Question 1

A bureau charged with putting restrictions and obligations on individuals or corporations in the private sector is called a ______ agency.
A) redistributive
B) police
C) regulatory
D) fiscal
E) clientele

Accepted Answer

Regulatory agencies are tasked with regulating various industries in the private sector, often by enforcing restrictions and obligations on individuals and corporations. Examples include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Question 2

Which of the following is not a type of federal agency?
A) public welfare
B) internal national security
C) state and local oversight
D) economic maintenance
E) external national security

Accepted Answer

State and local oversight is not a type of federal agency as it is typically the responsibility of the state and local governments to oversee and regulate their own affairs. The other options listed are all types of federal agencies.

Question 3

The controversy over the Patriot Act reveals the complications of balancing
A) national security with the civil liberties of individuals.
B) the flexibility of the president with the oversight of state governors.
C) the needs of domestic security with the commitments of international treaties.
D) the goals of diplomacy with the needs of bureaucratic expertise.
E) the authority of the president with the power of Congress.

Accepted Answer

The controversy over the Patriot Act revolves around the tension between national security and the civil liberties of individuals. The act provides law enforcement agencies with extended powers to investigate and prevent terrorist activities, but it has been criticized for potentially violating the privacy and constitutional rights of citizens. The debate over the act involves finding a balance between protecting national security and upholding individual liberties.

Question 4

Which of the following agencies' primary task is not the strengthening of the economy?
A) Transportation
B) Commerce
C) Internal Revenue Service
D) Interior
E) Energy

Accepted Answer

The Department of the Interior primarily manages and conserves federal land and natural resources, rather than focusing on economic strengthening.

Question 5

The response to the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded terror-level warning system reveals
A) that cost-cutting measures often fail to pass Congress.
B) that bureaucratic agencies,like politicians,must pay attention to public opinion.
C) the great influence fear of terrorism has on the American people.
D) the intractable power of the iron triangle.
E) that people have a difficult time taking government very seriously.

Accepted Answer

The response to the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded terror-level warning system reveals that bureaucratic agencies, like politicians, must pay attention to public opinion. Public pressure caused the agency to discontinue the system, showing that public opinion holds weight in bureaucratic decision-making.

Question 6

What has been one of the greatest difficulties in establishing the new Department of Homeland Security?
A) adjusting to the many different bureaucratic cultures now part of a single operation
B) finding a competent and willing department secretary
C) getting congressional approval for the new department
D) defending against the three challenges to the constitutionality of the department
E) getting the American people to take seriously the color-coded terrorism warning levels

Accepted Answer

One of the biggest challenges in establishing the new Department of Homeland Security was bringing together multiple agencies and their differing bureaucratic cultures into a single organization. This required significant adjustment and coordination to ensure a cohesive and effective operation.

Question 7

Which of the following is a government corporation?
A) the National Park Service
B) the U.S.Postal Service
C) the Department of Defense
D) the Federal Bureau of Investigation
E) the Department of Agriculture

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Postal Service is a government corporation, which means that it is a legally established entity that operates like a private business but is owned and controlled by the government. The other options (National Park Service, Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Agriculture) are federal agencies, not government corporations.

Question 8

Which of the following interest groups is generally considered the most powerful group today?
A) AARP
B) AFL-CIO
C) NAACP
D) LULAC
E) NRA

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following interest groups is...

Question 9

Which of the following is the best description of an iron triangle?
A) the stable relationship between a bureaucratic agency,a clientele group,and a legislative committee
B) the inability to reform federal rules without help from the House of Representatives,the Senate,and the president
C) the domination of a few large companies in the regulation of iron mining and smelting
D) the breakdown in the separation of powers between Congress,the federal judiciary,and the president
E) the stable relationship between a bureaucratic agency,a legislative committee,and the president

Accepted Answer

An iron triangle is a term used to describe the stable relationship between a bureaucratic agency, a clientele group, and a legislative committee, where each group benefits from and supports the others, often at the expense of the public interest. This term is often used in discussions of interest group politics and policymaking.

Question 10

Which statement about regulatory agencies is correct?
A) Since the 1990s,approximately ten new regulatory agencies have been created by Congress.
B) No new regulatory programs have been established since the 1970s.
C) The last new regulatory agency was created in 1945.
D) In 1996,the last federal regulatory agency was terminated by Congress.
E) Since the 1960s,all new regulatory agencies have been placed outside existing departments and are not responsible to the president.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which statement about regulatory agencies is correct?
A)...

Question 11

The National Park Service is
A) part of the Department of the Interior.
B) part of the Department of Agriculture.
C) part of the Department of Energy.
D) an independent agency.
E) a government corporation.

Accepted Answer

The National Park Service is part of the Department of the Interior, which oversees and manages the nation's natural resources and cultural heritage.

Question 12

Which of the following is not part of the Justice Department?
A) the Civil Rights division
B) the Antitrust division
C) the Internal Revenue Service
D) Criminal division
E) Tax division

Accepted Answer

The Internal Revenue Service is not part of the Justice Department. It is a separate agency within the Department of Treasury responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing tax laws. The other divisions listed are all part of the Justice Department.

Question 13

Ronald Reagan's inability to dismantle the Department of Education reflects the power of
A) the merit system.
B) iron triangles.
C) the Federal Register.
D) devolution.
E) separation of powers.

Accepted Answer

Iron triangles are networks of influence between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees that mutually benefit from policies and funding. The Department of Education formed its own iron triangle with education interest groups and congressional committees, making it difficult for Reagan to dismantle the department despite his promises to do so during his presidential campaign. Thus, the power of the iron triangle prevented Reagan from achieving his goal of eliminating the Department of Education.

Question 14

The first regulatory agency was the ______,created by Congress in ______.
A) U.S.Post Office;1791
B) Interstate Commerce Commission;1887
C) Federal Communications Commission;1934
D) Environmental Protection Agency;1970
E) Federal Trade Commission;1914

Accepted Answer

The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was created by Congress in 1887 to regulate railroads and ensure fair rates for transportation of goods and passengers. While the other options listed are also regulatory agencies, they were created at later dates.

Question 15

The first regulatory agencies established by Congress were
A) in the Department of Commerce.
B) independent regulatory commissions.
C) government corporations.
D) in the Labor Department.
E) within the Environmental Protection Agency.

Accepted Answer

The first regulatory agencies established by Congress were independent regulatory commissions, such as the Interstate Commerce Commission (1887) and the Federal Trade Commission (1914). These agencies were created to oversee and regulate industries, such as transportation and trade, and protect consumers from abuses by these industries.

Question 16

Which of the following agencies was abolished following the creation of the Department of Homeland Security?
A) the Federal Emergency Management Agency
B) the Coast Guard
C) the Immigration and Naturalization Service
D) the National Security Agency
E) the Central Intelligence Agency

Accepted Answer

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was abolished following the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. Its responsibilities were divided among three new entities: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The other agencies listed, including FEMA, Coast Guard, NSA, and CIA, were not abolished and still exist as separate entities.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a federal department entrusted with providing national security?
A) Defense
B) State
C) Police
D) Justice
E) Homeland Security

Accepted Answer

While all the other options are federal departments involved in maintaining national security in one way or another, "Police" is not a federal department at all. It is primarily a local or state government responsibility.

Question 18

What is a government corporation?
A) Each department in the executive branch is legally registered as a corporation.
B) It is an agency that performs and charges for services usually provided by the private sector.
C) It is a private company,publicly traded,whose sole investor is the federal government.
D) It is a government agency that is charged by Congress to make a profit.
E) It is a government agency that is run primarily by business executives from the private sector.

Accepted Answer

A government corporation is an agency that performs and charges for services usually provided by the private sector. These corporations are usually created by Congress to provide specific services and are subject to federal regulations and oversight. They are technically separate from the federal government and operate more like private businesses. Examples of government corporations include Fannie Mae, Amtrak, and the U.S. Postal Service.

Question 19

According to the text,which of the following is not a department responsible for promoting the public welfare?
A) Department of Health and Human Services
B) Department of State
C) Department of the Interior
D) Department of Veterans Affairs
E) National Park Service

Accepted Answer

The Department of State is responsible for conducting foreign relations and promoting U.S. interests overseas, but it is not primarily focused on promoting the public welfare within the United States.

Question 20

The USA PATRIOT Act
A) stated Congress's approval of the invasion of Afghanistan.
B) allows the attorney general to detain any foreigner suspected of posing a threat to internal security.
C) grants authority over immigration cases to the Defense Department.
D) gave the Justice Department jurisdiction over all prisoners taken in Afghanistan.
E) restricted the government's ability to use wiretaps and issue search warrants.

Accepted Answer

The USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act) is a law passed by the United States Congress in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Among its many provisions, the act allows the attorney general to detain any foreigner suspected of posing a threat to internal security. This provision has been criticized for potentially violating basic civil liberties.

Quiz 14: Bureaucracy in a Democracy

A bureau charged with putting restrictions and obligations on individuals or corporations in the private sector is called a ______ agency.

Which of the following is not a type of federal agency?

The controversy over the Patriot Act reveals the complications of balancing

Which of the following agencies' primary task is not the strengthening of the economy?

The response to the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded terror-level warning system reveals

What has been one of the greatest difficulties in establishing the new Department of Homeland Security?

Which of the following is a government corporation?

Which of the following interest groups is generally considered the most powerful group today?

Which of the following is the best description of an iron triangle?

Which statement about regulatory agencies is correct?

The National Park Service is

Which of the following is not part of the Justice Department?

Ronald Reagan's inability to dismantle the Department of Education reflects the power of

The first regulatory agency was the ,created by Congress in .

The first regulatory agencies established by Congress were

Which of the following agencies was abolished following the creation of the Department of Homeland Security?

Which of the following is not a federal department entrusted with providing national security?

What is a government corporation?

According to the text,which of the following is not a department responsible for promoting the public welfare?

The USA PATRIOT Act