Exam 14: The Bureaucracy

In 1966, the _________ Act established a procedure by which ordinary citizens can request documents and reports from the federal government directly by paying a nominal fee, so long as the documents are not classified.

Discuss the reasons for the major growth of the bureaucracy. In your opinion, is it too big? Why or why not?

In response to the mistrust of the federal government that grew out of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, in 1976, Congress enacted the _________ Act, which tried to increase transparency by requiring that government agencies hold open forums to allow the public to comment on their decisions, regulations, and performance.

Describe what regulatory agencies do.

Trace the expansion of executive branch departments.

As a direct response to the energy crisis of the early 1970s, the Department of _________ was created in 1977 to promote fuel conservation as well as the development of alternatives to fossil fuels, including nuclear, ethanol, and solar power.

Who bears the ultimate responsibility to voters for upholding the performance of the bureaucracy?

Most cabinet members are _________, as they head departments and act as chief advisers to the president on the issues under their jurisdiction.

________ has the authority to create a cabinet-level department.

Federal employees appointed by the president to oversee civil service employees are called

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an example of a(n)

Explain the role of the Senior Executive Service.

The organization created by the Pendleton Act to administer entrance exams for the federal civil service and set standards for promotion based on merit is known as the

Discuss the oversight roles of the legislative and judicial branches of government regarding the bureaucracy.

To encourage cooperation between political appointees and civil servants, and to make sure that each was held accountable for decision making, President Carter proposed the _________ Act of 1978. This act created the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to oversee both categories of federal employees.

_________, gives the president broad powers to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."

The Civil Service is designed to protect employees from

Explain the costs and benefits of the privatization of federal services.

The splitting of the departments of Commerce and Labor into two separate departments in 1903 was done due to

Which German sociologist described bureaucracies as highly rational organizations that enabled large numbers of people to get difficult jobs done efficiently?