Deck 8: The Federal Bureaucracy

Question 1

The term used to describe Congress's regular monitoring of bureaucratic agency performance for the purpose of achieving accountability is ___________________.

A) law delegation
B) law implementation
C) lawmaking
D) oversight
E) retention

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Congressional oversight is a term used to describe ___________________________.

A) placing an artillery round beyond a target for the purpose of adjusting fire
B) a preliminary scan of proposed regulations to check for logical consistency
C) a review of the relevant enabling act to assess conformance with the constitution
D) regular monitoring of bureaucratic agency performance for the purpose of accountability
E) asking the attorney general for an advisory opinion regarding a proposed regulation

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What provisions or requirements does the U.S. Constitution make concerning the federal bureaucracy?

A) The bureaucracy must be in tune with the needs of the citizenry.
B) The bureaucracy must be separate from political parties in order that it should not fall prey to political pressures.
C) The constitution directly provides for the structure and powers of the bureaucracy.
D) The bureaucracy must not be allowed to grow larger than the military.
E) The constitution makes no mention of it.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

What is meant by "delegated congressional power"?

A) Congress delegates limited powers of lawmaking to the president.
B) Congress chooses how it wishes to enforce particular laws and states decide whether to support these decisions.
C) Congress surrenders its lawmaking powers to the state legislatures.
D) Through vague legislation, Congress effectively transfers the power to make laws to agencies.
E) The Supreme Court takes the authority to make laws from Congress and delegates it instead to the agencies.

Question 5

Which term refers to the process in which the federal bureaucracy carries out a law passed by Congress?

A) rules and regulations
B) execution
C) policy implementation
D) bureaucratic oversight
E) policy development

Question 6

What is meant by "administrative law"?

A) ethical standards for agency employees including all managers and administrators
B) laws that relate specifically to the authority of an administrative agency, are created by that agency, and carry the enforceability of law
C) laws in which Congress dictates how an agency head will conduct his or her business
D) laws created by the president that all federal agencies must follow but state agencies may disregard in certain cases
E) court opinions that carry the weight of law based on Supreme Court rulings that have stood over time

Question 7

According to which of the following does the power to carry out, administer, and enforce laws fall under the purview of presidential responsibility?​

A) ​Article I
B) ​Article II
C) ​Article III
D) ​the First Amendment
E) ​the Fourteenth Amendment

Question 8

Congress may pass vague laws, and thus call for administrative discretion, due to _________________.

A) Congress not having the authority to legislate over the issue
B) Congress understanding the bureaucracy must receive Congressional approval for any rules it passes
C) Congress not having the technical expertise to define the details of the law
D) Congress choosing not to deal with politically difficult issues
E) both Congress not having the technical expertise to define the details of the law and Congress choosing not to deal with politically difficult issues

Question 9

Congress may do which of the following if it is not satisfied with an agency's performance?

A) abolish the agency
B) conduct investigations into the activities of the agency
C) refuse to confirm presidential appointments to the agency
D) reduce or eliminate the agency's budget
E) Congress may do all of these.

Question 10

Policy implementation is the ______________.

A) passage of laws by Congress
B) process of determining if a law is constitutional
C) oversight function of Congress
D) authority to interpret laws
E) process of carrying out a law

Question 11

What is meant by "administrative discretion"?

A) The federal courts have considerable oversight ability and latitude to steer an agency.
B) An agency is not bound by a written law and may adapt its procedures to meet a particular circumstance.
C) Having enacted the legislation, Congress has reserved the right to create administrative guidelines for an agency.
D) When laws are vague, a federal agency usually has considerable freedom in deciding how to implement them.
E) The president may hold as confidential the conversations between himself and his cabinet.

Question 12

When an agency drafts a set of rules to implement a program, those rules must be officially published and made accessible to the public in the ______________.

A) Federal Register
B) United States Code
C) Federal Statutes
D) Supreme Court Reporter
E) Washington Post

Question 13

Sociologist Max Weber,an early student of bureaucratic organizations, identified several common characteristics of effective bureaucracies. Which of the following would not be on Weber's list?

A) hierarchical arrangement with a clear chain of command from top to bottom
B) a focus on the professionalism of all employees
C) hiring and promotional decisions that are normally influenced by local politicians
D) organization based on a division of labor, expertise, and specialization
E) a common set of rules and regulations for carrying out organizational functions

Question 14

Most of the federal bureaucracy is contained within which branch of government?

A) the legislative branch
B) the executive branch
C) the judicial branch
D) the regulatory branch
E) the constitution does not permit a federal bureaucracy

Question 15

Modern Americans are most likely to encounter government bureaucracy in all of the following ways, except __________.

A) registering for unemployment benefits
B) receiving Social Security benefits
C) receiving medical care
D) receiving a driver's license
E) checking a product's safety at the Consumer Protection Agency's website

Question 16

The government agency that has been given much discretion in setting specific standards for car emissions and pollution is the​ _____________________.

A) ​Occupational Safety and Health Administration
B) ​Environmental Protection Agency
C) ​Federal Reserve
D) ​Treasury
E) ​NASA

Question 17

Each bureaucratic unit or agency has a written set of rules for carrying out its programs or services. These rules are referred to as ____________.

A) red tape
B) regulations
C) statutes
D) writs
E) implementation cycles

Question 18

Which of the following entities has been delegated a substantial amount of authority in order to adjust the prime interest rate in response to economic conditions to encourage investments and ward off inflation?​

A) ​​the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
B) ​the Environmental Protection Agency
C) ​the Federal Reserve
D) ​the Treasury
E) ​NASA

Question 19

In which of the following policy areas does congressional legislation tend to be vague and, therefore, give agencies more latitude in making rules and regulations?

A) ​environmental quality and workplace safety
B) ​drug control and immigration
C) ​Social Security and Medicare
D) ​transportation and farming
E) ​Medicaid and healthcare

Question 20

Most organizations have a common set of rules for carrying out functions that characterize the operations. These formal rules are called ____________.

A) statutes
B) recommendations
C) bureaucratic guidelines
D) standard operating procedures
E) standardized commands

Question 21

While expanded federal programs are often popular for Americans, this much larger bureaucracy suffers during a downturn in economic growth, such as was experienced in the 1970s. Why does an economic downturn create such challenges?

A) There are fewer citizens for the bureaucracy to serve.
B) Economic downturns often create federal budget deficits that make it very difficult to continue supporting a large bureaucracy.
C) State governments begin to take away the federal government's role in providing social benefits.
D) Downturns in the economy always create international tensions that require a stronger military presence, which in turn drains off available resources.
E) As the U.S. Constitution requires a balanced budget, the federal government must eliminate agencies when income decreases.

Question 22

Which of the following was a factor that accounted for the significant growth in the federal bureaucracy between 1940 and 1975?​

A) ​Johnson's Great Society program
B) ​devolution
C) ​the addition of the Department of Homeland Security
D) ​prohibition
E) ​creation of the Federal Reserve

Question 23

The Bureau of Labor was created ___________________.

A) to help regulate interstate and foreign trade arising from large-scale industrialization and economic development
B) as a response to workers' concerns that arose with the growth of the industrial economy
C) to respond to severe economic crises
D) to provide jobs for large numbers of the unemployed
E) to deal with the nation's fiscal woes

Question 24

Which of the following offices would Congress use to conduct an independent analysis of a budget request from an agency?

A) General Accountability Office
B) Congressional Budget Office
C) Library of Congress
D) Domestic Policy Council
E) Council of Economic Advisors

Question 25

By the 1930s the federal bureaucracy had grown significantly. In response, President Roosevelt in 1936 created the Brownlow Commission. What was the purpose of this commission?

A) to identify funding sources in order to expand the federal government's reach
B) to investigate ways in which the president could circumvent the powers of Congress
C) to reduce the number of federal agencies
D) to investigate how to make the growing bureaucracy more efficient and more responsive to the president
E) to expand U.S. military powers throughout Europe and Asia

Question 26

President Johnson's Great Society programs in the 1960s built upon President Roosevelt's New Deal programs of the 1930s as they responded to the growing prosperity in the American economy. Which of the following was not a goal of Johnson's policies?

A) to promote social justice
B) to create a safety net for the poor
C) to provide health care for the elderly
D) to greatly expand educational opportunities for all Americans
E) to force the state governments to assume the responsibility for social assistance

Question 27

Bureaucratic adjudication ___________________________.

A) includes determining the rights and duties of particular parties within the scope of agency rules or regulations
B) is the term used for the bureaucratic rule-making process
C) is a process whereby an agency expands its power into subject matter areas adjacent to its primary area of concern
D) requires action by the Supreme Court
E) in an oversight function of Congress.

Question 28

An ongoing debate in American government is the question of which level of government should have the authority to provide programs and services to citizens. Beginning in the 1980s, many of the services provided by the federal government were relinquished to the state governments. This process is known as _________________.

A) deregulation
B) devolution
C) privatization
D) reinvention
E) revolution

Question 29

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been given much latitude in making rules and regulations regarding​ the ________________.

A) ​health of the economy
B) health and safety of consumers
C) quality of air, water, and land
D) safety of the workplace
E) equality of women in employment

Question 30

Between 1940 and 1975, the federal bureaucracy experienced an unprecedented growth spurt, and the number of federal employees rose to approximately __________. ​

A) ​50
B) ​125,000
C) ​720,000
D) ​1 million
E) ​2.2 million

Question 31

Some federal agencies are given bureaucratic powers to adjudicate cases on behalf of the United States government. Which of the following has adjudication powers?

A) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
B) National Labor Relations Board
C) Federal Communication Commission
D) Environmental Protection Agency
E) All of these choices are correct.

Question 32

The federal bureaucracy during the administration of President George Washington was very limited. Congress first created only __________ agencies and the total number of federal employees was ___________.

A) two; ten
B) three; about fifty
C) four; about one hundred and eighty
D) six; more than one thousand
E) twelve; more than fifteen thousand

Question 33

As a bureaucratic agency under direction of Congress, what is the purpose of the Government Accountability Office (GAO)?

A) It manages the U.S. Treasury.
B) It is an auditing agency that investigates the actions of agencies.
C) It is an enforcement arm of Congress that prosecutes criminal activity among agency employees.
D) It acts as a liaison between the president and Congress concerning the federal budget.
E) It is an agency that lobbies Congress for favorable funding or legislation for the executive branch.

Question 34

President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs were created to counter the negative effects of the Great Depression. Which of the following was not created during Roosevelt's 13-year tenure?

A) Social Security Administration
B) Securities and Exchange Commission
C) Department of the Treasury
D) Civilian Conservation Corp
E) Brownlow Committee

Question 35

Beginning in the 1980s, the federal government has used a variety of methods to reduce the size and tax burden of the federal bureaucracy. One such method is privatization. Which of the following does not describe an intended purpose of privatization?

A) to increase the number of employees supported by the federal government
B) to replace government-provided services with services provided by the private sector
C) to keep costs for services lower than those provided by government agencies
D) to allow for less government red tape and fewer civil service restrictions
E) to allow private companies to have more flexibility to compete and adapt to changing circumstances

Question 36

Large-scale industrialization and economic development led to the development of the Department of __________ in 1888 to help regulate interstate and foreign trade.

A) Justice
B) Labor
C) State
D) Commerce
E) Interior

Question 37

What is meant by the term administrative judge?

A) It is a judge who does not preside in a courtroom but handles court-related paperwork.
B) It is a judge who serves as a magistrate.
C) It is a judge who works within a federal agency to hold hearings and make judgments on cases related to that agency.
D) It is a lower court judge who determines guilt but not punishments.
E) It is another name for an appellate court judge, such as those on the Court of Appeals.

Question 38

Eliminating government oversight and laws concerning certain activities, resulting in less government intervention, is referred to as __________________.

A) bureaucracy
B) downsizing
C) outsourcing
D) deregulation
E) privatization

Question 39

Though it is federal agency and not a court, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) may take what action against a company that violates an employee's rights?

A) The EEOC has authority to adjudicate a case against a company and impose a punishment and fine.
B) The EEOC has full judicial powers to imprison offenders.
C) The EEOC and other federal agencies have no powers to enforce administrative rules and must rely solely on the federal courts.
D) State courts have authority over federal agencies that operate within their jurisdictions.
E) The EEOC does not have original jurisdiction in a case but serves as an appellate level review for lower federal courts.

Question 40

The Department of Justice was established to __________________.

A) increase services and agencies in support of military operations
B) centralize the national economic and monetary system
C) aid in westward expansion of the nation
D) aid the attorney general in prosecuting violators of federal law
E) manage federally owned lands

Question 41

Which of the following is not a cabinet department of the executive branch?

A) Department of Defense
B) Department of Education
C) Department of Justice
D) State Department
E) Governmental Accountability Office

Question 42

The department that is responsible for paying all the bills of the federal government, collecting federal taxes, and printing money is the ________________________.

A) Department of Treasury
B) Department of State
C) Department of Commerce
D) Department of the Interior
E) the Federal Reserve

Question 43

Which federal regulatory agency was created in 1914 with the authority to implement rules and regulations that encourage competition in industry?

A) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
B) Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
C) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
D) Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
E) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Question 44

The Hatch Act _____________________.

A) prohibits the dismissal of an employee for political purposes
B) was a response to the Spoils System
C) administers the system of federal hiring
D) was modified by the Shakman decision
E) established a system for hiring some federal workers based on job qualifications

Question 45

The Department of Justice ______________________________.

A) protects the federal judiciary, apprehends fugitives, and detains people in federal custody
B) represents the United States abroad, conveying U.S. foreign policy to foreign governments and international organizations
C) is responsible for paying all the bills of the federal government
D) handles federal relations with Native American tribes
E) manages patent and trademark protection programs

Question 46

The federal bureaucracy is made up of a variety of agencies. The 15 major administrative organizations within the bureaucracy that report directly to the president are called _________________.

A) mini-bureaucracies
B) state governments
C) judicial branches
D) cabinet departments
E) administrative units

Question 47

The subagency of the U.S. Department of Labor that sets policies for conduct of negotiations between employers and employees is the ________________________.

A) Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS)
B) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
C) AFL-CIO
D) Magistrate's Court
E) State Department

Question 48

The Department of Interior ___________________________.

A) protects the federal judiciary, apprehends fugitives, and detains people in federal custody
B) represents the United States abroad, conveying U. S. foreign policy to foreign governments and international organizations
C) is responsible for paying all the bills of the federal government
D) handles federal relations with Native American tribes
E) manages patent and trademark protection programs

Question 49

Some federal agencies do not have high cabinet-level status but they do report directly to the president. Such agencies, which include NASA and the Small Business Administration, are referred to as __________________.

A) cabinet departments
B) independent agencies
C) administrative units
D) congressional subdivisions
E) inner circle agencies

Question 50

The subagency of the U.S. Department of Labor that develops standards to promote safe workplace environments, and implements regulations to ensure that employers live up to these standards, is the ___________________.

A) Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS)
B) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
C) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
D) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
E) Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)

Question 51

Which department currently runs the school lunch, school breakfast, and food stamp programs?

A) Department of the Interior
B) Department of Agriculture
C) Department of Treasury
D) Department of Health and Human Services
E) Department of State

Question 52

At the head of each cabinet department is a secretary. How does a secretary obtain his or her position?

A) nominated by and answers directly to the senate
B) nominated by and is subordinate to the judicial branch
C) nominated by Congress and ratified by three-fourths of the state governments
D) appointed by the president but must be confirmed by the senate
E) appointed by the president at his or her discretion without oversight

Question 53

The federal Cabinet-level agency that has the primary charge of protecting the nation from terrorism and responding to emergency situations is the _______________________.

A) State Department
B) Central Intelligence Agency
C) Department of Homeland Security
D) Department of Justice
E) Department of Defense

Question 54

Federal agencies that are responsible for implementing rules and regulations with respect to individual or corporate conduct related to some aspect of the economy are called ____________________.

A) independent agencies
B) congressional agencies
C) executive branch subdivisions
D) regulatory agencies
E) interstate agencies

Question 55

Only Congress has the power to create a federal cabinet-level department. The most recent federal cabinet to be created was the _____________________.

A) State Department
B) Department of Education
C) Department of Homeland Security
D) Department of Justice
E) Attorney General's Office

Question 56

A government corporation ____________________________.

A) is based on the idea that a market exists for customers willing to pay for services provided
B) relies on revenue primarily derived from payment for services provided
C) may be kept in business by government intervention
D) is based on the idea that a market exists for customers willing to pay for services provided, relies on revenue primarily derived from payment for services provided, and may be kept in business by government intervention
E) None of these choices is correct.

Question 57

​Which of the following is an example of a government corporation?

A) ​U.S. Postal Service
B) ​Department of Homeland Security
C) ​Secret Service
D) ​​State Department
E) ​​Federal Trade Commission

Question 58

The State Department ______________________________.

A) protects the federal judiciary, apprehends fugitives, and detains people in federal custody
B) represents the United States abroad, conveying U.S. foreign policy to foreign governments and international organizations
C) is responsible for paying all the bills of the federal government
D) handles federal relations with Native American tribes
E) manages patent and trademark protection programs

Question 59

The executive office of the president is an agency of the federal bureaucracy that is managed by the White House chief of staff. Which of the following positions or units is not included in this agency?

A) White House Press Secretary
B) Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
C) National Security Council (NSC)
D) U.S. Secretary of State
E) White House Counsel

Question 60

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is currently a primary unit of which agency?

A) Department of Homeland Security
B) Department of Defense
C) Department of Commerce
D) Congressional Budget Office
E) Federal Bureau of Investigation

Question 61

President Andrew Jackson developed which system of hiring federal workers?

A) ​spoils system
B) ​merit system
C) ​professional advancement
D) ​​gender equality
E) ​racial equality

Question 62

Explain the constitutional foundation for the federal bureaucracy. Where in the federal government is most of the bureaucracy found, and what is the role of the bureaucracy? To whom is the federal bureaucracy accountable, and how is accountability achieved?

Question 63

Fully explain the processes for developing regulations. Describe the concept of "administrative discretion" and how this will effect an agency's role in implementing a law. Provide an example of how Congress is said to have "delegated congressional power."

Question 64

How do Congress, the president, and the judicial branch make bureaucracies accountable?

Question 65

The Civil Service Reform Act _______________________.

A) ​prohibits the dismissal of an employee for political purposes
B) ​was a response to the Spoils System
C) ​administers the system of federal hiring
D) ​was modified by the Shakman decision
E) ​established a system for hiring some federal workers based on job qualifications

Question 66

Compare and contrast the following methods of getting control of the federal bureaucracy: privatization, deregulation, and devolution. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each method.

Question 67

"To the victors of presidential elections went the spoils of jobs in the federal government​." This is commonly referred to as the _______________.

A) ​merit system
B) ​system of patronage
C) ​theory of devolution
D) ​incorporation theory
E) ​system of workplace equality

Question 68

What is the purpose of a federal regulatory agency? Give three examples of regulatory agencies and briefly describe the primary role of each agency.

Question 69

As a result of the civil service reform movement that arose in the post-Civil War era, the __________ was passed to create a merit-based system for hiring federal employees.

A) ​Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
B) ​Civil Rights Act
C) ​Hatch Act
D) ​​Voting Rights Act
E) ​​Equal Pay Act

Question 70

Compare and contrast the activities of political appointees, career professionals, and civil service employees. Describe the evolution of how each group is hired and the laws Congress has passed in order to regulate the system today.

Question 71

The term bureaucracy often creates negative images of bloated and ineffective government. However, the bureaucracy is a necessary part of government and has sometimes been referred to as the fourth branch of government. Describe Weber's characteristics of bureaucracies and how these describe, and are important to, the federal bureaucracy.

Question 72

Discuss how events since the 1970's have affected the federal bureaucracy. Provide specific examples.​

Question 73

What impact did President Roosevelt's New Deal and President Johnson's Great Society policies have on the federal bureaucracy? Provide examples to support your answer.

Question 74

How does a merit system differ from a system of patronage in the selection of government employees for the civil service?