CH. 14 Post-test (Unit 2)
How many government agencies were terminated during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush? Select one: a. 0 b. 1 c. 10 d. 17
a. 0 FEEDBACK: In the 12 years of the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, despite their strong commitment to the reduction of the national government, not a single national government agency or program was terminated.
What is congressional oversight? Select one: a. an effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies. b. a close coordination with the president and cabinet secretaries in the legislative process c. the use of the budget process to cut or eliminate government agencies that are not performing well d. the preliminary stages of the impeachment process
a. an effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies. FEEDBACK: Congress holds government agencies accountable primarily through oversight. The more power Congress has delegated to the executive branch, the more it has sought to re-involve itself in directing the interpretation of laws through committee and subcommittee oversight of each agency.
The ratio of federal employment to the total workforce in the United States has _____ in the last 30 years. Select one: a. decreased slightly b. increased c. stayed about the same d. dropped enormously
a. decreased slightly FEEDBACK: Since 1950, the ratio of federal employment to the total workforce has been steady, and in fact has declined slightly in the past 30 years.
Which of the following has characterized the Obama Administration's managerial approach to federal agencies? Select one: a. greater emphasis on scientific expertise b. limiting of federal agencies' independent powers c. promotion of partisan allies to department heads d. greater devolution of power to the private sector or the states
a. greater emphasis on scientific expertise FEEDBACK: The Obama administration has sought to reinvigorate federal agencies, which reflects the Democrats' greater support for strong government institutions. Obama's approach to the managerial presidency features a deep belief in the importance of scientific expertise in government service.
The Department of Homeland Security is primarily tasked with Select one: a. protecting domestic national security. b. coordinating the various branches of the military. c. monitoring threats to national security all over the world. d. maintaining the nation's housing policies.
a. protecting domestic national security. FEEDBACK: In 2002 the new Department of Homeland Security joined the Justice Department as the major bureaucracy charged with domestic security. The department took over some of the security-oriented agencies previously run by other departments, such as the INS and FEMA.
An iron triangle consists of Select one: a. the executive branch, congressional committees and subcommittees, and interest groups of agency clientele. b. congressional committees and subcommittees, the executive branch, and the courts. c. interest groups of agency clientele, the executive branch, and the news media. d. congressional committees and subcommittees, the courts, and the states.
a. the executive branch, congressional committees and subcommittees, and interest groups of agency clientele. FEEDBACK: The configuration known as an iron triangle forms a pattern of stable relationships among an agency in the executive branch, a congressional committee or subcommittee, and one or more organized groups of agency clientele.
President ________________ launched the National Performance Review as part of his promise to reinvent government, making it more efficient, accountable, and effective. Select one: a. George H.W. Bush b. Bill Clinton c. George W. Bush d. Barack Obama
b. Bill Clinton FEEDBACK: In 1993, President Clinton launched the National Performance Review (NPR) - part of his promise to "reinvent government" - to make the federal bureaucracy more efficient, accountable, and effective.
The Government Accountability Office provides oversight powers for Select one: a. the White House. b. Congress. c. the Justice Department. d. the public.
b. Congress. FEEDBACK: Congress has created for itself three large agencies to provide oversight power by engaging in constant research on matters related to the executive branch - the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, and the Congressional Budget Office.
The 2008 "Commission on Wartime Contracting" created by Congress was intended to Select one: a. increase privatization of wartime bureaucracy. b. investigate contracting abuse. c. increase competitiveness in federal contracts. d. speed up devolution of war industry jobs.
b. investigate contracting abuse. FEEDBACK: In 2008, Congress responded to concerns about government contractors by creating a "Commission on Wartime Contracting." The commission had a two-year charge to investigate contracting abuse and waste in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Often working behind the scenes, ____ seek to promote the public welfare of all Americans; examples include the Food and Drug Administration; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission. Select one: a. public bureaucracies b. regulatory agencies c. independent commissions d. independent departments
b. regulatory agencies FEEDBACK: A regulatory agency is a department, bureau, or independent agency whose primary mission is to impose limits, restrictions, or other obligations on the conduct of individuals or companies in the private sector. Rules made by regulatory agencies have the force and effect of law.
Fiscal policy is MOST closely associated with Select one: a. the Federal Reserve's setting of interest rates. b. taxing and spending policies. c. regulation of various industries. d. defense policies.
b. taxing and spending policies. FEEDBACK: Americans tend to reserve the term fiscal policy to refer to taxing and spending policies. They use the term monetary policy for policies having to do with banks, credit, and currency.
The two departments in charge of external national security are ____ and _____. Select one: a. the FBI; the CIA b. the State Department; the Department of Defense c. the Justice Department; the State Department d. the National Defense Agency; the Director of National Intelligence
b. the State Department; the Department of Defense FEEDBACK: Two departments occupy center stage in maintaining external national security: the State Department and the Department of Defense. The primary mission of the State Department is diplomacy; the primary mission of the Department of Defence is external national security.
Congress passed the Budget and Accounting Act in 1921. This law put the primary legislative power of budgeting in the hands of Select one: a. Congress. b. the White House. c. every cabinet-level department. d. the bureaucracy.
b. the White House. FEEDBACK: Responding to policy innovations by President Wilson, Congress passed the 1921 Budget and Accounting Act, which turned over the prime legislative power of budgeting to the White House.
Reducing the federal bureaucracy by delegating the implementation of its programs to state and local governments is known as Select one: a. evolution. b. closure. c. devolution. d. downsizing.
c. devolution. FEEDBACK: Devolution is the downsizing of federal bureaucracy by delegating the implementation of programs to state and local governments. Devolution often alters the pattern of who benefits most from government programs.
Congress expects the federal bureaucracy to Select one: a. hold the president accountable. b. follow Congress's expertise in policy areas. c. engage in rule-making and implementation of the laws it passes. d. follow the administration of the same rules, regardless of changing conditions.
c. engage in rule-making and implementation of the laws it passes. FEEDBACK: Congress is responsible for making the laws, but in most cases legislation only sets the broad parameters for government action. Congress needs the bureaucracy to engage in rule making and implementation of the laws it passes.
What is rulemaking in the bureaucracy? Select one: a. undermining the will of Congress b. undermining the president c. interpreting a statute where there is no clear guidance d. evaluating the merits of a given policy
c. interpreting a statute where there is no clear guidance FEEDBACK: Rulemaking is the process by which government agencies issue rules that provide more detailed and specific indications of what a given congressional policy or law will actually mean in practice.
An example of the third tier, or the "bureau level" of bureaucratic departments, would be which of the following? Select one: a. the Department of Defense b. the Vice President c. the Forest Service d. the Supreme Court
c. the Forest Service FEEDBACK: Operating agencies are the third tier of a department, yet they are the highest level of responsibility for the actual programs around which the entire department is organized. This third tier is generally called the bureau level, usually operating by a statute. Examples include the Forest Service, and Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The main goals of ____ were to put an end to political appointments under the spoils system and also to create a system of competitive examinations through which the very best candidates were to be hired. Select one: a. nepotism b. the party system c. the merit system d. the seniority system
c. the merit system FEEDBACK: The merit system is a product of civil service reform in which appointees to positions in public bureaucracies must objectively be deemed qualified for those positions.
Why was the creation of the U.S. Northern Command by the Department of Defense such an unprecedented move? Select one: a. It was the first major change in national security structure since World War II. b. It brought all of the nation's intelligence-gathering capabilities under the direct control of the military. c. It was a move brought about exclusively through the executive branch without consulting Congress. d. It breached a line between domestic law enforcement and foreign military operations.
d. It breached a line between domestic law enforcement and foreign military operations. FEEDBACK: In 2002 the Department of Defense created the U.S. Northern Command, a regional command charged with ensuring homeland defense and other operations within the nation's borders. This was an unprecedented move, breaching a long-standing line between domestic law enforcement and foreign military operations.
In 2008, Congress passed legislation to improve regulation of banks and other nonbank financial institutions, including the creation of which independent regulatory commission? Select one: a. military tribunals b. Amtrak c. The EPA d. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
d. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau FEEDBACK: A fourth type of agency is the independent regulatory commission, given broad discretion to make rules. Congress recognizes these agencies as "mini-legislatures," whose rules are exactly the same as legislation but require the kind of expertise and full-time attention that is beyond the capacity of Congress. After the financial crisis that began in 2008, Congress passed legislation to improve regulation of banks and financial institutions. The legislation also created an important new regulatory agency, the Consumer financial Protection Bureau.
Perhaps more than any other law, the incompatibility of, or trade-offs, between national security and personal liberty are clearly visible in which of the following laws? Select one: a. The War Powers Act b. The National Defense Act c. The GI Bill d. The USA PATRIOT Act (USA Freedom Act)
d. The USA PATRIOT Act (USA Freedom Act) FEEDBACK: After 9/11, Congress hastily enacted the USA PATRIOT Act, with little debate. Since then, extensive doubts about its broad powers have spread. When congress debated renewing the PATRIOT Act in 2005-06, these concerns about individual liberties threatened to block renewal. The act that was finally approved in 2006 did include modest revisions. The 2015 renewal of the act, now called the USA Freedom Act, included more significant restrictions on federal surveillance. The restrictions in the new legislations sought to ensure security without jeopardizing privacy.
The Federal Reserve has authority over Select one: a. the Army Reserve. b. the budget. c. taxes. d. interest rates.
d. interest rates. FEEDBACK: The Federal Reserve System (called simply the Fed) has authority over the interest rates and lending activities of the nation's most important banks. It is headed by the Federal Reserve Board.
The Civil Service Act of 1883 instituted a system based upon Select one: a. patronage. b. unfair principles. c. market principles. d. merit.
d. merit. FEEDBACK: In 1883 the federal government attempted to imitate business by passing the Civil Service Act. The act required that appointees to federal office be qualified for the job to which they were appointed. This policy came to be called the merit system.
