Bureaucracy Practice Test
Which of the following is most likely an effect of the trend in the line graph?
A DECREASE IN CONGRESSIONAL oversight as a mechanism to control the bureaucracy
A policy that sets emission standards for automobiles is an example of
A regulatory policy
A fundamental source of power for the federal bureaucracy lies in its
ABILITY TO SET specific guidelines after receiving a general mandate from Congress
Which of the following is true of the relationship between Congress and executive agencies?
BECAUSE THE AGENCIES have bureaucratic expertise, Congress delegates "rule-making authority" to them.
Which of the following explains an action Congress can take that would have the most influence on the data on the graphs?
CONGRESS CAN PASS legislation that changes the federal salary structure.
Which of the following possible actions illustrates a way Congress interacts with the bureaucracy to address the problem shown in the infographic?
CONGRESS COULD HAVE members of the Department of Transportation testify before a committee to discuss the issue and potential solutions.
Which of the following explains how Congress would most likely respond if it were concerned about the slight increase in spending over time, as indicated by the bar chart?
CONGRESS COULD VOTE TO REDUCE spending on the Department of Homeland Security in the next year's budget.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates delegated discretionary authority?
CONGRESS GIVING the Environmental Protection Agency the power to establish national pollution standards
Congress is most likely to exert oversight of the executive bureaucracy in which of the following ways?
CONTROLLING an executive agency's annual budget
Which of the following best explains why cabinet secretaries might not aggressively pursue the president's policy agenda?
Cabinet secretaries may develop strong loyalty to their department
The mission of the Department of Transportation is to ensure the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. The Department of Transportation has accepted public comments regarding the safety of automated vehicles in the United States in order to establish standards and guidelines for this new technology. Which of the following concepts is most related to the scenario?
Delegated discretionary authority
Congressional oversight refers to the power of Congress to
EXERCISE some control over executive agencies
Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?
Holding hearings for review of an executive agency's activities
Which of the following describes the president's Cabinet?
ITS MEMBERS HAVE VARYING levels of influence on presidential decisions.
Which of the following statements best relates to the information shown in the infographic?
LIKE MOST BUSINESSES, the federal government has to seek out well-qualified and diverse job candidates.
Which of the following is responsible for the preparation of executive spending proposals submitted to Congress?
Office of Management and Budget
Cabinet members often do not have a dominant influence on presidential decision-making because
PRESIDENTIAL GOALS often conflict with the institutional goals of individual cabinet-level agencies
Which of the following is the best conclusion that can be drawn from the data in the table?
PUBLIC CONCERN over the Vietnam War led Congress to hold more hearings to consider using the power of the purse to influence the conduct of the war.
In general, independent regulatory commissions are created primarily for the purpose of
REGULATING CERTAIN industries to protect the public interest
Congress has exerted the greats influence on the operation of a federal agency by doing which of the following?
REVIEIWING the annual budget appropriations for the agency
Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on the pattern shown in the bar chart?
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES in 2005 and 2018 led Congress to approve supplemental appropriations.
Which of the following is an accurate statement about committees in Congress?
Standing committees oversee the bureaucracy's implementation of legislation.
Cabinet departments differ from independent regulatory agencies in which of the following ways?
THE PRESIDENT CAN DISMISS cabinet officers, but not commissioners of independent regulatory agencies.
All of the following help to explain the President's difficulty in controlling cabinet-level agencies EXCEPT.
THE PRESIDENT CAN ONLY fire appointees before they have been confirmed by the Senate
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a formal check on the power of the bureaucracy?
THE SECRETARY of defense being called to testify before a congressional committee
Which of the following is true of independent regulatory agencies?
THEY TEND TO BE FREER from presidential control than are cabinet departments.
Which of the following explains how the bureaucracy can address a problem shown in the infographic?
The Department of Transportation can write stronger regulations on freight volume.
Which of the following is likely to occur as a result of new legislation regarding automobile safety?
The Department of Transportation will be given discretionary authority to create auto regulations.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the process of bureaucratic rule making?
The Department of Veterans Affairs rewrites its regulations regarding compensation and pensions into plain language that is easier for beneficiaries to understand.
Which of the following is the best predictor of the Department of Education's annual budget?
The size of the previous year's budget
Which of the following best describes how a president can influence the data in the graphs?
Through the role of chief executive officer of the executive branch, the president can determine salary grades of federal employees.
Rules and regulations created by an agency such as the Federal Communications Commission are called
administrative law
One of the formal tools used by Congress for oversight of the bureaucracy is
authorization of spending
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service will spend money appropriated by Congress to maintain wildlife refuges. This action is an example of
bureaucratic implementation of law
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are examples of
independent agencies
The role Congress plays in ensuring that executive branch agencies are carrying out their legislated responsibilities is known as
legislative oversight
When independent regulatory agencies make rules, enforce those rules, and adjudicate disputes arising under those rules, they risk violating the constitutional concept of
separation of powers
All of the following make it difficult for presidents to control the actions of federal agencies EXCEPT
the appointment of cabinet heads
An advantage that bureaucrats in federal government have over the President in the policymaking process is that bureaucrats
usually have a continuity of service in the executive branch that the President lacks