Question 1

According to Downs, the type of bureaucrat who is least motivated by personal self-interest is the "statesman."

Accepted Answer

Downs argues that the "statesman" bureaucrat is motivated by a sense of duty and responsibility rather than personal gain, making them the least motivated by self-interest.

Question 2

Because there are multiple values competing in the public arena, there is no use in developing ethical standards for decision making.

Accepted Answer

While there may be competing values and ethical dilemmas, developing ethical standards can help provide guidance and a framework for decision making in complex situations. It is important to have a shared understanding of what is considered ethical and to have a process for ethical reasoning and reflection.

Question 3

The less generalized a goal statement is, the more likely it is to be widely supported in the political arena.

Accepted Answer

The more specific and clear a goal statement is, the easier it is for political stakeholders to clearly understand what is being proposed and what actions need to be taken. A generalized statement may lack the necessary detail and specificity to gain support from a wide range of stakeholders.

Question 4

In some instances, agencies seek to continue making progress in certain directions but do not expect to actually accomplish all of their goals.

Accepted Answer

While agencies may have ambitious goals, they often recognize that they may not achieve everything they set out to accomplish. They may still seek to make progress in certain directions, even if they do not expect to reach all of their objectives.

Question 5

Which of the following individuals criticized incrementalism for promoting the status quo?
A)Dror
B)Simon
C)Etzioni
D)Downs

Accepted Answer

Dror criticized incrementalism for promoting the status quo, arguing that it often leads to only minor changes and fails to address larger systemic issues.

Question 6

Of the following types of officials, which is most likely to base a pollution-control decision on substantive grounds?
A)The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
B)The technician who conducted the pollution tests
C)The chief of the Air Quality Division of the EPA
D)The president

Accepted Answer

The answer of Of the following types of officials, which...

Question 7

Goal congruence among members of an organization is the exception, not the rule.

Accepted Answer

Goal congruence occurs when all members of an organization share the same goals or objectives. However, due to individual differences in values, motivations, and priorities, achieving goal congruence is challenging and often difficult to sustain. Therefore, it is more common for organizations to experience goal conflict or ambiguity, rather than congruence.

Question 8

According to Anthony Downs, the term "mixed-motive bureaucrat" describes which of the following?
A)Conserver
B)Zealot
C)Advocate
D)Both A and C
E)Both B and C

Accepted Answer

According to Anthony Downs, a mixed-motive bureaucrat is someone who is both a zealot (advocate) and has conservative tendencies (conserver). Therefore, the best choice is E, which represents both options.

Question 9

All of the following are reasons for enforcing ethics in public organizations except
A)enhancing employee effectiveness.
B)improving morale.
C)better community relations.
D)increased profit.

Accepted Answer

Increased profit is not a reason for enforcing ethics in public organizations as their main goal is to serve the public interest rather than making a profit. The other options are valid reasons for enforcing ethics as they lead to better organizational performance and a positive reputation within the community.

Question 10

An organizational goal related primarily to activities that impact the external environment is called
A)transitive.
B)reflexive.
C)symbolic.
D)none of the above.

Accepted Answer

Transitive goals are those that relate to activities impacting the external environment, focusing on the organization's interactions and relationships outside of itself.

Question 11

The "mixed scanning" analogy of the high-altitude weather satellite was formulated by
A)Wildavsky.
B)Etzioni.
C)Simon.
D)Dror.

Accepted Answer

The "mixed scanning" analogy was formulated by Amitai Etzioni. This concept combines both comprehensive (or "high-altitude") and incremental (or "close-up") approaches to decision-making and planning.

Question 12

Common issues that policy makers have to balance in their decision making include
A)financial costs.
B)military costs.
C)benefits received.
D)none of the above.
E)all of the above.

Accepted Answer

Policy makers have to balance a variety of factors when making decisions, including financial costs, military costs, and benefits received. These are all important considerations that must be taken into account in order to make informed and effective decisions. By weighing these factors carefully and making decisions that take all of them into account, policy makers can help to ensure that their decisions are well-informed and effective in achieving their goals.

Question 13

The "garbage can" or "organized anarchy" model was formulated to assist decision makers in
A)waste management policies.
B)pursuing purely economic rationality.
C)dealing with ambiguity in decision environments.
D)seeking to reorganize.

Accepted Answer

The "garbage can" or "organized anarchy" model was developed to deal with ambiguity in decision environments by acknowledging that decisions are often made in a chaotic manner, with multiple problems, solutions, and participants in a given decision-making situation. It helps decision makers understand how decisions are made and how various factors can influence the ultimate outcome. It is not specifically tied to waste management policies, economic rationality, or organizational restructuring.

Question 14

Which of the following is not present in nearly all decision processes?
A)Some uncertainty
B)Financial criteria for measuring gains or losses
C)An element of risk
D)Some expenditure of resources

Accepted Answer

Financial criteria may not be present in all decision processes, especially when it comes to personal or ethical decisions. Some decision processes may focus more on qualitative factors rather than quantitative factors such as finances.

Question 15

An organizational goal related primarily to activities that impact an organization's survival and maintenance is called
A)substantive.
B)transitive.
C)reflexive.
D)programmatic.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An organizational goal related primarily to activities...

Question 16

Limitations on information in decision making have the greatest impact on the assumptions and values of the rational decision-making approach.

Accepted Answer

The rational decision-making approach relies heavily on information and analysis, so limitations on information can greatly impact the assumptions and values underlying the approach. Without sufficient information, decision makers may need to make assumptions, which may not be accurate, and have to rely more on subjective values, which can be influenced by personal biases and other factors.

Question 17

An example of a social phenomenon only recently defined as a problem requiring government attention is
A)the ethics of administrative decision making.
B)dilapidated housing.
C)urban overcrowding.
D)all of the above.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An example of a social phenomenon only...

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a constraint on the attainment of rationality if it is present in the decision-making process?
A)Information cost problems
B)Accurate cost-benefit analysis
C)Time constraints
D)Lingering uncertainty

Accepted Answer

Accurate cost-benefit analysis is not a constraint on the attainment of rationality, but rather a tool used to achieve rational decision-making. The other options (information cost problems, time constraints, and lingering uncertainty) can all impede rational decision-making.

Question 19

The modification of agency goals virtually always occurs at the initiative of those inside the agency, not those outside.

Accepted Answer

Agency goals can be modified due to various factors including external pressures such as political changes, public opinion, legislative adjustments, or directives from higher government authorities, not just from initiatives by those inside the agency.

Question 20

Conceptually, the costs and complications involved in an organization's reversing a policy direction are part of
A)information scarcity.
B)unanticipated consequences.
C)mixed scanning.
D)sunk costs.

Accepted Answer

Sunk costs refer to costs that have already been incurred and cannot be recovered. When an organization reverses a policy direction, it may have to give up investments and resources that have already been spent on implementing and enforcing the policy. These are sunk costs that cannot be recovered, and they can create complications and resistance to policy reversals.

Quiz 5: Decision Making in Administration

According to Downs, the type of bureaucrat who is least motivated by personal self-interest is the "statesman."

Because there are multiple values competing in the public arena, there is no use in developing ethical standards for decision making.

The less generalized a goal statement is, the more likely it is to be widely supported in the political arena.

In some instances, agencies seek to continue making progress in certain directions but do not expect to actually accomplish all of their goals.

Which of the following individuals criticized incrementalism for promoting the status quo?

Of the following types of officials, which is most likely to base a pollution-control decision on substantive grounds?

Goal congruence among members of an organization is the exception, not the rule.

According to Anthony Downs, the term "mixed-motive bureaucrat" describes which of the following?

All of the following are reasons for enforcing ethics in public organizations except

An organizational goal related primarily to activities that impact the external environment is called

The "mixed scanning" analogy of the high-altitude weather satellite was formulated by

Common issues that policy makers have to balance in their decision making include

The "garbage can" or "organized anarchy" model was formulated to assist decision makers in

Which of the following is not present in nearly all decision processes?

An organizational goal related primarily to activities that impact an organization's survival and maintenance is called

Limitations on information in decision making have the greatest impact on the assumptions and values of the rational decision-making approach.

An example of a social phenomenon only recently defined as a problem requiring government attention is

Which of the following is NOT a constraint on the attainment of rationality if it is present in the decision-making process?

The modification of agency goals virtually always occurs at the initiative of those inside the agency, not those outside.

Conceptually, the costs and complications involved in an organization's reversing a policy direction are part of