Question 1

The exercise the authority by government or, more precisely, the system and method by which that authority is exercised defines
A)governance.
B)public management.
C)the new public administration.
D)legitimization.
E)the science of administration.

Accepted Answer

Governance refers to the exercise of authority by government and the system and method by which that authority is exercised. It encompasses the processes and structures for decision-making, policy formulation, and implementation, as well as the relationships between the government and citizens or other actors in society. Therefore, option A is the most appropriate choice.

Question 2

However diverse the activities of public administrators might seem, research indicates that the activities of these managers can he categorized into 10 roles.Which of the following is NOT such a role?
A)Figurehead
B)Entrepreneur
C)Disturbance handler
D)Arbitrator
E)Liaison

Accepted Answer

Henry Mintzberg identified 10 roles common to the work of all managers. The roles are divided into three categories: interpersonal (figurehead, leader, liaison), informational (monitor, disseminator, spokesperson), and decisional (entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator). "Arbitrator" is not one of the roles identified by Mintzberg.

Question 3

David Lilienthal, Paul Appleby, Philip Selznick, and Norton Long all attacked which of the following concepts?
A) scientific management
B) return on assets ( ROA)
C) POSDCORB
D) the politics-administration dichotomy
E) co-optation

Accepted Answer

David Lilienthal, Paul Appleby, Philip Selznick, and Norton Long were all critical of the concept of the politics-administration dichotomy, which argues for a clear separation between politics and administration in government. They believed that the two were intertwined and that effective governance required recognition of this interdependence.

Question 4

How do independent executive agencies, independent regulatory commissions, and government corporations differ?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do independent executive agencies, independent regulatory...

Question 5

The classic management acronym POSDCORB is most closely associated with 
A) Max Weber
B) Henri Fayol
C) Henry Mintzberg
D) Peter Drucker
E) Frederick Taylor

Accepted Answer

POSDCORB was developed by Henri Fayol, a French management theorist, and is an acronym for Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, and Budgeting.

Question 6

Official records underestimate the true size of government because they ignore people working for the federal government on contracts and grants.If we include these people, along with uniformed military services and Postal Service workers, the real size of government is about 
A) 3 million
B) 5 million
C) 8 million
D) 12 million
E) 25 million

Accepted Answer

The true size of government is not accurately represented in official records due to the exclusion of people working on contracts and grants, as well as uniformed military services and Postal Service workers. Therefore, the best choice would be D, which states that the real size of government is about 12 million.

Question 7

Distinguish public administration from governance.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Distinguish public administration from governance....

Question 8

How would you answer the not-so-simple question, How big is government?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How would you answer the not-so-simple question,...

Question 9

"The field on administration is the field of business.It is removed from the hurry and strife of politics." Who said that? 
A) Bill Gates
B) Theodore Roosevelt
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Woodrow Wilson
E) Jack Welch

Accepted Answer

Woodrow Wilson said this during his time as the President of the United States and while he was also a professor of political science. He believed in the importance of public administration being a separate field from politics and emphasized the need for trained professionals in this area.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about nonprofit organizations is TRUE?
A)The Internal Revenue Service may allow nonprofits to have private shareholders.
B)The U.S.Department of Justice charters nonprofits.
C)Few nonprofits have mission statements.
D)A nonprofit has several owners.
E)Nonprofits may generate profits.

Accepted Answer

Nonprofits may generate profits, but those profits cannot be distributed to individuals, such as shareholders or owners. Instead, any profits must be reinvested in the organization to further its mission.

Question 11

Generally speaking, the founding fathers approach to public administration was 
A) Washingtonian
B) Jeffersonian
C) Madisonian
D) Hamiltonian
E) Whiggish

Accepted Answer

The Madisonian approach to public administration emphasized a system of checks and balances between different branches of government to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. This approach is reflected in the U.S. Constitution, which was primarily authored by James Madison. The other options (A-Washingtonian, B-Jeffersonian, D-Hamiltonian, E-Whiggish) also reflect important political philosophies of the founding era, but do not directly relate to the approach to public administration.

Question 12

"The essence of his technique for information-gathering was competition.'He would call you in,' one of his aides once told me, 'and he'd ask you to get the story on some complicated business, and you'd come back after a couple of days of hard labor and present the juicy morsel you'd uncovered under a stone somewhere, and then you'd find out he knew all about it, along with something else you didn't know.Where he got this information from he wouldn't mention, usually, but after he had done this to you once or twice you got damn careful about your information.'" The person described in this passage is
A)Richard M.Nixon.
B)Franklin D.Roosevelt.
C)Lyndon B.Johnson.
D)Ronald Reagan.
E)Woodrow Wilson.

Accepted Answer

The passage describes Franklin D. Roosevelt's technique for information-gathering, which involved fostering competition among his aides to ensure they provided him with thorough and carefully researched information. This approach is well-documented as part of Roosevelt's leadership style during his presidency.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT one of the five traditional management functions?
A)Organizing
B)Leading
C)Planning
D)Empowering
E)Controlling

Accepted Answer

The five traditional management functions are planning, organizing, leading, controlling, and staffing. Empowering is not one of the traditional management functions, although it is a newer concept in management that involves giving employees the autonomy and authority to make decisions and take actions within their roles.

Question 14

Any time that one's actions create costs for another without the other person's permission, there is
A)an externality.
B)a moral hazard.
C)a pecuniary cost.
D)a trespass.
E)an estappel.

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes an externality, which is a cost or benefit that affects a party who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit. In this case, the actions of one person are creating costs for another person without their permission. Moral hazard refers to a situation where one party takes risks knowing that another party will pay for the potential costs. Pecuniary costs are those that involve the transfer of money. Trespass involves physical or property invasion. Estoppel refers to a legal principle that prevents someone from denying facts that they have already acknowledged.

Question 15

The expression "the one best way" applies especially well to which of the following management theorists? 
A) Max Weber
B) Henri Fayol
C) Henry Mintzberg
D) Peter Drucker
E) Frederick Taylor

Accepted Answer

The expression "the one best way" is synonymous with Frederick Taylor, who is known for his scientific management theory. Taylor believed that there was only one best way to perform any task, which could be determined through scientific study and then implemented for maximum efficiency.

Question 16

According to President Harry Truman, which of the following are characteristics of a government corporation?
I.They are predominantly of a business nature.
II.They produce revenue and are potentially self-sustaining.
III.They involve a large number of business-type transactions with the public.
IV.They require a greater flexibility than customary congressional funding ordinarily permits.
A)I and II only
B)I and III only
C)II and IV only
D)I, II, and III
E)I, II, III, and IV

Accepted Answer

President Harry Truman characterized government corporations as entities that are predominantly of a business nature, produce revenue and are potentially self-sustaining, involve a large number of business-type transactions with the public, and require greater flexibility than customary congressional funding ordinarily permits. These characteristics highlight the unique position of government corporations in blending public objectives with business-like operations.

Question 17

The basic division of nonprofits is 
A) small, medium, and large
B) member-serving organizations and public-serving organizations
C) focused organizations and umbrella organizations
D) professional organizations and nonprofessional organizations
E) independent organizations and quasi-independent organizations

Accepted Answer

The two basic divisions of nonprofits are member-serving organizations, which serve their members or constituents, and public-serving organizations, which serve the general public or a specific cause. The other options listed do not accurately reflect the basic division of nonprofits.

Question 18

According to Peter F.Drucker, the one thing third-sector institutions have in common is that they
A)change people.
B)employ more women than men.
C)demonstrate an effective capacity to acquire governmental funding.
D)are among the oldest organizations in the Western world.
E)learn from failure.

Accepted Answer

According to Peter F. Drucker, the common factor among third-sector institutions is that they change people. This means that their primary focus is to make a difference in the lives of individuals, whether it be through education, healthcare or other means. The other options are either incorrect or not applicable in defining the commonality among third-sector institutions.

Question 19

Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a significant difference between the public and private sectors?
A)Absence of profit in the public sector
B)Size of operations in the public sector
C)Blurring of responsibility in the public sector
D)Higher visibility to the public in the public sector
E)Different incentives

Accepted Answer

The size of operations was not mentioned as a significant difference between the public and private sectors.

Question 20

Public health, education, clean air, and police protection are best described as programs
A)provided primarily at the local level.
B)historically provided at state and local levels before they were provided at the federal level.
C)exhibiting characteristics of public goods.
D)with considerable 'spillover" effects.
E)increasingly provided by nongovernmental organizations.

Accepted Answer

These programs exhibit characteristics of public goods, as they are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, meaning they are available to all members of society without reducing their availability to others.

Quiz 1: The Nature of Public Administration

The exercise the authority by government or, more precisely, the system and method by which that authority is exercised defines

However diverse the activities of public administrators might seem, research indicates that the activities of these managers can he categorized into 10 roles.Which of the following is NOT such a role?

David Lilienthal, Paul Appleby, Philip Selznick, and Norton Long all attacked which of the following concepts?

How do independent executive agencies, independent regulatory commissions, and government corporations differ?

The classic management acronym POSDCORB is most closely associated with

Official records underestimate the true size of government because they ignore people working for the federal government on contracts and grants.If we include these people, along with uniformed military services and Postal Service workers, the real size of government is about

Distinguish public administration from governance.

How would you answer the not-so-simple question, How big is government?

"The field on administration is the field of business.It is removed from the hurry and strife of politics." Who said that?

Which of the following statements about nonprofit organizations is TRUE?

Generally speaking, the founding fathers approach to public administration was

Which of the following is NOT one of the five traditional management functions?

Any time that one's actions create costs for another without the other person's permission, there is

The expression "the one best way" applies especially well to which of the following management theorists?

The basic division of nonprofits is

According to Peter F.Drucker, the one thing third-sector institutions have in common is that they

Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a significant difference between the public and private sectors?

Public health, education, clean air, and police protection are best described as programs