Question 1

When a regulatory agency seems to identify more closely with the industry it is regulating than with the interests of the people, it is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  iron triangles. 
B)  policy subsystems. 
C)  agency capture. 
D)  overhead democracy.

Question 2

The five characteristics of bureaucracy developed by Weber apply only to public (i.e., government) bureaucracies.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

The assassination of President Garfield was a major political factor in the passage of the Pendleton Act, which formally ended the "spoils system."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Bureaucratic appointments made based on technical expertise and skills rather than political allegiances are an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  the spoils system. 
B)  the merit system. 
C)  patronage. 
D)  nepotism.

Question 5

Systematically monitoring bureaucracy to ensure that it is acting in accordance with democratically expressed preferences is

Accepted Answer

A)  fire alarm oversight. 
B)  Police patrol oversight. 
C)  adjudication. 
D)  none of the above.

Question 6

Which of the following was the most recently created agency in the Executive Office of the President?

Accepted Answer

A)  Department of Homeland Security 
B)  National Security Council 
C)  Council of Economic Advisers 
D)  Drug Enforcement Agency

Question 7

Because members of Congress have powerful electoral incentives to ensure that their laws are being implemented as intended, "police patrol" oversight is the most common approach to oversight of the bureaucracy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The term "street level bureaucrat" reflects the power of lower-level bureaucrats to informally define policy through their enforcement decisions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The stereotype that the federal bureaucracy is ineffective and incompetent

Accepted Answer

A)  is generally supported by systematic research. 
B)  is true for agencies that administer welfare programs, but not true for the Foreign Service and the military. 
C)  is largely inaccurate. 
D)  was accurate until President George W. Bush reformed the federal government to run like a business.

Question 10

A Congressional hearing called in response to evidence of bureaucratic wrongdoing is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  police patrol oversight. 
B)  adjudication. 
C)  barn door oversight. 
D)  fire alarm oversight.

Question 11

Reactive oversight of the bureaucracy, in which elected officials only check up on agency performance when there is evidence of wrongdoing, is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  fire alarm oversight. 
B)  Police patrol oversight. 
C)  ambulance chaser oversight. 
D)  the public advocate role.

Question 12

Unelected bureaucrats working in regulatory agencies have the power to issue rules that carry the force of law and to enforce those rules in court-like proceedings that determine guilt and impose punishments.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Federal bureaucracies are political institutions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Organizing public agencies along bureaucratic lines helps ensure

Accepted Answer

A)  efficiency. 
B)  equal treatment. 
C)  profitability. 
D)  all of these.

Question 15

____ occurs when work is assigned according to a task specialization.

Accepted Answer

A)  Organization centralization 
B)  Inefficiency 
C)  Profitability 
D)  Division of labor

Question 16

The active oversight of the bureaucracy by elected officials to make sure that agency performance is meeting public expectations is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  fire alarm oversight. 
B)  Police patrol oversight. 
C)  ambulance chaser oversight. 
D)  the public advocate role.

Question 17

The GS system

Accepted Answer

A)  Establishes a meritocracy for government workers 
B)  Operates fairly and efficiently 
C)  Ensures step-wise salary increases on a regular basis 
D)  Shows how bloated the bureaucracy has become

Question 18

When elected officials, who are chosen by the people, conduct bureaucratic oversight, they are engaging in

Accepted Answer

A)  overhead democracy. 
B)  stealth democracy. 
C)  interbranch meddling. 
D)  pluralism.

Question 19

_______ established the first merit system for the federal bureaucracy.

Accepted Answer

A)  Andrew Jackson 
B)  The Pendleton Act 
C)  Franklin Roosevelt 
D)  The Garfield Rule

Question 20

The advantages or organizing public agencies along bureaucratic lines include

Accepted Answer

A)  stability. 
B)  impartiality. 
C)  predictability. 
D)  all of these.

Exam 14: The Bureaucracy

When a regulatory agency seems to identify more closely with the industry it is regulating than with the interests of the people, it is an example of

The five characteristics of bureaucracy developed by Weber apply only to public (i.e., government) bureaucracies.

The assassination of President Garfield was a major political factor in the passage of the Pendleton Act, which formally ended the "spoils system."

Bureaucratic appointments made based on technical expertise and skills rather than political allegiances are an example of

Systematically monitoring bureaucracy to ensure that it is acting in accordance with democratically expressed preferences is

Which of the following was the most recently created agency in the Executive Office of the President?

Because members of Congress have powerful electoral incentives to ensure that their laws are being implemented as intended, "police patrol" oversight is the most common approach to oversight of the bureaucracy.

The term "street level bureaucrat" reflects the power of lower-level bureaucrats to informally define policy through their enforcement decisions.

The stereotype that the federal bureaucracy is ineffective and incompetent

A Congressional hearing called in response to evidence of bureaucratic wrongdoing is an example of

Reactive oversight of the bureaucracy, in which elected officials only check up on agency performance when there is evidence of wrongdoing, is known as

Unelected bureaucrats working in regulatory agencies have the power to issue rules that carry the force of law and to enforce those rules in court-like proceedings that determine guilt and impose punishments.

Federal bureaucracies are political institutions.

Organizing public agencies along bureaucratic lines helps ensure

____ occurs when work is assigned according to a task specialization.

The active oversight of the bureaucracy by elected officials to make sure that agency performance is meeting public expectations is known as

The GS system

When elected officials, who are chosen by the people, conduct bureaucratic oversight, they are engaging in

_______ established the first merit system for the federal bureaucracy.

The advantages or organizing public agencies along bureaucratic lines include