which of the
following is the FIRST step in the policy analysis process?
A) Evaluating the policy's effectiveness after implementation
B) Defining the problem and its context
C) Lobbying legislators for the policy's passage
D) Drafting the legislative language
, Correct Answer: B. Rationale: The first step in policy analysis is defining the problem
and its context. This involves understanding the nature and scope of the problem,
identifying stakeholders, and assessing the political, economic, and social environment.
Without a clear problem definition, subsequent analysis may be misdirected.
7. According to Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework, which stream is
characterized by the "national mood," interest group pressure, and
administrative changes?
A) Problem stream
B) Policy stream
C) Politics stream
D) Solution stream
Correct Answer: C. Rationale: Kingdon's framework identifies three streams: the
problem stream (conditions defined as problems), the policy stream (proposed solutions
developed by experts), and the politics stream (national mood, interest group pressure,
and administrative turnover). Policy change occurs when the three streams converge.
8. A nurse is analyzing a policy that benefits one group at the expense of others
for the public good. This is an example of:
A) Regulatory policy
B) Allocative policy
C) Distributive policy
D) Self-regulatory policy
Correct Answer: B. Rationale: Allocative policies benefit one group at the expense of
others for the public good. Examples include Medicaid and Medicare, which redistribute
resources from taxpayers to beneficiaries.
9. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the "policy window" in Kingdon's
Multiple Streams Framework?
A) It is always open for policy entrepreneurs
B) It opens when the problem, policy, and politics streams converge
C) It is controlled by the judicial branch
D) It only opens during election years
Correct Answer: B. Rationale: The policy window opens when the three streams
converge, creating a brief opportunity for policy entrepreneurs to advance their
proposed solutions. Policy windows are temporary and require timely action.
10. A nurse practitioner is using a policy analysis framework to evaluate a
proposed policy. Which of the following is a key component of a
comprehensive policy analysis?
