Chapter 8 American Government

10 January 2023
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40 test answers

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question
How are Cabinet secretaries similar to independent agency administrators?
answer
Both are nominated by the president.
question
What was the purpose of the Hatch Act (1939)?
answer
To prohibit federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.
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How do departments differ from independent agencies?
answer
Department heads are part of the president's Cabinet; agency heads are not.
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How do government corporations differ from private companies?
answer
Government corporations perform activities that private companies have little incentive to provide.
question
Currently, a major concern in regard to the federal workforce is _____.
answer
The large number of workers who will soon be eligible to retire.
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Which of the following is an example of the merit system?
answer
Agencies hiring people based on their performance on entrance exams.
question
Which of the following statements best describes Congress's influence over agency budgets?
answer
Congress has the authority to appropriate money to agencies.
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Under amendments to the Hatch Act (1939), federal employees are prohibited from _____.
answer
Running for partisan office.
question
Which of the following is a part of the federal bureaucracy?
answer
The Department of Defense.
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How did the Pendleton Act (1883) reform the system of hiring and firing of most federal employees?
answer
It required hiring and firing decisions to be based on merit rather than partisan loyalty.
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Which statement about the quasi-judicial decisions made by government agencies is accurate?
answer
They can be reviewed by federal courts.
question
The _____ was one of the three original executive branch departments in the U.S. government.
answer
Department of the Treasury.
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The civil service system (1883) was introduced with the passage of what law?
answer
The Pendleton Act.
question
What has been the effect of requirements that agencies conduct a formal hearing before issuing rules?
answer
The courts tend to give greater deference to agency decisions.
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Which of the following is a presidential role in the federal bureaucracy?
answer
Nominating people for some federal jobs.
question
What is the main purpose served by government corporations?
answer
Providing services that the private sector lacks a financial incentive to provide.
question
Federal law requires that agencies must take what step before issuing new rules and regulations?
answer
They must solicit public comments.
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Which of the following contributed to the growth of federal bureaucracy during the twentieth century?
answer
World War II.
question
Cabinet secretaries are nominated by ______ and confirmed by ______.
answer
The president; the Senate.
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The ______ consists of the departments, agencies, and offices within the executive branch that perform the functions of government.
answer
Bureaucracy.
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What is a major purpose of an independent regulatory commission?
answer
To regulate commerce.
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Which of the following is an example of an independent executive agency?
answer
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
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_____ are rules created by government agencies that determine how laws are implemented.
answer
Regulations.
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What is a goal common to both the Pendleton Act and the Hatch Act?
answer
Reducing the influence of partisan politics on the federal bureaucracy.
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How are interagency councils similar to policy coordinating committees?
answer
Both coordinate the activities of multiple agencies.
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Which law designates the steps that federal agencies must follow in issuing rules and regulations?
answer
The Administrative Procedures Act.
question
What is implementation?
answer
The process by which a law or policy is put into operation.
question
Congress and the president share which of the following powers over agencies and departments in the federal bureaucracy?
answer
The power to influence budgets.
question
Why did Franklin D. Roosevelt create hundreds of new government agencies?
answer
To create jobs and to regulate the economy and business practices.
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Why was the spoils system ultimately replaced by the civil service system?
answer
Due to growing concerns about a poorly functioning federal bureaucracy.
question
What role is the Environmental Protection Agency taking when it sets limits on air pollution from power plants?
answer
Regulation.
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Before 1883, how were government jobs awarded?
answer
Jobs were awarded based on applicants' loyalty to the party in power.
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Under the spoils system, who was awarded jobs in the federal bureaucracy?
answer
Those who helped candidates win election.
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Congress's watchdog over executive branch spending is ______.
answer
The General Accountability Office (GAO).
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_____ are working groups established to facilitate the coordination of policy making and implementation across a host of government agencies.
answer
Interagency councils.
question
Which of the following is an example of a government corporation?
answer
The Tennessee Valley Authority.
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Which of the following is a function of the federal bureaucracy?
answer
Implementing congressional statutes.
question
When did the largest growth in the federal workforce occur?
answer
World War II.
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How did Americans' attitudes about the role of government change as a result of the Great Depression and Roosevelt's New Deal?
answer
People became more accepting of the federal government's role in economic policy.
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Which was an influential factor in the expansion of the federal bureaucracy during the post-Civil War era?
answer
The growing incidence of price fixing and other unfair business practices.