Question 1

In 1966, what legislation established a procedure by which ordinary citizens can request documents and reports from the federal government directly by paying a nominal fee, so long as the documents are not classified?

Accepted Answer

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was enacted by the US Congress in 1966. It established a procedure by which any person can request access to federal agency records or information. This law requires federal agencies to disclose documents and information to the public, except for those that are classified or otherwise exempted from disclosure. The law also sets guidelines for agencies to follow in responding to FOIA requests, including specific time frames for responding and options for appealing denials.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

The spoils system is a political practice in which elected officials reward their supporters, usually with government jobs or other favors. This system was prevalent in the United States during the 19th century and was used by many presidents before the introduction of the merit-based civil service system in the late 1800s.

Question 3

A certain agency has a history of mismanagement, corruption, and illegal activity. Employees who expose these practices to others outside the agency would be referred to as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Employees who reveal unethical or illegal practices within their organization to outside parties are known as whistleblowers. In this scenario, given the history of mismanagement, corruption, and illegal activity within the agency, it would be appropriate to refer to employees who expose these practices as whistleblowers. The other options - moles, scabs, spies, and traitors - do not accurately describe employees who expose unethical or illegal practices within an organization.

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 employment and promotion in the civil service are based on qualifications, skills, and abilities rather than political favoritism or affiliation. The system was designed to ensure a professional and efficient career bureaucracy that is independent of political influence.

Question 5

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, which involved the removal of existing government employees and the appointment of political supporters to public office positions.

Question 6

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

A political appointee is a federal employee appointed by the president with the explicit task of carrying out the president's political and partisan agenda, as opposed to a merit system appointee, who is selected based on qualifications and abilities. The Pendleton Act created a system of merit-based hiring and ended the spoils system, but it does not define political appointees. Civil service employees and career civil servants are both types of merit system appointees.

Question 7

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 8

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

This is an example of privatization, as the government is outsourcing the work to private construction companies rather than using federal workers.

Question 9

What did the Whistleblower Protection Act do?

Accepted Answer

The Whistleblower Protection Act prohibits reprisals against whistleblowers by their superiors.

Question 10

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. FOIA does not require government agencies to notify the media if they are exceeding their budget for the fiscal year, provide for a statute of limitations on the Government in the Sunshine Act, or require executive agencies to release information to congressional oversight committees. FOIA has not been repealed after 9/11.

Question 11

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 works in the federal bureaucracy but is not a political appointee. A legislative liaison is a type of political appointee who works to build relationships with legislators, a cabinet member is a high-level political appointee selected by the president, a foreign ambassador is a political appointee who represents the U.S. in a foreign country, and an elected representative is someone who is voted into office by the people.

Question 12

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

The statement describes the spoils system, which is the practice of the incoming president rewarding political supporters with government positions. This practice was common in the early years of the United States but has largely been replaced by the merit system, which is based on qualifications rather than political connections.

Question 13

To encourage more candid disclosure of wrongdoing in federal agencies, what legislation did Congress pass in 1989?

Accepted Answer

The Whistleblower Protection Act was passed in 1989 to encourage more candid disclosure of wrongdoing in federal agencies and to protect whistleblowers from retaliation. The act provides legal protections to federal employees who report misconduct or illegal activity within their agency.

Question 14

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 based on merit through a competitive application and selection process. They are expected to be non-partisan and implement federal programs and policies regardless of their political affiliations. Other options listed, such as political appointees and cabinet members, are often chosen by the President and are expected to have strong political affiliations. AmeriCorps members are volunteers who work on community service projects, and executive workers are typically high-level managers within a government agency.

Question 15

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 government-owned assets or services to private ownership or control. This means that the government will replace its own services with services provided by private firms.

Question 16

In 1976, Congress enacted what legislation to increase transparency by requiring that government agencies hold open forums to allow the public to comment on their decisions, regulations, and performance?

Accepted Answer

The Government in the Sunshine Act was enacted in 1976 to increase transparency by requiring government agencies to hold open forums to allow the public to comment on their decisions, regulations, and performance. The Freedom of Information Act (A) focuses on providing access to government agency records and information. The Hatch Act (C) limits the political activities of federal employees. The Pendleton Act (D) established a merit-based system for hiring and promoting government employees. There is no Public Disclosure Act (E) at the federal level.

Question 17

If you want to see information the federal government has about you, or about certain other subjects, how can you make the government release that information to you?

Accepted Answer

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows individuals to request access to information held by the federal government. Requests can be submitted online or by mail, and agencies are required to respond within a certain timeframe. The FOIA provides exceptions for sensitive information such as classified documents or personal privacy. So, option A is the correct answer.

Question 18

A whistleblower is a person who does which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A whistleblower is someone who exposes or brings attention to illegal or unethical behavior within an organization, particularly within a government agency. This person is often taking a risk in order to reveal the truth and uphold ethical standards.

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. This means that meetings must be open to the public unless they are exempted under one of the Act's nine exemptions.

Question 20

A clerical worker for the federal government notices gross negligence in the spending habits of a government agency and the worker feels the need to call this discrepancy to the attention of the media. That clerical worker is an example of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The clerical worker is exhibiting whistleblowing behavior by drawing attention to the discrepancies in government spending. Whistleblowers are individuals who expose illegal or unethical activities within an organization, often to the media or other authorities.

Quiz 13: The Bureaucracy