Question 1

Rather than hire federal workers to make infrastructure repairs to interstate highways, the government contracted with local construction companies in the affected areas to complete the work. This an example of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The government contracting with local construction companies to complete infrastructure repairs is an example of privatization, which involves the transfer of ownership or responsibility of a public service from the government to a private entity. This is in contrast to insourcing, which involves hiring federal workers to complete the work, and does not involve the transfer of ownership or responsibility.

Question 2

Which of the following is responsible for oversight of the national bureaucracy?

Accepted Answer

Congress has the responsibility of overseeing the national bureaucracy through its power of budgetary control, legislative oversight, and investigative authority. It can request information from agencies, hold hearings, and conduct investigations to ensure that the bureaucracy is operating efficiently and effectively. The other options listed do not have the same level of responsibility or authority over the national bureaucracy.

Question 3

Which of the following is true of the Freedom of Information Act?

Accepted Answer

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires federal agencies to disclose information on file about an individual to that individual upon his or her request. This includes personal and medical records, employment records, and any other information kept by the agency. FOIA does not require agencies to notify the media about budget overruns or provide a statute of limitations on the Government in the Sunshine Act. Additionally, FOIA has not been repealed after 9/11. While there have been some changes to how information is classified and shared in the post-9/11 era, FOIA is still in place and can be used to request information from federal agencies. FOIA does not specifically require executive agencies to release information to congressional oversight committees, although there are other laws and regulations that may require such disclosures.

Question 4

What is the central feature of the civil service system?

Accepted Answer

The central feature of the civil service system is merit-based, nonpolitical employment and promotion. This means that individuals are hired and promoted based on their qualifications and abilities, rather than political connections or affiliations.

Question 5

Your friend works in the federal bureaucracy but is not a political appointee. You can therefore assume this individual is which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A career civil servant is someone who is employed by the federal government on a long-term basis but is not a political appointee. They are hired based on merit and qualifications rather than political connections. Therefore, option C is the correct answer. Option A, legislative liaison, refers to someone who serves as a bridge between an agency and Congress, but they are typically political appointees. Option B, Cabinet member, refers to the heads of executive departments, who are political appointees. Option D, foreign ambassador, is someone who represents the U.S. government overseas, but they are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, making them political appointees. Option E, elected representative, refers to someone who has been voted into office, such as a member of Congress or the president, but they are not part of the federal bureaucracy.

Question 6

When a president is elected who has a different party affiliation than the current president, the new president staffs the federal government with political supporters and friends. Which of the following does this describe?

Accepted Answer

This describes the spoils system, which involves the new president rewarding political supporters and friends with government positions and contracts. The civil service, merit system, Weber's model of bureaucracy, and gerrymandering are not directly related to this concept.

Question 7

One advantage of the career nature of the civil service allows for built-in protections against what?

Accepted Answer

The career nature of the civil service allows for built-in protections against political pressure, as civil servants are expected to remain neutral and serve the government of the day regardless of which political party is in power. This helps to ensure that decision-making is based on expert advice and is not unduly influenced by short-term political considerations.

Question 8

Putting specific policies into operation is known as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Implementation is the process of putting specific policies into operation.

Question 9

A federal employee who engages in which of the following activities would be in violation of the Hatch Act of 1939?

Accepted Answer

Participating in the political management of campaigns is a violation of the Hatch Act of 1939 for federal employees, as it restricts them from engaging in some forms of political activity to maintain the integrity of the public service.

Question 10

Consider a situation in which Congress is not pleased with the direction taken by a federal agency. How can Congress punish or otherwise exert control over that agency?

Accepted Answer

Congress has the power of the purse and can control agency behavior by cutting their budget. This can force the agency to re-evaluate their practices or make changes to align with congressional wishes.

Question 11

Members of Congress disagree with the operations of a particular department within the federal bureaucracy and want to force changes. What means do they have to exercise some control over that department?

Accepted Answer

Congress has the authority to extend or limit appropriations to federal agencies, which gives them a powerful tool to exercise some control over the operations of particular departments within the federal bureaucracy. By controlling the funding of bureaucracy, Congress can incentivize or penalize different operations of a particular department. This power is often used to force changes in the way federal agencies operate. The other options, such as the authority to select high-level bureaucrats, fire bureaucrats for not executing policy passed by Congress, finding agency actions unconstitutional, or appointing agency heads, may be important but are not directly related to Congress’s ability to control specific federal departments.

Question 12

A federal employee who was appointed by the president with the explicit task of carrying out the president's political and partisan agenda would be known as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Political appointees are appointed by the president with the explicit task of carrying out the president's political and partisan agenda. They are not subject to the civil service rules and regulations that govern career civil servants. Merit system appointees are also appointed based on merit rather than political affiliation, while Pendleton Act employees and civil service employees are both types of career civil servants.

Question 13

A president awarded a significant number of government jobs to political supporters. That president used what?

Accepted Answer

The spoils system is when elected officials award government jobs and contracts to political supporters as a reward for their loyalty and support during the campaign. This was a common practice in the early years of the United States, where civil service positions were seen as a way to reward political supporters and maintain political power.

Question 14

What did the Whistleblower Protection Act do?

Accepted Answer

The Whistleblower Protection Act prohibits reprisals against whistleblowers by their superiors. It ensures that federal employees who disclose government illegality, waste or fraud are protected from retaliation.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of privatization?

Accepted Answer

Privatization refers to the transfer of ownership and control of a government-owned asset or service to a private entity. In this case, the federal government is transferring the operation of the youth detention center to a private firm, making it an example of privatization. The other options do not involve the transfer of ownership or control of a public service or asset to a private entity.

Question 16

A federal employee who was hired through a merit-based system to implement federal programs is expected to be neutral in political affiliations. What would this individual be considered?

Accepted Answer

A career civil servant is a federal employee who was hired through a merit-based system and is expected to be neutral in political affiliations. They are not political appointees, executive workers, or cabinet members, and may or may not be AmeriCorps members, depending on their specific job duties.

Question 17

When the government sets limits on ingredients found in prescription medications or on factory emissions, this would be an example of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Regulation is the government's ability to set rules, standards, or requirements for a certain industry or activity to protect public health, safety, and welfare. In this case, the government is setting limits on what ingredients can be used in prescription medications and on factory emissions to ensure that they don't harm individuals or the environment.

Question 18

A government department has decided to make use of privatization, which means it plans to do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Privatization involves transferring ownership and control of government services to private firms. This means the government department will replace its services with those provided by private companies.

Question 19

Which of the following did the Government in the Sunshine Act require?

Accepted Answer

The Government in the Sunshine Act required that all federal agencies run by committees conduct their business regularly in public session.

Question 20

Which of the following first implemented the spoils system of bureaucratic appointments?

Accepted Answer

President Andrew Jackson was the first to implement the spoils system of bureaucratic appointments, also known as patronage. Under this system, loyal supporters of the president were rewarded with government jobs, regardless of their qualifications or experience.

Quiz 14: The Bureaucracy