Question | Answer |
Social Welfare Policy | Government programs designed to improve quality of life. |
Public Policy | An intentional course of action followed by government in dealing with some problem or matter of concern. |
Agenda | A set of issues to be discussed or given attention. |
Systemic Agenda | All public issues that are viewed as requiring governmental attention; a discussion agenda. |
Governmental (Institutional) Agenda | The changing list of issues to which governments believe they should address themselves. |
Agenda Setting | The constant process of forming the list of issues to be addressed by government. |
Policy Formulation | The crafting of appropriate and acceptable proposed courses of action to ameliorate or resolve public problems. |
Policy Adoption | The approval of a policy proposal by the people with the requisite authority, such as a legislature. |
Policy Implementation | The process of carrying out public policy through governmental agencies and the courts. |
Policy Evaluation | The process of determining whether a course of action is achieving its intended goals. |
Social Security Act | A 1935 law that established old-age insurance (Social Security) and assistance for the needy, children, and others, and unemployment insurance. |
Non-Means-Based Program | Program such as Social Security where benefits are provided irrespective of the income or means of recipients. |
Means-Tested Program | Income security program intended to assist those whose incomes fall below a designated level. |
Entitlement Program | Income security program to which all those meeting eligibility criteria are entitled. |
Medicare | The federal program established in the Lyndon B. Johnson administration that provides medical care to elderly Social Security recipients. |
Medicaid | An expansion of Medicare, this program subsidizes medical care for the poor. |