Question 1

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 
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 2

The main mission of the State Department is diplomacy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Which of the following was a way in which President Obama attempted to uphold his campaign promise to reduce government secrecy?

Accepted Answer

A)  making sure that every bill that was passed by Congress during his first term was put up on the White House website to be viewed by the public for at least five days before holding a vote 
B)  invoking the state secrets privilege to prevent lawsuits related to warrantless wiretapping and torture from going to trial 
C)  issuing an executive order designed to promote more rapid declassification of secret documents 
D)  repealing the USA PATRIOT Act 
E)  releasing a report by the Health and Human Services Department that indicated the health care reform law would actually increase the cost of health care and impose higher costs on consumers, even though this would make it harder for Congress to pass the bill 
A)  making sure that every bill that was passed by Congress during his first term was put up on the White House website to be viewed by the public for at least five days before holding a vote 
B)  invoking the state secrets privilege to prevent lawsuits related to warrantless wiretapping and torture from going to trial 
C)  issuing an executive order designed to promote more rapid declassification of secret documents 
D)  repealing the USA PATRIOT Act 
E)  releasing a report by the Health and Human Services Department that indicated the health care reform law would actually increase the cost of health care and impose higher costs on consumers, even though this would make it harder for Congress to pass the bill

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the merit system is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Every member and official of a government agency has been appointed as part of the merit system. 
B)  The merit system establishes competitive exams for jobs. 
C)  The merit system gives bureaucrats job protection. 
D)  The merit system in federal employment originated in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883. 
E)  The merit system stipulates that appointees to public office must be qualified for the job to which they are appointed. 
A)  Every member and official of a government agency has been appointed as part of the merit system. 
B)  The merit system establishes competitive exams for jobs. 
C)  The merit system gives bureaucrats job protection. 
D)  The merit system in federal employment originated in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883. 
E)  The merit system stipulates that appointees to public office must be qualified for the job to which they are appointed.

Question 5

What is a government corporation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Each department in the executive branch is legally registered as a corporation. 
B)  It is an agency that performs and charges for services usually provided by the private sector. 
C)  It is a private company, publicly traded, whose sole investor is the federal government. 
D)  It is a government agency that is charged by Congress to make a profit. 
E)  It is a government agency that is run primarily by business executives from the private sector. 
A)  Each department in the executive branch is legally registered as a corporation. 
B)  It is an agency that performs and charges for services usually provided by the private sector. 
C)  It is a private company, publicly traded, whose sole investor is the federal government. 
D)  It is a government agency that is charged by Congress to make a profit. 
E)  It is a government agency that is run primarily by business executives from the private sector.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about administrative rule making is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  All federal rules must be published in the Federal Register. 
B)  Both houses of Congress must formally approve all federal rules. 
C)  All federal rules must undergo a period of public comment. 
D)  All federal rules must prepare "environmental impact statements." 
E)  The length of time to develop an administrative rule from proposal to actual publication in the Federal Register increased between the 1970s and 1980s. 
A)  All federal rules must be published in the Federal Register. 
B)  Both houses of Congress must formally approve all federal rules. 
C)  All federal rules must undergo a period of public comment. 
D)  All federal rules must prepare "environmental impact statements." 
E)  The length of time to develop an administrative rule from proposal to actual publication in the Federal Register increased between the 1970s and 1980s.

Question 7

According to the text, which of the following is not a department responsible for promoting the public welfare?

Accepted Answer

A)  Department of Health and Human Services 
B)  Department of State 
C)  Department of the Interior 
D)  Department of Veterans Affairs 
E)  National Park Service 
A)  Department of Health and Human Services 
B)  Department of State 
C)  Department of the Interior 
D)  Department of Veterans Affairs 
E)  National Park Service

Question 8

Which of the following is not a clientele agency?

Accepted Answer

A)  the Internal Revenue Service 
B)  the Department of Veterans Affairs 
C)  the Department of Education 
D)  the Social Security Administration 
E)  the Department of Agriculture 
A)  the Internal Revenue Service 
B)  the Department of Veterans Affairs 
C)  the Department of Education 
D)  the Social Security Administration 
E)  the Department of Agriculture

Question 9

Since the 1970s, the federal government has established no new regulatory programs.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

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 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. 
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

At its peak in ______, the federal bureaucracy had ______ employees, not including military personnel.

Accepted Answer

A)  1936; 6 million 
B)  1968; 3 million 
C)  1982; 1 million 
D)  1996; 8 million 
E)  1994; 2 million 
A)  1936; 6 million 
B)  1968; 3 million 
C)  1982; 1 million 
D)  1996; 8 million 
E)  1994; 2 million

Question 13

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

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Which of the following statements about annual federal outlays is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has remained at essentially the same level every year since 1960. 
B)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has decreased significantly every year since 1960. 
C)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has increased significantly every year since 1960. 
D)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has experienced significant ups and downs over time. 
E)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has only increased once since 1960. 
A)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has remained at essentially the same level every year since 1960. 
B)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has decreased significantly every year since 1960. 
C)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has increased significantly every year since 1960. 
D)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has experienced significant ups and downs over time. 
E)  Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has only increased once since 1960.

Question 16

Which of the following was forced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission to recall several car models after identifying problems with their gas pedal accelerators?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ford 
B)  Honda 
C)  Toyota 
D)  GM 
E)  Lexus 
A)  Ford 
B)  Honda 
C)  Toyota 
D)  GM 
E)  Lexus

Question 17

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. 
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 18

During the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, how many federal agencies or programs were terminated?

Accepted Answer

A)  0 
B)  10 
C)  26 
D)  137 
E)  52 
A)  0 
B)  10 
C)  26 
D)  137 
E)  52

Question 19

The first regulatory agencies established by Congress were

Accepted Answer

A)  in the Department of Commerce. 
B)  independent regulatory commissions. 
C)  government corporations. 
D)  in the Labor Department. 
E)  within the Environmental Protection Agency. 
A)  in the Department of Commerce. 
B)  independent regulatory commissions. 
C)  government corporations. 
D)  in the Labor Department. 
E)  within the Environmental Protection Agency.

Question 20

Civil servants were given legal protection against being fired without a show of cause in order to

Accepted Answer

A)  meet the Constitution's strict requirements for the treatment of public employees. 
B)  force the bureaucracy to respond more to political pressures from parties, interest groups, and elected officials. 
C)  cleanse bureaucracy of political interference while upgrading performance. 
D)  end the abuses of the merit system. 
E)  enhance the public's trust in bureaucracy. 
A)  meet the Constitution's strict requirements for the treatment of public employees. 
B)  force the bureaucracy to respond more to political pressures from parties, interest groups, and elected officials. 
C)  cleanse bureaucracy of political interference while upgrading performance. 
D)  end the abuses of the merit system. 
E)  enhance the public's trust in bureaucracy.

Exam 14: Bureaucracy in a Democracy

Which of the following is a government corporation?

The main mission of the State Department is diplomacy.

Which of the following was a way in which President Obama attempted to uphold his campaign promise to reduce government secrecy?

Which of the following statements about the merit system is not true?

What is a government corporation?

Which of the following statements about administrative rule making is false?

According to the text, which of the following is not a department responsible for promoting the public welfare?

Which of the following is not a clientele agency?

Since the 1970s, the federal government has established no new regulatory programs.

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?

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

At its peak in ______, the federal bureaucracy had ______ employees, not including military personnel.

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

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

Which of the following statements about annual federal outlays is most accurate?

Which of the following was forced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission to recall several car models after identifying problems with their gas pedal accelerators?

The politics of the IRS are interesting because

During the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, how many federal agencies or programs were terminated?

The first regulatory agencies established by Congress were

Civil servants were given legal protection against being fired without a show of cause in order to

American Political Culture

The Founding and the Constitution

Federalism

Civil Liberties

Civil Rights

Public Opinion

The Media

Political Participation and Voting

Political Parties

Campaigns and Elections

Groups and Interests

Congress

The Presidency

The Federal Courts

Government and the Economy

Social Policy

Foreign Policy and Democracy

The Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas

The Texas Constitution

Parties and Elections in Texas

Interest Groups and Lobbying

The Texas Legislature

The Texas Executive Branch

The Texas Judiciary

Local Government in Texas

Public Policy in Texas

Filters

At its peak in , the federal bureaucracy had employees, not including military personnel.