Question 1

Close connections between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and legislative committees are known as cozy little triangles. Which of the following connections is NOT part of this relationship?

Accepted Answer

While legislators may seek input from constituents regarding their preferences for specific bureaus, this is not a direct connection between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and legislative committees. The other choices all demonstrate direct connections between these entities.

Question 2

Which choice is an example of a powerful before-the-fact political weapon for controlling the bureaucracy?

Accepted Answer

The appointment process allows the president to choose individuals who are aligned with their political agenda to fill top positions within the bureaucracy. This gives the president the ability to control the actions of the bureaucracy before they even take place. By appointing individuals who share their views, the president can ensure that their policies are carried out effectively. A procedural control (B) and congressional hearing (D) are both after-the-fact measures that can hold the bureaucracy accountable for their actions, but they do not have the same level of control as the appointment process. The appropriations process (C) is a way to allocate funding to different agencies, but it does not necessarily provide a mechanism for controlling the actions of the bureaucracy.

Question 3

A bureaucracy can be thought of as the agent in a principal-agent, with __________ as the principal.

Accepted Answer

In a principal-agent relationship, the principal is the entity that delegates power to the agent to act on their behalf. In this case, the bureaucracy (the agent) is tasked with carrying out the policies and directives of the government, which is composed of the president and Congress (the principal). Therefore, B is the best choice as the president and Congress are the principal in this relationship.

Question 4

The 1921 Budget and Accounting Act conferred agenda-setting powers over the budget to the president. This change in power over the budget helped create what is now known as

Accepted Answer

The 1921 Budget and Accounting Act shifted the power to set the budget agenda from Congress to the president, leading to the creation of the managerial presidency where the president plays a larger role in the budget process.

Question 5

By implementing the laws and policies passed by elected officials, bureaucrats can be seen as

Accepted Answer

Bureaucrats are agents of Congress and the presidency, meaning that they carry out the laws and policies enacted by elected officials. While they have some discretion in how they implement these laws, they ultimately work on behalf of those who hold elected office.

Question 6

To prevent coalitional drift from threatening carefully fashioned policies, legislators often resort to the costly strategy of

Accepted Answer

Insulating the bureaucracy from politics and securing sources of revenue can help prevent coalitional drift because it reduces the influence of interest groups and politicians on the implementation of policies. This allows bureaucrats to implement policies based on their expertise and the goals of the policy rather than being biased by pressure from external groups. It also secures sources of funding for the agency, making it less vulnerable to budget cuts that may be influenced by coalitional politics.

Question 7

Bureaucratic drift is more likely if there is a permanent law in place and Congress and the president can never agree upon a replacement statute. To prevent this, Congress often uses which after-the-fact control?

Accepted Answer

Congressional hearings allow for oversight of bureaucratic agencies and can hold them accountable for their actions, potentially preventing bureaucratic drift. Nominations and executive orders are not specifically designed to prevent bureaucratic drift, and signing statements are used by the president to indicate their interpretation of the law rather than control bureaucratic behavior.

Question 8

A Congress or president that passes a law can be voted out of office in the next election. The newly elected members may wish to change the law passed during the previous session. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Coalitional drift occurs when shifts in the political landscape, such as changes in elected officials due to elections, lead to changes in policy preferences or directions. This can result in modifications to previously passed laws to reflect the new majority's priorities or ideologies.

Question 9

In the U.S. House of Representatives, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence reviews the performance of the Central Intelligence Agency in helping prevent international terrorism. What is this review known as?

Accepted Answer

This review is known as oversight, which refers to the process of monitoring and evaluating the actions and decisions of government agencies or officials. In this case, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence oversees the performance of the CIA's anti-terrorism activities.

Question 10

The prospect that enacted policy will change because the composition of the enacting coalition is temporary and provisional is called __________ drift.

Accepted Answer

Coalitional drift refers to the possibility that policy can change because the temporary and provisional coalition that enacted it may change. This can occur when new members are added or removed from the coalition, altering its preferences and priorities. The other options do not accurately describe this phenomenon. Bureaucratic drift refers to the tendency of bureaucratic agencies to create policies that deviate from the original intentions of elected officials. Enactment and legislative are not closely related to the concept of drift.

Question 11

In his classic treatment of bureaucrats, the economist William Niskanen proposed that, for purposes of modeling bureaucratic behavior, a bureau chief or department head should be thought of as a(n)

Accepted Answer

Niskanen's model proposes that department heads or bureau chiefs are primarily motivated by a desire to maximize their budget. This is based on the assumption that the size of their budget is an indicator of their importance and power within the bureaucratic hierarchy. By maximizing their budget, they can increase their influence and protect their position within the organization.

Question 12

In 2018, the House Oversight Committee investigated claims that Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, had spent federal money on foreign trips for personal pleasure, rented an apartment from a lobbyist at a discounted rate, and given unusual pay raises to his aides. This committee investigation is an example of which type of control to address the principal-agent problem?

Accepted Answer

The House Oversight Committee investigation is an example of an after-the-fact control mechanism, which addresses the principal-agent problem by monitoring and investigating actions after they have occurred. This type of control seeks to identify and rectify any deviations from established standards or agreements, such as misusing federal money or giving unusual pay raises.

Question 13

Which term defines congressional efforts to exercise control over the activities of bureaucratic agencies in the executive branch through hearings, investigations, and other techniques?

Accepted Answer

Oversight refers to the congressional efforts to exercise control over the activities of bureaucratic agencies in the executive branch through hearings, investigations, and other techniques. Regulation refers to the process of creating rules and policies that are enforced by government agencies. Superintendence refers to the role of someone who manages or supervises a group of people or an organization. Macromanagement refers to the high-level management of an organization, such as setting overall goals and strategies. Therefore, the best choice is A) oversight.

Question 14

Which factor has led to the expansion of the president's capacity as manager-in-chief of the federal bureaucracy?

Accepted Answer

The expansion of the president's capacity as manager-in-chief of the federal bureaucracy has been led by the need for additional staff to follow through on presidential decisions. This is because modern presidents have a vast array of responsibilities, and they need staff to manage and oversee the many federal agencies and departments.

Question 15

In 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense to lead the Defense Department. There was substantial controversy in the Senate regarding some of Hagel's policy positions, and a number of senators attempted to block Hagel's confirmation as secretary, although he was eventually approved by a vote of 58-41. This attempt to block Hagel's confirmation is an example of which type of control to address the principal-agent problem?

Accepted Answer

Attempting to block Hagel's confirmation before he was officially appointed is an example of a before-the-fact control mechanism. This type of control attempts to prevent the principal (in this case, the president) from taking an action that the agent (in this case, the secretary of defense) may not carry out in the best interests of the principal. By attempting to block Hagel's confirmation, Senators were trying to prevent the appointment of an agent who they believed may not carry out the president's interests.

Question 16

Agencies that deviate from Congress's preferences run the risk of having their budgets cut or having conditions attached to their annual spending. This is an example of what kind of strategy?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of after-the-fact control, where agencies are held accountable for their actions through budget cuts or conditions on spending after they have already made decisions that deviate from Congress's preferences. Before-the-fact controls refer to rules and regulations set prior to decision-making, ex post facto laws refer to retroactive punishment for past actions, and regulatory review refers to the evaluation of agency actions and decisions to ensure they align with established guidelines.

Question 17

Protection from coalitional drift comes at the price of an increased potential for

Accepted Answer

Protection from coalitional drift typically involves creating regulations and bureaucracy to prevent individuals within a coalition from changing their preferences or goals. However, this can lead to bureaucratic drift, where the focus shifts from achieving the original goals to following the procedures and regulations.

Question 18

The observation that "you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself" was made by

Accepted Answer

The observation "you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself" was made by James Madison. This idea was central to his thoughts on the need for a strong government that was also structured with sufficient checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power. Madison expressed this idea in his Federalist Paper No. 51, where he argued that a separation of powers was essential to preserving liberty and preventing tyranny.

Question 19

Which of the following is a plausible motivation for explaining the budget-maximizing behavior of bureaucrats?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is a plausible...

Question 20

Which term defines the frequent phenomenon of bureaucratic implementation that produces policy more to the liking of the bureaucracy than originally legislated, but not so much as to trigger a political reaction from elected officials?

Accepted Answer

Bureaucratic drift refers to the tendency of bureaucratic agencies to implement policies in a way that deviates from the original intent of the legislature or elected officials, but not so much as to trigger a political backlash. This allows agencies to effectively shape policy to better suit their interests and priorities, while avoiding direct confrontation with elected officials. Coalitional drift refers to a similar phenomenon, but occurs when the policy preferences of the implementing coalition (e.g. interest groups, bureaucrats, elected officials) diverge from those of the original legislative coalition. Agency freedom refers to the degree of autonomy granted to bureaucratic agencies, which can vary depending on the political context and the policy issue at hand. Administrative retargeting is not a commonly used term in the study of bureaucratic politics.

Quiz 8: The Executive Branch: Bureaucracy in a Democracy