Deck 13: The Executive Branch

Question 1

Cabinet secretaries are appointed by __________ and confirmed by __________.

A) the president; the Senate
B) the president; the House of Representatives
C) the president; the Supreme Court
D) the Senate; the president
E) the House of Representatives; the Supreme Court

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is implementation?

A) the process by which a law or policy is put into practice
B) the development of rules governing the operation of a government program
C) a set of procedures executive branch agencies must follow when issuing rules
D) the process by which government agencies settle legal disputes
E) a set of rules enforcing government agreements with private contractors

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a bureaucratic organization?

A) the Department of Defense
B) the U.S. House of Representatives
C) the U.S. Supreme Court
D) the Democratic Party
E) the Maryland state legislature

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which regulating body would be responsible for investigating choking hazards related to a child's toy?

A) the National Science Foundation
B) the Securities and Exchange Commission
C) the Consumer Product Safety Commission
D) Fannie Mae
E) Freddie Mac

Question 5

Which of the following is a function of departments and agencies within the federal bureaucracy?

A) issuing executive orders
B) issuing executive agreements
C) implementing public policies
D) reviewing court decisions
E) drafting legislation

Question 6

The largest organizational unit in the federal bureaucracy is a(n) __________.

A) agency
B) bureau
C) commission
D) corporation
E) department

Question 7

The civil service system was introduced following passage of what law?

A) the Hatch Act
B) the Pendleton Act
C) the Administrative Procedures Act
D) the Freedom of Information Act
E) the Ethics in Government Act

Question 8

__________ refers to the authority of administrators in the federal bureaucracy to make choices concerning the best way to implement policies.

A) Adjudication
B) Discretion
C) Division of labor
D) Independence
E) Rule making

Question 9

The Administrative Procedure Act states that agencies must take what step before issuing new rules and regulations?

A) They must get approval from the president.
B) They must get approval from Congress.
C) They must consult with an administrative law judge.
D) They must post information about the proposed rules on their websites.
E) They must solicit public comments.

Question 10

Under the spoils system, who was awarded jobs in the federal bureaucracy?

A) those who scored highest on aptitude tests
B) those who did not affiliate with a political party
C) those who previously served in the military
D) those who previously held elected office
E) those who helped candidates win election

Question 11

Which law designates the steps that federal agencies must follow in issuing rules and regulations?

A) the Administrative Procedure Act
B) the Freedom of Information Act
C) the Hatch Act
D) the Pendleton Act
E) the Privacy Act

Question 12

What function is the National Labor Relations board carrying out when it settles disputes between labor and management on federal labor laws?

A) creating regulations
B) adjudicating/engaging in quasi- judicial processes
C) providing expert advice
D) providing a check on congressional power
E) providing a check on judicial power

Question 13

Before 1883, how were government jobs awarded?

A) Jobs were awarded based on applicants' expertise.
B) Jobs were awarded based on applicants' personal wealth.
C) Jobs were awarded based on applicants' performance on entrance exams.
D) Jobs were awarded based on applicants' loyalty to the party in power.
E) Jobs were awarded through a lottery system.

Question 14

What executive branch department was most recently created?

A) the Department of Health and Human Services
B) the Department of Transportation
C) the Department of Homeland Security
D) the Department of Labor
E) the Department of Education

Question 15

What are civil servants?

A) government workers who are employed under the merit system
B) government workers appointed by the president
C) government workers who are elected to office
D) government workers who serve within the Executive Office of the President
E) government workers who serve within cabinet departments

Question 16

How does Congress exercise control over agencies and departments in the federal bureaucracy?

A) by issuing executive orders
B) by issuing reports through the Office of Management and Budget
C) by nominating appointees to key positions in federal agencies
D) by confirming appointees to key positions in federal agencies
E) by confirming appointees to key judicial positions

Question 17

Political appointees in the federal bureaucracy __________.

A) may remain in office until a new party majority in Congress
B) may remain in office until a new president is elected
C) often remain in office despite political changes
D) serve fixed terms of office lasting two years
E) serve fixed terms of office lasting four years

Question 18

__________ are rules created by government agencies that determine how laws are implemented.

A) Policies
B) Procedures
C) Regulations
D) Standards
E) Statutes

Question 19

Which list of traits best describes a bureaucracy?

A) small organization, no hierarchy of offices, obscure chain of command
B) large organization, hierarchy of offices, clear chain of command
C) large organization, volunteer workers, clear chain of command
D) small organization, volunteer workers, obscure chain of command
E) large organization, no hierarchy of offices, clear chain of command

Question 20

On what basis are people hired to be part of the Senior Executive Service?

A) their loyalty to the president
B) their party affiliation
C) their length of service in government
D) their experience in international diplomacy
E) their leadership and management skills

Question 21

Congress and the president share which of the following powers over agencies and departments in the federal bureaucracy?

A) the power to influence budgets
B) the power to issue executive orders
C) the power to sign executive agreements
D) the power to hold oversight hearings
E) the power to use inspectors general

Question 22

What is the main purpose served by government corporations?

A) generating profit for the federal government
B) providing services not fully trusted to the private sector
C) breaking up monopolies
D) expanding international trade
E) regulating sectors of the economy

Question 23

Which agency was responsible for preventing a widespread and deadly case of food poisoning that originated from fruit grown in Colorado?

A) the Environmental Protection Agency
B) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
C) the Securities and Exchange Commission
D) the Tennessee Valley Authority
E) .the National Science Foundation

Question 24

Which president is known for reviving the constitutional doctrine known as the unitary executive?

A) President Nixon
B) President Reagan
C) President George W. Bush
D) President Clinton
E) President Obama

Question 25

In recent years, privatization and outsourcing has __________.

A) increased at the federal level
B) decreased at the federal level
C) decreased at the state level
D) received greater public support
E) received less public support

Question 26

Which of Max Weber's characteristics of bureaucracy is illustrated by a government agency in which the greatest authority resides with the agency head?

A) administrative discretion
B) the merit principle
C) division of labor/task specialization
D) hierarchy/chain of command
E) goal orientation

Question 27

How do departments differ from independent agencies?

A) Department heads are appointed by the president; agency heads are not.
B) Agency heads are part of the president's cabinet; department heads are not.
C) Department heads are part of the president's cabinet; agency heads are not.
D) Departments cover a wider range of functions than agencies.
E) Agencies are typically larger than and include several departments.

Question 28

Which of the following is an example of an independent executive agency?

A) the Social Security Administration
B) the Department of Health and Human Services
C) the Consumer Product Safety Commission
D) the Tennessee Valley Authority
E) the U.S. Postal Service

Question 29

The Department of Homeland Security was created in response to which of the following?

A) increased violence in the southeastern United States
B) heightened tensions with European nations
C) the terrorist attacks on 9/11
D) a movement by the Tea Party
E) a legislative mandate issued in 1995

Question 30

What role is the National Labor Relations Board taking when it settles a dispute between labor and management on federal labor laws?

A) regulation
B) oversight
C) rule-making
D) adjudication
E) interpretation

Question 31

Which of the following statements best describes the president's influence over agency budgets?

A) The president has final say over all department budgets, but has no control of the budgets of independent agencies.
B) The president has final say over the budgets of independent agencies, but has no control of department budgets.
C) The president has sole authority to determine executive administrative budgets.
D) The president has no authority in the budgeting process.
E) The president influences the initial budget proposal, but depends on Congress for appropriations of federal money.

Question 32

How are bureaus related to cabinet departments?

A) Bureau is another term for cabinet department.
B) Bureaus are subunits of cabinet departments.
C) Cabinet departments are subunits of bureaus.
D) Bureaus are independent of cabinet departments, but both are housed within the executive branch.
E) Bureaus are independent of cabinet departments, with bureaus housed in the judicial branch and cabinet departments in the executive branch.

Question 33

How did the Pendleton Act reform the system of hiring and firing federal employees?

A) It required hiring and firing decisions to be based on partisan loyalty rather than merit.
B) It required hiring and firing decisions to be based on merit rather than partisan loyalty.
C) It continued to allow hiring on the basis of merit, but made firing federal employees easier.
D) It continued to allow hiring on the basis of partisan loyalty, but made firing federal employees more difficult.
E) It allowed hiring on the basis of partisan loyalty, and made firing federal employees easier.

Question 34

What role is the Environmental Protection Agency taking when it sets limits on air pollution from power plants?

A) regulation
B) adjudication
C) intervention
D) oversight
E) deliberation

Question 35

How does the president exercise control over agencies and departments in the federal bureaucracy?

A) by confirming federal appointees
B) by nominating federal appointees
C) by signing executive agreements
D) by creating or abolishing agencies
E) by conducting oversight hearings

Question 36

Imagine there is a need for a new executive branch of government that is designed to protect Americans and their computers from cyber attacks and issue warnings to the public about possible threats. What type of organization would be formed to accommodate this need?

A) a foundation
B) a government corporation
C) a quasi-governmental organization
D) a volunteer army
E) an independent regulatory commission

Question 37

How are independent regulatory commissions similar to independent executive agencies?

A) Both are headed by a single administrator.
B) Both are part of the president's Cabinet.
C) Both operate outside of executive department control.
D) Both are allowed to charge for their services.
E) Both perform activities that private investors cannot.

Question 38

How do government corporations differ from private companies?

A) Government corporations perform activities that private companies cannot.
B) Government corporations cannot borrow money, whereas private companies can.
C) Government corporations cannot sell stock, whereas private companies can.
D) Government corporations can borrow money, whereas private companies cannot.
E) Government corporations need less government oversight than private companies.

Question 39

A civil service employee has a dispute with a coworker and wants to file a complaint. Which office will review the case?

A) the Office of Dispute Resolution
B) the Employee Assistance Program
C) the Merit Systems Protection Board
D) the Office of Personnel Management
E) the Civil Service Commission

Question 40

One purpose of the Administrative Procedure Act is to __________.

A) ensure opportunities for public participation in the rule-making process
B) give federal agencies greater discretion in the rule-making process
C) streamline bureaucratic activities in the rule-making process
D) give the president greater control over the rule-making process
E) discourage agencies from drafting new regulations

Question 41

The president and Congress share oversight of the federal bureaucracy.

Question 42

What event served as a catalyst for the creation of the Pendleton Act?

A) the growth of the Republican party in the 1880s
B) the expansion of the federal bureaucracy in the 1880s
C) the assassination of James Garfield in 1881
D) the election of Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876
E) the economic depression of the 1890s

Question 43

What financial authority does the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have?

A) OMB has an unlimited budget.
B) OMB can print money and coinage in times of crisis.
C) OMB can reduce presidential salaries.
D) OMB can stop legislation from passing if it contradicts the president's budget.
E) OMB can raise and lower the federal interest rates.

Question 44

When would Congress be most likely to allow a federal agency significant discretion in rule-making?

A) following a congressional election
B) following a presidential election
C) following the passage of a law dealing with specialist issues
D) following the passage of a law supported by both political parties
E) following the passage of a law supported by the president

Question 45

Why was the spoils system ultimately discontinued?

A) due to growing concerns about a poorly functioning federal bureaucracy
B) due to public pressure to shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy
C) due to a Supreme Court decision ruling the spoils system unconstitutional
D) due to the diversification of federal bureaucracy following the Civil War
E) due to congressional demands for greater control over the federal bureaucracy

Question 46

Which of the following is a primary goal of privatization or outsourcing?

A) to provide services that the private sector cannot
B) to spur economic growth
C) to improve the efficiency of public service delivery
D) to expand the size of the federal bureaucracy
E) to strengthen government accountability

Question 47

How are quasi-governmental organizations different from government corporations?

A) Quasi-governmental organizations receive federal funding, whereas government corporations do not.
B) Quasi-governmental organizations do not receive federal funding, whereas government corporations do.
C) Quasi-governmental organizations have greater private sector control over their activities than government corporations.
D) Quasi-governmental organizations have less private sector control over their activities than government corporations.
E) Quasi-governmental organizations operate at the state level, whereas government corporations operate at the federal level.

Question 48

Which circumstance creates a challenge to the implementation of federal laws?

A) when Congress passes a law that contains ambiguity
B) when Congress calls agency heads to testify at formal hearings
C) when functions are transferred to the private sector
D) when each chamber of Congress is controlled by a different party
E) when the president belongs to a different party than the majority party in Congress

Question 49

Which executive agency is responsible for creating tests and advertising and filling civil service vacancies?

A) the Merit Systems Protection Board
B) the Office of Personnel Management
C) the Executive Staffing Agency
D) the Civil Service Bureau
E) the Civil Service Executive Academy

Question 50

Under what circumstance are bureaucrats most likely to exercise discretion?

A) when an agency is creating environmental regulations
B) when an agency is under congressional investigation
C) when an agency is implementing a law that contains ambiguity
D) when an agency is elevated to the status of a Cabinet department
E) when an agency is proposing legislation

Question 51

Why is privatization/outsourcing seen as an attractive option for the delivery of public services?

A) Private companies may deliver services more efficiently.
B) Private companies may deliver services more equitably.
C) Privatization increases government's accountability to the public.
D) Privatization ensures higher employment levels.
E) Privatization primarily benefits U.S.-based companies.

Question 52

Which of the following is a drawback of privatization, or outsourcing?

A) The bidding process is too competitive.
B) The bidding process involves too many rules.
C) Privatized services often cost more to deliver.
D) Privatized service delivery is often too slow.
E) Privatization may decrease government accountability.

Question 53

Which of the following best explains how the Department of Defense privatizes its own operations?

A) It partners with special interest groups to create political change.
B) It conceals all internal paperwork from public view.
C) It procures weapons from private sector companies.
D) It allows anonymous donations.
E) It collects an undisclosed tax from various defense agencies.

Question 54

Federal agencies are prohibited from engaging in adjudication, or quasi-judicial processes.

Question 55

How did President George H.W. Bush's policy on executive departments issuing new rules compare to President Obama's policy?

A) President Bush wanted to revoke the ability to issue new rules, whereas President Obama supported it.
B) President Obama mandated a 10 percent increase in the amount of new rules issued, whereas President Bush mandated a 5 percent increase.
C) President Bush mandated a 25 percent increase in new rules issued, whereas President Obama wanted a 10 percent reduction in new rules issued.
D) President Bush did not favor issuing new rules, whereas President Obama encouraged an active government role.
E) President Obama wanted to revoke the ability to issue new rules, whereas President Bush supported it.

Question 56

Why was the Senior Executive Service created?

A) to give the president greater flexibility in fulfilling leadership needs
B) to give Congress greater control over agency budgets
C) to make federal bureaucrats more accountable to voters
D) to reduce the influence of interest groups on agency decision-making
E) to improve coordination between federal agencies

Question 57

Whistle-blowers alert the public to cases of official agency misconduct.

Question 58

Why did the Reagan administration introduce cost-benefit analysis into the rule-making process?

A) to expand administrative discretion
B) to decrease the number of legal disputes over rules
C) to accelerate the rule-making process
D) to slow the rule-making process
E) to improve the effectiveness of public policies

Question 59

Which of the following was a consequence of the spoils, or patronage, system?

A) The federal bureaucracy was staffed with people who lacked expertise.
B) There was low turnover in the federal bureaucracy between presidential administrations.
C) Only wealthy people could get jobs in the federal bureaucracy.
D) There was less government corruption.
E) Voter turnout in presidential elections decreased.

Question 60

What two reasons best explain why many high-level political appointees only work for the government for short periods of time?

A) They leave to obtain advanced degrees and join the armed forces.
B) They leave to obtain advanced degrees and travel abroad.
C) They leave to travel abroad and because they do not like being in the public eye.
D) They leave because of financial difficulties incurred by taking their government posts and because they do not like being in the public eye.
E) They leave because of financial difficulties incurred by taking their governments posts and to obtain advanced degrees.

Question 61

The Department of Homeland Security was formed in 2002 as a result of the housing market collapse in 2001.

Question 62

When the U.S. Department of Transportation stipulates how many hours truck drivers can be on the road per week, the department is creating a(n) __________.

Question 63

The most recently-created Cabinet department is the __________.

Question 64

Bureaucracy is a form of organization found only in government.

Question 65

The concept of red tape involved with bureaucratic processes means that the government is efficient and quickly able to make changes in the way it operates.

Question 66

According to the __________ Act, federal agencies must solicit public comments before issuing new rules and regulations.

Question 67

The __________ led to the creation of a bipartisan commission to oversee appointments to the federal bureaucracy.

Question 68

Independent regulatory commissions differ from independent agencies in that they are less subject to presidential control.

Question 69

Bureaucrats often have considerable discretion in the implementation of federal laws.

Question 70

When a federal agency adjudicates, or issues quasi-judicial decisions about legal disputes, the agency's decisions can be appealed in a federal court.

Question 71

Inspectors general monitor bureaucratic agencies on behalf of __________.

Question 72

The concept of popular sovereignty means elected officials have a weak control of the bureaucracy.

Question 73

__________ often holds oversight hearings to investigate the policies and performance of agencies and departments in the federal bureaucracy.

Question 74

After a president nominates an individual to be a Cabinet secretary, that appointment must confirmed by __________.

Question 75

Regulations are usually created by Congress.

Question 76

Both Congress and the president are involved in appointing individuals to key positions in the federal bureaucracy.

Question 77

Consider the "Mapping American Politics" box. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Department of Homeland Security distributed funds to states in proportion to the size of the state economies.

Question 78

The federal bureaucracy consists of the departments, agencies, and offices within the __________that perform the functions of government.

Question 79

Under __________, jobs in the federal bureaucracy are awarded on the basis of skills and expertise.

Question 80

Each independent agency in the executive branch is headed by a Cabinet secretary.