INSTRUCTIONS:

If you have any questions about the exam questions or the instructions, please contact me at home (724-6833). Just don't
call after 8:30 p.m.

Type your exam using a standard 12-point font (e.g., Times New Roman or Courier New) on 8.5" x 11" paper, double-spaced, with 1" margins all around. Exams not in this format will be returned ungraded and, when re-done, penalized as late. If for some reason you cannot meet these standards, please work it out with me before you turn in your exam.

Writing mechanics: Remember that I have to grade many pages of the class's writing. I thus require good writing mechanics so as to reduce my burden as much as possible. The harder I have to work to understand you, the more your grades go down. (In addition, I will take points off for bad mechanics.) Things that obscure your meanings: misspellings, missing words, improper use of apostrophes, incomplete sentences. (This is a sample, not an exhaustive list, obviously.)

The questions are given below. Please read them carefully, since they have many specific parts and instructions!

Question 1: The D&G text defines and discusses four types of public policy: regulatory, distributive, redistributive, and constituent (pp.53-56). Choose TWO of these four types, and for EACH of these (TWO) types, answer the following questions. (a) What's the name of the type? (So I can keep track.) (b) What is ONE example of such a policy? (Give as your example a policy that isn't mentioned in the text and wasn't discussed in class.) Give the specific intended purpose of the policy, the level(s) of government responsible for administering the policy, and WHY that policy is the type of policy you say it is in (a).

Question 2: Choose EITHER (a) or (b) below (but not both).

1. "Privatization": Let's say that the government of Minnesota starts to think about getting out of the higher education business altogether. They think of doing so by selling the University of Minnesota (all campuses and other facilities) to the highest bidder. (They also think of doing so for the State University system and also for the Community and Technical College system, but we'll stick with the University of Minnesota.) Give what you consider (i) the best reason FOR such an action and (ii) the best reason AGAINST such an action.
2. "Contracting out": This is basically the same question as (a), above, except that instead of selling the University outright, the government of Minnesota considers turning over the management of the University to a private, for-profit corporation. (There would be some sort of bidding process, where different corporations bid against each other for the right to run the University.) Give what you consider (i) the best reason FOR such an action and (ii) the best reason AGAINST such an action.

Question 3: In class we discussed how "Billie Jackson" might respond to the city council's refusal to consider further the purchase of an abandoned downtown building for use as a city-owned long-term care facility. (See the story given in D&G, p.76, Ex.4. Let's call the city "Edgemont" for concreteness, and let's say it's located in Buck County, Colorado.) In considering how to respond, Ms. Jackson realizes that the city is not the only player in the game -- that other powers, both governmental and non-governmental, have some concern about this issue. Those other powers could thus potentially be allies (or opponents) of her idea, and so she wants to think about what their interests and concerns might be. Answer BOTH part (a) AND part (b) below.

1. Give the name of ONE agency (or the title of some person) in the Federal, State, or County government that might have some interest in this issue. Now, for that agency (or person), answer the following three questions: (i) what is that agency's/person's main concern (or what are the main concerns, plural -- up to a limit of three concerns); (ii) what ability
   (political leverage) does that agency/person have to influence the city's decision; and (iii) what is the main reason (or reasons, plural, up to a limit of three) that this agency or person would choose NOT to exercise that influence? In other words, to sum up this question, Ms. Jackson is trying to make a cold, realistic political assessment of who might be for or against her, and why, and how their influence can be brought to bear (if positive) or headed off (if negative).
2. This is the same question as above, except it is for non-governmental organizations: give one (only one) NGO's name,
   its main concern(s), its main source(s) of political leverage, and its main reason(s) NOT to get involved. You are welcome to choose your own NGO, but it you're stuck for an example, you might look at the university where Ms. Jackson got her study done.