Deck 13: The Bureaucracy

Question 1

The must approve the constitutionality of National Security Agency actions.

A) United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC)
B) President
C) Congress
D) National Security Council (NSC)
E) Supreme Court (SCOTUS)

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In 1789, the three government departments were

A) state, justice, and commerce.
B) treasury, justice, and education.
C) state, war, and treasury.
D) war, education, and justice.
E) defense, justice, and commerce.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The executive branch of the federal government includes all of the following major types of structures EXCEPT

A) executive departments.
B) independent executive agencies.
C) independent regulatory agencies.
D) autonomous advisory councils.
E) government corporations.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The fifteen executive departments, which are directly accountable to the , are the major service organizations of the federal government.

A) president
B) Office of Management and Budget
C) Government Accountability Office
D) vice president
E) Senate

Question 5

Subagencies of the State Department include the

A) National Security Agency and Joint Chiefs of Staff.
B) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management and the National Nuclear Security Administration.
C) Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
D) Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Secret Service.
E) National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

Question 6

Bureaucracies have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT

A) their power to act lies in people, not positions.
B) they are large, complex organizations.
C) they carry out policies created by elected government officials.
D) their organizational structure is hierarchical.
E) they delegate tasks to specialists.

Question 7

Today, the costs of maintaining the government at all levels account for about of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).

A) 3 percent
B) 5 percent
C) 11 percent
D) 14 percent
E) 38 percent

Question 8

The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Mint are subagencies of the Department.

A) Commerce
B) Labor
C) Interior
D) Treasury
E) Education

Question 9

The Department supervises federally owned lands and parks and operates federal hydroelectric power facilities.

A) Agriculture
B) Homeland Security
C) Interior
D) Energy
E) Commerce

Question 10

The principal duties of the Department include negotiating treaties, developing our foreign policy, and protecting citizens abroad.

A) Justice
B) Homeland Security
C) Defense
D) State
E) Veterans Affairs

Question 11

Defense spending, with veterans' benefits, amounts to almost of federal government spending.

A) 8 percent
B) 13 percent
C) 17 percent
D) 25 percent
E) 41 percent

Question 12

The Justice Department is headed by the

A) Solicitor General of the United States.
B) Chief Justice of the United States.
C) Attorney General.
D) Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
E) Director of the Secret Service.

Question 13

The executive departments are

A) businesses owned by the government.
B) responsible for a specific type of policy. They create and implement rules that regulate private activity and protect the public interest in a particular sector of the economy.
C) federal bureaucratic organizations that have a single function.
D) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprises.
E) the major service organizations of the federal government.

Question 14

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Prisons are subagencies of the Department.

A) Commerce
B) Justice
C) Interior
D) Homeland Security
E) Health and Human Services

Question 15

Which of the following programs constitutes the largest share of federal spending?

A) Military/Defense
B) Medicare
C) Medicaid
D) Social Security
E) Low Income and Disability Support

Question 16

A government employee who works in a bureaucracy is called a(n) .

A) federal agent
B) bureaucrat
C) automaton
D) executive officer
E) inspector

Question 17

All in all, the three levels of government employ about of the civilian labor force.

A) 4 percent
B) 11 percent
C) 16 percent
D) 23 percent
E) 40 percent

Question 18

Together, Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment compensation make up of the federal budget.

A) 13 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 38 percent
D) 48 percent
E) 54 percent

Question 19

Each executive department head is appointed by the and confirmed by .

A) president; the comptroller general who heads the Government Accountability Office
B) president; the Senate
C) president; Congress
D) vice president; the president pro tempore of the Senate
E) White House chief of staff; the president

Question 20

Each executive department was created by as the perceived need for it arose.

A) the president
B) Congress
C) the Executive Office of the President
D) the Office of Management and Budget
E) the Government Accountability Office

Question 21

All of the following are government corporations EXCEPT

A) the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
B) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
C) the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak).
D) the United States Postal Service.
E) the Federal Reserve System (the Fed).

Question 22

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Secret Service are subagencies of the Department.

A) Justice
B) Treasury
C) Homeland Security
D) State
E) Commerce

Question 23

When a company goes bankrupt, it is subject to the supervision of until it exits from bankruptcy or is liquidated.

A) the president
B) the Office of Management and Budget
C) the Securities and Exchange Commission
D) Congress
E) a federal judge

Question 24

Each cabinet department consists of the top administrator plus a number of .

A) constituents
B) oversight bodies
C) undersecretaries
D) deputies
E) agencies

Question 25

The newest executive departments are

A) Transportation and Education.
B) Agriculture and Labor.
C) Interior and Energy.
D) Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.
E) Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services.

Question 26

A federal organization responsible for creating and implementing rules that regulate private activity and protect the public interest in a particular sector of the economy is known as a(n)

A) executive department.
B) government corporation.
C) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprise.
D) national board of review.
E) independent regulatory agency.

Question 27

The Small Business Administration (SBA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are

A) executive departments.
B) independent executive agencies.
C) independent regulatory agencies.
D) government corporations.
E) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprises.

Question 28

The National Nuclear Security Administration is a subagency of the Department.

A) Transportation
B) Energy
C) Homeland Security
D) Veterans Affairs
E) Health and Human Services

Question 29

The Federal Reserve System (Fed) is a(n)

A) subagency of the Treasury Department.
B) government corporation.
C) independent executive agency.
D) independent regulatory agency.
E) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprise.

Question 30

A federal agency that engages primarily in commercial activities, produces revenues, and requires greater flexibility than most agencies is known as a(n)

A) executive department.
B) government corporation.
C) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprise.
D) national board of review.
E) independent regulatory agency.

Question 31

All of the following are independent regulatory agencies EXCEPT

A) the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
B) the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
C) the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
D) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
E) the Federal Reserve System (the Fed).

Question 32

The Department grants patents and trademarks; conducts the national census; and monitors the weather.

A) Commerce
B) Interior
C) Health and Human Services
D) Labor
E) Agriculture

Question 33

The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) are

A) subagencies of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
B) independent regulatory agencies.
C) independent executive agencies.
D) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprises.
E) government corporations.

Question 34

The works to prevent businesses from engaging in unfair trade practices and to stop the formation of business monopolies.

A) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
B) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
C) Federal Reserve System (Fed)
D) National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
E) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Question 35

A federal agency that is not located within a cabinet department and has a single function is known as a(n)

A) businesses owned by the government.
B) autonomous unit.
C) independent executive agency.
D) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprise.
E) major service organization.

Question 36

The is an independent executive agency.

A) U.S. Postal Service
B) Internal Revenue Service
C) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
D) Securities and Exchange Commission
E) Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)

Question 37

All of the following are independent executive agencies EXCEPT

A) the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
B) the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
C) the General Services Administration (GSA).
D) the Small Business Administration (SBA).
E) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Question 38

The General Services Administration (GSA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) are

A) executive departments.
B) independent executive agencies.
C) independent regulatory agencies.
D) government corporations.
E) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprises.

Question 39

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a(n)

A) executive department.
B) government corporation.
C) independent executive agency.
D) independent regulatory agency.
E) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprise.

Question 40

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a(n)

A) subagency of the Labor Department.
B) subagency of the Commerce Department.
C) independent regulatory agency.
D) independent executive agency.
E) stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprise.

Question 41

is the application of technical skills to jobs without regard to political issues.

A) Automated response
B) Neutral competency
C) Bureaucratic autonomy
D) Technical prowess
E) Natural ability

Question 42

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a(n)

A) subagency of the Treasury Department.
B) government corporation.
C) independent executive agency.
D) independent regulatory agency.
E) staff agency in the Executive Office of the President.

Question 43

The process undertaken by an administrative agency when formally proposing, evaluating, and adopting a new regulation is called .

A) legislating
B) rulemaking
C) oversight
D) adjudication
E) enabling

Question 44

To create a federal administrative agency, Congress passes legislation, which specifies the name, purpose, composition, and powers of the agency being created.

A) rulemaking
B) authorizing
C) enabling
D) establishing
E) operating

Question 45

The is a government corporation.

A) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
B) National Cemetery Administration
C) Federal Transit Administration
D) U.S. Postal Service
E) Federal Aviation Administration

Question 46

A three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests is referred to as a(n) .

A) iron triangle
B) issue network
C) lobbying loop
D) steel trap
E) policy circle

Question 47

The rank-and-file bureaucrats obtain their jobs through

A) connections with members of Congress.
B) the Executive Office of the President.
C) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
D) the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
E) an employment lottery.

Question 48

The is a government corporation.

A) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
B) Securities and Exchange Commission
C) Federal Communications Commission
D) Patent and Trademark Office
E) Tennessee Valley Authority

Question 49

The three corners of the iron triangle in a policy area are

A) the national, state, and local levels of government.
B) the media, the public, and the political parties.
C) Congress, the president, and the courts.
D) interest groups, congressional committees, and executive agencies.
E) the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the president.

Question 50

An administrative agency rule that carries the same weight as a statute enacted by the legislature is known as

A) enabling legislation.
B) the merit system.
C) a legislative rule.
D) an administrative regulation.
E) the fourth branch of government.

Question 51

According to the Office of Management and Budget, the total annual benefits provided by federal agencies amounts to

A) about $15 billion.
B) about $900 billion.
C) $153 billion to $806 billion.
D) $103 billion to $146 billion.
E) $20 billion to $50 billion.

Question 52

The list of federal agency positions that are filled by appointments is published after each presidential election in

A) a document called Policy and Supporting Positions.
B) the Federal Register.
C) the Federal Jobs Bulletin.
D) a document called the "Bureaucrats Playbook."
E) the "Guide to Government Employment."

Question 53

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 established the principle of government employment on the basis of

A) patronage, and by seniority.
B) merit through open, competitive examinations.
C) service to a political party.
D) campaign contributions.
E) recommendations by members of Congress.

Question 54

is the process by which an administrative law judge hears and decides issues that arise as an agency tries to enforce laws and regulations.

A) Legislating
B) Adjudication
C) Oversight
D) Regulating
E) Enabling

Question 55

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) performs all of the following tasks EXCEPT

A) appointing people to positions in government.
B) recruiting people for employment in the government.
C) interviewing potential government workers.
D) testing people who seek government jobs.
E) recommending potential government workers to relevant agencies.

Question 56

The oversees promotions, employees' rights, and other employment matters for people working in the bureaucracy.

A) Office of Personnel Management
B) Congress
C) National Labor Relations Board
D) General Accounting Office
E) Merit Systems Protection Board

Question 57

Federal bureaucrats holding top-level positions are chosen by the president and

A) anointed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
B) then reviewed by the National Security Agency.
C) then vetted by the General Accounting Office.
D) immediately take office.
E) confirmed by the Senate.

Question 58

Rank-and-file bureaucrats who are nonmilitary government employees are also known as

A) executive office officials.
B) the nomenklatura.
C) political plums.
D) civilians.
E) the civil service.

Question 59

The Policy and Supporting Positions document, commonly known as the Plum Book,

A) lists thousands of jobs to be given to people who supported the winning presidential candidate.
B) summarizes the parts of the government bureaucracy and explains what each agency does.
C) identifies the key pieces of legislation that authorize the federal government to act through its agencies.
D) is a list of the lobbyists who target the executive branch.
E) is a reference sheet to bring the president and advisory staff up to speed on what the government has done in the last year.

Question 60

When adjudication takes place within a regulatory agency, a(n) conducts the hearing and issues an order.

A) solicitor
B) federal district judge
C) attorney general
D) administrative law judge
E) appellate judge

Question 61

The federal government has been experimenting with , which rewards employees based on output, not seniority.

A) privatization
B) efficiency rules
C) sunshine laws
D) whistleblower protection
E) pay for performance

Question 62

The requires federal agencies to disclose any information in agency files, with some exceptions, to any persons requesting it.

A) Whistle-Blower Protection Act of 1989
B) Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)
C) Government Performance and Results Act
D) False Claims Act
E) Freedom of Information Act of 1966

Question 63

"Sunshine laws" require

A) government notices and data to be posted online.
B) government agencies to outsource work to the private sector.
C) federal agencies to disclose any information in agency files, with some exceptions, to any persons requesting it.
D) government meetings to be open to the public.
E) government agencies to let citizens file forms and apply for services online.

Question 64

President Obama's contribution to the attempt to improve government effectiveness was to create a(n) who reports directly to the president and works with other economic officials in an attempt to increase efficiency and eliminate waste in government.

A) whistleblower
B) chief performance officer
C) director of waste management
D) secretary of bureaucracy
E) inspector general

Question 65

One idea for reforming government bureaucracies is , which means turning over certain types of government work to the private sector.

A) whistleblowing
B) creating issue networks
C) instituting pay-for-performance plans
D) e-government
E) privatization

Question 66

A government employee who reports on gross governmental inefficiency, illegal activities, or other wrongdoing is called a .

A) government informant
B) spy
C) drumbeater
D) whistleblower
E) neutral incompetent

Question 67

Groups of individuals or organizations consisting of legislative staff members, bureaucrats, scholars, interest group leaders, and other experts that support particular policy positions on a given issue are referred to as

A) unholy alliances.
B) teams of rivals.
C) issue networks.
D) working groups.
E) task forces.

Question 68

A characteristic of issue networks is that

A) they are more interdependent than iron triangles.
B) they are more unified than iron triangles.
C) they never include media outlets.
D) they usually include fewer players than iron triangles.
E) there can be more than one network in a given policy area.

Question 69

The Whistle-Blower Protection Act of 1989 authorized the to investigate complaints of reprisals against whistleblowers.

A) attorney general
B) House Judiciary Committee
C) Office of Special Counsel (OSC)
D) Solicitor General
E) secretary of labor

Question 70

Increasingly, government agencies have attempted to improve their effectiveness and efficiency by making use of

A) public relations firms.
B) the Internet.
C) newsletters.
D) issue networks.
E) iron triangles.