Chapter 15 US Government

An important tool Congress uses to influence the bureaucracy is a. requiring agency heads to routinely appear before congressional committees. b. issuing executive orders. c. submitting amicus curiae briefs to the federal courts. d. frequently removing administrators from office. e. hiring civil servants to head federal agencies.

a

An iron triangle consists of all the following EXCEPT: a. the president who initiates the program. b. an interest group that benefits from the program. c. members of the committee that oversee the program. d. the federal agency that runs the program.

a

Bureaucracies are often criticized as being undemocratic because a. they are not directly accountable to the people. b. the courts have no influence over their actions. c. they are overly influenced by campaign contributions. d. they utilized a merit system for hiring. e. citizens tend to have low opinions of them.

a

Implementation of public policy is most successful when a. the executive branch has pre-cleared the policy with the federal judiciary. b. multiple agencies and bureaucrats are involved. c. the policy originated in the executive branch as opposed to the legislative branch. d. the goals of the policy and the authority of the implementers are clear. e. there is a court order mandating compliance with the policy.

a

Presidents attempt to exercise control over the bureaucracy through which of the following means? I. Appointing loyal supporters as the heads of federal agencies. II. Issuing executive orders. III. Altering agencies' budgets. IV. Providing incentive pay to senior agency administrators. a. I, II, and III only b. I only c. III and IV only d. I and III only

a

Which of the following contributed to the creation of the Federal Reserve System? I. the bank panic of 1907 II. the Great Depression III. the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s a. I only b. II only c. III only d. I and II only e. I, II, and III

a

Which of the following measures of economic activity would always be consistent with a prolonged recession? a. an unemployment rate of 9% b. nominal GDP decrease by 2% c. labor force participation rate of 70% d. a nominal interest rate of 7%

a

All of the following are independent regulatory commissions EXCEPT the; a. Securities and Exchange Commission. b. Office of Management and Budget. c. Federal Trade Commission. d. Federal Reserve Board. e. National Labor Relations Board.

b

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are examples of a. cabinet departments b. independent agencies c. Executive Office bureaus d. congressional committees e. White House staff agencies

b

The merit system by which many federal bureaucrats are selected is a. The patronage system b. The civil service system c. The spoils system d. The Pendleton system e. The Hatch system

b

Which of the following is NOT a role of the Federal Reserve System? a. controlling bank reserves b. printing currency (Federal Reserve notes) c. carrying out monetary policy d. supervising and regulating banks e. holding reserves for commercial banks

b

Which of the following represents an exercise of tight money policy by the Fed? a. Buying Bonds on the Open Market. b. Selling Bonds on Open Market. c. Lowering rates at the Discount Window. d. Increasing Taxes. e. Decreasing Taxes.

b

Which statement best describes how the text of the Constitution addresses the issue of granting regulatory power to bureaucrats? a. It prohibits transfer of congressional power. b. It is silent on the matter. c. It allows transfer of congressional power with presidential approval. d. It allows transfer of congressional power during a declared war. e. It prohibits transfer of congressional power during a declared war.

b

The budgetary process includes a number of steps. Here are four of them, In what order do these steps occur? a) The federal agencies work up their budgets in detail; b) OMB works up agency guidelines including a budget ceiling for each agency; c) The president combines the agency budgets into the Executive Budget; d) Congress reviews, alters, and votes on the agency budgets.

b, a, c, d

A steady transfer of federal jobs from the patronage to the merit system was initiated by the passage of the a. Seventeenth Amendment. b. Civil Rights Act c. Pendleton Act. d. Hatch Act. e. Civil Service Reform Act.

c

All of the following are important official services performed by the federal bureaucracy EXCEPT a. implementing the president's policy initiatives. b. issuing rules and regulations. c. solving disputes between the executive and legislative branches of government. d. implementing laws passed by Congress. e. distributing information about public programs and services.

c

An important tool Congress uses to influence the bureaucracy is a. submitting amicus curiae briefs to the federal courts. b. frequently removing administrators from office. c. requiring agency heads to routinely appear before congressional committees. d. hiring civil servants to head federal agencies. e. issuing executive orders.

c

Higher real interest rates are likely to a. increase consumption and saving b. decrease consumption and saving c. decrease consumption and increase saving d. increase consumption and decrease saving

c

The Pendleton Civil Service Act is significant because a. it established clear boundaries between state and federal bureaucracies. b. it reduced the number of federal civil servants working outside of Washington, D.C. c. it created the federal civil service and prescribed that the hiring of civil servants be based on merit. d. it instituted an affirmative action policy for hiring and promoting federal bureaucrats. e.it gave the president more control over federal agencies.

c

The Pendleton Civil Service Act is significant because a. it gave the president more control over federal agencies. b. it instituted an affirmative action policy for hiring and promoting federal bureaucrats. c. it created the federal civil service and prescribed that the hiring of civil servants be based on merit. d. it reduced the number of federal civil servants working outside of Washington, D.C. e. it established clear boundaries between state and federal bureaucracies.

c

The primary function of the federal bureaucracy is a. oversight of the executive branch. b. developing laws for review by Congress. c. implementing the policies of Congress and the president. d. advising the president on issues of policy.

c

The strength of bureaucracy as a form of organization is that it a. leads to flexibility in the completion of tasks. b. is effective only in the public sector; private corporations rely on a different form of organization. c. is the most efficient means of getting large numbers of people to work together on large tasks. d. allows individuals wide latitude when making decisions e. places leadership at the bottom of the organization, thereby expanding the amount of leadership available to the organization.

c

Which of the following is an open market operation? a. A central bank raising the reserve requirement for commercial banks b. A central bank increasing the discount rate c. A central bank purchasing bonds d. Commercial banks selling real estate e. Congress increasing the tax rate

c

Which of the following most undermines the ability of a nation's currency to store value? a. The use of credit and debit cards as mediums of exchange b. Appreciation of the currency in the international money market c. A decrease in the purchasing power of the currency d. An increase in the prices of federal bonds e. An increase in the supply of foreign currencies in the international money market

c

Bureaucracies are often criticized as being undemocratic because a. they utilized a merit system for hiring. b. citizens tend to have low opinions of them. c. they are overly influenced by campaign contributions. d. they are not directly accountable to the people. e. the courts have no influence over their actions.

d

Iron triangles are made up of which of the following? a. the executive, the legislative, and the judicial branches of government b. regulatory commissions, the Office of Management and Budget, and interest groups c. the president's cabinet, interest groups, and private corporations d. bureaucratic agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups e. congressional committees, independent executive agencies, and private corporations

d

Over the course of U.S. history, the presidency has gained power relative to Congress. A reason for the trend is the: a. increased complexity of policy issues. b. growth in the size of the bureaucracy. c. the speed with which threats from abroad can materialize. d. All of the answers are correct.

d

Presidents attempt to exercise control over the bureaucracy through which of the following means? I. Appointing loyal supporters as the heads of federal agencies. II. Issuing executive orders. III. Altering agencies' budgets. IV. Providing incentive pay to senior agency administrators. a. I only b. III and IV only c. I and III only d. I, II, and III only

d

The Hatch Act helps maintain a nonpartisan bureaucracy because it a. requires all federal agencies to have staffs that are balanced along party lines. b. creates a federal commission on which half the members are Democrats and half are Republican. c. requires all federal employees to register to vote as independents. d. prohibits government employees from active participation in partisan politics. e. ensures that federal employees are hired based on merit.

d

Wars have generally caused the federal bureaucracy to a. become more decentralized. b. shrink in size, but increase in efficiency. c. respond more quickly, but make inefficient decisions. d. increase in size. e. neutralize the power of Congress.

d

When independent regulatory agencies make rules, enforce those rules, and adjudicate disputes arising under those rules, they risk violating the constitutional concept of a. Equal protection of the laws b. Due process of law c. Federal supremacy d. Separation of powers e. Federalism

d

Which of the following situations best illustrates the meaning of divided government in the United States political system? a. The majority of Supreme Court justices are from one party, but the president is from another. b. The majority of governors are from one party, but the president is from another. c. The president and a majority of members of Congress are from one party, but the majority of governors are from another. d. The majority of senators and the majority of representatives are from one party, but the president is from another. e. The majority of Supreme Court justices are from one party, but the majority of senators and representatives are from another.

d

All of the following make it difficult for presidents to control the actions of federal agencies EXCEPT a. the Civil Service System b. issue networks (iron triangles) c. bureaucratic inertia d. bureaucratic noncompliance e. the appointment of cabinet heads

e

Iron triangles are made up of which of the following? a. the president's cabinet, interest groups, and private corporations b. regulatory commissions, the Office of Management and Budget, and interest groups c. congressional committees, independent executive agencies, and private corporations d. the executive, the legislative, and the judicial branches of government e. bureaucratic agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups

e

Which of the following is a correct statement about the federal government's role in interstate commerce? a. The federal government has no role in regulating interstate commerce. b. The federal government's role is limited to regulating activities that may lead to federal crimes. c. The federal government's role is limited to regulating commerce transported on inter. state waterways such as the Mississippi River. d. The federal government's role is limited to regulating the transport of agricultural goods. e. The federal government's role has been greatly expanded through the interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause

e