Skip to content

Menu

ExamPassoLog in

GED Social Studies: Contemporary Public Policy Concepts

Importance ★★★☆☆ · 10% (estimate)

Overview

This chapter is about public policy, the actions government takes to deal with public issues, and about how to judge arguments and evidence on those issues.

Different levels of government handle different issues. Local governments run services such as trash pickup and local police, while states and the federal government handle wider issues. Policies include laws, regulations, spending, and programs. Regulations, such as limits on pollution, can protect health but also add costs.

GED questions often ask you to evaluate statements about a policy. A fact can be checked; an opinion is a judgment. Good evidence for a policy's success compares results before and after, with other conditions similar. When two things rise together, that is a correlation, which does not prove that one causes the other.

Key concepts

  • Public policy

    A plan or course of action government takes to deal with an issue, such as a law, regulation, or program.

    Memory tipPolicy = what government decides to do.

  • Regulation

    A government rule that limits or guides what people or businesses do.

    Memory tipPollution limits are environmental regulations.

  • Fact vs. opinion

    A fact can be proven true or false. An opinion is a belief or judgment.

    Memory tipWords like best, fairest, should signal opinion.

  • Correlation vs. causation

    Two things changing together (correlation) does not prove one causes the other.

    Memory tipLook for a hidden third factor.

  • Evaluating evidence

    Strong evidence measures the policy's goal before and after the change, with other conditions similar.

    Memory tipSpeeches and polls are not proof a policy worked.

Often tested

  • Pick the statement that uses judgment words when asked for an opinion.
  • Different points of view often weigh the same costs and benefits differently.
  • Local governments handle many everyday services.

3 sample questions

Verified practice questions from this unit.

Practice questionReviewedCivics and Government › Contemporary Public Policy★★★★☆

Question 1. Read the passage. "The city council is voting on a plan to raise the minimum wage from $12 to $15 an hour. The plan would take effect in two steps, in 2027 and 2028. Raising the wage is the fairest thing any city could do." Which sentence from the passage is an opinion?

  1. ① "The plan would take effect in two steps, in 2027 and 2028."
  2. ② "The city council is voting on a plan to raise the minimum wage from $12 to $15 an hour."
  3. ③ None of the sentences; they are all facts.
  4. ④ "Raising the wage is the fairest thing any city could do."
▼ Show answer and explanation▲ Hide answer and explanation

Answer: ④ "Raising the wage is the fairest thing any city could do."

Key point: Fact can be checked; opinion is a judgment

A fact can be proven true or false, such as a vote or a date. An opinion is a belief or judgment, often signaled by words like "best," "fairest," or "should." People can disagree about what is fair, so that sentence is an opinion.

Wrong choices

  • "The plan would take effect in two steps, in 2027 and 2028.": The timing of the plan can be checked in the plan itself, so it is a fact.
  • "The city council is voting on a plan to raise the minimum wage from $12 to $15 an hour.": Whether the council is voting on this plan can be checked, so it is a fact.
  • None of the sentences; they are all facts.: One sentence gives a judgment ("fairest") that cannot be proven, so not all sentences are facts.
Practice questionReviewedCivics and Government › Contemporary Public Policy★★★☆☆

Question 2. A report notes that cities with more police officers also tend to have more crimes reported. Which conclusion is most reasonable?

  1. ① Hiring police officers causes crime to rise
  2. ② Cities should cut police to reduce crime
  3. ③ The data show a relationship, but they do not prove that police cause crime
  4. ④ The data prove there is no relationship between police and crime
▼ Show answer and explanation▲ Hide answer and explanation

Answer: ③ The data show a relationship, but they do not prove that police cause crime

Key point: Correlation is not causation

When two things rise together, they are correlated. That does not mean one causes the other. A third factor, such as city size, may cause both. GED questions often test whether you can tell correlation from causation.

Wrong choices

  • Hiring police officers causes crime to rise: A relationship (correlation) does not prove cause. Large cities may simply have more people, more crime, and more police.
  • Cities should cut police to reduce crime: This advice assumes police cause crime, which the data do not show.
  • The data prove there is no relationship between police and crime: The data do show a relationship. They just do not show what causes it.
Practice questionReviewedCivics and Government › Contemporary Public Policy★★★☆☆

Question 3. What is public policy?

  1. ① A jury's decision in a court case
  2. ② The rules a private company sets for its workers
  3. ③ A plan or course of action a government takes to deal with an issue
  4. ④ A political party's campaign slogan
▼ Show answer and explanation▲ Hide answer and explanation

Answer: ③ A plan or course of action a government takes to deal with an issue

Key point: Public policy: government's plan to deal with an issue

Public policy is what government decides to do, or not do, about a public issue. It includes laws, regulations, spending choices, and programs, such as rules for clean water or funding for highways.

Wrong choices

  • A jury's decision in a court case: A jury decides one case. Public policy is a broader government plan.
  • The rules a private company sets for its workers: Company rules are private policies, not public policy made by government.
  • A political party's campaign slogan: A slogan is a message, not an action by government.
Practice 5 questions from this unit →

AI-written · Verified · Written by AI. Only units that passed a separate AI check (re-reading facts and numbers) are published. Tell us if you find a mistake.