Question 1

Which time period is NOT associated with an increase in the size of the federal bureaucracy?

Accepted Answer

During the Era of Good Feelings, there was a push for smaller government and a reduction in the size of the federal bureaucracy, so it is not associated with an increase in the size of the federal bureaucracy.

Question 2

Patronage appointments resulted in ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Patronage appointments, which were based on political favoritism rather than merit, often led to the hiring of underqualified bureaucrats who were not best suited for their positions. This resulted in a less effective implementation of government policies.

Question 3

Employees at independent agencies may be dismissed ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Employees at independent agencies can only be dismissed for cause, meaning there must be a valid reason for their termination such as poor job performance or misconduct. This is due to civil service protections that prevent arbitrary dismissal of employees.

Question 4

Corruption in the bureaucracy increased because of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The spoils system, which rewarded government jobs to political supporters and friends, led to corruption in the bureaucracy as officials felt obligated to use their positions to benefit those who helped them obtain their jobs. The Pendleton Act, Mugwumps, Great Society programs, and military expansion were all efforts to reform or expand government, but they did not directly address the issue of corruption in the bureaucracy.

Question 5

Which country operates a national bureaucracy most similar to the current U.S.system of civil service?

Accepted Answer

The United Kingdom operates a civil service system that is similar to the U.S. system in terms of its merit-based hiring, promotion, and protections for civil servants. Both systems are also characterized by a clear distinction between political appointees and career civil servants. France, Japan, Nigeria, and Bolivia all have different civil service systems with varying degrees of political influence and patronage.

Question 6

In the last twenty years national government has been under pressure to privatize,which refers to ____________________,and marketize,which means ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Privatization involves hiring private-sector agents to implement programs, while marketization refers to applying market principles when implementing policies.

Question 7

The town of Springfield has an extensive public transportation system that has grown steadily over time in response to the city's changing needs.However,the town council realizes that it is not as efficient as it might be.The town decides to hire a private company to run its bus service,because a private company has greater incentives to run the system efficiently.This is an example of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes the town hiring a private company to run a public transportation system, which is an example of privatization. It is believed that a private company has greater incentives to run the system efficiently, as they will want to maximize profits.

Question 8

The town of Springfield has an extensive public transportation system that has grown steadily over time in response to the city's changing needs.However,the town council realizes that it is not as efficient as it might be.The town council reviews data provided by the city's Department of Transportation and organizes an extensive re-routing of public buses in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency.This is an example of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The re-routing of public buses in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency is an example of marketization, which is the process of introducing market-based mechanisms and competition into public services. The town council is attempting to make the public transportation system more efficient and cost-effective, which is a goal of marketization. Personalization, privatization, proliferation, and capitalization do not accurately describe this scenario.

Question 9

The town of Springfield has an extensive public transportation system that has grown steadily over time in response to the city's changing needs.However,the town council realizes that it is not as efficient as it might be.One of the biggest drains on the system is a program that shuttles elderly citizens from point to point,but discontinuing this program would be a public relations liability for the town council,so they recruit volunteers to drive these shuttles.This is an example of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The situation describes the town council's decision to recruit volunteers to drive shuttles as an attempt to privatize a public service. This is because the council is seeking to reduce the cost of the program by shifting the responsibility and expense onto volunteers, rather than employing paid staff.

Question 10

The number of people employed by the federal government's civilian bureaucracy ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The number of people employed by the federal government's civilian bureaucracy has remained relatively stable since the 1950s, showing neither a consistent increase nor decrease over the long term. This stability is due to various factors, including technological advancements that improve efficiency, budget constraints, and the shifting of some government functions to private contractors or state governments.

Question 11

Which of the following refers to the contracting of private companies by the government to conduct work that was formerly done by government agencies?

Accepted Answer

Privatization refers to the contracting of private companies by the government to conduct work that was formerly done by government agencies.

Question 12

Which collective dilemma most typically characterizes the relationship between the president and the federal bureaucracy?

Accepted Answer

The principal-agent problem most typically characterizes the relationship between the president and the federal bureaucracy, as the president is the principal and the bureaucracy is the agent. This refers to the difficulty of the principal (president) to ensure that the agent (bureaucracy) is carrying out their responsibilities in a way that aligns with the principal's goals and preferences. The agent often has their own interests and incentives that may not match up with the principal's, leading to a potential conflict of interests.

Question 13

Suppose a federal agency created under a Democratic president and a Democratic-controlled Congress finds itself at odds with a newly elected Republican president and Republican-controlled Congress.This is an example of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

Coalitional drift occurs when there is a shift in the political landscape, such as a change in the presidency or Congress, leading to a misalignment between the agency's goals and the new political leadership's priorities.

Question 14

The Pendleton Act,in part,created a system of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

The Pendleton Act created a civil service system to fill federal government jobs based on merit instead of political connections or patronage (spoils), thus ending the practice of perennial spoils.

Question 15

Which term describes a formal agreement in which the government hires a company or an organization to carry out certain tasks on its behalf?

Accepted Answer

A contract is a formal agreement between the government and a company/organization outlining specific tasks or projects the contractor will carry out on the government's behalf.

Question 16

Though it was intended to increase bureaucratic efficiency,the principles of privatization and marketization that were part of ____________________ have in some cases led to accusations of increased fraud due to a lack of oversight.

Accepted Answer

The principles of privatization and marketization are part of the Grace Commission, which aimed at increasing bureaucratic efficiency. However, in some cases, the lack of oversight has led to accusations of increased fraud.

Question 17

The tension between U.S.representatives' shared interest in reducing government waste and their individual interests in preserving government programs that benefit their constituents often produces a/an ____________________ that prevents political action to improve bureaucratic efficiency.

Accepted Answer

The collective-action problem occurs when a group of individuals with a shared interest cannot coordinate and take action due to conflicting individual interests. In the context of the question, U.S. representatives want to reduce government waste but are hesitant to support initiatives that could cut funding for programs that benefit their constituents. This creates a collective-action problem where they cannot cooperate to improve bureaucratic efficiency.

Question 18

While in office,President George W.Bush appointed an ambassador to France even though the appointee did not speak French.Should this be prevented by the Pendleton Act?

Accepted Answer

The Pendleton Act primarily established a merit-based system for federal employment and does not cover ambassadorial appointments, which are typically political appointments.

Question 19

Which term describes money that the government provides to individuals or organizations to perform tasks in the public's interest?

Accepted Answer

A grant is money provided by the government to individuals or organizations to perform tasks in the public's interest. A contract is an agreement between two parties, a work order is a request for specific work to be done, an asset is a valuable item owned by an individual or organization, and a certificate is a document that certifies something (such as completion of a course or achievement of a certain level of skill).

Question 20

Which term refers to the government bureaucratic reform that emphasizes market-based principles of management that are common in the private sector?

Accepted Answer

Marketization is the term used to describe the government bureaucratic reform that emphasizes market-based principles of management that are common in the private sector, such as competition, efficiency, and accountability. Privatization refers specifically to the transfer of government-owned assets and services to the private sector. Personalization and proliferation are not related to bureaucratic reform or market-based principles. Capitalization could potentially be related, but is not a commonly used term in this context.

Quiz 7: the Bureaucracy