Deck 11: The Bureaucracy

Question 1

Which part of the federal government employs most of the government's staff?

A) The judiciary
B) The legislative branch
C) The federal courts
D) The executive branch
E) The Internal Revenue Service

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Excluding military members, the number of federal government employees has

A) increased significantly in the last several decades.
B) remained relatively stable for the last several decades.
C) decreased substantially in the last few decades..
D) grown to exceed the number of local government employees.
E) grown to exceed the number of state government employees.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is true regarding the establishment of cabinet departments?

A) The first cabinet department to be created was Treasury and the most recently created was Education.
B) The first cabinet department to be created was State and the most recently created was Homeland Security.
C) The first cabinet department to be created was War and the most recently created was Energy.
D) The first cabinet department to be created was Treasury and the most recently created was Health and Human Services.
E) The first cabinet department to be created was State and the most recently created was Veterans Affairs.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following statements best describe how much the President has changed the structure and function of the bureaucracy?

A) Presidents have been somewhat able to do this.
B) Presidents have been very reluctant to change anything, much less the bureaucracy.
C) Presidents have not tried to do so.
D) Presidents have changed the structure and function of the bureaucracy significantly.
E) Presidents have not changed the structure and function of the bureaucracy.

Question 5

In terms of management, the cabinet departments are considered

A) line organizations.
B) lacking personnel.
C) the watchdogs for independent agencies.
D) part of the judicial branch.
E) accountable directly to Congress.

Question 6

Bureaucracy is the name given to

A) a large organization, structured hierarchically, that carries out specific functions.
B) any organization that has major problems when attempting to accomplish its goals.
C) a group of people who work to enforce policies in a way that prevents quick results.
D) any large branch of a government that has power to interpret laws.
E) government organizations, but not to corporate or university organizations.

Question 7

Which of the following is true about the cabinet departments?

A) All were described and mandated by the Constitution.
B) All are privatized bureaucracies.
C) All are directly accountable to the president.
D) All consist of agencies that set up rules for Congress in passing laws.
E) The official cabinet departments cannot ever number more than ten, according to the Constitution.

Question 8

In terms of numbers, each cabinet department is served by

A) a handful of individuals, selected directly by the president.
B) dozens of individuals.
C) hundreds of individuals, a few of whom are under Presidential control.
D) thousands of individuals, a few of whom are under Presidential control.
E) hundreds of individuals.

Question 9

Since 1952, government employment has

A) grown mostly at the state and local levels.
B) grown at the state level but decreased at the local level.
C) grown at the local level but decreased at the state level.
D) decreased at every level.
E) decreased at the state and local levels but increased at the federal level.

Question 10

In 1789, the government's bureaucracy was

A) nonexistent.
B) miniscule.
C) about half the size it is today.
D) organized around five departments.
E) funded privately by wealthy politicians.

Question 11

One of the important differences between public bureaucracies and private corporations is that government bureaucracies

A) are not organized to make a profit, whereas private corporations are.
B) have a single set of leaders, whereas private corporations do not.
C) are much larger than private corporations.
D) are not intended to serve the citizenry as private corporations are.
E) present an opportunity for career advancement, whereas private corporations do not.

Question 12

Government spending in 2007 increased mostly due to legislation designed to address

A) infrastructure spending.
B) education spending cuts.
C) foreign aid.
D) the "Great Recession."
E) the stock market crash of 1929.

Question 13

Labor, Agriculture, and Interior are examples of

A) cabinet departments.
B) government corporations.
C) independent regulatory agencies.
D) independent executive agencies.
E) corporations subject to regulation.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT one of the four major types of structures within the executive branch?

A) Independent regulatory agencies
B) Cabinet departments
C) Privatized bureaucracies
D) Government corporations
E) Independent executive agencies

Question 15

The original government bureaucracy included the Attorney General's Office and the departments of

A) Security, Treasury, and the Interior.
B) State, War, and Energy.
C) State, War, and Treasury.
D) Treasury and Transportation.
E) Defense and Education.

Question 16

In contrast to government bureaucracies, private corporations

A) are subject to the dictates of Congress for their funding.
B) have a single set of leaders.
C) require a division of labor to handle complex problems, while governments do not.
D) are supposed to perform their functions efficiently to conserve taxpayer dollars.
E) cannot be considered bureaucratic organizations.

Question 17

Polls consistently report that the majority of Americans support

A) "big government."
B) "less government."
C) removing protections for endangered species.
D) defunding Medicare.
E) eliminating most social programs.

Question 18

The units of organization inside a bureaucracy are divided

A) by Congressional committee jurisdiction.
B) by Congressional mandate.
C) according to the desires of the President.
D) according to the specialization and expertise of the employees.
E) along the pay grade of the employees.

Question 19

How many employees are there in the federal bureaucracy, excluding members of the armed forces?

A) 200,000
B) 500,000
C) 1 million
D) 2.7 million
E) 14 million

Question 20

Which of the following Cabinet departments is not headed by a Secretary of that department?

A) Defense.
B) State.
C) Justice.
D) Treasury.
E) Interior.

Question 21

The merit system refers to

A) job appointment based on competitive examinations.
B) a system of checks on Congress intended to prevent discrimination.
C) a process of selecting policies based on their value.
D) a system that was used for hiring bureaucrats under Andrew Jackson.
E) using work experience in lieu of educational qualifications when applying for federal positions.

Question 22

After each presidential election, all of the jobs that usually go to the politically well-connected are listed in what is informally known as the

A) Most Wanted List.
B) Beige Book.
C) Congressional Quarterly.
D) Federal Register.
E) Plum Book.

Question 23

The Pendleton Act established

A) federal civil service protections to the states.
B) the judicial appointment system.
C) the maximum number of government employees selected by the spoils system.
D) the principle of employment on the basis of open, competitive examinations.
E) a merit system during the Civil War.

Question 24

The average term of service for political appointees is

A) less than one year.
B) less than two years.
C) more than two years but less than a president's full term in office.
D) four years.
E) more than ten years.

Question 25

Which of the following statements is true regarding government corporations?

A) Profits from government corporations are distributed as dividends.
B) Government corporations must pay taxes on profits.
C) Government corporations do not employee many people.
D) You can buy shares of stock in both a private corporation and a government corporation.
E) Government corporations do not have any stockholders.

Question 26

Which of the following agencies is the initial central personnel agency of the national government?

A) The Civil Service Commission
B) The Office of Personnel Management
C) The Department of Social Services
D) The Plum Agency
E) Department of Human Resources

Question 27

What percent of federal employees have been fired for incompetence in recent years?

A) Fewer than 0.1%
B) 10%
C) 12%
D) 5%
E) More than 50%

Question 28

Regulatory agencies and commissions perform

A) only executive functions.
B) only legislative functions.
C) only judicial functions.
D) some functions of all branches of government-legislative, executive, and judicial.
E) private corporate functions.

Question 29

Typically, an independent regulatory agency is responsible for

A) monitoring the actions of the cabinet department heads.
B) national defense-related legislation.
C) monitoring the lower courts.
D) a specific type of public policy.
E) monitoring the actions of Congress.

Question 30

One type of government corporation is the , a business created by the federal government itself, which then sells part or all of the corporation's stock to private investors.

A) collaborative company
B) temporary agency
C) federal takeover
D) government-sponsored enterprise
E) public-private partnership

Question 31

Which of the following is the largest and most famous government corporation?

A) Amtrak
B) The Department of Homeland Security
C) The U.S. Postal Service
D) The Reconstruction Finance Corporation
E) The Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Question 32

Because Congress felt it was unable to handle the complexities and technicalities required to carry out specific laws in the public interest, it created

A) cabinet departments.
B) independent executive agencies.
C) independent regulatory agencies.
D) government corporations.
E) private associations.

Question 33

Which of the following independent regulatory agencies was the first one created by Congress?

A) The National Wildlife Service.
B) The Federal Reserve.
C) The Department of Health and Human Services.
D) The Office of Management and Budget.
E) The Interstate Commerce Commission.

Question 34

In 1978, the was created to oversee promotions, employees' rights, and other employment matters.

A) Civil Service Commission
B) Office of Personnel Management
C) Ministry of Personnel
D) Civilian Employment Agency
E) Merit Systems Protection Board

Question 35

Independent executive agencies are

A) private organizations.
B) responsible for regulating major aspects of the economy.
C) federal agencies that are not part of a cabinet department, but report directly to the president.
D) responsible directly to Congress.
E) staffed entirely by political appointees.

Question 36

Significant deregulation was initiated during the presidency of

A) John F. Kennedy.
B) Richard Nixon.
C) Jimmy Carter.
D) George H.W. Bush.
E) Barack Obama.

Question 37

The two categories of bureaucrats are and .

A) partisan appointees; nonpartisan appointees.
B) congressional appointees; presidential appointees.
C) civil servants; private employees.
D) political appointees; patronage employees.
E) political appointees; civil servants.

Question 38

Agency capture is when

A) an agency takes over an industry.
B) the industry that is being regulated gains control over the agency that is supposed to regulate it.
C) the agency completely ignores an industry that it is supposed to regulate.
D) the agency abolishes a private corporation and merges it with itself.
E) pork-barrel spending occurs.

Question 39

Which of the following BEST defines the spoils system?

A) Using civil service exams to hire qualified individuals
B) The brainchild of President Abraham Lincoln
C) Making the impounding of federal spending illegal
D) The awarding of government jobs to political supporters and friends
E) Cutting entire agencies that are considered "spoiled" by corruption

Question 40

Heads of regulatory agencies and members of agency boards or commissions are

A) hired through a merit-based open hiring system.
B) appointed by the House of Representatives.
C) appointed by the Senate.
D) appointed by the president.
E) legally required to be all from the same political party.

Question 41

Which of the following requirements exist under the Freedom of Information Act?

A) Government agencies have to tell the media if budgets are exceeded.
B) Federal agencies must disclose to individuals information contained in government files.
C) The Act made obsolete the Government in the Sunshine Act.
D) Executive agencies must release all information to congressional committees.
E) Surveillance by the National Security Agency on individual Americans is prohibited.

Question 42

The Government in the Sunshine Act required that

A) all federal agencies headed by committees hold their meetings regularly in public session.
B) all federal agencies terminate after five years unless Congress grants the agency an extension.
C) all federal agencies hold at least half of their public meeting outside of Washington, D.C.
D) at least forty percent of upper level positions within an agency be filled by females or ethnic minorities.
E) all federal agency meetings on personnel problems or court proceedings be held in public session.

Question 43

Through negotiated rulemaking, federal agencies have begun encouraging businesses and public-interest groups to become directly involved in

A) taking responsibility for their own self-regulation.
B) drafting the regulations that affect them.
C) lobbying Congress to relax regulations.
D) lobbying the president concerning bureaucratic reorganization.
E) administering regulations.

Question 44

Describe the legislation affecting whistleblowers. How much protection does it offer? Why should whistleblowers be protected?

Question 45

The major beneficiaries of the Freedom of Information Act have been

A) members of Congress.
B) people with criminal records.
C) news organizations.
D) nonprofit organizations.
E) health insurance companies.

Question 46

A statute enacted by Congress that authorizes the creation of an administrative agency is

A) an appropriations authorization.
B) enabling legislation.
C) an executive order.
D) statutory authorization.
E) the Civil Service Act of 1978.

Question 47

Describe the manners) in which Congress attempts to control the bureaucracy.

Question 48

Explain agency capture and give some examples. What are the negative consequences of agency capture? How can it be prevented?

Question 49

Explain how the civil service came to be what it is today.

Question 50

Laws requiring that existing programs be reviewed regularly for their effectiveness and be terminated unless specifically extended are called

A) trial legislation.
B) interim legislation.
C) sunshine legislation.
D) termination legislation.
E) sunset legislation.

Question 51

Contrast government corporations with their private-sector counterparts. Should the Federal Government privatize government corporations? Why or why not?

Question 52

A major power that Congress has over the federal bureaucracy is the

A) authority to select high-level bureaucrats.
B) power to refuse to appropriate funds for a particular agency.
C) authority to fire bureaucrats for not executing policy passed by Congress.
D) power to find agency actions unconstitutional.
E) power to appoint agency heads.

Question 53

Describe the concept of an iron triangle, and analyze its impact on the Federal Government.

Question 54

Describe the following organizations of the executive branch: cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, independent regulatory agencies, and government corporations.

Question 55

Iron triangles are made up of

A) economic interests, citizen activists, and government interest groups.
B) lobbyists, interest groups, and court cases used to promote government action to help the interest of these groups.
C) legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups that make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests.
D) political parties, interest groups, and voters who want their candidates to win.
E) watchdog citizens, presidential advisors, and members of the federal bureaucracy that make policies that benefit their respective interests.

Question 56

How has 9/11 affected reforms such as sunshine laws and the Freedom of Information Act?

Question 57

A whistleblower is

A) a worker who does not accomplish his or her tasks by the end of a day.
B) someone who brings public attention to gross governmental inefficiency or illegal action.
C) a worker hired in excess of the labor requirements of an agency.
D) an ombudsman.
E) someone who leaks the contents of a presidential speech to the press before it is given.

Question 58

Analyze the impact of the government in the Sunshine Act on the operations of the bureaucracy today.

Question 59

Define issue networks, and assess whether they are a positive or negative influence on the general welfare of the country.

Question 60

Privatization is

A) the replacement of government services with services provided by private firms.
B) when the Small Business Administration gives loans to individuals.
C) hiring practices of the bureaucracy.
D) the replacement of private services with state or local government services.
E) the abolition of entire government departments.