Question 1

The National Park Service is

Accepted Answer

A)   part of the Department of the Interior.
B)   part of the Department of Agriculture.
C)   part of the Department of Energy.
D)   an independent agency.
E)   a government corporation.

Question 2

By the 1980s, the average length of time it took to develop and implement an administrative rule was

Accepted Answer

A)   two weeks.
B)   one month.
C)   thirty-five to forty months.
D)   four years.
E)   six months.

Question 3

Which of the following is an agency created by Congress to assist it in overseeing the federal bureaucracy?

Accepted Answer

A)   General Accounting Office
B)   Office of White House Affairs
C)   Congressional Office on Legislative Affairs
D)   Office of Management and the Budget
E)   Congressional Oversight Office

Question 4

Making permanent cuts in existing agencies is often difficult because

Accepted Answer

A)   most agencies have a supportive constituency that will fight to reinstate any cuts that are made.
B)   the Constitution prevents cuts to federal agencies lasting longer than five years.
C)   every permanent cut to a federal agency must be reviewed by the Supreme Court before it can be put into effect.
D)   federal law requires that the government cut every agency equally.
E)   the vast majority of agencies have been given permanent "budgetary immunity" from the president that protects them from cuts.

Question 5

Public bureaucracies are powerful because

Accepted Answer

A)   they are not subject to control by the president or Congress.
B)   their actions cannot be overturned or challenged by courts.
C)   they have the power of both "the purse" and "the sword."
D)   legislatures, chief executives, and the people delegate vast power to them to make sure a particular job is done.
E)   every one of their employees is appointed for life.

Question 6

The "virtual fourth branch of government" refers to

Accepted Answer

A)   political parties.
B)   state governments.
C)   the bureaucracy.
D)   interest groups.
E)   government contracting.

Question 7

Describe the organizational structure of the federal bureaucracy. What are the differences between departments, agencies, and bureaus? Explain the lines of authority within the executive branch. How is the federal bureaucracy staffed, and how has this changed since the nineteenth century?

Accepted Answer

The organizational structure of the fede...

Question 8

Describe and evaluate the three primary proposals for reforming the federal bureaucracy. Give examples of each. What are some of the problems associated with each technique?

Accepted Answer

The three primary proposals for reformin...

Question 9

Devolution describes a process through which

Accepted Answer

A)   Congress gives up some of its power to the executive branch.
B)   the federal government is downsized by delegating the implementation of programs to state and local governments.
C)   state and local governments are downsized by delegating the implementation of programs to the federal government.
D)   the United States delegates some of its power to the UN.
E)   the federal government is downsized by completely cutting wasteful programs.

Question 10

Which of the following is not a task of the Treasury Department?

Accepted Answer

A)   printing currency
B)   managing the U.S. national debt
C)   setting interest rates
D)   administering fiscal policy
E)   ensuring deposits individuals make at federally qualifying banks

Question 11

Which of the following statements about congressional oversight of the bureaucracy is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)   The number of oversight hearings has decreased over time as the bureaucracy has expanded.
B)   While the number of oversight hearings has increased over time as the bureaucracy has expanded, the extent of oversight does depend somewhat on which party controls the White House.
C)   The number of oversight hearings has remained constant over time despite the fact that bureaucracy has expanded.
D)   While the number of oversight hearings has increased over time as the bureaucracy has expanded, the extent of oversight does not depend on which party controls the White House.
E)   Oversight has been eliminated as a result of a 2005 Supreme Court decision.

Question 12

The head of a department is called the

Accepted Answer

A)   secretary.
B)   agency supervisor.
C)   service administrator.
D)   chief executive officer.
E)   director.

Question 13

Before the Civil Service Act of 1883, how were government appointments handled?

Accepted Answer

A)   Appointments were made on the basis of merit.
B)   Appointments were made on the basis of seniority.
C)   Appointments were made to political supporters as part of a spoils system.
D)   The Civil Service Act of 1883 created the first federal bureaucracy.
E)   The president or his staff appointed all civil servants.

Question 14

Which of the following is a government corporation?

Accepted Answer

A)   the National Park Service
B)   the U.S. Postal Service
C)   the Department of Defense
D)   the Federal Bureau of Investigation
E)   the Department of Agriculture

Question 15

The politics of the IRS are interesting because

Accepted Answer

A)   it is the one government agency that does not have to obey court orders.
B)   the IRS is the most popular agency in all of government, and this popularity leads almost all Americans to comply with the agency's rules.
C)   Congress, the president, and the Treasury Department have little to no influence over the taxation decisions made by the IRS.
D)   influence over tax decisions regarding exemptions is spread broadly throughout the fifty states and is not concentrated in any one area or among any one group.
E)   contrary to popular perceptions, key tax decisions regarding exemptions are made by Congress, the president, and the Treasury Department rather than by the IRS itself.

Question 16

The Reagan administration terminated several government agencies during the 1980s.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which statement is the definition of privatization?

Accepted Answer

A)   a way to shrink the federal budget by selling government services or property in the private sector
B)   a way to reduce government costs by relocating government programs to private groups or corporations
C)   a way to reduce big government by doing without some of the programs it once provided
D)   a way to increase the government's role by purchasing private companies
E)   a way to reduce government costs by lowering the amount of benefits paid out to private citizens

Question 18

The concept of oversight refers to the effort made by

Accepted Answer

A)   Congress to make executive agencies accountable for their actions.
B)   the president to make Congress accountable for its actions.
C)   the courts to make the legislative and executive branches responsible for their actions.
D)   the states to make the federal government responsible for its actions.
E)   the people to make federal government responsible for its actions.

Question 19

The largest subunits of the federal executive branch are called

Accepted Answer

A)   agencies.
B)   units.
C)   departments.
D)   states.
E)   collectives.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a federal department entrusted with providing national security?

Accepted Answer

A)   Defense
B)   State
C)   Police
D)   Justice
E)   Homeland Security

Exam 14: Bureaucracy in a Democracy

Before the Civil Service Act of 1883, how were government appointments handled?

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The National Park Service is

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By the 1980s, the average length of time it took to develop and implement an administrative rule was

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which statement is the definition of privatization?

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Making permanent cuts in existing agencies is often difficult because

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Describe and evaluate the three primary proposals for reforming the federal bureaucracy. Give examples of each. What are some of the problems associated with each technique?

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe three primary proposals for reformin...View AnswerShow Answer

The concept of oversight refers to the effort made by

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The Reagan administration terminated several government agencies during the 1980s.

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Describe the organizational structure of the federal bureaucracy. What are the differences between departments, agencies, and bureaus? Explain the lines of authority within the executive branch. How is the federal bureaucracy staffed, and how has this changed since the nineteenth century?

Correct AnswerAnswered by ExamLex AIThe organizational structure of the fede...View AnswerShow Answer

Which of the following is not a federal department entrusted with providing national security?

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The largest subunits of the federal executive branch are called

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The head of a department is called the

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Which of the following statements about congressional oversight of the bureaucracy is most accurate?

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Which of the following is not a task of the Treasury Department?

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Which of the following is an agency created by Congress to assist it in overseeing the federal bureaucracy?

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Devolution describes a process through which

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The politics of the IRS are interesting because

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The "virtual fourth branch of government" refers to

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Which of the following is a government corporation?

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Public bureaucracies are powerful because

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The three primary proposals for reformin...
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The organizational structure of the fede...
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