pubafrs 2110 exam 2
When we say that the Senior Executive Service (SES) is supposed to be a "shock absorber in the administrative system," we mean that it... -...manages public perceptions so that agency regulations do not come as a shock to citizens. -...helps agencies manage difficult times. -...takes the blame when government programs fail. -...addresses many of the problems associated with top management having high rates of turnover and a lack of experience in public management.
...addresses many of the problems associated with top management having high rates of turnover and a lack of experience in public management.
Which of the following is the most "direct" policy tool that government might use? -Distributing grants to non-profit organizations providing social services (e.g., drug rehabilitation, job training, etc.). -Providing vouchers to citizens, so that they can purchase goods and services (e.g., education, housing, etc.) -Giving tax breaks (e.g., to those who own homes or have children). -Building a police force to arrest those who have committed crimes. -Contracting out (i.e., paying a private organization to deliver public services.
Building a police force to arrest those who have committed crimes.
Which of the following is an aspect of the "New Public Management" in recent years? -Downsizing government -Measuring the performance of public organizations and employees -Contracting out or privatizing government services when possible -Making government more bureaucratic
Downsizing government Measuring the performance of public organizations and employees Contracting out or privatizing government services when possible
Which of the following are public agencies? -Government Corporations -Federal courts -Independent regulatory commissions -Cabinet departments -Congress
Government Corporations, independent regulatory commissions, cabinet departments
Which of the following is an example of introducing flexibility in personnel systems? -Paying employees based on a set rate tied to years of service -Centralizing staffing functions in a single personnel management agency -Increased use of "at will" employees -Allowing public managers to pay bonuses to employees who perform well -Removing the requirement for certain credentials for jobs
Increased use of "at will" employees. Allowing public managers to pay bonuses to employees who perform well. Removing the requirement for certain credentials for jobs
Which of the following is the best characterization of the "starve the beast" strategy? -It is focused on cutting taxes. -It entails verifying the efficiency of government programs by cutting their funding to see if service quality actually declines. -It is focused on cutting large government programs through legislation. -It entails laying off civil servants to save money.
It is focused on cutting taxes.
Which of the following statements about the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 are true? -It required that many civil servants be appointed based on merit -It sought to professionalize the U.S. federal civil service -It got rid of all patronage appointments in the federal executive branch -It instituted protections from politically motivated dismissal to many administrators -It was premised on the notion that civil service protections would improve the quality of public administration in the U.S.
It required that many civil servants be appointed based on merit. It sought to professionalize the U.S. federal civil service. It instituted protections from politically motivated dismissal to many administrators. It was premised on the notion that civil service protections would improve the quality of public administration in the U.S.
Which of the following is true about public-sector unions? -All federal civil servants have the right to strike. -Only some states allow public-sector unions to engage in collective bargaining. -Public employees have the right to unionize.
Only some states allow public-sector unions to engage in collective bargaining. Public employees have the right to unionize.
Performance management can be problematic for which of the following reasons? -Performance measures may not capture what decision-makers think they capture. -Performance measures may fail to capture the breadth of an organization's goals. -It can draw attention to government programs that are not performing well. -Performance information can be costly to collect, impeding an organization from accomplishing its central goals.
Perforamnce measure may not capture what decision makers think they capture. Performance measures may fail to capture the breadth of an organization's goals. Performance information can be costly to collect, impeding an organization from accomplishing its central goals
Public administration is most closely associated with which stage of the policymaking process? -Policy implementation -Agenda setting -Policy/program evaluation -policy formulation -Policy legitimation
Policy implementation
Which of the following statements about political appointments are true? -Political appointments can help presidents overcome their principal-agent problem. -Many of these positions go unfilled for very long periods of time. -The number of political appointments has increased over the last few decades. -The U.S. has the greatest number of politically appointed administrators among economically developed countries. -Most political appointees require Senate confirmation. -Presidents sometimes use them to reward political supporters and campaign aids.
Political appointments can help presidents overcome their principal-agent problem. Many of these positions go unfilled for very long periods of time. The number of political appointments has increased over the last few decades. The U.S. has the greatest number of politically appointed administrators among economically developed countries. Presidents sometimes use them to reward political supporters and campaign aids.
Many scholars and practitioners argue that it is very different to manage a public agency than a private business. Which of the following are examples they might offer to support that claim? -Public agencies are only allowed to perform functions that are authorized by law, whereas businesses can do whatever they wish as long as it is not forbidden by law. -Public managers typically face more constraints than private managers as they pursue organizational goals. -It is typically easier to measure the performance of a public agency than it is the performance of a private business. -Public managers are typically subjected to far more public scrutiny than private-sector managers. -Public agencies must pursue and balance competing goals, whereas private businesses have relatively straightforward and coherent goals.
Public agencies are only allowed to perform functions that are authorized by law, whereas businesses can do whatever they wish as long as it is not forbidden by law. Public managers must concern themselves with meeting the competing demands of many superiors outside of their organizations, whereas that is less true for managers in private organizations. Public managers typically face more constraints than private managers as they pursue organizational goals. Public managers are typically subjected to far more public scrutiny than private-sector managers. -Public agencies must pursue and balance competing goals, whereas private businesses have relatively straightforward and coherent goals.
Which of the following is the best definition of "red tape"? -Rules and procedures perceived to be inefficient -What government imposes on businesses to prevent them from causing problems -Rules or procedures for accomplishing a task -Rules prohibiting some sort of action
Rules and procedures perceived to be inefficient
Which of the following are examples of performance management? -Terminating the employment of a teacher if her/his students do not show adequate growth on math and reading exams -Providing more flexibility to a non-profit organization and its managers, but requiring that a project be completed according to a set of performance criteria regarding cost and time-to-completion -Terminating the employment of a teacher because s/he lacks seniority -Cutting funding for a job-training program if the percent of its clients who are placed in jobs falls below the average across all such programs administered by other agencies -Increasing funding for a job-training program if the percent of its clients who are placed in jobs falls below the average across all such programs administered by other agencies
Terminating the employment of a teacher if her/his students do not show adequate growth on math and reading exams. Providing more flexibility to a non-profit organization and its managers, but requiring that a project be completed according to a set of performance criteria regarding cost and time-to-completion. Cutting funding for a job-training program if the percent of its clients who are placed in jobs falls below the average across all such programs administered by other agencies. Increasing funding for a job-training program if the percent of its clients who are placed in jobs falls below the average across all such programs administered by other agencies
According to research discussed in the lectures, which of the following are reasons why heavy reliance on politically appointed administrators might have a negative impact on the effectiveness of government programs? -The frequent turnover of these appointees means that there is constant redirection and little time for appointees to gain expertise with the programs they are running. -Political appointees often engage in illegal activities that undermine the legitimacy of public programs. -Their short tenure means that appointees are less likely to care about the long-term health of the organization and are less likely to effectively lead career civil servants. -Few have much public management experience. -Frequent vacancies for top administrative positions mean that some programs cannot function.
The frequent turnover of these appointees means that there is constant redirection and little time for appointees to gain expertise with the programs they are running. Their short tenure means that appointees are less likely to care about the long-term health of the organization and are less likely to effectively lead career civil servants. Few have much public management experience. Frequent vacancies for top administrative positions mean that some programs cannot function.
A principal-agent perspective of democratic accountability might entail which of the following? -Administrators are the principal and Congress is the agent. -The public is the principal and Congress is the agent. -Administrators are the principal and the public is the agent. - Congress is the principal and administrators are the agent.
The public is the principal and Congress is the agent. Congress is the principal and administrators are the agent.
Which of the following statements about nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations are true? -They are limited in the political activities in which they can engage. -They are not permitted to engage in activities that generate revenue. -The IRS has determined that they serve a societal or community purpose. -Money that one donates to these organizations can be deducted from one's income before determining one's federal income tax bill. -They may rely on government grants, grants from foundations, or contributions from individuals. -They are private corporations -They are exempt from paying federal income taxes.
They are limited in the political activities in which they can engage. The IRS has determined that they serve a societal or community purpose. Money that one donates to these organizations can be deducted from one's income before determining one's federal income tax bill. They may rely on government grants, grants from foundations, or contributions from individuals. They are private corporations They are exempt from paying federal income taxes.
Which of the following is an independent government agency? - U.S. Postal Service -Federal Reserve System (the Fed) -Department of Homeland Security -Department of the Treasury
U.S. Postal Service, Federal Reserve System (the Fed)
Services primarily provided by the federal government include which of the following? -Sanitation services -Veterans' services - Postal services -Police and fire services -Defense -Elementary and secondary education
Veterans' services, postal services, defense
Public bureaucracy entails... -...rules and procedures for performing tasks. -...specialization, expertise, and the division of labor. -...the organization and coordination of human behavior to realize public policy goals. -...a hierarchical authority structure
all of the above
Public management entails which of the following? -Analyzing and formulating policies for an organization -Hiring and firing people -Motivating people to work toward an organization's goals -Setting priorities over which policy goals to pursue -Planning how an organization will utilize resources to achieve the goals of public policy
all of the above
The Office of Management and Budget does which of the following? -Puts together the president's budget -Helps the president implement management/administrative processes in the executive branch. -Reviews legislation from Congress and provides feedback and guidance to the president -Stops or clears legislative proposals that agencies wish to send to Congress -Reviews agencies' proposed rules and regulations to make sure they are consistent with the president's priorities.
all of the above
What are some ways that Congress attempts to control the actions of administrators? -Writing very specific statutes -Cutting funding for programs they disagree with -Conducting investigations or evaluations of public programs -Appointing people who share its policy goals to run public agencies. -Requiring administrators to submit reports describing what they are doing
all of the above
Which of the following statements about the General Schedule are true? -It categorizes different types of occupations into groups and details what type of jobs within these groups qualify for each pay grade. -Its job descriptions often fail to capture the jobs people actually perform—particularly for professional positions. -It is used to classify the majority of federal civil service jobs according to pay grade. -It currently includes 15 pay grades (GS-1 through GS-15), each of which has its own pay range. -Pay increases within grades are largely tied to how much time someone has been on the job.
all of the above
Why might unelected public administrators working for government agencies—i.e., unelected bureaucrats working in public bureaucracy—have policymaking power? -Administrators sometimes are tasked with implementing conflicting policies, which results in their having to make a choice regarding which policy to pursue. -Congress might have written a law that provides insufficient detail about how to accomplish a policy goal, so administrators must make a lot of decisions to pursue that goal. -Presidents might instruct administrators to ignore what Congress has written in law. -Because administrators are experts and sometimes Congress wants those experts making policy decisions. -Because Congress might have trouble coming to agreements and, thus, might be unable to pass a law to put an end to administrative practices they disagree with. -Because Congress is unable or unwilling to monitor completely what administrators are doing.
all of the above
Which of the following statements is most true? -Congress did not design the federal bureaucracy. -Congress designed the federal bureaucracy to be as effective as possible. -Congress designed the federal bureaucracy to protect the policy choices it makes. -Congress designed the federal bureaucracy to facilitate presidential management.
congress designed the federal bureaucracy to protect the policy choices it makes.
t/f "Bureaucracy" describes the inefficient execution of work.
false
t/f Cabinet departments are the most visible parts of the federal bureaucracy, but they actually employ a small share of federal employees.
false
t/f Civil service rules make it impossible to fire incompetent employees.
false
t/f Local governments have more loan and grant programs than state governments.
false
t/f Organization theorists tend to think it is important to distinguish between public administration and business administration.
false
t/f Political patronage appointments no longer take place in the federal executive branch.
false
t/f Presidential control over the federal bureaucracy has been decreasing over time.
false
t/f Salaries of the SES must be strictly less than the president's salary and equal to or greater than the vice president's salary.
false
Which of the following statements about the "politics-administration dichotomy" are true? -Many reformers during the Progressive Era invoked this dichotomy to justify growth in U.S. government and the increased power of unelected bureaucrats. -It is an artificial distinction because "politics" can never be separated from public administration. -It refers to the notion that the policymaking process is separate from the implementation process. -It refers to the notion that the realm of "politics" (in particular, lawmaking) is separate from administration. -It refers to the notion that "politics"—the exercise of power in deciding who gets what, when, and how—can never be separated from public administration.
many reformers during the progressive era invoked this dichotomy to justify growth in U.S. government and the increased power of unelected bureaucrats. it is an artificial distinction because "politics" can never be separated from public administration. it refers to the notion that the policymaking process is separate from the implementation process. it refers to the notion that the realm of "politics" (in particular, lawmaking) is separate from administration.
What is agency rule making? -One way in which federal agencies fill in the details of vague laws -The process by which agencies issue regulations -The imposition of constraints on administrators -What Congress does when it passes a law
one way in which federal agencies fill in the details of vague laws the process by which agencies issue regulations
t/f A civil service system is the set of rules and procedures by which we hire, promote, compensate, and fire government employees.
true
t/f Career administrators working for agencies in legislative and judicial branches of government are civil servants.
true
t/f Citizens often think that cutting the funding of public agencies leads to greater efficiency because it leads agencies to cut unnecessary costs without harming the quality of public services.
true
t/f Contracting out government services can introduce significant principal-agent accountability problems.
true
t/f For the purposes of this class, "accountability" has to do with the ability of policymakers--acting on behalf of the public--to control the actions of public administrators.
true
t/f Governments often contract out the administration of public programs to private non-profit and for-profit organizations.
true
t/f In this class, the "essential challenge" is designing public bureaucracy so that it is both accountable and efficient
true
t/f It is generally easier for agency administrators to promote someone from inside the civil service than it is to hire someone from outside.
true
t/f Local governments tend to administer more direct services than federal government.
true
t/f People often use the expressions "public management" and "public administration" interchangeably.
true
t/f Policy formulation takes place during the administration of policy.
true
t/f Privatizing or contracting out public services (instead of funding a government agency to do it) can cut costs because hiring full-time employees to complete work can be prohibitively expensive.
true
t/f Privatizing or contracting out public services (instead of funding a government agency to do it) can cut costs because market competition can drive down prices and promote improvements in quality.
true
t/f Privatizing or contracting out public services to private corporations (including non-profit organizations) has become more popular over time.
true
t/f Progressive-Era reformers argued that the growth and reform of public bureaucracy could improve government accountability and efficiency.
true
t/f Revolving-door restrictions restrict the extent to which civil servants can benefit financially from government employment.
true
t/f Some research indicates that reducing the number of political appointments to the federal executive branch might improve program quality but reduce administrator responsiveness to the president.
true
t/f The Office of Management and Budget is an agency that has greatly helped presidents control other agencies administering public programs.
true
t/f The Senior Executive Services (SES) includes the very top career civil service leaders, formerly GS-16 through GS-18.
true
t/f The federal civil service hiring process is based on a point system that gives preferences to veterans and minority, female, and disabled candidates.
true
t/f The principal-agent problem has to do with an agent pursuing his or her own ends because s/he has better information and different goals than the principal.
true
t/f The public bureaucracy is often what people refer to when they speak of "the state" or "the government."
true
t/f There are restrictions on the political activities in which federal civil servants can engage.
true
t/f There is no principal-agent problem if administrators share the preference of the principal.
true
t/f What people call "non-profit organizations" are private organizations.
true
t/f Woodrow Wilson and other Progressive-Era reformers argued that laws would keep unelected bureaucrats accountable to citizens
true
