Deck 10: The bureaucracy and policy implementation

Question 1

________ would be considered co-optation.

A) An oil industry executive serving on a state regulatory board working to prevent new restrictions being placed on the industry
B) A state university provost appearing before the state legislature with a large group of students advocating for more funding
C) Representatives of the agricultural industry hosting a dinner for state government administrators and politicians
D) Lobbyists from a technology company trying to get the state to provide them with a contract to provide services
E) Executives from the transportation industry holding a press conference outside the legislative offices calling for fewer regulations

Answer 1

A

Question 2

During the 2010-2011 biennium, the legislature appropriated almost

A) $75 billion.
B) $86 billion.
C) $142 billion.
D) $177 billion.
E) $182 billion.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

When things go wrong in state government and problems go unresolved, there is a tendency to blame bureaucrats for

A) excessive red tape, misdirected policies, and unfunded mandates.
B) mismanagement, incompetence, and unfunded mandates.
C) inefficiency, lazy employees, and the influence of special interests.
D) excessive red tape, mismanagement, and inefficiency.
E) excessive red tape, misunderstandings, and unfunded mandates.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

From 1972 to 2010, the size of the state and local bureaucracy in Texas

A) decreased by just under 50 percent.
B) decreased by nearly 25 percent.
C) increased by nearly 100 percent.
D) increased by over 150 percent.
E) increased by just over 75 percent.

Question 5

Generally, the ________ broadly defines a program, and the ________ fills in the details of it.

A) executive branch; legislature
B) legislature; bureaucracy
C) bureaucracy; comptroller's office
D) executive branch; bureaucracy
E) legislature; comptroller's office

Question 6

In 2010, the state of Texas spent approximately ________ per capita.

A) $4,500
B) $3,700
C) $2,500
D) $1,700
E) $1,000

Question 7

How successful has Texas been in curtailing government growth and spending?

A) It has been very successful. Though government spending has increased over the past decade, it has only increased by 30 percent, far lower than the average for other states.
B) Efforts to reduce spending on health care and welfare have been successful, though Texas has increased educational spending and it now spends well above the national average.
C) Except for the 2003 and 2011 budget crises, efforts to slow growth have met with only marginal success as a result of federal mandates and opposition by Texans unwilling to lose services.
D) Though there have been few efforts to cut unnecessary spending , Texas has managed to limit the growth of government parallel to the growth in population.
E) Texas was very successful in cutting wasteful spending, but overall attempts to slow growth have been moderately successful, with spending increasing by only 20 percent since 2003.

Question 8

About 50 percent of special district employees in Texas work

A) for utility districts as linemen and repairmen.
B) in social services, including public hospitals.
C) in government administration overseeing county-city relations.
D) in transportation including the railway.
E) in public safety including the Texas Rangers.

Question 9

Which of the following is the least likely obstacle to policy implementation in Texas?

A) The governor does not choose to manage the agency in charge.
B) Legislative policies may be misdirected without the potential to produce results.
C) There is too much influence from the special interests.
D) Economic and social conditions can change, making the policy obsolete.
E) Policymakers have been unwilling or unable to resolve complex problems.

Question 10

About 38 percent of city employees in Texas are engaged in

A) education and transportation.
B) social services and utilities.
C) police and fire protection.
D) utilities and housing.
E) public safety and government administration.

Question 11

What has caused governments to worry about the future of the bureaucracy?

A) "Bureaucracy bashing" has convinced many young people that a career in public service is undesirable and so fewer people will seek it as a career.
B) Many colleges and universities have eliminated public administration as a major, limiting the number of people who can acquire this degree, which is necessary for public service.
C) The majority of those employed by the bureaucracy are young with little experience in public administration, and this is having a negative effect on productivity.
D) Since many states are planning on removing special benefits that public employees currently receive such as tax breaks, it is feared there will be a mass retirement of current employees.
E) Private companies are increasingly assuming the functions of government typically handled by the bureaucracy, causing the state to lose influence.

Question 12

Eighty-two percent of state government employees in Texas work in areas of higher education, public safety and corrections, and

A) government administration.
B) social services.
C) fire and police protection.
D) public K-12 education.
E) transportation.

Question 13

In 2010, Texas ranked ________ in per capita spending by state government alone.

A) first
B) twenty-second
C) thirty-sixth
D) forty-eight
E) fiftieth

Question 14

Why has the bureaucracy in Texas grown in recent years?

A) Citizens have come to expect a wide range of public services while increasing demand for environmental programs has led to the creation of numerous new agencies.
B) The federal government imposed numerous mandates on the states that required massive increases in education and health care services for new programs and personnel.
C) Economic stimulus funds provided by the federal government have led to the creation of many new programs that benefit citizens who are now unwilling to cut them.
D) As the federal government has reduced funding of programs to states, states have become increasingly responsible for assuming the duties formerly fulfilled by the federal government.
E) Citizens have come to expect a wide range of public services while federal mandates have required more funding, and new programs have been implemented as a result of the urging of interest groups.

Question 15

What resulted from the 2003 restructuring of health and human service agencies toward increased privatization?

A) Despite a significant decrease in costs, the efficiency of certain programs dropped dramatically.
B) The restructuring and privatization initially got off to a rough start before improving.
C) Texas was able to reduce the costs of these services by 20 percent within two years.
D) Due to widespread failures in the restructuring, Texas returned to the pre-2003 system in 2006.
E) State spending on these services increased by 15 percent within one year.

Question 16

In Texas, the role of the bureaucracy is enhanced because

A) the legislature meets every year for a limited time.
B) the governor has limited powers over the bureaucracy.
C) the state uses the spoils system of government.
D) the plural executive controls the bureaucracy.
E) sunset laws only apply to the legislative committees.

Question 17

________ demanded that the Texas Department of Health crack down on deplorable conditions in nursing homes.

A) Bill Clements
B) Ann Richards
C) Mark White
D) Rick Perry
E) George W. Bush

Question 18

What can happen to legislative policies upon implementation by the bureaucracy?

A) Policies usually translate well into bureaucratic programs with few problems.
B) Frequently, policies are enacted that are obsolete due to changing social or economic conditions.
C) Sometimes, policies can be misdirected with little potential for producing the intended results.
D) Policies are typically implemented by people who lack resources or the knowledge to fulfill them.
E) Frequently, the legislature overfunds programs that are realized once the policy is implemented.

Question 19

In the early part of the twentieth century, ________ regarded bureaucracies as efficient means of organizing large numbers of people to accomplish a given task.

A) Max Weber
B) V. O. Key
C) Harold Laswell
D) Irvin M. May Jr.
E) T. R. Fehrenbach

Question 20

Implementation is the conversion of policy plans into

A) mandates.
B) red tape.
C) confrontations.
D) reality.
E) conclusions.

Question 21

Lt.Governor Bob Bullock called the whistle-blower ordeal that the state endured

A) "a black mark on the history of Texas."
B) "the finest moment in Texas history."
C) "a lesson well learned by the state of Texas."
D) "the best civics lesson we could ever have."
E) "a black eye for the reputation of Texas."

Question 22

________ would be considered political patronage.

A) An agency chair hiring a consultant based on her excellent former work in the private sector
B) A state representative hiring a campaign contributor to a job he knows nothing about
C) A state commissioner delegating hiring duties to a human resources administrator
D) An agency chair hiring his brother to oversee a new program because he is family
E) A commissioner hiring an employee to a position based on her years of government experience

Question 23

Every ________ the legislature sets budgets for state agencies.

A) year
B) two years
C) three years
D) four years
E) five years

Question 24

How can the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) work to limit mismanagement and inefficiency of a state agency?

A) Coordinating with the legislature, the LBB can cut or threaten to reduce the budget of an agency to force compliance.
B) The LBB can replace an agency head that is incapable of carrying out a program and appoint a replacement.
C) Coordinating with the governor, the LBB can overrule the bureaucracy and reverse or rescind an agency's action.
D) Through a performance review, the LBB can determine ways to increase efficiency and cut costs in an agency.
E) The LBB through administrative reorganization can transfer responsibility for a program between agencies.

Question 25

The ________ is exempt from sunset review.

A) Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
B) Public Utility Commission
C) General Land Office
D) Texas Residential Construction Commission
E) Department of Insurance

Question 26

If lawmakers fail to approve a sunset bill by September 1 of the year the agency is scheduled for review, the agency will be phased out of existence over

A) four years.
B) three years.
C) two years.
D) one year.
E) six months.

Question 27

________ is an example of licensing on the local level.

A) Requiring contractors to meet building codes established by city councils
B) Issuing driver's licenses to new drivers
C) Obeying rules and regulations concerning the operation of a funeral home
D) Passing the Texas bar examination to be licensed to practice law in Texas
E) Obeying rules and regulations concerning the operation of a nursing home

Question 28

When a person in an agency reports an agency for costly mistakes or waste or an endangerment to the public, they are protected by the

A) shield law.
B) good citizen law.
C) Whistle Blower Protection Act.
D) Patronage Act.
E) Good Samaritan law.

Question 29

How successful has the sunset process been in Texas?

A) Despite failing to reduce the size of the bureaucracy, it has helped rid state government of some obsolete agencies, modernized state laws, and made some agencies more responsive to the public.
B) Of the total number of agencies reviewed by the sunset process, around 80 percent have been phased out, with their operations transferred to other agencies.
C) Despite failing to prevent the rapid increase of the bureaucracy, it has forced many programs back to the legislature to be revised before being implemented.
D) The sunset process has brought about sweeping reforms in the bureaucracy by urging the legislature to pass new laws and restrictions and has increased efficiency while cutting costs.
E) The sunset process has been very successful in reducing the number of agencies in Texas by 30 percent, though other agencies have grown in size, which has increas the size of the bureaucracy.

Question 30

Each agency is subject to sunset review every

A) six months.
B) twelve months.
C) two years.
D) six years.
E) twelve years.

Question 31

Why is the revolving door viewed in a negative way?

A) It is a major cause of government size increases, as money that has been saved from one agency gets doled out to another.
B) It has raised questions about possible insider industry influence over regulatory agencies and decisions.
C) It has limited the success of sunset reviews by transferring the work and funding of a recently dismantled agency into a new agency.
D) It has raised questions of increasing nepotism with the hiring of agency heads and other senior public officials.
E) It has prevented younger generations from entering into the public sector by cycling current government employees around to various agencies.

Question 32

How does the Texas State Securities Board work to ensure the competitiveness of the state's economy?

A) It can work to bring companies in line with federal laws on interstate trade.
B) By providing capital, it can assist small businesses in growing and diversifying.
C) Through its regulation, it can limit imports from other states to protect local industry.
D) By regulating the investment industry, it is able to protect Texas investors from fraud.
E) Through oversight and regulation, it prevents the creation of monopolies in Texas.

Question 33

The two ways that the legislature can use budgetary control over bureaucracies are by

A) the amount of funds allotted and approval of line items in agency budgets.
B) the amount of funds allotted or completely cutting the budget for an agency.
C) approval of line items in an agency budget or cutting the budget in half
D) the amount of funds allotted and watching over every penny spent by the agency.
E) a complete budget restructuring or completely cutting the agency budget.

Question 34

State agencies can

A) regulate the allocation of natural resources, safeguard their quality, and create policy to deal with corporations, drillers, and public utilities.
B) regulate companies for fairness and competition, create new laws to improve fairness and competition, and audit other agencies.
C) provide operating subsidies to businesses and create policy to deal with companies, drillers, subsidies, and abatements.
D) create new laws to improve fairness and competition, require licenses for certain professions, and regulate companies for fairness and competition.
E) regulate the distribution and quality of natural resources, regulate companies for fairness and competition, and require licenses for certain professions.

Question 35

What resulted from the whistle-blower case brought on by George Green against the Texas Department of Human Services?

A) Green quickly received his settlement of $13 million, which the state attempted to reduce by enacting limits on the amount of damages one can receive from a whistle-blower suit.
B) Green received $13.8 million after a protracted legal battle in which the state initially refused to pay him the settlement he won while the state placed limits on future whistle-blower suit damages.
C) The state provided Green with a large settlement, but it would be ten years before legislation was introduced to cap the amount one could receive in a whistle-blower suit.
D) Green initially won a $5 million settlement from the state, but after a lengthy appeals process that the state lost, he was received another $5 million.
E) Following Green winning his case, the state of Texas was faced with a 500 percent increase in whistle-blower cases as others attempted to cash in by revealing corrupt agencies.

Question 36

In 2003, after a series of budget disputes, performance reviews were transferred

A) from the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) to the office of the comptroller of public accounts after critics charged that the LBB was too beholden to the legislature to conduct proper reviews.
B) from the secretary of the Treasury to the Legislative Budget Board after critics charged that the governor's office had too much control over the review of public agencies.
C) from the office of the comptroller of public accounts to the Legislative Budget Board despite critics' insistence that reviews should be carried out by an independent office holder.
D) from the office of the comptroller of public accounts to the secretary of the treasury despite critics' insistence that this would give the governor's office too much control of public agencies.
E) from the secretary of the treasury to the comptroller of public accounts after critics charged that the secretary was too beholden to the governor to conduct proper reviews.

Question 37

State and local governments can regulate by offering operating subsidies to businesses, including

A) unlimited tax breaks that are not subject to review by the legislature.
B) limited tax breaks subject only to the limitations of the county commissioners court.
C) tax breaks that are subject to limitations imposed by the legislature.
D) tax breaks that are subject to limitations imposed only by the city.
E) tax breaks that are issued to companies in compliance with city regulations.

Question 38

How did the 2010 whistleblower case involving Anne Mitchell and Vickilyn Galle demonstrate the huge obstacles facing whistle-blowers?

A) Mitchell and Galle were forced to defend their accusations at their own expense.
B) Prior to winning their case, Mitchell and Galle faced retaliation by local officials for their efforts.
C) Mitchell and Galle were forced to resign from their job until the situation was resolved because of state law.
D) After winning, Mitchell and Galle were countersued by those who lost their jobs as a result of their actions.
E) Mitchell and Galle received numerous threats from state officials urging them to stand down.

Question 39

________ was an early step in restricting the revolving-door phenomenon.

A) The law that created the General Land Office ad prohibited any of its accountants from seeking employment in the oil industry
B) The 1991 HealthCare Accountability Act restricting employees of state health and welfare agencies from seeking employment with private health care companies
C) The law that created the Public Utility Commission and prohibited its employees from immediate employment in the utilities industry
D) Legislation passed in 1978 that cut the pension of any Texas Railroad Commission employee who sought employment in the railroad industry
E) Legislation drafted in the early 1980s preventing the senior management of any state agency from obtaining consulting jobs after retiring

Question 40

A 1991, ethics reform law extended ________ restrictions to numerous agencies.

A) whistle-blower
B) revolving-door
C) merit pay
D) patronage
E) sunset review

Question 41

Within governmental organizations, specific positions are assigned specific responsibilities or given authority in a hierarchical arrangement.

Question 42

To better serve the public, some reformer advocates have pushed for a

A) limit on the merit employment system.
B) merit employment system based somewhat on Oklahoma law.
C) merit system for state workers only.
D) merit employment system based somewhat on U.S. law.
E) political patronage system based somewhat on U.S. law.

Question 43

Many of the best and brightest young people seek professional employment with government bureaucracies because of the high esteem the public holds for them.

Question 44

The legislature permitted performance reviews in order to promote

A) efficiency and accountability.
B) people and provide accountability.
C) effective accounting audits.
D) whistle-blowers and reward them.
E) efficiency and reduce waste.

Question 45

The bureaucracy has the primary responsibility for carrying out the policies adopted by

A) the legislature.
B) lobbyists.
C) the executive.
D) voters.
E) the judiciary.

Question 46

Privatization, the process of governments contracting with private companies to perform services, has become increasingly popular in recent years.

Question 47

Through sunset legislation, ________ became one of the first states to require formal reviews of how effectively state agencies are doing their jobs.

A) New York
B) New Mexico
C) Texas
D) Oklahoma
E) Massachusetts

Question 48

The Texas Workforce Commission is responsible for

A) overseeing the hiring process for new public workers.
B) assisting agencies in recruiting by listing all state job openings .
C) establishing policies on vacations, holidays, and retirement.
D) overseeing the states classification schedule.
E) providing a link between state unions and the government.

Question 49

In 2010, Texas ranked forty-eighth among the states in per capita spending by state governments, despite the almost doubling of state spending in the last ten years.

Question 50

Higher education and public school employees

A) are subject to the same employment policies as state employees.
B) are subject to different employment policies than state employees.
C) do not have a probationary period, thus guaranteeing them employment for life.
D) are subject to both merit system and spoils system requirements.
E) are subject to employment policies laid out by the Texas Education Agency.

Question 51

The routine services public employees provide make little difference in most people's lives.

Question 52

Each one of us comes into regular contact with organizations that can be defined as bureaucracies.

Question 53

A merit employment system

A) is similar to political patronage because officeholders choose employees they have personal relationships with that are best qualified for the job.
B) became very successful in Texas once the legislature set up an independent agency solely for the purpose of testing perspective employees and monitoring existing employees.
C) is inconsistent with the individualistic political culture in Texas because of the decentralized plural executive and officeholders who jealously guard their prerogative to hire and fire.
D) failed in Texas because the legislators were unwilling to give employment to women and minorities without extensively testing them, while allowing Anglo men patronage positions.
E) is consistent with the individualistic political culture in Texas because of the decentralized plural executive and officeholders' desire to get the very best employees.

Question 54

Sometimes bureaucrats are blamed for problems that are better placed on the shoulders of

A) elected policymakers.
B) judicial appointments.
C) registered voters.
D) the president.
E) the television media.

Question 55

The legislature usually defines a program and gives a state agency detailed instructions for carrying it out.

Question 56

The legislature has empowered the ________ to conduct performance reviews of state programs.

A) attorney general
B) comptroller of public accounts
C) secretary of the treasury
D) Legislative Budget Board
E) Public Review Agency

Question 57

Implementation is the conversion of policy plans into reality.

Question 58

Since the ________, numerous federal grants have required states to enact a merit system for the state employees administering them.

A) 1930s
B) 1940s
C) 1950s
D) 1960s
E) 1980s

Question 59

In some cases, a new agency may have to be built up and staffed to carry out the objectives of an existing law.

Question 60

Because of Texas' highly decentralized system,

A) individualistic policies are handed out to each agency by the legislature.
B) individualistic views of politics keep the political patronage system at bay.
C) personnel policies are handed down by each head of the plural executive.
D) personnel policies are unique to each agency, some with better policies than others.
E) personnel policies are largely unheard of in the state's bureaucratic agencies.

Question 61

In most cases the Sunset Commission will propose that an agency be terminated or consolidated with another agency.

Question 62

Legislative policies are rarely misdirected, so programs usually produce the intended results.

Question 63

Why do so many people express a great deal of ambivalence, if not hostility, toward bureaucracies and those who are employed by government?

Question 64

In 2007, there were about 300,000 state employees.

Question 65

How does Texas compare to other states with regard to the bureaucracy? Can privatization slow down the growth of the bureaucracy? Defend your answer.

Question 66

What is the bureaucracy and how does it serve the people of Texas? What are the characteristic of the bureaucracy?

Question 67

Explain why public employees are reluctant to "blow the whistle" on the actions of the agencies for which they work.Are protections for whistle-blowing a good thing? Defend your answer.

Question 68

Texans have come to expect good roads and schools, safe drinking water, and a host of other public programs.

Question 69

State government in Texas has developed a unified personnel system.

Question 70

Each state agency is largely free to set its own personnel policies.

Question 71

Legislators depend on administrative agencies for counsel and advice when they draft public policies.

Question 72

How does Texas attempt to regulate key sectors of the economy? What are the positives and negatives of regulation?

Question 73

Briefly summarize the experience of Texas whistle-blowers Anne Mitchell and Vickilyn Galle.What problems does this illustrate for a whistleblower?

Question 74

The sunset process has reduced the size of the Texas bureaucracy.

Question 75

What is sunset legislation and how does it work? How does the revolving door impact the bureaucracy? Should it be stopped through tighter regulations?

Question 76

How does legislation get turned into action by the bureaucracy? How can genuinely good legislative policies be misdirected? What negative role does co-optation play in the bureaucratic system?

Question 77

How would you describe the personnel system in Texas? Defend your answer.

Question 78

Texas has adopted revolving-door restrictions.

Question 79

Politics has been eliminated in the hiring and promotion of public employees.

Question 80

According to whistle-blower laws, public employees are required to report wrongdoing within their agencies.