Question 1

Postwar economic prosperity allowed the nation to ______.

Accepted Answer

The postwar economic prosperity allowed for the government to fund a large growth in national bureaucracy in defense and social services. This included the creation and expansion of programs such as the GI Bill and Social Security, as well as the development of a larger military complex. However, this did not necessarily mean that the nation was able to expand foreign powers without additional funding or avoid bureaucracy through direct funding.

Question 2

In 1913, the Department of Commerce and Labor was broken in two, with the Department of Commerce focusing on ______ and the Department of Labor focusing on ______.

Accepted Answer

The Department of Commerce was created to focus on economic growth, while the Department of Labor was created to address issues related to employee-employer relations and workplace conditions.

Question 3

Scholars of American political development have highlighted the importance of ______, in which a set of political choices at one time produces a set of outcomes that shapes the possibilities for future politics and public policies.

Accepted Answer

Scholars of American political development have highlighted the importance of path dependence, which refers to the idea that a set of political choices at one time produces a set of outcomes that shapes the possibilities for future politics and public policies. This can create a self-reinforcing cycle in which past decisions limit the available options for future decision-making.

Question 4

In 1883, Congress passed the ______, commonly referred to as the ______, in order to create the first U.S. Civil Service Commission.

Accepted Answer

The Civil Service Reform Act, commonly referred to as the Pendleton Act, was passed by Congress in 1883 to create the first U.S. Civil Service Commission and establish a merit-based system for hiring and promotion in the federal government.

Question 5

The Progressive Era witnessed ______.

Accepted Answer

The Progressive Era was characterized by efforts to reform the federal bureaucracy and make it more efficient and accountable. This included the creation of several new federal agencies to address issues like consumer protection, conservation, and labor rights. While there were some attempts to limit or constrain the bureaucracy, these tended to be more focused on promoting efficiency and reducing waste rather than scaling back government organization as a whole.

Question 6

For political scientist Stephen Skowronek, the federal bureaucracy was more ______.

Accepted Answer

Skowronek argues that the federal bureaucracy in the United States is "fragmented and decentralized" compared to its European counterparts, meaning it is not highly centralized (B) or hierarchal (C). And while it may be democratic in some ways, it is not necessarily more open and democratic than other bureaucratic systems around the world (D).

Question 7

The public demand for a more active federal role and the creation of independent regulatory agencies after the Civil War was spurred by ______.

Accepted Answer

The rise of large corporations such as railroads exceeded the regulatory authority of the states, leading to demands for a more active federal role and the creation of independent regulatory agencies.

Question 8

The period from 1890 to 1920 in which the role of the federal bureaucracy in the nation's life expanded along with attempts to take politics out of the bureaucracy itself is described as the ______.

Accepted Answer

This time period is commonly referred to as the Progressive Era, a time of social and political reforms aimed at improving social conditions, promoting activism and government intervention in the economy, and strengthening democracy. One of the key features of this era was the expansion of the federal bureaucracy and the implementation of policies designed to make it more objective and efficient, such as the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883.

Question 9

Following the election of Ronald Reagan, the federal bureaucracy began to ______.

Accepted Answer

Ronald Reagan ran on a platform of reducing the size and scope of the federal government, including the bureaucracy. This led to policies aimed at reducing the size of the federal bureaucracy through attrition, privatization, and deregulation.

Question 10

Political scientist Theda Skocpol explained America's lack of developing a comprehensive social welfare system in comparison to that of Europe by describing the ______ as hostile to large-scale government intervention and American ______ as defending the benefits of political patronage.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Political scientist Theda Skocpol explained America's lack...

Question 11

Under Bill Clinton, the one area in which the federal bureaucracy began to see a significant reduction was ______ policy.

Accepted Answer

Under Bill Clinton, there was a significant reduction in the federal bureaucracy related to defense policy, as part of the post-Cold War military downsizing and budget cuts.

Question 12

Both the Skocpol and Skowronek studies highlight the question of American ______.

Accepted Answer

Both Skocpol and Skowronek studies focus on American exceptionalism, which is the belief that America has a unique role in the world because of its history, economy, and political system. They examine how this belief shapes American politics and policies, especially in relation to social welfare programs and presidential leadership.

Question 13

The ______ created the first U.S. Civil Service Commission to draw up and enforce rules on hiring, promotion, and tenure of office within the civil service.

Accepted Answer

The Pendleton Act, also known as the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, created the first U.S. Civil Service Commission to draw up and enforce rules on hiring, promotion, and tenure of office within the civil service. It was designed to replace the spoils system with a merit-based system for government employment.

Question 14

The focus of reform under the Progressive Era targeted ______.

Accepted Answer

The Progressive Era was focused on reforming a corrupt, inefficient, and too-political bureaucracy. Progressives aimed to introduce measures to increase government efficiency, transparency, and accountability, reduce corruption and political influence, and promote merit-based appointments.

Question 15

Healthcare, education, housing, transit, job training, and urban renewal were all targets of President Johnson's ______ programs.

Accepted Answer

President Johnson's targets for social reform were part of his Great Society program, which aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice in America. The other options listed refer to different historical programs or eras.

Question 16

President Roosevelt's efforts to combat the crisis of the ______, called the ______, resulted in an unprecedented expansion of the size of the bureaucracy in the federal government.

Accepted Answer

The Great Depression was a major economic crisis that affected the United States and the world in the 1930s. President Roosevelt's response was known as the New Deal, which involved a series of government programs and policies aimed at stimulating the economy and creating jobs. This led to an expansion of the federal bureaucracy, including the creation of new agencies such as the Social Security Administration and the Works Progress Administration.

Question 17

The CIA is an example of a(n) ______ in which agencies otherwise similar to cabinet departments exist outside the cabinet structure and usually have a narrower focus of mission.

Accepted Answer

The description matches that of an independent executive agency, which is a federal agency that operates independently of a cabinet department but reports directly to the president. The CIA is one such agency, and its mission is specifically focused on intelligence gathering and analysis.

Question 18

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed into law the ______, which created the National Security Council as well as the Central Intelligence Agency.

Accepted Answer

The National Security Act of 1947 created the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, and reorganized the military under the newly-created Secretary of Defense position. The Marshall Plan was a foreign aid program implemented in 1948, the National Civil Service Act dealt with federal government employment procedures in 1883, and the Foreign Intelligence Act was not signed into law until 1978. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Question 19

The system of hiring and promotion based on the results of competitive tests, education, and other qualifications rather than politics and personal consideration was called the ______ system.

Accepted Answer

The merit system is a system of hiring and promotion based on the results of competitive tests, education, and other qualifications rather than politics and personal consideration.

Question 20

Organizations that act to serve and promote the interests of their clients are known as ______.

Accepted Answer

Clientele agencies serve specific groups or interests and work to promote and protect those interests. They can be public or private, but their primary focus is on serving their clients.

Quiz 11: The Federal Bureaucracy: Putting the Nations Laws Into Effect