Deck 12: The Bureaucracy

Question 1

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.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The concept of a bureaucracy

A) isn't unique to government.
B) applies to large corporations and universities.
C) applies to the U.S. military
D) applies to any large organization that requires a division of labor.
E) All of the above are true.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Some options for privatization of government agencies or services include

A) issuing shares in the agency and selling them to the public.
B) selling the agency to an existing company in a similar business.
C) inviting foreign governments to purchase and run the agencies.
D) asking the public employee labor unions to run the agencies.
E) Options A and B are true.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

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 ten years.
D) grown to exceed the number of local government employees.
E) grown to exceed the number of state government employees.

Question 5

The Weberian model of bureaucracy

A) says that with a complex society the formation of bureaucracies is inevitable.
B) says that most bureaucracies are hierarchical organizations.
C) shows that power flows from the top downward.
D) says that bureaucrats are specialists who attempt to resolve problems through logical reasoning and data analysis.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 6

The acquisitive model of bureaucracy holds that

A) decision-making should be a rational process.
B) advancement should be based on merit.
C) leaders of bureaucracies seek expanded budgets and larger staffs.
D) bureaucracies should apply similar decisions to similar situations.
E) bureaucracies should hold hearings before taking action.

Question 7

The percentage of the total U.S. workforce that is employed by local, state, and federal governments is

A) 10 percent.
B) 25 percent.
C) 16 percent.
D) 50 percent.
E) 6 percent.

Question 8

Which of the following is true?

A) From the viewpoint of the monopolistic model, the bureaucracy is penalized for chronic inefficiency.
B) From the viewpoint of the acquisitive model, bureaucrats are motivated by the trappings of power and wish to expand their budgets and staff sizes.
C) From the viewpoint of the Weberian model, the power of the bureaucracy flows upward from the bottom to the top of the organization.
D) From the viewpoint of the Weberian model, bureaucrats are generalists who attempt to resolve problems by consensus.
E) From the viewpoint of the monopolistic model, more competition would make bureaucracies less efficient, but more productive with their resources.

Question 9

Most federal agencies

A) have shunned social media.
B) have established a social media presence.
C) dispense zombie apocalypse advice.
D) Options A and B are true.
E) Options A, B, and C are true.

Question 10

According to Max Weber, a bureaucracy should be all of the following except

A) an apolitical organization.
B) made up of unspecialized staff to avoid delays in policy implementation.
C) an organization where decisions are based on logic and analysis.
D) an organization that makes promotions on the basis of merit, not politics.
E) an organization that applies similar decisions to similar situations.

Question 11

Conventional attempts to measure the size of the bureaucracy

A) leave out the 2.9 million members of the Armed Forces.
B) leave out the 1.4 million members of the Armed Forces.
C) include the Armed Forces in the total number of 7.9 million federal employees.
D) include the Armed Forces in the total number of 2.9 million federal employees.
E) include the Armed Forces but leave out the U.S. Postal Workers because they work for a government corporation.

Question 12

The two bodies that employ by far the largest number of federal civilian employees are

A) the Executive Office of the President and the judiciary.
B) the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation.
C) the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Food and Drug Administration.
D) the Department of Energy and the Federal Reserve System.
E) the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Defense.

Question 13

During the Great Recession

A) the Obama Administration increased social spending due to high rates of employment.
B) the Obama Administration's stimulus programs decreased the percentage of government spending in the economy.
C) the number of state and local government workers was increased to deal with the crisis.
D) the economy responded quickly and government spending was decreased.
E) government spending was about 25 percent of the economic activity.

Question 14

Which of the following statements are true about federal spending?

A) The Social Security Administration administers Social Security and Medicare benefits.
B) The U.S. Postal Service employees comprise 50 percent of the federal workforce.
C) The U.S. Postal Service has been self-supporting for decades.
D) About 50 percent of all government spending goes to the elderly each year.
E) Veteran's services make up about five percent of annual federal spending.

Question 15

The government bureaucracy is

A) managed by the President in his/her role as chief administrator.
B) funded by acts of Congress.
C) authorized by voter referendums.
D) Options A and B are true.
E) Options A, B, and C are true.

Question 16

The monopolistic model of bureaucracy states that

A) bureaucracies have no competitors and are therefore inefficient.
B) decision making should be a rational process.
C) advancement should be based on merit.
D) bureaucracies seek expanded budgets and increased size.
E) bureaucracies should apply similar decisions to similar situations.

Question 17

Advocates of privatization of government services believe that

A) some government-owned agencies should be sold to investors.
B) the Central Intelligence Agency would be more effective if it was sold to the highest bidder.
C) government agencies like the Tennessee Valley Authority and the National Weather Service should start charging their customers more for services.
D) private companies could provide cheaper mail service to remote rural customers.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 18

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 19

The federal bureaucracy

A) numbers around 200,000 people.
B) numbers of employees has changed dramatically in the last few decades.
C) employs about twenty-five percent of all workers.
D) agencies also work at the state and local levels.
E) consists of approximately 2.9 million employees.

Question 20

The Endangered Species Act is

A) supported by citizens that believe in wildlife preservation.
B) cited by some as an example of infringement on the rights of landowners.
C) an example of the tension between the desire for small government and the desire for benefits large government can provide.
D) an example of a law with bureaucratic implications.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 21

All of the following statement are true about cabinet departments except

A) there are fifteen cabinet departments.
B) new cabinet departments are created by the president.
C) cabinet departments perform government functions like printing money and training troops.
D) the most recent department to be created was the Department of Homeland Security.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 22

With regard to cabinet departments and the president,

A) presidents theoretically have considerable control over the cabinet departments.
B) presidents are able to appoint or fire all of the top officials.
C) cabinet departments do not always respond to the president's wishes.
D) below the top political levels, cabinet departments are staffed by permanent employees-many who resist change.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 23

When the industry that is being regulated gains control over the agency that is supposed to regulate it, the process is called

A) cooption.
B) capture.
C) complacency.
D) collusion.
E) pork.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about terrorism is true?

A) Fewer people are killed each year in automobile accidents than were killed in the terrorist attacks in 2001.
B) Federal government agencies are the best positioned to see and respond to terrorist activities.
C) Ordinary people have not been effective in preventing terrorist activities.
D) In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, billions have been spent to create a bureaucracy designed to protect Americans.
E) Other than terrorism, there are few threats to the lives of Americans.

Question 25

In 2008, the Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP)

A) was used to create the government-sponsored enterprises, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
B) provided bailouts to homeowners who were upside down in their home loans.
C) was the first time the government intervened in a business failure in American history.
D) provided a bailout to banks, automobile companies, and the AIG insurance company.
E) helped small businesses expand during the economic downturn.

Question 26

The Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are all examples of

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

Question 27

Which of the following statements is true about 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 invest in both a private corporation as well as a government corporation.
E) Government corporations do not usually have any stockholders.

Question 28

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

A) Judiciary
B) Legislative branch
C) Federal courts
D) Executive branch
E) Internal Revenue Service

Question 29

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 30

The Social Security Administration, Small Business Administration, and the Smithsonian Institution are examples of

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

Question 31

The FDIC can take over a private bank by

A) purchasing the bank directly from its owner.
B) purchasing preferred stock in the bank to keep the bank afloat while a new owner is found.
C) stacking government employees on the bank's board of directors.
D) taking the bank's profits and giving them to depositors.
E) closing the bank and opening a shopping mall in that location.

Question 32

Education, Commerce, and Energy are examples of

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

Question 33

Independent executive agencies are

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

Question 34

The cabinet departments, in terms of organization, are

A) line organizations.
B) staffed by thousands of individuals, all of who are under the direct control of the president.
C) responsible for the actions of independent agencies.
D) part of the legislative branch.
E) responsible for monitoring the president.

Question 35

Independent regulatory agencies

A) are administered independently of all three branches.
B) make rules that have the force of law.
C) provide enforcement of the rules they have passed.
D) decide disputes over the rules they have made.
E) All the above are true.

Question 36

Controversies that have led some to question whether Army rules have added to military fatalities include

A) the requirement that all Army medevac helicopters be accompanied by a gunship.
B) an incident when the Army supplied inappropriate ammunition for M-16 rifles that caused them to jam.
C) a failure to provide armor to military vehicles at the beginning of the Iraq War.
D) failure of the Army to equip medevac helicopters with the proper medical equipment.
E) Options A, B, and C are true.

Question 37

_________ were set up because Congress felt it was unable to handle the complexities and technicalities required to carry out specific laws in the public interest; these entities were given executive, legislative, and judicial functions by Congress.

A) Cabinet departments
B) Independent executive agencies
C) Independent regulatory agencies
D) Government corporations
E) Courts of limited jurisdiction

Question 38

The only cabinet department not headed by a secretary is

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

Question 39

Amtrak, the U.S. Postal Service, and the FDIC are examples of

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

Question 40

Which of the following was the first cabinet department created?

A) The first cabinet department to be created was the Department of Justice and the most recently created was Energy.
B) The first cabinet department to be created was War and the most recently created was the Environmental Protection Agency.
C) The first cabinet department to be created was State and the most recently created was Homeland Security.
D) The first cabinet department to be created was State and the most recently created was The Federal Emergency Management Administration.
E) The first cabinet department to be created was Defense and the most recently created was Veterans Affairs.

Question 41

All of the following statements about political appointees are true except

A) they have been called the "aristocracy" of the federal government.
B) they are sometimes appointed as a reward for campaign contributions or other political favors.
C) they will probably occupy their position for a brief time compared to career civil servants.
D) career civil servants sometimes ignore their wishes.
E) their major source of authority is the ease with which they can fire civil servants.

Question 42

The investigative power of Congress is often

A) abused by both the House and Senate.
B) delegated to the Government Accountability Office.
C) blocked by the president.
D) used to limit the power of state governments.
E) declared unconstitutional by the courts.

Question 43

The spoils system is sometimes called

A) nepotism.
B) political capital.
C) patronage.
D) the civil service.
E) the Pendleton system.

Question 44

Which of the following is true of political appointees?

A) The president makes political appointments to most of the top jobs in the federal bureaucracy.
B) Ambassadors to foreign countries are political appointees.
C) Their powers are often exaggerated.
D) Most have little background for their positions and may be mere figureheads
E) All of the above are true.

Question 45

The federal government

A) collects billions of pieces of information on tens of millions of Americans each year.
B) through the Privacy Act of 1974, must give a person access to the information it has collected on that person.
C) is required by the Freedom of Information Act to release, at your request, any information it has on you.
D) cannot give out information on personal medical files.
E) All the above are true.

Question 46

Which of the following is true?

A) A release of classified information that may endanger American soldiers is called whistleblowing.
B) A release of classified information that may endanger American soldiers is called a leak.
C) A release of information that calls attention to inefficiency or illegal action is called whistleblowing.
D) The Obama administration has charged fewer people with leaking government secrets than most previous presidencies.
E) Options B and C are true.

Question 47

The Freedom of Information Act

A) requires government agencies to notify the media if they are exceeding their budget for the fiscal year.
B) requires federal agencies to disclose information on file about an individual to that individual upon his/her request.
C) provides for a statute of limitations on the Government in the Sunshine Act.
D) requires executive agencies to release information to congressional oversight committees.
E) was repealed after 9/11.

Question 48

The Pendleton Act

A) extended federal civil service protections to the states.
B) reorganized the federal government and exempted a substantial number of government employees from civil service protections.
C) increased the number of government employees selected by the spoils system.
D) established the principle of employment on the basis of open competitive examinations.
E) established a merit system during the Civil War.

Question 49

All of the following are true of national ID cards except

A) the American public has never accepted the concept of a national ID card.
B) many other countries in the world require citizens to obtain a national ID card.
C) the lack of ID is a burden on the world's poorest people.
D) national ID cards are not privacy concerns because they cannot collect data.
E) a national ID card might be a convenient way to avoid having to carry different types of identification such as a driver's license and a Social Security card.

Question 50

All of the following statements about the civil service are true?

A) Civil service positions are filled based on networking and political connections.
B) Civil service jobs are filled based on political party affiliation.
C) Reform of the civil service first began under President Jimmy Carter in 1978.
D) Since 1993, civil service employees are allowed to participate in voter registration drives.
E) Today, civil service employees may make donations to political campaigns.

Question 51

The merit system refers to

A) the selection, retention, and promotion of government employees on the basis of 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 52

The Whistleblower Protection Act

A) allows whistleblowers to take time off from their jobs if they are concerned with actions of their supervisors.
B) allows the government to prosecute whistleblowers whose accusations have been unfounded.
C) penalizes federal bureaucrats who participate in political activities.
D) prohibits reprisals against whistleblowers by their superiors.
E) for the first time established a relatively swift method for firing civil servants.

Question 53

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 54

The concept of privatization refers to

A) the replacement of government services with services provided by private firms.
B) federal loan guarantees for small businesses.
C) the hiring practices of the civil service.
D) the replacement of federal government services with state or local government services.
E) reducing the number of levels in the federal hierarchy.

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) interest groups, legislators, and members of the bureaucracy working to promote and protect their mutual interests.
D) political parties, interest groups, and voters who want their candidates to win.
E) citizens who have contacted members of Congress, presidential advisors, and members of the federal bureaucracy.

Question 56

The Government in the Sunshine Act required that

A) all federal agencies run by committees conduct their business 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 57

The Hatch Act, adopted by Congress in 1939, was created to

A) encourage federal employees to run for state but not federal government.
B) prohibit federal employees from switching political parties.
C) prohibit federal employees from active involvement in political campaigns.
D) increase federal employee participation in running voter registration drives.
E) establish a patronage system during the Great Depression.

Question 58

Enabling legislation

A) provides appropriations to federal agencies.
B) is proposed by departments wishing to increase their budgets.
C) is enacted by the president.
D) provides authorization for new federal agencies.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 59

All of the following statements are true about Sunset legislation except

A) all federal legislation must incorporate sunset provisions of ten years.
B) legislation with sunset provisions must be reauthorized at the end of the designated period or the program created by the legislation will end.
C) Sunset provisions were first recommended during the creation of President Roosevelt's New Deal agencies.
D) many state governments have adopted sunset provisions in legislation.
E) Sunset provisions allow Congress and state legislatures to revisit legislation at a later date to determine if the legislation needs revision or should be abandoned.

Question 60

All of the following are true of the Freedom of Information Act except

A) requests for information can come from news organizations as well as from individuals.
B) reporters have gotten information that has uncovered waste, scandals, and incompetence.
C) since the 9/11 terrorists attacks the government has been even more open about giving out information so that people will know of terrorist threats.
D) information on Internet sites, in public libraries, and the reading rooms in various federal government departments have been removed since the 9/11 terrorists acts.
E) the removal of information by state and local governments may be challenged in court once the threat of terrorism has decreased.

Question 61

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

Question 62

Explain the concepts of iron triangles and issue networks. What could be done to change the iron triangles?

Question 63

Describe the ways in which bureaucracy both controls and benefits your life.

Question 64

Describe the different models of bureaucracy.

Question 65

Describe the evolution of the civil service with particular emphasis on legislation that implemented reforms in government employment policies.

Question 66

Describe the manner(s) in which Congress attempts to control the bureaucracy.

Question 67

Describe the difference between whistleblowers and leaks. Provide examples of each.

Question 68

Explain both sides of the issue of the privatization of government. Provide examples of ways privatization might make government more efficient and some of the unintended consequences of privatization.

Question 69

Describe the difference between Sunshine laws and Sunset provisions.

Question 70

Describe the pros and cons of India's biometric ID system.