AP NSL Ch 15 Test
140. Among the "pathologies" commonly attributed to bureaucracies are all of the following except a. conflict. b. synergism. c. duplication. d. imperialism. e. waste.
B
76. If bureaucrats regularly sabotage the actions of political bosses with whom they disagree, one would expect Republicans to be hurt more than Democrats. Why? a. because Republican programs are more vulnerable to sabotage b. because bureaucrats tend to be liberal c. because more government money is spent on Republican programs d. because the federal bureaucracy, at the moment, is overwhelmingly conservative e. because Republicans rarely take an interest in the complexities of the federal bureaucracy
B
96. In a bureaucracy, why does government sometimes act inconsistently? a. because constraints ensure that relatively few voices will be heard before a decision is made b. because what is done to meet one constraint may endanger another constraint c. because the more constraints that must be satisfied, the longer getting things done will take d. because the best way for employees to stay out of trouble is to let their boss make the decision e. because rules often leave bureaucrats little discretion
B
97. In a bureaucracy, why is blocking action easier than taking action? a. because the more constraints that must be served, the more forms that must be filled out b. because constraints ensure that many voices must be heard before a decision is made c. because the more constraints that must be satisfied, the longer getting things done will take d. because the best way for employees to stay out of trouble is to let their boss make the decision e. because few voices are actually considered in the decision making process
B
111. The text suggests that one interesting problem with the restructuring of Congress that is required for successful operation of the Department of Homeland Security is the fact that a. congressional Democrats have rarely favored restructuring. b. congressional Republicans have rarely favored restructuring. c. Congress has never restructured itself to make a new bureaucracy work well. d. restructuring would require numerous constitutional amendments. e. significant restructuring would probably violate at least three constitutional provisions.
C
112. Which of the following statements about issue networks is correct? a. They tend to be highly academic and nonpartisan. b. They tend to hold views that are in opposition to the party in power. c. They are groups that regularly debate government policy on specific issues. d. They are composed mostly of federal bureaucrats of the same party as the current president. e. They are usually composed of party leaders and corporate heads.
C
141. One bureaucratic "pathology" described by the text is imperialism, meaning the tendency of agencies to a. work at cross-purposes with one another. b. spend more than is necessary to buy some product or service. c. grow, irrespective of the benefits and costs of their programs. d. generate complex and sometimes conflicting rules. e. complicate matters which are better left to common sense solutions.
C
69. Which of the following was created in 1978 in an attempt to give the president more flexibility in dealing with high-level bureaucrats? a. Civil Service Reform Commission b. Merit System Protection Board c. Senior Executive Service (SES) d. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
C
10. One complication surrounding the federal bureaucracy is the fact that the Constitution a. gave the president sole power to make appointments. b. gave Congress the sole power to male appointments. c. restricted administrative appointments to elections years. d. does not mention departments or bureaus. e. none of these.
D
122. The process of revising agency budget requests is commonly called a. gutting. b. reconciling. c. bait and switch. d. marking up. e. red marking.
D
14. Patronage in the early republic provided the president with all of the following advantages except a. keeping subordinates supportive of his policies. b. influencing recalcitrant members of Congress. c. helping to build up party organization. d. holding special-interest lobbyists at bay. e. provide rewards.
D
143. Governmental hiring practices exemplify the need for all of the following except a. proceeding on the basis of merit. b. satisfying strict accounting rules. c. allowing for citizen access. d. encouraging partisan politics. e. A and B.
D
6. Which of the following statements about the firing of federal employees is true? a. Only bureaucrats who were blanketed in can be fired. b. Only employees in the competitive service can be fired. c. Only employees in the excepted service can be fired. d. Most bureaucrats cannot be fired. e. Most bureaucrats can be fired quite easily.
D
81. If a civil servant is in a complex, loosely defined position, one can expect his or her political and social attitudes to a. play a minor role in his or her decisions. b. balance those of his or her colleagues. c. be frustrated by the position. d. strongly influence his or her decisions. e. have no impact on his or her decisions.
D
83. A personal attribute that has been shown to have a clear effect on bureaucratic behavior is a. socioeconomic background. b. gender. c. regional background. d. professional training. e. None of these.
D
9. Using the buddy system, an agency can circumvent the usual Office of Personnel Management (OPM) search process by a. blanketing in a job candidate. b. issuing a merit dispensation. c. asking the president to appoint a specific candidate. d. tailoring a job description to a specific candidate. e. limiting the scope of a search to a specific region.
D
91. Among the effects of the many constraints on government agencies is the fact that a. many important issues tend to receive scant attention. b. taking action is easier than blocking action. c. too much authority is delegated to lower-ranking employees. d. government often acts slowly. e. decisions are often sweeping and inflexible.
D
93. Among the effects of the many constraints on government agencies is the fact that a. many important issues tend to receive scant attention. b. taking action is easier than blocking action. c. too much authority is delegated to lower-ranking employees. d. government sometimes acts inconsistently. e. decisions are often sweeping and inflexible.
D
110. Which of the following statements about the proposed Department of Homeland Security is incorrect? a. The creation of such a Department was suggested by Democratic Vice-presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman. b. The Department would combine 22 federal agencies. c. The secretary of the new Department would require Senate approval. d. It would require significant restructuring of Congress e. none of these.
E
117. Which of the following characterizes an appropriations? a. they consist of money dispersed thorough informal channels b. they originate in the legislative committees c. they originate in the legislative subcommittees d. they consist of money that is not set aside for specific use e. they are usually made annually
E
12. In the early days of the federal government, the only department that had much power was the a. Department of Interior. b. War Department. c. Post Office Department. d. State Department. e. Treasury Department.
E
148. To reduce waste in government, one is also likely to have to increase a. synergism. b. duplication. c. taxes. d. imperialism. e. red tape.
E
153. A plan to reform the bureaucracy popularly called the plan to "reinvent government" is the a. Joint Committee on Reorganization. b. First Hoover Commission. c. Grace Commission. d. Committee to Reorganize Activities and Performance. e. National Performance Review.
E
18. The great watershed in the expansion of government bureaucracy in the United States occurred during the a. Jacksonian period. b. Kennedy administration. c. Spanish-American War. d. Franklin Roosevelt administration. e. Civil War.
E
31. Largely because of two major events of the twentieth century—the Great Depression and World War II—the features of the federal bureaucracy changed. What characterized this change? a. People began to call for more limited, less intrusive government. b. Administrative agencies could no longer be instructed by Congress to act in the public interest. c. The structure of government became less complex and interest groups lost influence. d. The Supreme Court ruled that Congress could no longer delegate powers to administrative agencies. e. People came to expect government to solve social and economic problems.
E
36. The number of civilians working for the federal bureaucracy has not increased much since 1970. This observation fails to account for, however, the a. enormous decrease in the government work force that occurred between 1986 and 1990. b. enormous increase in the government work force that occurred between 1965 and 1970. c. enormous increase in state bureaucracies that occurred during this period. d. enormous increase in local bureaucracies that occurred during this period. e. growing number of people who work indirectly for the government.
E
4. In Great Britain, civil servants are directed explicitly by the ministers in charge of their departments. In the United States, civil servants often must obey both the heads of their agencies and a. the independent agencies. b. White House staff. c. professional groups. d. lobbies. e. Congress.
E
41. The text argues that the power of a bureaucracy is best measured by its a. interest group connections. b. size. c. budgets. d. organized opposition. e. discretionary authority.
E
50. A post office worker or Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent would typically be part of the federal bureaucracy known as a. the competitive service. b. Schedule C positions. c. the merit service. d. the contingent service. e. the excepted service.
E
54. The merit system began with the a. Sixteenth Amendment. b. Seventeenth Amendment. c. civil rights cases of 1873. d. New Deal of the 1930s. e. Pendleton Act of 1883.
E
65. Which of the following statements about the firing of a bureaucrat is incorrect? a. The employee must be given a written notice, at least 30 days in advance. b. The written notice must contain a statement of reasons, including specific examples of unacceptable performance. c. The employee has the right to reply to the charges and can appeal any adverse action to the Merit Systems Protection Board. d. The employee can appeal the decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board to the U.S. court of appeals. e. None of these.
E
70. The fact that agencies usually recruit their own staff, often on a name-request basis, should lead us to expect that these recruits will possess the a. intelligence of a turnip. b. legal viewpoints of relevant interest groups. c. political will to initiate new struggles. d. necessary expertise to advise political officials. e. agency point of view.
E
77. Which law established the Office of Special Counsel? a. the Taft-Hartley Act b. the Civil Service Act c. the Administrative Procedure Act d. the Investigative Protections Act e. the Whistle-blower Protection Act
E
150. Which of the following statements is not true of Americans' attitudes toward bureaucracy? a. Most Americans view bureaucracy unfavorably. b. Actions of the bureaucracy are frequently challenged. c. Americans feel ill-treated by the bureaucrats with whom they deal. d. Americans want many, often conflicting, things from the bureaucracy. e. A and D.
C
16. During most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, appointments to the civil service were based primarily on a. merit. b. education. c. patronage. d. wealth. e. experience in government.
C
26. Initially, the prevailing interpretation of the Constitution held that agencies could not exercise regulatory powers a. in any circumstance. b. unless authorized by the president. c. unless Congress first set down clear standards. d. unless a court order was obtained. e. without written permission from a judge.
C
42. When the text speaks of the discretionary authority of appointed officials, it means their authority to a. shift federal monies from agency to agency, depending on need. b. act without specific executive direction. c. make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws. d. spend federal monies, even though they are not officially part of the federal bureaucracy. e. act on behalf of government officials and represent the government in courts of law.
C
47. In recent years, the competitive service has become more decentralized and examinations have become less common. Which of the following is suggested by the text as an explanation for this? a. the OPM system has become efficient and relevant to the needs of departments. b. agencies no longer need more professionally trained employees. c. civil rights groups have pressed Washington to make the racial composition of the federal bureaucracy look more like the racial composition of the nation. d. applications have fallen so standards have been lowered to generate interest. e. budget cuts have encouraged less formal means of processing applications.
C
48. Those federal bureaucrats not appointed on the basis of qualifications designed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are called a. civil-service employees. b. life-tenure employees. c. the excepted service. d. the competitive service. e. contingent employees.
C
49. If you worked in a senior position on a successful presidential campaign and the new president then wished to have your advice while in office, you would be most likely appointed to a. the competitive service. b. Congress. c. a Schedule C position. d. a federal union. e. a federal commission.
C
52. All of the following are nonmerit appointments to the excepted service except a. presidential appointments. b. Schedule C jobs. c. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) assignments. d. noncareer executive assignments (e.g., National Endowment for the Arts jobs). e. A and C.
C
61. Someone who is hired by an agency from within an issue network is most likely to hold policy views that are a. academic. b. representative of the general public. c. congenial to that of the agency. d. immune from the influences of the buddy system. e. nonpartisan.
C
63. Which of the following statements about the firing of a bureaucrat is incorrect? a. The employee must be given a written notice. b. The notice must be provided at least 30 days in advance. c. The notice does not have to contain a statement of reasons or specific examples of unacceptable performance. d. The employee can appeal any adverse action. e. The merit Systems Protection Board must grant the employee a hearing.
C
84. Before recommending legal action against a business for illegal practices, an economist with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) might first want to know whether a. the business firm attended a secret meeting with competitors. b. the illegality will be easy to prove in court. c. consumers have borne a heavy cost as a consequence of the practice. d. Congress sympathizes with the business firm. e. other legal claims have been filed by government entities.
C
87. The biggest difference between a government agency and a private organization is the a. presence of a strong, binding agency culture. b. influence of merit on hiring. c. greater number of constraints on the agency. d. relative absence of red tape in the agency. e. influence of merit on promotions.
C
9. Whereas European countries tend to control key industries by government ownership, the United States relies primarily on a. ownership by the states. b. extremely high taxation. c. extensive regulation. d. very little regulation. e. B and D.
C
90. A particularly important constraint on bureaucratic power is the need to a. carry out the policies of the president. b. check congressional power. c. obtain agreement from other parts of the bureaucracy. d. obtain the approval of Congress. e. restructure agencies with each new administration.
C
94. Among the effects of the many constraints on government agencies is the fact that a. many important issues tend to receive scant attention. b. taking action is easier than blocking action. c. lower-ranking employees are reluctant to make decisions on their own. d. government sometimes acts too quickly. e. decisions are often sweeping and inflexible.
C
99. The usual definition of an iron triangle includes all of the following except a. an agency. b. a congressional committee. c. an issue network. d. an interest group. e. C and D.
C
44. The broad factors that best explain the behavior of bureaucratic officials include all of the following except a. how they are recruited. b. their personal attributes. c. the influence of outside forces on them. d. their party preferences. e. how they are rewarded.
D
46. In recent years, the competitive service has become more decentralized and examinations have become less common. This is because a. the OPM system was cumbersome and not relevant to the needs of departments. b. agencies have the need for more professionally trained employees. c. civil rights groups have pressed Washington to make the racial composition of the federal bureaucracy look more like the racial composition of the nation. d. All of these. e. None of these.
D
55. Employees who are blanketed in are ones who a. are prohibited from engaging in partisan politics. b. competed for jobs through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) merit system. c. are ensured patronage jobs, as long as their party wins the presidential election. d. are covered by the merit system, although they are appointed. e. are selected on the basis of patronage but are eventually promoted on the basis of merit.
D
58. When a civil-service job is filled on a name-request basis, this is an example of the a. spoils system. b. interservice system. c. Pendleton Act of 1883. d. buddy system. e. revolving inducement system.
D
64. Which of the following statements about the firing of a bureaucrat is incorrect? a. The employee must be given a written notice. b. The notice must be provided at least 30 days in advance. c. The notice must contain a statement of reasons, including specific examples of unacceptable performance. d. The employee cannot appeal any adverse action. e. The merit Systems Protection Board must grant the employee a hearing.
D
7. When an agency such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes an important decision, it is quite likely to be taken to court. This is an example of what is meant by the term a. government bureaucracy. b. impedimentary government. c. red tape. d. adversary culture. e. reciprocal administration.
D
72. If one examines the education, sex, race, and social origins of the federal civil service as a whole, a. it is clear that females are overrepresented. b. it is clear that there are more minorities than whites. c. it is clear that no attempt has been made to make it look anything like a cross section of American society. d. it looks very much like a cross section of American society. e. it is clear that wealth is a prerequisite for employment.
D
73. When a person is selected by the president to head an agency and to shift its policies in the direction of the president's, the appointee generally finds that a. agency personnel change direction quickly. b. career subordinates have very little influence on policy. c. an agency is immune to presidential politics. d. subordinates wield considerable power. e. there is little to prevent him/her from accomplishing the goal.
D
74. A survey of top-level, nonpolitical federal bureaucrats found their political outlooks to be a. mostly conservative or liberal. b. less pro-government than the public at large. c. similar to the public at large. d. very different than the public at large. e. beyond generalization.
D
75. Relative to their share of the population, Republicans tend to be overrepresented in the a. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). b. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). c. Conservative Counseling Corps. d. Department of Defense. e. A and B.
D
78. The Whistle-blower Protection Act of 1989 is designed to protect a. agencies that are being undermined by their employees. b. agencies that are being undermined by Congress. c. agency heads who fire employees for misconduct. d. bureaucrats who tell on their bosses. e. bureaucrats who are not career employees.
D
95. Among the effects of the many constraints on government agencies is that a. many important issues tend to receive scant attention. b. taking action is easier than blocking action. c. too much authority is delegated to lower-ranking employees. d. citizens complain of red tape. e. decisions are often sweeping and inflexible.
D
103. Which of the following statements about agency allies is correct? a. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is part of an iron triangle. b. Iron triangles are far more common today than in the past. c. Presidential hiring from within issue networks is prohibited by law. d. Congress often establishes issue networks to study key policy issues. e. All of these.
A
104. Why are iron triangles less common today than they once were? a. because agencies today are pressured by so many interest groups b. because iron triangles are no longer allowed by many agencies c. because congressional leadership is so much stronger today d. because the courts have stepped in to limit the intervention of interest groups in agency affairs e. because special interests have aligned themselves with congressional leaders
A
105. Why are iron triangles less common today than they once were? a. because most agencies are now subject to control by many congressional subcommittees b. because iron triangles are no longer allowed by many agencies c. because agencies today are subject to pressure from fewer interest groups d. because the courts have stepped in to limit the intervention of interest groups in agency affairs e. because special interests have aligned themselves with congressional leaders
A
113. One way that Congress exercises authority over agencies is through the a. statutes that create and define them. b. control of Office of Personnel Management (OPM) hiring practices. c. use of discharge petitions. d. dismissal of an agency head. e. use of the Civil Service Exam.
A
114. One way that Congress exercises authority over agencies is through the a. authorization of agency spending. b. control of Office of Personnel Management (OPM) hiring practices. c. use of discharge petitions. d. dismissal of an agency head. e. use of the Civil Service Exam.
A
119. The main reason some interest groups are important to agencies is that these groups a. are important to Congress. b. can supplement agency funds. c. are grassroots organizations. d. have a long tradition behind them. e. can redirect agency funds.
A
125. The power of the House Appropriations Committee over agency budgets has recently diminished, in part because of a. an increase in annual authorizations by Congress. b. the 1983 Supreme Court ruling on the legislative veto. c. an increase in marking up practices by other House committees. d. a decline in the use of trust funds by Congress. e. an increase in legislative inducements to restrict spending on entitlement programs.
A
129. The effect of a legislative veto is to a. give Congress control over certain executive decisions. b. strip House chairpeople of powers of appropriation. c. give Congress control over the appointment of agency heads. d. strip House chairpeople of powers of authorization. e. return power to subcommittees.
A
13. James Madison argued that the president alone must be able to fire a federal employee because a. otherwise he would not be able to control his subordinates. b. he is the person best qualified to judge job performance. c. there would be a considerable danger of corruption if Congress participated in the process. d. this power was clearly implied in the U.S. Constitution. e. common law and Court precedent clearly granted the executive this poser.
A
130. The legislative veto is a stratagem to increase the power of a. Congress. b. the White House. c. the states. d. the courts. e. the bureaucracy.
A
131. The legislative veto was declared unconstitutional in a. Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha. b. United States v. Nixon. c. Brown v. Board of Education. d. Marbury v. Madison. e. Donnell v. Tarkenton.
A
134. The text suggests congressional investigations have been a regular feature — sometimes constructive, sometimes destructive — of legislative executive relations since a. 1792. b. 1865. c. 1932. d. 1945. e. 1972.
A
137. Which of the following statements about the congressional power to investigate is incorrect? a. The power is explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. b. The power has been inferred from the power to legislate. c. Congress can compel witnesses to appear by subpoena. d. Ignoring a congressional subpoena can result in citation for e. Congress can sentence an individual in contempt to jail. contempt.
A
138. The text concludes that when bureaucracies operate at cross- purposes, it is usually because a. Congress wants it that way. b. the White House wants it that way. c. the bureaucracy has grown too complex. d. the bureaucracy has not yet matured. e. court rulings have made this conflict inevitable.
A
147. Buying American, using minority contractors, and paying the prevailing wage are all examples of a. red tape that drives up costs. b. practices by public agencies. c. bureaucracy released from political control. d. noncontroversial bureaucratic routines. e. practices by private agencies.
A
149. Which of the following statements about the attitude of most Americans toward government bureaucrats and bureaucracies is true? a. They are satisfied with bureaucrats if they have actually had contact with public officials. b. They find individual bureaucrats rigid, hostile, and unhelpful. c. They believe that bureaucracy on the whole should be supported. d. They have had mostly negative experiences with bureaucrats. e. They believe bureaucrats are generally informed, but incompetent and incapable of solving problems
A
19. Discovery of the administrative weakness of the federal government and calls for civil service reform resulted from a. the Civil War. b. the Louisiana Purchase. c. the War of 1812. d. World War I. e. World War II.
A
21. Generally, the role of government bureaucracies up to the end of the nineteenth century was to a. provide benefits for interest groups. b. solve social problems. c. regulate unions. d. protect state and local government. e. solve economic problems.
A
24. The notion of laissez-faire and of the congressional mandate to regulate led to the bureaucracy's performing a(n) a. service role. b. regulatory role. c. redistributive role. d. litigational role. e. expansionist role
A
3. British bureaucrats are distinguished from U.S. bureaucrats in that they a. report to cabinet officials. b. deal directly with the legislative body. c. belong to the private sector. d. stay out of electoral politics. e. are monitored by the courts.
A
34. From 1913 to 1940, the average American paid approximately ________ in income taxes each year. a. $7 b. $850 c. $3,000 d. $14,000 e. $25,000
A
35. If you wanted to do away with high federal taxation, you might see a quick solution in the repeal of the a. Sixteenth Amendment. b. Nineteenth Amendment. c. Twenty-first Amendment. d. Twenty-second Amendment. e. Twenty-sixth Amendment.
A
37. Most employees of the federal government are: a. on federal contracts. b. federal civil servants. c. postal workers. d. uniformed military. e. in lower level managerial positions.
A
38. An example of someone who works indirectly for the federal government would be an employee of a a. private company that is federally funded. b. congressional select committee. c. local government agency that is locally funded. d. state government agency that is state funded. e. state legislative committee that is temporary.
A
5. Most federal agencies must share their functions with a. related state agencies. b. private corporations. c. interest groups. d. congressional staff. e. White House staff.
A
56. One advantage of the merit system to presidents is that it a. protects them from patronage demands. b. grants them the power of appointment. c. insulates them from control by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). d. excludes employees in the excepted service. e. exempts them from bureaucratic procedures which are not outlined in Article II.
A
57. One advantage of the merit system to presidents is that it a. protects their patronage appointees from new presidents. b. grants them the power of appointment. c. insulates them from control by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). d. excludes employees in the excepted service. e. exempts them from bureaucratic procedures which are not outlined in Article II.
A
6. The distinctive nature of the U.S. bureaucracy derives from all of the following except a. the practice of incremental budgeting. b. the sharing of political authority among institutions. c. the sharing of functions with state government. d. an adversary culture and close public scrutiny. e. the sharing of functions with local government.
A
60. If an agency committed to consumer protection hires someone from a private environmental protection group, the type of recruitment illustrated would be a. recruitment from an issue network. b. recruitment by patronage. c. a noncareer assignment. d. recruitment by favoritism. e. recruitment by ideology.
A
67. In 1987, approximately what percentage of all federal employees who had completed their probationary period were fired for misconduct or poor performance? a. one-tenth of 1 percent b. 2 percent c. 5 percent d. 15 percent e. 23 percent
A
71. Civil service recruitment and retention policies work to ensure that most agencies have a(n) a. agency point of view. b. presidential point of view. c. congressional point of view. d. national-interest point of view. e. regional perspective.
A
79. Bureaucrats' own values and beliefs are likely to have the greatest influence on their work when their duties are a. loosely defined. b. routinized. c. greatly affected by laws. d. closely monitored. e. scrutinized by more than one agency.
A
89. The Freedom of Information Act and the Administrative Procedure Act are examples of a. government-wide constraints on bureaucracy. b. early, unconstitutional attempts to restrain bureaucrats. c. laws that apply only to Congress. d. regulations that limit executive powers principally. e. laws that apply only to Congressional staff.
A
127. When congressional committees require that agency decisions be submitted to them before the agency implements them, the committees are exercising the power of a. authorization. b. committee clearance. c. appropriation. d. committee support. e. expedition.
B
139. When a citizen is required by an agency to use one accounting system rather than another, or to file forms before receiving any benefits, such requirements are called a. duplication of functions. b. red tape. c. mandatory incursions. d. arbitrary statutes. e. black listing.
B
142. One bureaucratic "pathology" described by the text is conflict, meaning the tendency of agencies to a. grow, irrespective of the benefits and costs of their programs. b. work at cross-purposes with one another. c. spend more than is necessary to buy some product or service. d. generate complex and sometimes overlapping rules. e. complicate matters which are better left to common sense solutions.
B
15. During most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, appointments to the civil service were often controlled by a. party caucuses. b. congressional preferences. c. merit examinations. d. military considerations. e. administrative boards.
B
2. The text argues that many of the problems of bureaucracy in government arise from its a. formality. b. political context. c. remoteness from everyday life. d. complexity. e. transparency.
B
22. The shift in the role of the federal bureaucracy that occurred between 1861 and 1901 was from a. economic regulation to tax regulation. b. regulation to service. c. commerce to regulation. d. federal services to state services. e. federal services to commerce.
B
23. A constitutional limitation on the federal bureaucracy's ability to regulate the economy is that a. only the president has the constitutional authority to regulate commerce. b. only Congress has the constitutional authority to regulate commerce. c. only the Supreme Court has the constitutional authority to regulate commerce. d. commerce cannot be regulated by the federal government. e. None of these.
B
25. The federal government did not begin to regulate the economy in any large way until a. passage of the Fourteenth Amendment. b. the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). c. the laissez-faire doctrine was held by a majority of the Senate. d. the commerce clause was amended. e. the Department of Labor was created.
B
27. Restrictions on the powers of federal administrators tended to be set aside during times of a. economic emergency. b. war. c. prosperity. d. national expansion. e. social stability.
B
28. Periodically, the size of the bureaucracy has grown substantially. These times of growth have generally occurred during a. depressions. b. wars. c. periods of prosperity. d. recessions. e. election years.
B
33. An important effect of World War II on the federal government was to a. bring an end to laissez-faire government. b. greatly increase government revenues from taxation. c. strip various regulatory agencies of their policy-making functions. d. introduce the concept of pay-as-you-go government. e. streamline decision making but restrict the scope of the government's activity.
B
39. The importance of the federal bureaucracy today can be measured in part by the total number of federal employees or, more accurately, by the a. high proportion of full-time employees on the government payroll. b. discretionary authority of its appointed officials. c. number of agencies that now form the federal bureaucracy. d. number of employees who write the regulations. e. number of employees who spend the money.
B
45. A person appointed to a government position after passing an examination is probably joining the a. excepted service. b. competitive service. c. patronage system. d. Department of State. e. Department of Justice.
B
51. Which of the following statements about the excepted service is true? a. Only the president can make appointments to this service. b. Most employees are appointed by other agencies on the basis of merit within that agency. c. Most appointments are made on the basis of patronage. d. Most appointments are made on the basis of qualifications designed or approved by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). e. A and C.
B
68. Members of the Senior Executive Service, compared to other bureaucrats, a. are harder to transfer but less well paid. b. are easier to transfer but better paid. c. are harder to transfer and better paid. d. are easier to transfer and less well paid. e. cannot be transferred and are less well paid.
B
8. One would expect the telephone system in France, unlike that in the United States, to be a. woefully inefficient. b. owned by the government. c. part of a multinational corporation. d. privately owned. e. free from regulation.
B
80. Bureaucrats' own values and beliefs are most likely to have the least influence on their work when their duties are a. loosely defined. b. highly structured. c. greatly affected by laws. d. professional in nature. e. reviewed by agencies.
B
82. Lawyers working for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are most likely to select cases that a. are costly to the consumer. b. are likely to develop new legal precedents. c. clearly involve criminal malfeasance. d. are acceptable to the administration. e. have clear fact patterns and involve big money.
B
85. Having a strong agency culture can help an agency by motivating its employees to work hard, but it can also hurt it by a. increasing the number of highly structured roles. b. making the agency resistant to change. c. reducing cooperation among employees. d. encouraging whistle-blowing. e. promoting individuals who are patently unqualified.
B
86. Having a strong agency culture can hurt an agency by making it resistant to change, but it can also help it by a. increasing the number of highly structured roles. b. motivating employees to work hard. c. encouraging commitment to less rewarding jobs. d. encouraging whistle-blowing. e. establishing flexible standards for promotion.
B
92. Among the effects of the many constraints on government agencies is the fact that a. many important issues tend to receive scant attention. b. blocking action is easier than taking action. c. too much authority is delegated to lower-ranking employees. d. decisions are often made too quickly. e. decisions are often sweeping and inflexible.
B
1. The definition of bureaucracy includes all of the following notions except a. a large organization. b. authority divided among several managers. c. complexity of structure. d. appointed officials. e. an issue network.
E
101. Because many federal agencies were created to serve some sector of society, we should not be surprised to learn that the American Legion is closely aligned with the a. Department of Energy. b. Department of Education. c. Department of Commerce. d. Department of the Interior. e. Department of Veterans' Affairs.
E
120. When a law originating in a legislative committee specifies a certain sum of money, it is called a(n) a. allocation measure. b. appropriation measure. c. monetary-enhancement measure. d. fiscal measure. e. authorization measure.
E
128. An example of an informal congressional control over agencies is when a. Congress refuses to appropriate funds for agency spending. b. Congress authorizes funds for agency spending, but refuses to appropriate them. c. Congress refuses to authorize funds for agency spending. d. the House Appropriations Committee chairperson uses a legislative veto. e. individual members of Congress seek privileges for constituents.
E
132. In practice, the effect of the Supreme Court ruling against the legislative veto in the Chadha case has been a. to end the use of the legislative veto. b. to force Congress to mark up a greater number of bills. c. to revise the wording of the legislative vetoes they use. d. to systematically restructure the relationship between Congress and special interests. e. negligible.
E
135. The investigative power of Congress a. is clearly outlined in Article I of the Constitution. b. is clearly outlined in Articles I and II of the Constitution. c. is not mentioned in the Constitution. d. has been inferred from the power to legislate. e. C and D.
E
136. Which of the following statements about the congressional power to investigate is incorrect? a. The power is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. b. The power has been inferred from the power to legislate. c. Congress can compel witnesses to appear by subpoena. d. Ignoring a congressional subpoena can result in citation for contempt. e. Congress cannot sentence an individual in contempt to jail.
E
145. Buses in major cities are required to have lifts for people using wheelchairs because of a decision made by a. the White House. b. Congress. c. party leaders. d. the Department of Health and Human Services. e. the Department of Transportation.
E
53. Which of the following statements concerning the Pendleton Act is incorrect? a. It was passed during a Republican administration. b. It was, in part, a response to public outrage over abuses of the spoils system. c. It was, in part, a response to the assassination of President Garfield. d. It was passed to avoid mass firings of Republicans. e. It enhanced the power of patronage in federal appointments.
E
62. The agency responsible for ensuring fair treatment of civil servants is the a. Civil Service Equity Board. b. Office of Personnel Management. c. Civil Service Commission. d. Senior Executive Service. e. Merit System Protection Board.
E
88. One of the major constraints under which government agencies operate is the a. obligation of leadership to frequently restructure. b. power of issue networks to determine agency policy. c. absence of competing forces in the public sector. d. presence of a great many highly structured roles. e. large number of regulations they must adhere to.
E
98. Probably the most effective means an agency has of remaining powerful is a. cultivating public opinion. b. attaining a monopoly on technical expertise in a particular policy area. c. pleasing Congressional staff. d. doing its job well. e. entering alliances with influential interest groups.
E
145. Buses in major cities are required to have lifts for people using wheelchairs because of a decision made by a. the White House. b. Congress. c. party leaders. d. the Department of Health and Human Services. e. the Department of Transportation.
e
107. Which of the following suggested the creation of a new "Department of Homeland Defense" shortly after the terrorist attack on America on September 11, 2001? a. Al Gore b. Joseph Lieberman c. George Bush d. Tom Ridge e. Tom Daschel
B
118. Compared to appropriations, authorizations are a. usually smaller. b. usually larger. c. subject to review less often. d. less complicated to administer. e. without constitutional basis.
B
124. The power of the House Appropriations Committee over agency budgets has recently diminished, in part because of a. an increase in marking-up practices by other House committees. b. the creation of trust funds to pay for many benefits. c. the 1983 Supreme Court ruling on the legislative veto. d. a decline in annual authorizations by Congress. e. an increase in legislative inducements to restrict spending on entitlement programs.
B
126. The power of the House Appropriations Committee over agency budgets has recently diminished, in part because of a. an increase in marking-up practices by other House committees. b. congressional concern with meeting spending limits. c. the 1983 Supreme Court ruling on the legislative veto. d. a decline in the use of trust funds by Congress. e. an increase in legislative inducements to restrict spending on entitlement programs.
B
100. The relationship among an agency, a committee, and an interest group was described in the past as: a. red tape. b. an issue network. c. an iron triangle. d. laissez-faire. e. a flexible triumvirate.
C
102. An agency that Ronald Reagan was unable to abolish because of its persistent support in Congress was the a. Social Security Administration. b. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). c. Small Business Administration (SBA). d. Fisheries and Wildlife Commission. e. Internal Revenue Service.
C
109. The Office of Homeland Security was created by a. an act of Congress. b. a judicial order. c. an executive order. d. a Senate declaration. e. none of these.
C
11. In the first Congress, it was decided that appointed federal officials would be removable by a. either the president or the Congress. b. the president and Congress acting together. c. the president alone. d. Congress alone. e. None of these.
C
144. The source of bureaucratic "pathologies" is usually a. the agency itself. b. the president. c. Congress. d. interest groups. e. courts.
C
106. Secretaries of agriculture have found that they have considerable discretion in setting policy despite the involvement of strong interest groups because a. one interest group dominates all the others. b. of the inherent power of the Department of Agriculture. c. of presidential support for major policies. d. the groups most often work against rather than with one another. e. there is otherwise very little interest taken in agricultural policy.
D
108. When George Bush created the new Office of Homeland Security, he appointed ______ to head the office. a. Al Gore b. Joseph Lieberman c. George Bush d. Tom Ridge e. Tom Daschel
D
115. Congress exercises authority over agencies through all of the following except a. statutes that create and define them. b. authorization of agency spending. c. appropriations for agency spending. d. appointments of agency heads. e. A and C.
D
116. Which of the following oversight functions can Congress not perform? a. authorization of an agency budget b. appropriation of an agency budget c. creation of an agency d. dismissal of an agency head e. B and C.
D
121. The most powerful group in Congress in terms of control over an agency's budget is the a. House Ways and Means Committee. b. House Committee on Committees. c. House Steering Committee. d. House Appropriations Committee. e. House Rules Committee.
D
123. All of the following have weakened the power of appropriations committees over government agencies except a. the establishment of trust funds that operate outside the regular government budget. b. the change in authorization of many programs from permanent or multiyear to annual authorizations. c. the need for these committees to focus on huge budget deficits and target spending limits. d. the 1983 Supreme Court decision ruling unconstitutional the legislative veto. e. A and D.
D
133. Congressional supervision of the bureaucracy involves all of the following except a. congressional statutes. b. budgetary appropriations. c. committee investigations. d. bills of attainder. e. A and C.
D
151. According to the text, most of the problems of bureaucracies are a. not very serious when examined closely. b. decreasing with the passage of time. c. actually quite desirable. d. inseparable from the problems of government. e. irrelevant if not fictitious.
D
152. The National Performance Review is different from preceding reform efforts in that it a. suggested specific ways of improving top-level management. b. recommended increasing central (presidential) control of government agencies. c. called for consolidating existing agencies into fewer agencies. d. offered reorganization plans that tried to emulate innovative, quality-conscious U.S. corporations. e. called for a non-businesslike approach to management and greater centralization.
D
17. The eightfold increase in the number of federal employees that occurred between 1816 and 1861 was largely the result of a. abuses of patronage by Congress and the presidency. b. rapid industrialization. c. the government's taking on new functions. d. increased demands on traditional government functions. e. the emergence of a national economy.
D
20. Between 1813 and 1861, the number of federal employees increased eightfold, in large part because of a. an increase in the need for government accountants. b. an increase in the need for Secret Service agents. c. dramatic increases in new government functions. d. growth in the Post Office. e. increases in military staff.
D
29. A dramatic increase in activism by the federal bureaucracy occurred in the twentieth century, largely as a consequence of a. the growth of patronage and the rise of political parties. b. the Sixteenth Amendment and the Social Security Act. c. a desire for limited government and an end to earlier regulatory practices. d. the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II. e. the rise of special interest groups and unions. Type: Factual
D
30. A dramatic increase in activism by the federal bureaucracy occurred in the twentieth century, largely as a consequence of a. the growth of patronage and the rise of political parties. b. the Sixteenth Amendment and the Social Security Act. c. a desire for limited government and an end to earlier regulatory practices. d. changes in public attitudes and new constitutional interpretations. e. the rise of special interest groups and unions.
D
32. Today's bureaucracy is largely a product of which two events? a. the Korean War and the war in Vietnam b. the depression of the 1930s and the war in Vietnam c. World War I and World War II d. the Depression of the 1930s and World War II e. World War I and the Korean War
D
40. A public official who decides to follow a course of action that is not specified by law but could be inferred from it is most likely to be a. overstepping his or her authority. b. violating the law. c. playing politics. d. exercising discretionary authority. e. undermining the spirit of the law.
D
43. Which of the following is not an area in which the power of the bureaucracy has grown dramatically in recent years? a. paying subsidies to particular groups b. transferring money to state governments c. creating regulations for various sectors of society d. building nuclear energy sources e. transferring money to local governments
D
