Deck 8: The Executive Branch and Federal Bureaucracy

Question 1

A quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties is called

A)dispute resolution.
B)discretion.
C)administrative adjudication.
D)rule-making.
E)bureaucratic arbitration.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In 1993,the Congress passed a law liberalizing the Hatch Act's prohibitions on federal employees participating in campaigns.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Most federal employees are paid according to what is called the

A)merit plan.
B)nepotism doctrine.
C)general schedule.
D)bureaucratic hierarchy.
E)schedule C system.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The civil service system,established in 1883,

A)initially covered only about a third of federal workers.
B)was governed by a partisan board appointed by the president.
C)eventually was replaced by the spoils system.
D)eventually covered 10 percent of all federal employees.
E)was eventually expanded to cover most federal appointees.

Question 5

Among the tools of judicial oversight of the bureaucracy are

A)issuing injunctions even before rules are formally promulgated.
B)the development of specialized courts.
C)the ability to pressure the president.
D)general judicial strategies.
E)ruling laws unconstitutional.

Question 6

The Pendleton Act was passed in 1883.

Question 7

The higher the GS level,the more likely the position is to be filled by educational credentials and work experience.

Question 8

All Cabinet departments are headed by a secretary except for the Department of

A)Defense.
B)State.
C)Commerce.
D)Veterans Affairs.
E)Justice.

Question 9

How agencies execute congressional wishes is most accurately called policy

A)implementation.
B)execution.
C)performance.
D)sequestration.
E)management.

Question 10

The Department of Homeland Security is the newest Cabinet department.

Question 11

The Environmental Protection Agency is a/an

A)independent regulatory agency.
B)independent executive agency.
C)government corporation.
D)Cabinet department.
E)iron triangle.

Question 12

The Pendleton Act established the principle of ________ in federal hiring.

A)patronage
B)merit
C)civility
D)partisanship
E)gender equality

Question 13

Under the Articles of Confederation,the bureaucracy consisted of

A)a handful of individuals without any formal staff.
B)two departments: Domestic and Foreign Affairs.
C)two departments: War and Treasury.
D)three departments: Foreign Affairs, War, and Treasury.
E)four departments: War, Treasury, Foreign Affairs, and Justice.

Question 14

Most bureaucrats have some leeway in their ability to make choices regarding the best way to implement congressional intentions.This is called

A)rule-making.
B)administrative discretion.
C)adjudication.
D)selective implementation.
E)the formal hearing procedure.

Question 15

In exercising its oversight function,it is not unusual for Congress to

A)hold hearings.
B)conduct impeachment proceedings.
C)issue executive orders.
D)go to court to get executive documents.
E)override a president's veto.

Question 16

There are ____ federal agency regions in the United States.

A)eight
B)nine
C)ten
D)twelve
E)fifteen

Question 17

The G.I.Bill was a program begun after World War I to provide opportunities to newly returning veterans to attend college and buy homes.

Question 18

The ratification of the ________ Amendment in 1913 gave Congress the authority to implement a federal income tax,and thus allowed government to grow even more.

A)Tenth
B)Eleventh
C)Twelfth
D)Sixteenth
E)Nineteenth

Question 19

The federal bureaucracy is often called the fourth branch of government.

Question 20

The law enacted in 1939 to prohibit federal employees from becoming directly involved in political campaigns was called the

A)Campaign Reform Act.
B)Federal Employees Political Activities Act.
C)Pendleton Act.
D)Taft-Hartley Act.
E)Hatch Act.

Question 21

Presidents cannot make changes in an agency's annual budget requests.

Question 22

There are currently more than ________ subunits of Cabinet-level departments and independent agencies.

A)1,000
B)1,250
C)1,500
D)1,800
E)2,000

Question 23

Over time,the number of federal employees in the executive branch has

A)grown substantially and continuously.
B)grown, but then fell to pre-1900 levels.
C)stagnated somewhat after World War I.
D)fallen considerably since the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission.
E)peaked during the New Deal, fell, and then generally increased thereafter.

Question 24

Rule-making is a quasi-legislative act performed by the bureaucracy.

Question 25

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 was designed to reduce patronage and was also known as the

A)Hatch Act.
B)Pendleton Act.
C)Garfield Reform.
D)National Reform Program.
E)Anti-Patronage Act.

Question 26

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is better known as

A)the current president of Afghanistan.
B)the planner of the September 11 attacks.
C)the failed underwear bomber.
D)an Iraqi nationalist.
E)a Russian secret agent using a Muslim name.

Question 27

Iron triangles refer to the relatively stable relationships among agencies,interest groups,and congressional committees.

Question 28

President Lyndon B.Johnson's Great Society program and War on Poverty

A)was an unprecedented expansion of the federal government and its bureaucracy.
B)was a way for him to curry favor with southern legislators.
C)produced additional growth in the bureaucracy.
D)was equal in scope to President Theodore Roosevelt's expansion of the federal bureaucracy.
E)was unrelated to fighting discrimination.

Question 29

The first independent regulatory commission was the

A)Interstate Commerce Commission.
B)Federal Election Commission.
C)Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.
D)Securities and Exchange Commission.
E)Tennessee Valley Authority.

Question 30

Besides being an attempted attack on U.S.soil,the failed underwear bombing upset Americans because

A)the Bush administration did not focus on Nigeria in the war on terror.
B)President Barack Obama never addressed the issue.
C)the would-be attacker was praised by the Iraqi government.
D)despite being warned repeatedly about extremist tendencies of the individual, the government failed to put him on a no-fly list.
E)Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was able to go through security under an assumed name and did not get caught until it was too late.

Question 31

The Civil War

A)led to the creation of the Department of Defense.
B)prompted President Lincoln to call on Congress to double the size of the bureaucracy.
C)led to growth in the size of the bureaucracy.
D)facilitated making the Attorney General part of the Cabinet.
E)ended with the Department of Agriculture being given full Cabinet status.

Question 32

The judiciary's control over the federal bureaucracy is indirect and less apparent than the president's and Congress's control.

Question 33

President Barack Obama worked to solve the intelligence failure following the attempted bombing of an airplane by

A)firing the head of the Transportation Safety Administration.
B)meeting with the heads of sixteen intelligence agencies.
C)revamping the Federal Bureau of Investigation's terrorism unit.
D)hiring a new director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
E)invading Nigeria, the birthplace of the attempted bomber.

Question 34

The firing of public-office holders representing a defeated political party,and replacing them with loyalists of the victorious political party,is called the

A)replacement doctrine.
B)merit system.
C)civil service.
D)spoils system.
E)nepotism system.

Question 35

The federal courts often show little regard to bureaucratic determinations.

Question 36

All of the following were created within a few years of passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 EXCEPT

A)the G.I. Bill.
B)the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
C)the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
D)the Department of Transportation.
E)the Great Society programs.

Question 37

When evaluating the bureaucracy,it seems that Americans

A)tend to despise it, regardless of the agency.
B)like programs such as NASA, but not the Internal Revenue Service.
C)are generally satisfied with the current state of the bureaucracy.
D)like specific agencies to which they are exposed, but not the bureaucracy as a whole.
E)want to eliminate it.

Question 38

"To the victors belong the spoils" is a term MOST frequently attributed to President

A)Abraham Lincoln.
B)Theodore Roosevelt.
C)Andrew Jackson.
D)Franklin D. Roosevelt.
E)James Monroe.

Question 39

One way government differs from business is that

A)government promotes the public good, while businesses promote profits.
B)bureaucrats are elected while businesses hire based on merit.
C)divisions of responsibility are clearer in government than in business.
D)most public employees find their jobs in jeopardy when administrations change.
E)government can learn little from business but business has much to learn from government.

Question 40

Of the more than 2.7 million federal employees,nearly ____ percent work for the U.S.Postal Service.

A)20
B)30
C)40
D)50
E)55

Question 41

Hispanics are

A)dramatically underrepresented in the federal workforce.
B)not as well represented as Asian and Pacific Island Americans in the federal workforce.
C)as well represented as African Americans in the federal workforce.
D)far better represented than whites in the federal workforce.
E)not as well represented as American Indians in the federal workforce.

Question 42

Newer regulatory boards often
I)are more political than boards created earlier.
II)are more concerned with public health and safety.
III)enjoy autonomy from political pressure.
IV)are more dependent upon the courts for authority.

A)I and II
B)II and III
C)III and IV
D)I and IV
E)II and IV

Question 43

_________ is an example of a government corporation.

A)Federal Express
B)The Better Business Bureau
C)The Environmental Protection Agency
D)Amtrak
E)The Securities and Exchange Commission

Question 44

Among the federal responses to the graying of the bureaucracy have been
I)changing retirement ages.
II)creating affirmative action programs for younger employees.
III)reliance on White House Fellows.
IV)using outside,private contractors.

A)IV only
B)I and III
C)II and IV
D)I, II, and III
E)II and III

Question 45

Many members of the Constitutional Convention

A)wanted to prevent the president from having a council of advisers like the British king.
B)voted to make explicit mention of the Cabinet in the Constitution.
C)wanted members from the Senate to rotate into the Cabinet.
D)concluded that the president should have the authority to require written opinions from executive department officers.
E)believed the Cabinet should be able to veto a presidential decision.

Question 46

According to the text,which of the following is NOT responsible for holding the bureaucracy accountable?

A)The president
B)Congress
C)Interest groups
D)The bureaucracy
E)Other countries

Question 47

A business established by government that performs functions that could be provided by private industry is called a/an

A)independent corporation.
B)government corporation.
C)clientele agency.
D)executive agency.
E)independent regulatory commission.

Question 48

The increasing complexity of the policy-making process within bureaucracies is MOST reflected in the growth of

A)iron triangles.
B)issue networks.
C)interagency councils.
D)policy councils.
E)political action committees.

Question 49

If the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)reviews and approves a final version of a regulation,what happens next?

A)The president signs the regulation into law.
B)The Supreme Court reviews the constitutionality of the proposed regulation.
C)The OMB asks Congress if the regulation was part of its intent.
D)The new regulation is published in the Federal Register.
E)The new regulation is enforced but only with administrative discretion.

Question 50

Women comprise

A)a majority of federal workers.
B)a majority of federal employees at the lowest GS levels.
C)nearly half of federal employees at the highest GS 13-15 levels.
D)a minority of all federal workers at all GS levels.
E)a majority federal employees at the GS 9-12 levels.

Question 51

The president directly appoints nearly ________ people.

A)300
B)3,500
C)6,500
D)10,000
E)15,500

Question 52

If you work for the Environmental Protection Agency,you cannot work for Barack Obama's reelection campaign because

A)you would be working in two branches of government.
B)the Hatch Act legally prevents you from doing so.
C)federal employees cannot work for incumbent candidates.
D)you would likely be an elected official.
E)federal employees cannot show public political support for anyone.

Question 53

When a gas leak resulted in an explosion in a factory in Garner,NC,which of the following agencies was MOST likely called in to evaluate safety procedures?

A)HUD
B)EPA
C)OSHA
D)OMB
E)FTC

Question 54

Policy Coordinating Committees (PCCs)exist

A)to do away with iron triangles.
B)to do away with interagency councils.
C)because President Bill Clinton viewed them as a way to stop territorial conflicts among policy makers.
D)to handle policy problems within single departments and/or agencies.
E)to handle large-scale problems such as terrorist financing and space shuttle disasters.

Question 55

Why are clientele agencies subject to intense outside lobbying?

A)Interest groups want to influence the officials who regulate the policies to which the interest groups specifically cater.
B)There is less regulation of these agencies.
C)Other agencies do not regulate sectors around which interest groups form.
D)Lobbyists feel they can have greater influence over these agencies, as they are generally seen as weak entities.
E)Clientele agencies are actually not subject to much lobbying whatsoever.

Question 56

In terms of holding agencies accountable,the judiciary can
I)rule on whether bureaucracies have acted within the parameters of the law.
II)rule on the constitutionality of challenged rules and regulations.?
III)initiate policies to alter the bureaucracy's activities.
IV)force the bureaucracy to respect rights of individuals through hearings.

A)I only
B)I and II
C)I, II, and III
D)I, II, and IV
E)II, III, and IV

Question 57

There are _______ Cabinet departments.

A)ten.
B)twelve.
C)thirteen.
D)fourteen.
E)fifteen.

Question 58

To shape policy and provide direction to the bureaucracy,the president can issue

A)laws.
B)edicts.
C)executive orders.
D)vetoes.
E)pardons.

Question 59

Suppose Congress passes a law requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)to decrease the amount of copper used in household appliances.The EPA has several different ways they can enforce this directive,but they choose to impose fines on companies who use over a certain amount.This choice is an example of

A)quasi-legislative choice.
B)administrative discretion.
C)selective implementation.
D)implementation prerogative.
E)an iron triangle.

Question 60

Iron triangles

A)by design exacerbate inefficiencies of the bureaucratic system.
B)are not as powerful as they once were.
C)illustrate the competition that exists within different government agencies.
D)became illegal after the Federal Employees Political Activities Act of 1993 was passed.
E)are synonymous with issue networks.

Question 61

"Democratic deficit" refers to

A)an increase in regulations and fewer laws by elected officials.
B)the disparity in civil rights between democratic and non-democratic nations.
C)the challenge of bureaucracies around the world gaining power that cannot be checked by citizens.
D)the economic costs of democratization in nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
E)domestic agencies that do not answer to the president.

Question 62

When Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was arrested for attempting to blow up a plane,it was the first time the government had heard about his extremism.

Question 63

,The federal bureaucracy continued to grow even after President Franklin D.Roosevelt's New Deal.

Question 64

President Lincoln created the Department of Agriculture in 1862 following a series of poor harvests and distribution problems.

Question 65

Which government agency is responsible for regulating the safety of toys and other products that may be deemed safety hazards?

A)Occupational Health and Safety Administration
B)Consumer Product Safety Commission
C)Federal Trade Commission
D)Department of Commerce
E)Department of Health and Human Services

Question 66

According to the text,globalization presents numerous challenges to the American bureaucracy in that

A)if other countries are in charge, cultural disputes sometimes prevent progress.
B)there are constantly competing interests.
C)multinational organizations cause confusion as to who is in charge.
D)international law always supersedes national law.
E)it is unclear how international organizations can be held accountable.

Question 67

On Christmas Day 2009,a man unsuccessfully ignited explosives concealed within his shoes.

Question 68

The size of the bureaucracy decreased following the Civil War.

Question 69

Most Americans give federal agencies high marks.

Question 70

President James A.Garfield was assassinated by a disgruntled person who had sought a patronage position in his administration.

Question 71

Today,most federal bureaucrats are hired based on patronage.

Question 72

The demographic structure of the federal workforce is highly representative of the US population characteristics.

Question 73

The Department of War was among the original departments under the Articles of Confederation.

Question 74

The Interstate Commerce Commission regulates airlines.

Question 75

The Department of Labor's Employment of Standards Administration's failure to draft guidelines to enforce President Lyndon B.Johnson's executive order prohibiting discrimination based on gender for several years is an example of

A)the critical role bureaucrats play in the execution of policy directives.
B)President Johnson's policy-making struggles.
C)the uselessness of executive orders.
D)the unpopularity of gender equality.
E)the need to eliminate the bureaucracy altogether.

Question 76

The structure of bureaucracy in the spoils system was impartial.

Question 77

Studying the bureaucracy gives us answers to what Harold D.Laswell once defined as the who,what,and where of politics.

Question 78

The civil service system covers only half of all federal employees.

Question 79

The Senate's checks on the bureaucracy include
I)the power to confirm presidential appointees.
II)its investigatory powers.
III)its ability to remove presidential appointees for any reason.
IV)congressional review.

A)I and II
B)I, III, and IV
C)II, III, and IV
D)I, II, and IV
E)I, II, III, and IV

Question 80

The size of the federal workforce decreased under President Bill Clinton.