Deck 9: The Administrative State

Question 1

What is the bureaucracy's role in government?

A) To implement policies
B) To formulate policies
C) To replace ineffective policies
D) To vote on policies
E) To veto policies

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which term refers to the practice of making decisions about the distribution of public resources based on friendship, family, loyalty, or in exchange for benefits of other sorts?

A) Bartering
B) Favouritism
C) Patronage
D) Condescension
E) Obedience

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which term refers to hiring and promotion decisions based on attributes deemed relevant to competent performance of a job?

A) The employment principle
B) The merit principle
C) The brokerage principle
D) The inheritance principle
E) The patronage principle

Answer 3

B

Question 4

When was the merit principle adopted?

A) The passage of the Civil Service Amendment Act, 1908
B) The passage of the Federal Bureaucracy Act, 1910
C) The passage of the Constitution Act, 1867
D) The passage of the Civil Service Act, 1918
E) The passage of the Administrative Service Amendment Act, 1920

Question 5

Which of the following is true about the politics-administration dichotomy?

A) It held that only elected politicians should make choices between competing values and interests that would be embodied in laws.
B) The proper function of non-elected state officials was to implement these choices without regard for their personal views and preferences.
C) It was an important aspect of progressive thought about the democratic state in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 6

Which of the following is not an act passed in relation to the Canadian administrative state?

A) The Civil Service Act
B) The Civil Service Amendment Act
C) The Public Service Modernization Act
D) The Public Service Employment Act
E) The Civil Service Commission Act

Question 7

What did the Supreme Court rule in Fraser v Public Service Staff Relations Board?

A) That public servants should be allowed non-job-related criticism of government policy
B) That the claimant should be prohibited from running for public office
C) That the claimant was not engaged in "whistleblowing"
D) That the prohibitions were "over-inclusive and went beyond what is necessary to achieve the objective of an impartial civil service"
E) That public servants should not be allowed to discuss non-job-related government policy

Question 8

What rights did the claimant (and others) argue were infringed in Osborne v. Canada (Treasury Board)?

A) Their right to receive government services in the official language of their choice
B) Their rights to free speech and freedom of association
C) Their mobility rights
D) Their right to receive private-sector services in the official language of their choice
E) Their equality rights

Question 9

In Haydon v. Canada (Treasury Board), how could the claimant have been engaged in "whistleblowing"?

A) By bringing public attention to government actions or policies she believed endangered national security, based on her careful examination of the facts
B) By bringing public attention to government actions or policies she believed endangered the environment, based on her careful examination of the facts
C) By bringing public attention to government actions or policies she believed endangered societal law and order, based on her careful examination of the facts
D) By bringing public attention to government actions or policies she believed endangered public health or safety, based on her careful examination of the facts
E) By bringing public attention to government actions or policies she believed endangered international relations, based on her careful examination of the facts

Question 10

What is the dichotomy to be considered for all civil servants accused of "whistleblowing"?

A) The balance between their right to follow their own conscience and their duty of loyalty
B) The balance between their right to free speech and their duty of absolute secrecy
C) The balance between their personal thoughts and beliefs and their duty of loyalty
D) The balance between their right to free speech and their duty of loyalty
E) The balance between their freedom of association and their duty of loyalty

Question 11

Which term refers to a state that is active in attempting to shape society and influence its direction?

A) The negative state
B) The advancing state
C) The positive state
D) The progressive state
E) The effectual state

Question 12

The 1970s marked the beginning of what some social and political commentators, particularly on the left, began to call what?

A) The advancement of the state
B) The stalling of the state
C) The crisis of the state
D) The stagnation of the state
E) The rebirth of the state

Question 13

To which of the following did the crisis of the state refer?

A) The apparent inability of governments to prevent a national financial crisis
B) The apparent inability or unwillingness of governments to finance the welfare state policies put in place over the previous 40 years
C) The apparent inability of legislatures to rule on policies supporting federalism
D) The apparent inability of sitting governments to pass budgets in the House of Commons
E) The apparent inability or unwillingness of governments to pass welfare state policies for 40 years

Question 14

Which of the following is not true about the Keynesian consensus?

A) It was largely discredited in many Western democracies in the 1980s.
B) It is in no way related to the accumulation of government spending deficits.
C) It declined and deteriorated in response to an increase in government debt.
D) It was increasingly challenged in economics and policy-making communities.
E) It was the belief that governments could and should manage their economies through fiscal policy measures.

Question 15

Which of the following is the accumulation of government spending deficits over two or more years?

A) Real gross domestic product
B) Increased financial demand
C) Demand decrease
D) Supply increase
E) Debt

Question 16

Which of the following is true about representative bureaucracy in democratic societies?

A) The composition of the bureaucracy should reflect in fair proportion certain demographic characteristics of society.
B) Affirmative action programs and quota hiring are used to achieve this goal.
C) It will be seen as having greater popular legitimacy than a bureaucracy that does not reflect a nation's demography.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 17

Which of the following was the most important source of state revenue for all government levels in recent years?

A) Sales taxes
B) Personal income tax
C) Consumption taxes
D) Corporate income taxes
E) Contributions to social security plans

Question 18

As of 2019, how many people did the federal public sector employ?

A) 52,900
B) 295,000
C) 29,500
D) 530,000
E) 5,290

Question 19

Which of the following is not true about the Broadcasting Act?

A) It delegates to non-elected officials the power to make rules that flesh out the general terms of the statute they implement.
B) The CBC and CRTC must determine the meaning of vague objectives set down in the Act.
C) It is a key law regulating television, radio, and telecommunications in Canada.
D) All of the above are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 20

Which of the following is true about the practice of patronage?

A) It is highly inappropriate for the prime minister to award government contracts based on political favouritism.
B) It may be permissible if the prime minister appoints a loyal friend and partisan ally to the PMO.
C) It is unacceptable if the prime minister appoints loyal friends and partisan allies to the bureaucracy, the courts, senior positions of the military and RCMP.
D) Both B and C
E) All of the above

Question 21

Which of the following was considered essential to a modern, professional bureaucracy?

A) A right-leaning government
B) A well-trained administrative state
C) A well-equipped administrative state
D) A politically neutral public service
E) A partisan public service

Question 22

Which of the following is not true about the Civil Service Act, 1918?

A) It extended the merit principle in hiring only to the "inside service" in Ottawa.
B) It was passed by Robert Borden.
C) It was passed in response to ongoing concerns about patronage in the public service.
D) It extended the merit principle in hiring to federal positions outside of Ottawa.
E) It was passed under a Conservative government.

Question 23

Which of the following is true about the 1908 and 1918 reforms to the Civil Service Act?

A) They permitted public servants to belong to political parties and attend their meetings.
B) They permitted public servants to donate money to political parties, but not belong to a party.
C) They permitted public servants to express their political views freely by making public speeches or publishing articles in newspapers.
D) They placed strict limits on the rights of public servants to participate in politics beyond voting.
E) They permitted public servants to make campaign contributions.

Question 24

Which of the following is not true about the Public Service Employment Act, 1967?

A) It gave the Public Service Commission the authority to grant unpaid leaves of absence to public servants running for office.
B) It addressed the 1908 and 1918 reforms to the strict limits placed on public servants by the Civil Service Act.
C) It did not address the tension between the obligation of political neutrality and citizens' rights imposed on public servants.
D) It omitted attending political meetings and contributing money from the political activities that were off limits to public servants.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 25

Supporters of the positive state included which of the following groups?

A) Liberal intellectuals in the United States
B) Socialist thinkers in the United Kingdom
C) Progressive movement intellectuals in Canada
D) Both A and C
E) All of the above

Question 26

Until the 1970s, what was the only serious representational factor taken into account in public service recruitment and promotion?

A) Ensuring adequate visible minority representation in the management ranks of the bureaucracy
B) Ensuring adequate representation of disabled people in the management ranks of the bureaucracy
C) Ensuring adequate female representation in the management ranks of the bureaucracy
D) Ensuring adequate Indigenous representation in the management ranks of the bureaucracy
E) Ensuring adequate francophone representation in the management ranks of the bureaucracy

Question 27

John Porter's analysis of the senior federal bureaucracy during the 1950s did not show which of the following?

A) That British, French, and Jewish ethnic groups were significantly represented
B) That women and visible minorities were almost completely absent
C) That individuals of British origin were dominant
D) He showed all of the above.
E) He showed none of the above.

Question 28

When were old concerns about fair linguistic representation joined by efforts to promote and recruit women, visible minorities, Indigenous Canadians, and persons with disabilities?

A) When the Public Service Employment Act was enacted
B) When the Civil Service Act was enacted
C) When the Public Service Commission was created
D) As the Canadian population began to grow younger
E) As the ethnic composition of Canadian society changed

Question 29

Which of the following is true about affirmative action programs?

A) They are established by the Treasury Board.
B) They are monitored by the Public Service Commission.
C) They are the only method used during hiring processes in the federal bureaucracy.
D) Both A and B
E) All of the above

Question 30

What per cent of total government revenues did corporate income taxes account for in 2017?

A) 13-14 per cent
B) 31-33 per cent
C) 2-3 per cent
D) 50-51 per cent
E) 21-22 per cent

Question 31

During the 1980s, rather than on mandatory quotas for group representation, affirmative action programs relied mainly on which of the following?

A) A point system
B) A system of employment targets
C) A system of demographic targets
D) A system of ethnic minority targets
E) A system of economic targets

Question 32

Governments that have instituted affirmative action and quota hiring have done so chiefly for what reasons?

A) For economic reasons, to receive maximum equalization payments for following the rules
B) For political reasons, such as national unity
C) For bureaucratic reasons, because such practices are shown to increase business efficiency
D) For diplomatic reasons, to appear democratic
E) For ethical reasons, because it is quite simply the right thing to do

Question 33

How has the idea and implementation of representative bureaucracy been problematic?

A) One must consider what constitutes "fair proportion."
B) One must consider the extent to which other values like efficient performance and equal rights for all are compromised by such a policy.
C) One must consider which groups should be singled out for representation.
D) Both A and C
E) All of the above

Question 34

What led to major public service reforms and Canada's first policy of representative bureaucracy?

A) Comparatively few persons with disabilities were found in senior levels of federal bureaucracy.
B) Comparatively few Indigenous persons were found in senior levels of federal bureaucracy.
C) Comparatively few women were found in senior levels of federal bureaucracy.
D) Comparatively few French Canadians were found in senior levels of federal bureaucracy.
E) Comparatively few visible minorities were found in senior levels of federal bureaucracy.

Question 35

Canada's first policy of representative bureaucracy came under whom?

A) Pierre Trudeau and Joe Clark
B) Louis St. Laurent and John Diefenbaker
C) Pierre Trudeau and John Turner
D) Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau
E) Lester B. Pearson and John Diefenbaker

Question 36

Which of the following is an alternative source of expert policy advice to cabinet?

A) Caucus
B) The Senate
C) Party backbenchers in the House of Commons
D) Former MPs
E) Central agencies

Question 37

As of 2019, what was the combined employment of government employees at the provincial, territorial, and local levels?

A) 1 million
B) 496,000
C) 94,000
D) 694,000
E) 69,000

Question 38

Which of the following is a function performed by organizations within the administrative system?

A) The production of goods and operation of services sold to buyers
B) The disbursement of funds to individuals and groups
C) The adjudication of applications or interpretation of regulations
D) Both B and C
E) All of the above

Question 39

Who is the employer of public servants?

A) The minister under whom they serve
B) The Treasury Board
C) The Privy Council Office
D) The Prime Minister's Office
E) The governor general

Question 40

Which of the following is not one of the main components of the bureaucracy?

A) Agencies
B) Crown corporations
C) The public service
D) Tribunals
E) Civil servants appointed by the Prime Minister

Question 41

Which of the following is true about the public service?

A) Affiliated organizations perform commercial functions and operate at arm's length of the government.
B) The public service includes the CRTC, the National Transportation Agency, and the National Energy Board.
C) This part of the bureaucracy functions with a great deal of independence from government compared to other parts of the bureaucracy.
D) This part of the bureaucracy is most directly under the authority of cabinet.
E) This part of the bureaucracy includes the Auditor

Question 42

Which of the following is true about agencies and tribunals?

A) This part of the bureaucracy is most directly under the authority of cabinet.
B) Affiliated organizations perform regulatory, research, and advisory functions.
C) This part of the bureaucracy includes the Auditor
D) Agencies and tribunals include the Canadian National Railway and Air Canada.
E) Affiliated organizations perform commercial functions and operate at arm's length of the government.

Question 43

Which of the following is true about crown corporations?

A) Affiliated organizations perform regulatory, research, and advisory functions.
B) This part of the bureaucracy is most directly under the authority of cabinet.
C) This part of the bureaucracy includes the Auditor
D) Affiliated organizations perform commercial functions and operate at arm's length of the government.
E) Employees of this part of the bureaucracy are employees of the Treasury Board.

Question 44

Which of the following is part of the bureaucracy, yet reports directly to Parliament?

A) The Auditor General's Office
B) The Commissioner of Official Languages
C) The RCM and Canadian Forces
D) Both A and B
E) All of the above

Question 45

Which of the following is part of the bureaucracy, yet is separate from cabinet and has a distinct legal status?

A) The Public Service Commission
B) The Commissioner of Official Languages
C) The Auditor Office
D) The Treasury Board
E) The RCMP and Canadian Forces

Question 46

Fundamentally, what is globalization about?

A) The downsizing of states
B) International interdependence
C) How the world has become a "smaller" place
D) Both A and C
E) All of the above

Question 47

In 2019, what was the number of total public-sector employees in Canada?

A) 360,000
B) Over 3 million
C) 1,360,000
D) 136,000
E) 36,000

Question 48

What is meant by "state capacity"?

A) The ability of states to protect itself from external military threats
B) An appropriate level of revenue going to debt relief every year
C) The ability of the state to carry out its functions free from external interference
D) An adequate stream of revenue to cover all state expenses
E) The ability of the state to support a country's population growth

Question 49

Which of the following characterized a new phase in the development of the Canadian administrative state in the early to mid-1960s?

A) Dramatic growth in revenue and expenditure
B) Dramatic growth in personnel
C) Dramatic growth in programs
D) Both A and B
E) All of the above

Question 50

Between 1965 and 1975 the number of federal public servants increased by what percentage?

A) 40 per cent
B) 50 per cent
C) 30 per cent
D) 70 per cent
E) 60 per cent

Question 51

How many major departments existed in the Canadian federal government in 1873?

A) 20
B) 40
C) 10
D) 30
E) 50

Question 52

How many major departments existed in the Canadian federal government in 1960?

A) 52
B) 12
C) 72
D) 32
E) 92

Question 53

How much does annual federal spending exceed today?

A) $360 billion
B) $36 billion
C) $3.6 billion
D) $160 billion
E) $16 billion

Question 54

What did "inside service" refer to?

A) Public servants with permanent contracts
B) Public servants who worked outside of Ottawa
C) Public servants who worked inside buildings
D) Public servants who worked in Ottawa
E) Public servants who was related to a politician

Question 55

Which prime minister did Tony Turner write a song about?

A) Brian Mulroney
B) Justin Trudeau
C) Stephen Harper
D) Jean Chrétien
E) Paul Martin

Question 56

Which university's economics department had a number of connections to the bureaucratic elite in the 1930s?

A) Carleton University
B) McGill University
C) University of Ottawa
D) University of New Brunswick
E) Queen's University

Question 57

Who accused Ottawa bureaucrats of being complicit with the Liberal Party and the representatives of American capital?

A) George Grant
B) Arthur Meighen
C) R.B. Bennett
D) Robert Borden
E) John A. Macdonald

Question 58

Which group of elite bureaucrats did Prime Minister John Diefenbaker distrust?

A) Capital insiders
B) Ottawa mandarins
C) Ottawa senators
D) Civil administrators
E) Federal leaders

Question 59

By 1997 what per cent of total federal expenditure was on debt charges?

A) 30 per cent
B) 15 per cent
C) 20 per cent
D) 10 per cent
E) 25 per cent

Question 60

What year did a string of fourteen straight federal budget surpluses come to an end?

A) 2008
B) 1993
C) 1997
D) 2000
E) 2003

Question 61

The merit principle requires the government bureaucracy to hire based on experience and education. Once you have the job, seniority determines promotion.

Question 62

A positive state is one that is active in shaping society and influencing its direction.

Question 63

During John Diefenbaker's government, the bureaucracy actively worked against him.

Question 64

Most of Canada's revenue comes from sales tax and corporate tax.

Question 65

The Canadian Government owns Air Canada and Petro-Canada.

Question 66

The federal public sector employs approximately 29,000 people.

Question 67

The deputy minister is a member of cabinet who is responsible for making sure their bureaucracy department follows through with government legislation.

Question 68

When laws are given to a bureaucracy department for implementation, it becomes that department's job to interpret it, often at the discretion of whoever reads it first.

Question 69

The Canadian government requires that 20 per cent of bureaucratic employees be visible minorities.

Question 70

Canadian state spending as a share of its GDP has decreased overall since the early 1990s.

Question 71

During the first year after Confederation, the government of Canada spent about $14 million.

Question 72

In 1873, the federal government had 100 major departments.

Question 73

Provincial and local governments do not outspend and out-tax the federal government.

Question 74

Robert Borden's Conservative government passed the Civil Service Act in 1918.

Question 75

In 1953, just under a fifth of the bureaucratic elite had taught in university at some point.

Question 76

In Lament for a Nation, George Grant praised the relationship between the Liberal Party and senior Ottawa bureaucrats.

Question 77

Between 1965 and 1975, the number of federal public servants increased by 50 per cent.

Question 78

By 1997, the federal government was out of debt.

Question 79

The neo-liberal ideology is founded in big government, more regulation and less reliance on the markets.

Question 80

In the twenty-first century a handful of key deputy ministers dominate the policy-making process.