PA460 2026/2027 Exam
Questions and Correct
Answers | New Update
Birkland's book is most closely associated with which tradition in policy
studies? - ANSWER ✔✔Politics
When newspapers and other media talk about "playing politics" with an
issue, they usually mean that - ANSWER ✔✔Various interests are
competing, often in seemingly self-interested ways, to gain their goals at
the expense of others.
,Playing politics= dishonest aspect of politics where someone is accused
of engaging in the process just to gain personal advantages and that
might not benefit society as a whole.
Which of the following is not a feature of most definitions of public
policy? - ANSWER ✔✔Difficult to answer this without choices...
reference Ch1 pg 8-9
A problem that requires attention (public's behalf, goal, etc)
Why doesn't everyone engage major issues of public policy all the time?
- ANSWER ✔✔No one can be concerned about all issues all the
time.
Public policy encompasses many things, so it would be too vast for
people to be engaged all the time.
People study the policy process because: - ANSWER ✔✔Most
people are interested in how the public policy process will impact their
lives. So different people have different concerns/priorities and will be
interested in different aspects (not necessarily all) of public policy.
Anecdotal evidence is based on: - ANSWER ✔✔A story: which is
used to illustrate (in a way that people will understand) problems that a
policy may have.
,The DARE program lost federal funding, and many school districts
dropped it, because: - ANSWER ✔✔There is extensive scientific
evidence of its ineffectiveness.
"As a result of the many studies that showed DARE's ineffectiveness,
federal money supporting DARE programs was cut, and some school
districts have dropped the DARE program."
Define the term "public policy." Explain your definition. - ANSWER
✔✔PG.8-9 "Policy is what the government chooses to do or not to do".
Give two reasons to explain why people study public policy. -
ANSWER ✔✔People study public policy for two reasons: a
theoretical/scientific reason, or a political reason. The theoretical reason
covers people's interest in knowing about the process of policy. The
political reason describes people that want to further their political goals
to promote their preferred policy options.
Explain why theories of the public policy are as important as knowing
about the substance of public policy - ANSWER ✔✔The practical and
applied study of public policy takes its cues from theory, but seeks more
actively to apply those theoretical insights to actual cases of public policy
formation, thereby helping theorists improve their theories
COPYRIGHT©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2026. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
, Explain why "politics," as defined by social scientists, is central to the
study of public policy. - ANSWER ✔✔...
What is a policy? - ANSWER ✔✔A Statement by government of what
it intends to do such as a law, regulation, ruling, decision, order, or a
combination of these. the lack of such statements may also be an
implicit statement of policy. (pg.9)
Explain another academic discipline other than political science that
contributes to the study and understanding of public policy. -
ANSWER ✔✔Economics is an important aspect of public policy
because it is the study of how resources are allocated in a community.
Economists understand the trends of the market, and thus how things
like employment will be affected, or how the community could benefit if
money is put toward a certain project.
Explain why anecdotal evidence or "stories" can be useful in policy
debate, despite their weak foundation in science. - ANSWER
✔✔Mainly, the rhetoric is why they're useful in policy debate. They are a
good way to explain things, and everyone likes a good story. It is a good
strategy to use for policy advocacy.
What arguments do defenders of the DARE program use to justify the
program's potential effectiveness, despite the scientific evidence that
Questions and Correct
Answers | New Update
Birkland's book is most closely associated with which tradition in policy
studies? - ANSWER ✔✔Politics
When newspapers and other media talk about "playing politics" with an
issue, they usually mean that - ANSWER ✔✔Various interests are
competing, often in seemingly self-interested ways, to gain their goals at
the expense of others.
,Playing politics= dishonest aspect of politics where someone is accused
of engaging in the process just to gain personal advantages and that
might not benefit society as a whole.
Which of the following is not a feature of most definitions of public
policy? - ANSWER ✔✔Difficult to answer this without choices...
reference Ch1 pg 8-9
A problem that requires attention (public's behalf, goal, etc)
Why doesn't everyone engage major issues of public policy all the time?
- ANSWER ✔✔No one can be concerned about all issues all the
time.
Public policy encompasses many things, so it would be too vast for
people to be engaged all the time.
People study the policy process because: - ANSWER ✔✔Most
people are interested in how the public policy process will impact their
lives. So different people have different concerns/priorities and will be
interested in different aspects (not necessarily all) of public policy.
Anecdotal evidence is based on: - ANSWER ✔✔A story: which is
used to illustrate (in a way that people will understand) problems that a
policy may have.
,The DARE program lost federal funding, and many school districts
dropped it, because: - ANSWER ✔✔There is extensive scientific
evidence of its ineffectiveness.
"As a result of the many studies that showed DARE's ineffectiveness,
federal money supporting DARE programs was cut, and some school
districts have dropped the DARE program."
Define the term "public policy." Explain your definition. - ANSWER
✔✔PG.8-9 "Policy is what the government chooses to do or not to do".
Give two reasons to explain why people study public policy. -
ANSWER ✔✔People study public policy for two reasons: a
theoretical/scientific reason, or a political reason. The theoretical reason
covers people's interest in knowing about the process of policy. The
political reason describes people that want to further their political goals
to promote their preferred policy options.
Explain why theories of the public policy are as important as knowing
about the substance of public policy - ANSWER ✔✔The practical and
applied study of public policy takes its cues from theory, but seeks more
actively to apply those theoretical insights to actual cases of public policy
formation, thereby helping theorists improve their theories
COPYRIGHT©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2026. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
, Explain why "politics," as defined by social scientists, is central to the
study of public policy. - ANSWER ✔✔...
What is a policy? - ANSWER ✔✔A Statement by government of what
it intends to do such as a law, regulation, ruling, decision, order, or a
combination of these. the lack of such statements may also be an
implicit statement of policy. (pg.9)
Explain another academic discipline other than political science that
contributes to the study and understanding of public policy. -
ANSWER ✔✔Economics is an important aspect of public policy
because it is the study of how resources are allocated in a community.
Economists understand the trends of the market, and thus how things
like employment will be affected, or how the community could benefit if
money is put toward a certain project.
Explain why anecdotal evidence or "stories" can be useful in policy
debate, despite their weak foundation in science. - ANSWER
✔✔Mainly, the rhetoric is why they're useful in policy debate. They are a
good way to explain things, and everyone likes a good story. It is a good
strategy to use for policy advocacy.
What arguments do defenders of the DARE program use to justify the
program's potential effectiveness, despite the scientific evidence that
