The trend in congressional oversight has been toward fewer hearings over time.
answer
False
question
In which branch of the government is the bureaucracy located?
answer
executive
question
Why is it often harder to implement reforms in government agencies than in private companies?
answer
Public agencies are held to a much higher standard of accountability.
question
Which of the following statements about the size and growth of the federal bureaucracy are accurate?
answer
The federal civilian workforce has decreased over the last 60 years.
Several recent presidents have made a point of campaigning against the size of the federal workforce.
question
Which of the following statements about the findings of the 9/11 Commission is accurate?
answer
It resulted in a major consolidation of the intelligence gathering hierarchy.
question
Taxing and spending policies are also known as - policies, while those policies dealing with banks, credit, and currency are known as - policies.
answer
fiscal
monetary
question
Which of the following statements are true based on the graph?
answer
The amount of money spent by the federal government each year has increased substantially since 1960.
The amount of money spent by the federal government as a percentage of GDP has largely stayed the same since 1960.
question
Which of the following cannot initiate oversight of executive branch bureaucracy?
answer
supreme court
question
The most sweeping changes to the civil service in the post-World War II era happened during Jimmy Carter's presidency.
answer
True
question
In 2015, the EPA fined Volkswagen billions of dollars for installing devices that helped their cars cheat on emissions tests. This is an example of the bureaucracy fulfilling which of its responsibilities?
answer
enforcing laws
question
Choose the statements that accurately describe an aspect of the use of devolution.
answer
Devolution of federal welfare programs has resulted in innovative, efficient programs in some states.
Devolution of federal welfare programs has resulted in their near disappearance in some states.
question
In several states, the state government has bid out the right to run the state's prison system to corporations and businesses. This is an example of what method of reducing government bureaucracy?
answer
privatization
question
Which of the following statements accurately describe the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
answer
It has been used to great effect by the private groups like the National Security Archive.
President Obama has encouraged agencies to release more documents under FOIA.
question
The Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, and the - are three agencies created by Congress to perform constant research on problems facing the executive branch.
answer
Congressional Budget Office
question
In which of the following ways can the rule-making process be influenced by politicians and interest groups?
answer
Interest groups
congress
courts
presidents
question
The Department of - contains the most federal employees. Of the two types of agencies, a federal employee is less likely to be part of -.
answer
Veterans Affairs
an independent agency than a Cabinet department.
question
Match each federal agency or bureau on the left to the type of agency or bureau it is an example of on the right.
answer
government corporation:
Amtrak
Independent regulatory commission:
CFPB
Independent agency:
NASA
EPA
question
Indicate whether the following activities are a responsibility of the Treasury Department or the Federal Reserve.
answer
Federal Reserve:
monetary policy
regulation of bank lending activities
Treasury Department:fiscal policy
printing of currency
question
In 1883, the - was passed in order to create the merit system for staffing the bureaucracy. It required appointees to be qualified based on -.
answer
civil service act
competitive examinations
question
Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the information presented in the preceding figure?
answer
Creating more competition for federal contracts does not necessarily lower government spending.
Contractor investment in lobbying does not see consistent growth over time.
question
Democrats favor privatization more than Republicans do.
answer
False
question
Despite its flaws, why does the White House defend the TSA?
answer
It provides necessary safety measures and does prevent attacks.
question
The largest concentration of federal workers do their job in -. The largest number of federal workers work in the Department of -.
answer
Washington D.C.
Veterans affairs
question
Which term describes the effort by Congress to use hearings, investigations, and other techniques to exercise control over the bureaucracy?
answer
oversight
question
The purpose of job protections for civil service employees is to protect them from political interference.
answer
True
question
In which of the following countries does the government employ a relatively high level of the workforce (more than 22 percent)?
answer
Norway
Ireland
question
Which of the following components make up an "iron triangle"?
answer
congressional committee
bureaucratic program or agency
interest group
question
These are the largest subunits of the executive branch. There are 15 of them, including Agriculture and State.
answer
departments
question
What was the goal of Bill Clinton's "National Performance Review"?
answer
make the federal bureaucracy more efficient and effective
question
Secretaries are the top officials within -, the largest subunits of the executive branch, while - have the broadest discretion to make rules and have been referred to as "mini-legislatures."
answer
departments
independent regulatory commissions
question
How did President George W. Bush differ from the previous five presidents in his strategy for altering the executive bureaucracy?
answer
He extended extreme political control over the bureaucracy, which he distrusted.
question
This independent agency is the key player in setting the nation's monetary policy.
answer
the federal reserve
question
In which of the following ways does the rule-making role of the federal bureaucracy differ from its law-enforcement role?
answer
The rule-making role happens before the law is implemented, while the law-enforcement role happens after a law is already in place.
question
Match the example on the left with the concept it demonstrates on the right.
answer
privatization:
the government increases the number of contractors it uses to carry out homeland security policies.
termination:
the defense base closure and realignment commission (BRAC) decides to close several military bases.
devolution:
the federal government passes responsibility for the implementation of welfare policies to the states.
question
Which of the following are ways that oversight of the bureaucracy can occur?
answer
members of congress carrying out casework
congressional hearings held about specific agencies
freedom of information act requests submitted by the public
question
Which of the following best describes the implementation role served by bureaucracies?
answer
to create and implement rules that translate vague laws into action
question
Despite Edward Snowden's leak of NSA documents, there has been no additional oversight of the agency since.
answer
False
question
In which of the following ways does devolution differ from privatization as a means of reforming the bureaucracy?
answer
Devolution moves the work to local governments; privatization moves the work to private companies.
question
Which of the following are examples of revenue agencies?
answer
the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives
the internal revenue service
question
Match the national security agency or department on the left to whether it primarily deals with internal security or external security on the right.
answer
external security:
department of state
department of defense
internal security:
federal bureau of investigations
department of homeland security
question
What category or type of agency is responsible for collecting taxes?
answer
revenue
question
Which of the following statements about regulatory agencies is accurate?
answer
A regulatory agency's power is given to it by Congress.
question
Which of the following statements about termination of the bureaucracy is correct?
answer
Very few presidents are able to successfully terminate a part of the bureaucracy
question
Choose all of the following ways that bureaucracies can pose a challenge to democratic governance.
answer
They are not elected by the people.
They can become entrenched organizations that serve their own interests.
They can interpret laws and create rules in ways that a majority might oppose.
question
Different parts of the bureaucracy often focus on national security, the economy, or public welfare. Match the department, agency, or office to the task that it primarily focuses on.
answer
national security:
department of state
economy:
federal reserve
internal revenue service
public welfare:
environmental protection agency
department of education
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