Deck 13: The Bureaucracy

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true of the organization of the federal government?

A) A government corporation is a major structure of the legislative branch of the federal government.
B) An independent executive agency of the federal government is located within a cabinet department.
C) The judicial branch of the federal government consists of a number of bureaucracies that provide services to the president directly.
D) Each type of structure of the executive branch of the federal government has its own internal workings.
E) An executive agency and a regulatory agency of the federal government have the same relationship to the president.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A key aspect of any bureaucracy is that the power to act resides in the _____.

A) cultural beliefs of communities
B) expertise of a person
C) laws passed by the trial courts
D) position a person holds
E) person holding a title

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Identify a true statement about a bureaucracy.

A) In a bureaucracy, the power to act resides in the person rather than in the position.
B) In a bureaucracy, the power to act resides in the person rather than in the position.
C) A bureaucracy does not have a reporting structure.
D) The concept of a bureaucracy is not confined to the federal government.
E) Large organizations do not have a bureaucracy.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following statements is true of federal government spending for 2016?

A) Social Security and Medicare are available only to low-income individuals.
B) Along with veterans' benefits, defense spending amounts to about a fifth of the federal budget.
C) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families accounts for 22 percent of the federal budget.
D) Medicaid is funded by payroll taxes and paid out to all qualifying persons, regardless of income.
E) National debt is most likely to decrease in future years.

Question 5

President Obama's 2009 _____, which transferred large sums to local governments, helped stabilize government employment through 2010.

A) revenue-sharing program
B) stimulus program
C) Social Security program
D) accreditation program
E) interest-on-debt program

Question 6

In a bureaucracy, _____.

A) each person can concentrate on her or his area of knowledge and expertise
B) there are no hierarchical structures
C) the power to act resides in the person rather than in the position
D) there are no standard operating procedures
E) people are hired through elections

Question 7

Identify a department of the federal government that existed in 1789.

A) The Department of Commerce
B) The Department of the Interior
C) The Department of Justice
D) The Department of the Treasury
E) The Department of Education

Question 8

Which of the following is a structure of the executive branch of the federal government?

A) Private corporations
B) Independent regulatory agencies
C) Autonomous advisory councils
D) State courts
E) Federal courts

Question 9

The executive departments are:

A) businesses owned by the federal government.
B) federal bureaucratic organizations that have a single function.
C) stockholder-owned government-sponsored enterprises.
D) organizations responsible for a specific type of public policy.
E) the major service organizations of the federal government.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true of government employment during the presidency of Ronald Reagan?

A) Government employment has been unstable since 1980, when Reagan was elected president.
B) During Reagan's first four years in office, government employment rose sharply.
C) President Reagan's 1980 stimulus program helped stabilize government employment 1981 through 1982.
D) The inclusion of revenue sharing during Reagan's presidency led to a drop in government employment.
E) The decrease in government employment during Reagan's presidency was primarily at the local level .

Question 11

Identify a true statement about government employment.

A) Today, more Americans are employed by the manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy than by government.
B) All in all, the three levels of government employ more than 50 percent of the civilian labor force.
C) Most growth in government employment from 1959 to 2017 has been at the state and local levels.
D) Government employment has been more stable since 1959, when D. Eisenhower was elected president.
E) Government employment increased during President Ronald Reagan's first four years in office.

Question 12

Identify a social program that is available only to low-income individuals.

A) Social Security
B) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
C) Medicare
D) The public health insurance option
E) Unemployment compensation

Question 13

Heads of the executive departments of the federal government are confirmed by _____.

A) the chief justice
B) the Senate
C) the president
D) the vice president
E) the United States Congress

Question 14

In the federal government, the president of the United States:

A) does not report to anyone.
B) reports to the Supreme Court.
C) selects the head of the executive branch.
D) reports to Congress.
E) cannot remain in office for more than four years.

Question 15

Which of the following social programs is paid out to all qualifying persons, regardless of income?

A) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
B) Medicaid
C) Medicare
D) The Children's Health Insurance Program
E) Food stamps

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true of the bureaucracy of the federal government?

A) The bureaucracy of the federal government is part of the executive branch.
B) The head of the bureaucracy of the federal government reports to Congress.
C) In the federal government, the head of the bureaucracy is the vice president of the United States.
D) The concept of a bureaucracy is confined to the federal government.
E) In the bureaucracy of the federal government, people are hired to work in different branches irrespective of their area of expertise.

Question 17

Which of the following explains why the federal government bureaucracy exists?

A) Bureaucrats work in different branches of the government irrespective of their area of expertise.
B) Congress, over time, has delegated certain tasks to specialists.
C) In a bureaucracy, the power to act resides in the person rather than in the position.
D) In a bureaucracy, people are hired on the basis of their work experience instead of merit.
E) In a bureaucracy, different operating procedures are followed depending on circumstances.

Question 18

Which of the following makes up the highest percentage of the federal government's revenues as of 2018?

A) Individual income tax and taxes that are collected along with it
B) Corporate income tax
C) Income from the Social Security and Medicare trust funds
D) Funds obtained through borrowing
E) Sales tax and property tax

Question 19

Each cabinet department consists of the department's topadministrators plus a number of _____.

A) plaintiffs
B) interest groups
C) marshals
D) subagencies
E) bailiffs

Question 20

_____ appoints the heads of the executive departments within the executive branch of the federal government.

A) The chief justice
B) The Senate
C) The president
D) The vice president
E) Congress

Question 21

A federal agency that engages primarily in commercial activities, produces revenues, and requires greater flexibility than most agencies is known as a(n) _____.

A) executive department
B) government corporation
C) national board of review
D) independent regulatory agency
E) stockholder-owned enterprise

Question 22

The nonmilitary government employees are part of the _____.

A) iron triangle
B) whistleblowers' association
C) political plum
D) covert operation
E) civil service

Question 23

The Office of Personnel Management is responsible for:

A) recommending potential government workers to relevant agencies.
B) determining policy on interest rates .
C) promoting the interests of small businesses .
D) gathering and analyzing political and military information about foreign countries .
E) undertaking programs aimed at reducing air and water pollution .

Question 24

A principal duty of the Department of Justice is to:

A) give legal advice to the president.
B) handle attacks and natural disasters.
C) supervise Native American affairs.
D) conduct national census.
E) prevent terrorist attacks within the United States.

Question 25

Two government-sponsored enterprises in Sylvenia, a European country, are involved in buying, reselling, and guaranteeing home mortgages. When these two enterprises file for bankruptcies, the Sylvenian federal court orders a federal agency called the National Mortgage Corporation to oversee the bankruptcies. In this case, the court placed the government-sponsored enterprises into _____ with the two enterprises.

A) an alliance
B) a conservatorship
C) a proprietorship
D) an executorship
E) a partisanship

Question 26

Unlike a private corporation, a government corporation:

A) engages in price fixing.
B) can recover from a loss by using taxpayers' money.
C) offers only free services.
D) is essentially a nonprofit organization.
E) provides services to the government sector only.

Question 27

In the context of the federal civil service, the _____ recruits, interviews, and tests potential government workers and determines who should be hired.

A) Office of Special Counsel
B) Department of Labor
C) Office of Personnel Management
D) Department of the Interior
E) Department of Veterans Affairs

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true of the Department of Justice?

A) It handles attacks and natural disasters.
B) It conducts national census.
C) It supervises Native American affairs.
D) It protects citizens abroad.
E) It supervises federal prisons.

Question 29

Unlike an executive department of the federal government, an independent executive agency:

A) is not located within a cabinet department.
B) has multiple functions.
C) follows a typical bureaucratic structure.
D) does not have a reporting structure.
E) is created by Congress as the perceived need for it arises.

Question 30

Which of the following is a principal duty of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission?

A) To regulate the nation's stock exchanges
B) To protect employees' rights to join unions
C) To examine claims of discrimination
D) To prevent unfair trade practices
E) To prevent the formation of business monopolies

Question 31

Which of the following is an independent executive agency of the federal government?

A) The National Railroad Passenger Corporation
B) The Securities and Exchange Commission
C) The Federal Communications Commission
D) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
E) The National Labor Relations Board

Question 32

Why does Congress create independent executive agencies?

A) To protect the public interest in a particular sector of the economy
B) To reinforce the role of the agencies in iron triangles
C) To create and implement rules that regulate private activity
D) To protect the agencies from partisan politics
E) To enable the agencies to exhibit neutral competency

Question 33

Which of the following is a principal duty of the Department of the Interior?

A) To give legal advice to the president
B) To operate federal hydroelectric power facilities
C) To provide assistance to farmers and ranchers
D) To conduct national census
E) To coordinate federal programs and policies for education

Question 34

Policy and Supporting Positions is a document that:

A) publishes the list of federal posts that are filled by appointments by the president after each presidential election.
B) lists the names of lobbyists who target the executive branch.
C) identifies the key pieces of legislation that authorize the federal government to act through its agencies.
D) summarizes the parts of the government bureaucracy and explains what each agency does.
E) lists the standard operating procedures to be followed by the federal government in specific circumstances.

Question 35

Government corporations are similar to private corporations in that:

A) they charge for their services.
B) their owners must raise more capital in case of a loss.
C) they are allowed to engage in price fixing.
D) they are dissolved in case of a loss.
E) their shares are available for purchase in the stock market.

Question 36

Which of the following is a principal duty of the Department of the Treasury?

A) To grant patents and trademarks
B) To mint coins and print paper currency
C) To oversee resale of mortgages
D) To finance improvements in mass transit
E) To supervise Native American affairs

Question 37

Which of the following is a principal duty of the Department of Housing and Urban Development?

A) To oversee resale of mortgages
B) To administer programs for highways, railroads, and aviation
C) To promote the interests of workers
D) To finance improvements in mass transit
E) To supervise federally owned lands and parks

Question 38

Which of the following statements is true of the Department of Health and Human Services?

A) It was one of the departments created by the federal government in 1789.
B) It is an independent regulatory agency of the federal government.
C) One of its principal duties is to enforce pure food and drug laws.
D) One of its subagencies is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
E) It develops and rehabilitates urban communities.

Question 39

Why was the General Services Administration created as an independent executive agency in 1949

A) To promote the interests of small businesses
B) To conduct covert operations outside the United States
C) To manage the government's Social Security programs
D) To serve specific parts of the government
E) To provide services and office space for most federal agencies

Question 40

The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 established the principle of government employment on the basis of:

A) patronage and seniority.
B) merit through open, competitive examinations.
C) service to a political party.
D) campaign contributions.
E) recommendations by members of Congress.

Question 41

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that Herald Inc. was misrepresenting its company data. The FTC prosecuted the company after making investigations and holding trial-like hearings with an administrative law judge. This scenario is an example of _____.

A) diplomacy
B) authorization
C) rulemaking
D) adjudication
E) neutral competency

Question 42

Increasingly, government agencies have attempted to improve their effectiveness and efficiency by making use of _____.

A) the traditional media
B) partisan politics
C) public relations firms
D) iron triangles
E) the Internet

Question 43

Which of the following best describes adjudication?

A) The act of rendering a judicial decision
B) The process of formulating new regulations
C) The application of technical skills to jobs without taking political issues into consideration
D) The formation of alliances among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups
E) The reporting of gross governmental inefficiency

Question 44

Unlike an iron triangle, an issue network:

A) has people with differing policy concerns.
B) is less interdependent and unified.
C) is more structured.
D) includes less players.
E) has only one network in a given policy area.

Question 45

In managed competition, the task of providing public services is not open to competition.

Question 46

Justin works in an executive department of the federal government. He notices that some of his fellow bureaucrats are engaged in bribery. He reports to the law enforcement officials about the ongoing corruption in his department. This scenario illustrates that Justin is a _____.

A) lobbyist
B) juror
C) whistleblower
D) covert agent
E) bailiff

Question 47

Issue networks are more interdependent and unified than iron triangles.

Question 48

When opponents of regulation treat one-time expenses as ongoing expenses, they _____.

A) prefund regulation costs
B) avoid new budget appropriations toward regulation
C) help to stabilize the total cost of regulation
D) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of regulation
E) overestimate the costs of regulation

Question 49

Which of the following statements is true of an iron triangle

A) An iron triangle is a three-way alliance among the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the president.
B) An iron triangle helps in understanding the federal bureaucracy's role in policymaking.
C) An iron triangle is established in only certain parts of the bureaucracy of the federal government.
D) An iron triangle relationshipapplies to all policy domains.
E) An iron triangle is made up of people with differing policy concerns.

Question 50

Which of the following statements is true of issue networks?

A) They are more unified than iron triangles.
B) They often include more players than iron triangles.
C) They are more structured than iron triangles.
D) They do not include media outlets .
E) There cannot be more than one network in a given policy area.

Question 51

Channing works in the Department of Agriculture. He informs the press about the unethical research methods used by the department officials. In this scenario, Channing is a _____.

A) whistleblower
B) defendant
C) lobbyist
D) covert agent
E) bailiff

Question 52

The administrative agencies of the federal government are authorized to directly lobby Congress.

Question 53

Identify a true statement about rulemaking.

A) Rulemaking involves the evaluation and adoption of an existing regulation.
B) A regulatory agency can make rules whenever it wishes.
C) A regulatory agency can base its rules on discretion.
D) The power of rulemaking is conferred on a regulatory agency by the president in the agency's enabling legislation.
E) A regulatory agency must follow process requirements set forth in the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946.

Question 54

The power that a regulatory agency has to make rules is conferred on it by the president in the agency's enabling legislation.

Question 55

Which of the following is true of managed competition?

A) In this, the task of providing public services is opened up to competition.
B) This competition exists only between firms in the private sector.
C) Pay-for-performance plans are one form of managed competition.
D) In this, the task of providing private services is opened up to competition.
E) This competition exists only between government agencies.

Question 56

In response to pressure for more government openness and disclosure, Congress passed the _____ in 1966.

A) Freedom of Information Act
B) Government Performance and Results Act
C) False Claims Act
D) Whistleblower Protection Act
E) Administrative Procedure Act

Question 57

Which of the following is a similarity between an iron triangle and an issue network?

A) Both are independent and distinct.
B) Both have highly structured relationships among experts.
C) Both apply to all policy domains.
D) Both primarily formulate policies that cover environmental and welfare issues .
E) Both are made up of people with similar policy concerns.

Question 58

The three corners of the iron triangle in policymaking are:

A) the national, the state, and the local levels of government.
B) the media, the public, and the political parties.
C) Congress, the president, and the courts.
D) legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups.
E) the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the president.

Question 59

One belief that unites political conservatives in the United States is that:

A) the U.S. government cannot take control of private corporations in any situation.
B) the U.S. government does not have an agency with definite rules to protect its citizens abroad.
C) the United States has a relatively small federal budget compared to other countries.
D) the United States is the best example of a parliamentary system of government.
E) the United States suffers from excessive regulation.

Question 60

Under the False Claims Act, a private individual can pursue a claim in court if the Justice Department fails to proceed.

Question 61

In response to pressure for more government openness and disclosure, Congress passed the Government Performance and Results Act in 1997.

Question 62

The _________ was one of the three departments of the federal government that existed in 1789.

A) Department of State
B) Department of Labor
C Department of Justice
D) Department of Commerce

Question 63

The Constitution of the United States places the _________ under the judicial branch of the federal government.

A) National Security Council
B) United States Sentencing Commission
C) Office of the United States Trade Representative
D) White House Office

Question 64

Describe an independent regulatory agency. List the major independent regulatory agencies.

Question 65

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a(n) _________.

A) independent executive agency
B) independent regulatory agency
C) subagency of the Treasury Department
D) government corporation

Question 66

Discuss the laws that were passed to protect whistleblowers.

Question 67

In a government, a _________ is a government employee who carries out the policies of elected government officials.

A) covert agent
B) plaintiff
C) bailiff
D) bureaucrat

Question 68

Discuss the formation of the federal civil service.

Question 69

The Constitution of the United States places the _________ under the legislative branch of the federal government.

A) Office of Administration
B) Federal Judicial Center
C) Congressional Budget Office
D) National Security Council

Question 70

The Constitution of the United States places the _________ under the executive branch of the federal government.

A) Federal Judicial Center
B) Library of Congress
C) Congressional Budget Office
D) Office of Management and Budget

Question 71

Discuss some of the ways in which the government has attempted to improve efficiency in the bureaucracy.

Question 72

The _________ was created by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and it oversees promotions, employees' rights, and other employment matters for people working in the federal bureaucracy.

A) Office of Personnel Management
B) National Labor Relations Board
C) Merit Systems Protection Board
D) General Accounting Office

Question 73

In the context of the organization of the United States federal government, the Constitution places the _________ under the category of independent establishments and government corporations.

A) Office of Science and Technology Policy
B) National Credit Union Administration
C) United States Botanic Garden
D) United States Tax Court

Question 74

Discuss the requirements for making rules that should be met by regulatory agencies.

Question 75

An administrative agency rule that carries the same weight as a statute enacted by a legislature is known as _________.

A) an administrative regulation
B) a merit system
C) a legislative rule
D) enabling legislation