Deck 1: Defining Public Administration

Question 1

Whatever government does or does not do can be seen as public policy.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The maximization of private gain does not necessarily maximize social benefit. This principle is explained in "The Tragedy of the Commons."

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The author of the first introductory textbook in public administration, in 1926, was

A) David Lillienthal.
B) Robert Merton.
C) Leonard White.
D) Solomon Asch

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When public administration is said to be the "king's largesse," this is an example of

A) the divine right of kings.
B) a big-city political machine that dispenses benefits, favors, aid and assistance
C) the regulatory role of public administration.
D) the duties of the public administrator.

Question 5

Government regulation means that government creates:

A) Policies to control the social and economic activities of the citizenry
B) Policies to control the economic and social activities of private business organizations
C) Policies to control the economic and social activities of public agencies
D) All of the above

Question 6

Public administration is about implementing the public interest.

Question 7

In the nineteenth century the "progressive movement" referred to a political and cultural movement that focused on reforming industrialized societies to provie for greater democratic participation and the application of science and specialized knowledge for improvement of lives of the citizens.

Question 8

The philosophy of Libertarianism promotes the idea of a strong visible hand of government into the lives of the people.

Question 9

Your Instructor says that an example of public administration as idealism in action is the

A) notion of noblesse oblige.
B) concept of laissez-faire.
C) rugged individualism
D) gravitas.

Question 10

This individual argued that was a need for a science of administration:

A) Leonard White
B) E. Pendleton Herring
C) Woodrow Wilson
D) Theodore Roosevelt

Question 11

The philosophical icon of the current Tea Party Movement and its libertarian worldview is:

A) Congressman Ron Paul
B) Ayn Rand
C) Leonard White.
D) Martin Luther King.

Question 12

Based on his article "The Study of Administration" in the 1887 Political Science Quarterly, Leonard White is considered the founding father of public administration.

Question 13

Public policy "decides," and public administration "does", thus they are integrally connected.

Question 14

The presiding officer of a legislature such as the House of Representatives is known as:

A) Speaker of the House
B) Majority Whip
C) Chairman pro tem
D) Both a and c

Question 15

The government paying a contractor like Blackwater for services in a war zone would be an example of public administration.

Question 16

When some public administrators, have described public administration as being "Mickey Mouse," we are referring to the

A) merit system.
B) The "red tape" that can exist in public administration.
C) Biased hiring processes and values of nepotism
D) Influence of the Disney Corporation on the discipline of administration

Question 17

The founding father of public administration who wrote the essay "The Study of Administration," which laid the foundation for science of public administration was

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) James Madison.
C) George Washington.
D) Woodrow Wilson.

Question 18

You have learned that public administration is a profession. Professions are characterized by specific criteria. To be defined as a profession, public administration must meet three criteria. Which of the following statements does NOT represent one of these criteria?

A) a body of academic and practical knowledge that is applied to the service of society
B) a standard of success theoretically measured by serving the needs of society rather than seeking purely personal gain
C) a system of control over professional practice that regulates the education of new members and maintains a code of ethics and appropriate sanctions
D) a system of government that dispenses the kings largesse

Question 19

The mystical "city upon a hill" reference that originated with John Winthrop in the 1630s and has been repeated in varied forms by Presidents Kennedy, Reagan, and Obama is an example of

A) the king's largesse.
B) idealism.
C) managerialism.
D) Mercantilism

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT among key assumptions for the study of public administration, according to Leonard White?

A) Administration is a unitary process that can be studied uniformly at multiple levels of government.
B) The basis for study is management, not law.
C) Public administration is a separate study from the study of politics.
D) Administration is still art, but the ideal of transformation to science is both feasible and worthwhile.

Question 21

To say that Public administration cannot exist outside its political context is completely incorrect.

Question 22

That public administration is part of the executive function of government is a managerial definition of public administration.