Deck 7: Public Personnel Administration and Human Resource Development

Question 1

Which group or law called for the decentralization of public personnel administration and permitting federal agencies to design their own performance managers and reward systems?

A)National Performance Review, also known as the National Partnership for Reinventing Government
B)Civil Service Reform Act
C)Hatch Act
D)Hoover Commission
E)Pendleton Act

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The goal of the Civil Service Act of 1883 was to create a politically neutral civil service where hiring and promotion were to be based upon ability to do the job (competence or merit).

Answer 2

True

Question 3

All of the following are differences between the private and public sectors that significantly affect the collective bargaining process except

A)top public managers are either elected or politically appointed; both processes are influenced by public employee organizations and the general public.
B)collective bargaining is often multilateral instead of bilateral.
C)those involved in the process must be mindful of both public and clientele sentiment.
D)there is a wide range of mechanisms available that can modify the final outcome of the collectively bargained-for agreement.
E)job security is part of the scope of collective bargaining.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The pension bubble was negatively affected by

A)the recession.
B)over-hiring.
C)veterans' preference.
D)all of the above.

Question 5

Which case or law says that it is a violation of public employees' rights to hire, promote, or transfer public employees, other than those in "confidential policy-making" jobs, on the basis of partisan affiliation or loyalty?

A)Shakman v.The Democratic Organization of Cook County
B)Branti v.Finkel
C)Rutan v.Republican Party of Illinois
D)Equal Employment Opportunity Act
E)Political Activities Act (the Hatch Act of 1939)

Question 6

Among which of the following occupations is public-sector union membership highest?

A)Legislative staff
B)Fish and wildlife
C)Police officers
D)Elections management
E)Judicial clerks

Question 7

Labor-management relations are ultimately the framework of collective bargaining.

Question 8

The evolution of the civil services system can be divided into historical periods.Government by the "common man" has existed since 1955 and continues today.

Question 9

The formal tasks of public personnel administration have traditionally included position classification, recruitment, examination, selection, and compensation.

Question 10

Unions dominate decision making concerning public personnel administration.

Question 11

All the following are recommendations for change in the personnel systems of the Department of Homeland Security except

A)pay for performance.
B)alternative personnel systems.
C)de-emphasis on union membership.
D)hazardous duty pay.
E)none of the above.

Question 12

Which of the following is not a characteristic of public-sector labor-management relations?

A)Formally organized participants and participation
B)Acknowledged managerial control of the workplace
C)Structured relationships between the parties
D)None of the above
E)All of the above

Question 13

The labor relations situation for public employees is different in every city, county, and state, and the general status of public sector labor relations is still undefined.

Question 14

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978

A)created the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
B)delegated all personnel administration and collective bargaining responsibilities to agencies.
C)streamlined disciplinary procedures, except for dismissal procedures.
D)strengthened protections for "whistle-blowers".
E)none of the above.

Question 15

The president best known for his use of patronage without necessarily being known as the "patronage" president, was

A)Andrew Jackson.
B)Thomas Jefferson.
C)Abraham Lincoln.
D)James Polk.
E)Richard Nixon.

Question 16

The first important step in legitimizing public employee organization and labor activity was

A)The Sherman Act.
B)The Lloyd-LaFollette Act.
C)Executive Order 10988.
D)Executive Order 12033.
E)Title VII of the Civil Service Reform Act.

Question 17

"Scientific management," goodness, merit, morality, and neutrality were considered virtues, and job classification and the separation of politics from administration were used.These characteristics describe

A)government by "gentlemen".
B)government by the "common man".
C)government by the "good".
D)government by the "efficient".
E)government by "administrators".

Question 18

Who are the primary internal groups guiding the collective bargaining process?

A)Management
B)Executive board
C)Labor
D)Both A and C

Question 19

Veterans' preference helps those who have served in the military by

A)giving them priority during the hiring process.
B)offering them senior executive positions.
C)allowing them to choose if they want to return to battle.
D)providing jobs for family members.
E)all of the above.

Question 20

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was designed to solve the following personnel management weaknesses in the U.S.Civil Service except

A)lack of clear mechanisms and principles for performance appraisal.
B)existence of "protected employment".
C)excessive presidential control over the Civil Service Commission.
D)a lack of standardization and professionalization by the U.S.government in how it conducts collective bargaining with its employees.

Question 21

The use of Internet and information communication technology has encouraged the public sector to become more efficient.

Question 22

The Reagan administration generally preferred political responsiveness over political neutrality in the U.S.Civil Service.

Question 23

In October 1998, state and local governments employed 41.7 percent of public-sector, full-time civilian employees residing in the United States.

Question 24

Female veterans are ineligible for federal veteran's benefits.

Question 25

There is no state in the nation that grants public employees even a limited right to strike.

Question 26

The separation of politics and administration and the elimination of corruption first became major goals of public personnel administration during the period of government by the "efficient."

Question 27

Affirmative action is still crucial in today's workforce.

Question 28

The Bush Administration generally supported public-sector collective bargaining and organized labor.

Question 29

The Electronic Government Act of 2002 encouraged governments to adopt information technology that provides a greater number of citizens direct access via the Internet.

Question 30

Collective bargaining requires all parties involved to address the management function in all its dimensions and to identify managerial weaknesses.Collective bargaining usually leads to an enhanced training function and employee perceptions of an improved quality of work life.

Question 31

Reverse discrimination is a problem only affecting minorities.

Question 32

The issue of "comparable worth" addresses the question of "equal pay for equal work."