CHAPTER 14: THE CONGRESS, THE PRESIDENT, AND THE BUDGET: THE POLITICS
OF TAXING AND SPENDING
Intro (p. 434-436)
federal government's budget - a) def (b) connection to policy
meaning of "burdens," and "benefits" as they relate to the budget
I. The Government’s Sources of Revenue (p. 436-446)
tax expenditure - (a) def (b) examples (c) implications
federal revenue - the major sources, and the one insignificant source
social security taxes - (a) def. (b) who pays them, and what is the reasoning behind this?
overall tax rates of US vs. other developed countries - less, more, same?
Know Top 4 Sources of federal revenue IN ORDER
progressive nature of individual income tax - (a) what does this mean (b) what are its implications
bonds - (a) what are they used for, (b) who sells them, and (c) why?
which branch has Constitutional authority over taxing and spending?
II. Federal Expenditures (p. 446-453)
entitlements: a) def (b) significance (c) examples
uncontrollable expenditures - a) def b) implications c) examples
incrementalism or incremental budgeting - a) def b) implications
medicare - a) def b) significance
defense vs. social service spending: trends over time
which categories of spending make up the largest part of federal spending?
III. The Budgetary Process (p. 453-460)
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 - a) provisions of the law b)
significance
Office of Management and Budget - (a) role in budget process, be specific (b) chain of responsiblility,
who does the OMB answer to?
budget resolution - a) def b) significance
appropriations bill - (a) def (b) who/what crafts such bills (c) example of approp. bill
authorization bill - (a) def (b) who/what crafts such bills (c) example of approp. bill
CHAPTER 15: THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY
I. The Bureaucrats (p. 468-476)
plum book: meaning and significance
patronage system - (a) def (b) problems (c) replaced with?
demographics of bureaucratic employees, especially when compared with gov. jobs such as President,
Congress, judges
How are bureaucratic agencies created?
Who are bureaucratic agencies directly and indirectly responsible to (branch)?
civil service - (a) def (b) reasoning behind it (c) legislation that created it
III. How Bureaucracies are Organized
independent executive agencies - what are they, how they differ from other executive agencies/orgs,
examples
relationship between Congress (using regulatory legislation) and regulatory agencies, how do C and
Reg Agencies interact
government corporations: a) what are they b) examples
independent regulatory agencies- (a) def (b) role
IV. Bureaucracies As Implementers (p. 480-490)
policy implementation - def. (b) role of bureaucratic agencies in implementation
street-level bureaucrats - (a) def. (b) explain their possession of discretion
administrative discretion - (a) def. (b) implications
name all the ways that discretion arises in bureaucratic implementation, and the consequences...does
Congress like this?
V. Bureaucracies as Regulators (p. 490-494)
regulation - def
relative size of the bureaucracy compared to other parts of government
deregulation- (a) def (b) examples
VI. Understanding Bureaucracies (p. 494-499)
method(s) used by Congress to lessen bureaucratic discretion - bureaucratic discretion: (a) what is it,
(b) examples of it
methods used by pres. to control bureaucracy - cans and can'ts
iron triangles - (a) def. (b) alternative names "issues networks," "subgovernments" (c) how they work
(d) why they exist (e) problems that arise for President and Congress because of them
CHAPTER 17: ECONOMIC POLICYMAKING
Intro (p. 540-542)
capitalism - a) def (b) know all words in the definition (means of production, etc.)
I. Government, Politics, and The Economy (p. 542-548)
party (D and R) policy stances on high inflation
recession vs. inflation tolerance between the two parties
unemployment rate - a) def (b) how is it determined (c) implications
how is voting influenced by the economy? why? think in terms of party, and the economic positions of
individual voters.
Consumer price index - (a) def (b) how is it calculated (c) implications, what does it measure,
actually?
mixed political economy - (a) def
II. Policies for Controlling the Economy (p. 548-553)
fiscal policy - meaning
laissez-faire - (a) meaning (b) implications for government
Keynesian economic theory - (a) meaning (b) historical background (c) basic assertion of the theory
(d) should the government spend more or less in bad times, according to this theory?
monetarism/monetarists - (a) meaning (b) implications
inflation - (a) meaning (b) implications
supply-side economics (Reaganomics) - (a) def. (b) contrast with Keynes (c) specific positive
outcomes according to proponents
Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors - (a) what is their job (b) how are they appointed (c)
how long are their terms, and why?
monetary policy - (a) def (b) by whom, and how is it regulated?
IV. Arenas of Economic Policymaking
antitrust policy or antitrust legislation - (a) def (b) purpose
right-to-work laws: (a) def. (b) who supports and why (c) example of a right-to-work law