Question 1

Which of the following statements about state and local government employment is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The number of state and local government employees has increased since 1950, particularly in the areas of education and public safety. This trend has continued even during periods of economic downturn.

Question 2

The use of taxing and spending powers to shape the economy is part of ________ policy.

Accepted Answer

Fiscal policy refers to the use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy. This can include things like increasing government spending to stimulate economic growth or raising taxes to reduce inflation. This is distinct from monetary policy, which involves the management of interest rates and the money supply by a central bank. Distributive and redistributive policies refer to measures aimed at addressing income inequality, such as social welfare programs and progressive taxation, but do not necessarily involve shaping the overall economy.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a revenue agency?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Customs Service is responsible for collecting revenue for the government through various means, including customs duties and excise taxes on imported goods. The other options listed are not revenue agencies; the Federal Reserve System is responsible for monetary policy, the Agricultural Extension Service provides information and resources to farmers, and the Securities and Exchange Commission regulates securities markets.

Question 4

The National Park Service is

Accepted Answer

The National Park Service is part of the Department of the Interior, which oversees the management and conservation of federal land and natural resources in the United States.

Question 5

The national security documents leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013 revealed that the

Accepted Answer

The leaked documents showed that the NSA was collecting private data on millions of Americans and foreign nationals, which raised concerns about privacy and civil liberties. The other choices are not directly related to the Snowden leaks.

Question 6

The National Security Archive is a

Accepted Answer

The National Security Archive is a private organization that uses Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain government documents related to national security activities.

Question 7

The Obama administration's campaign to make government more transparent

Accepted Answer

Edward Snowden's leak of sensitive national security documents in 2013 exposed the extent of government surveillance programs, which undermined the Obama administration's effort to make the government more transparent. Snowden's disclosures suggested that the government was collecting vast amounts of data on American citizens, including their telephone calls and internet activities, without adequate oversight or accountability. As a result, the administration faced criticism from civil libertarians, privacy advocates, and some members of Congress, who argued that the government had overstepped its authority and violated Americans' rights to privacy and due process. The controversy highlighted the complex tensions between national security and civil liberties in an era of global terrorism and digital communications.

Question 8

The Financial Stability Oversight Council was created by

Accepted Answer

The Financial Stability Oversight Council was created by President Obama and Congress in 2010 to identify system-wide risks to the financial sector. Its goal is to promote financial stability by improving communication across different regulatory agencies and identifying potential risks to the financial system.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about the Department of Health and Human Services is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

The Department of Health and Human Services oversees Medicaid, which is a joint federal and state program that provides health care coverage for low-income individuals and families. It also has administrative control over Medicare, which is a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older or have certain disabilities. The department is separate from the National Institutes of Health and does not administer Social Security.

Question 10

The creation of the U.S. Northern Command was important because it

Accepted Answer

The creation of the U.S. Northern Command breached the long-standing line between domestic law enforcement and foreign military operations for the first time, as it was tasked with the defense of the continental United States and coordinating military responses to domestic emergencies.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

An iron triangle refers to the stable relationship and close cooperation between a bureaucratic agency, a clientele group, and a legislative committee, often based on mutual interests and the exchange of benefits. This relationship can result in policy decisions that may not necessarily serve the broader public interest, but instead cater to the interests of the iron triangle members.

Question 12

The Freedom of Information Act is designed to

Accepted Answer

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is primarily designed to make federal government records available to the public, thereby increasing transparency. This includes making more national security documents available, as long as their release does not harm national security interests.

Question 13

The Director of National Intelligence is important because he or she is

Accepted Answer

The Director of National Intelligence is responsible for coordinating the efforts of intelligence agencies and reporting directly to the president each morning. They are not the highest ranking official in the Department of Homeland Security (A), nor do they have access to every top-secret government file (B). While they do issue national security reports, it is not necessarily to the media each morning (C).

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

A regulatory agency is responsible for enforcing rules and regulations that restrict or obligate individuals or corporations in the private sector. Redistributive agencies are focused on redistributing wealth or resources, fiscal agencies deal with government finances, and clientele agencies are focused on providing services to specific groups of people.

Question 15

Who has the authority to set interest rates and lending activities for the nation's banks?

Accepted Answer

The Federal Reserve System is responsible for setting interest rates and regulating the lending activities of the nation's banks. This includes setting the federal funds rate, which influences interest rates throughout the economy, and regulating the amount of money that banks must hold in reserve. The Secretary of the Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation do not have the authority to regulate interest rates and lending activities in the same way that the Federal Reserve System does.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) is correct?

Accepted Answer

Congress created the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) in 1913 with the Federal Reserve Act.

Question 17

The ________ oversees border safety and security (including immigration and customs); emergency preparedness; science-related concerns pertaining to chemical, biological, and nuclear threats; and information and intelligence analysis and assessment.

Accepted Answer

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for overseeing border safety and security, emergency preparedness, science-related concerns, and information and intelligence analysis and assessment related to homeland security concerns. The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army are military and defense-focused entities, while the secretary of defense is primarily responsible for overseeing the U.S. military.

Question 18

The greatest number of federal government professionals working abroad are under the authority of the Department of

Accepted Answer

The Department of Defense has the largest number of federal government professionals working abroad, as it includes military personnel stationed at bases and operations around the world.

Question 19

The responsibility for making fiscal policy lies with ________, and the administration of fiscal policy occurs primarily in the ________.

Accepted Answer

Fiscal policy is primarily the responsibility of Congress, which involves making decisions about government spending and taxation. The Treasury Department is responsible for the administration and implementation of these policies.

Question 20

________ is the primary mission of the State Department.

Accepted Answer

Diplomacy is the primary mission of the State Department. Their role is to promote and protect the interests of the United States through diplomatic relations with foreign governments and international organizations. While issues of national security and military protection are important to the State Department, they are not the primary mission. International aid is also an important part of the State Department's work, but it is not the primary mission.

Quiz 11: Bureaucracy