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Chapter 13: The Federal Bureaucracy

Multiple-Choice Quiz

Multiple-Choice Quiz

Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

This activity contains 24 questions.

	Many of the most talented people in our society tend to stay away from working for government because:   civil servant exams are too hard. civil servants have so little prestige. civil servants are required to have advanced degrees. civil servants receive few benefits. civil servants are generally low-paid workers.

	Our bureaucracy:   has a standard pyramidal form. can be described as symmetrical, prudent, cohesive, and powerful. has few clear lines of control, responsibility, and accountability. was created at a single point in time. as recently evolved into an efficient, streamlined organization.

	Executive departments and officers are mentioned in the Constitution:   in a direct manner. only in an indirect, offhand way. in the Tenth Amendment. frequently. neither by number, kind, nor description.

	Which of the following is a fundamental cause of the transformation of the federal bureaucracy into a large entity with many employees and responsibilities?   a growing number of foreign wars changes in such structural factors as the U.S. economy, its population, and the role of the U.S. in the world changes in the Constitution change in party control of the Congress changes in government hiring policies

	Which of the following was created in 1913 to foster technological development, standardization, and business cooperation?   the Department of Justice the Department of Agriculture the Department of Labor the Department of Commerce the Department of the Treasury

	Monopoly practices in this industry triggered reform movements that resulted in new federal regulatory laws, of which the most important were the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) and the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890).   railroad newspaper shipping aerospace steel

	Which of the following was passed in 1906 in response to the horrors reported in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle?   Federal Reserve Act the Meat Inspection Act Department of Agriculture Department of Interior Animal Rights Act

	The event that forever changed how Americans thought about government and its responsibilities was:   World War II. the long Cold War with the Soviet Union. America's new role as a superpower. the Great Depression. the Vietnam War.

	On taking control of Congress after the 1994 elections, Republicans began to:   revive the spirit of Roosevelt and the New Deal. increase the number and scope of national bureaucratic agencies. rollback many of the national government's regulatory responsibilities and shift functions to the states. increase national financial aid to the states and shift functions to the national government. increase the prestige of government service.

	_______________ are agencies that operate in a market setting and are organized very much like a private company.   Bureaucracies Government corporations Departments Agencies Independent executive agencies

	The branch of the federal government that executes or carries out the law is the:   executive. legislative. judicial. regulatory. civil service.

	Law made by bureaucrats is called:   statutory law. ordinances. rules and regulations. civil law. executive law.

	_______________ positions, in theory at least, allow the president to translate his electoral mandate into public policy by permitting him to put his people in place in key policymaking positions.   Merit Patronage Privatization Ombudsman Network

	The Civil Service Act of 1883 is also known as the:   Interstate Commerce Act. Federal Reserve Act. Sherman Antitrust Act. Pendleton Act. Roosevelt Act.

	The agency that administers the civil service laws, advertises positions, writes examinations, and acts as a clearinghouse for agencies that are looking for workers, is the:   Office of Personnel Management. the Securities and Exchange Commission. the Merit Systems Protection Board. Office of Government Hiring. Department of Labor.

	The agency that settles disputes concerning employee rights and obligations, hears employee grievances, and orders corrective action is the:   Office of Personnel Management. Securities and Exchange Commission. Merit Systems Protection Board. Civil Service Commission. Department of Labor.

	Which of the following is NOT true about civil servants?   tend to be somewhat more Democratic and slightly more liberal than the national average tend to be somewhat more Republican and slightly more conservative than the national average women and minorities are over-represented in the very lowest civil service grades women and minorities are under-represented in the highest civil service grades women and minorities are very well represented

	Which of the following statements BEST describes the political beliefs and opinions of civil servants compared with the national average?   The views of civil servants are more Democratic and more conservative than those of the general population. The views of civil servants are slightly more Republican and somewhat more conservative than those of the general population. The views of civil servants are somewhat more Democratic and slightly more liberal than those of the general population. The views of civil servants are identical to those of the general population. The insulated nature of the civil service produces employees with widely different views compared to those of the general population.

	Why are the highest policymaking positions in the federal government not filled by competitive merit examinations but by presidential appointment?   This allows the president to translate his electoral mandate into public policy by permitting him to put his people in key policymaking jobs. Quality people who will do a good job usually can't be found within the ranks of the departments. Political appointments at this level are mandated by the Constitution. Congress will not allow career civil servants to be employed on this level. Inherent distrust exists between the presidency and the civil service.

	For the most part, public opinion controls the federal bureaucracy:   directly. indirectly and intermittently. at all times. only on Sundays. never.

	Bureaucratic agencies are heavily insulated against presidential efforts to control them because:   Congress tends to write very specific and rigid legislation that leaves little room for administrative discretion. of the control the executive branch holds over them. of agency alliances with powerful interest groups. None is correct. they usually represent the political party opposing the president.

	Which of the following is a factor which enables presidents to encourage bureaucratic compliance with his wishes?   The president can appoint justices to the federal courts. The president can veto legislation. The president can unilaterally disband executive departments. The president can appoint the most important policymaking officeholders. The president has all-encompassing power over the bureaucracy.

	What power does Congress use to control the federal bureaucracy?   its power of approving civil service promotions within the departments its power to override presidential vetoes its power to control the budgetary process its power to fire bureaucrats if their performance is not satisfactory Congress has no power of the bureaucracy.

	Which of the following strengthened requirements for financial disclosure by officials and prohibitions against conflicts of interest?   the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 the Freedom of Information Act of 1966 the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 the Twenty-Third Amendment

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