American Government Brief 14th Edition Ansolabehere Test Bank

American Government Brief 14th
Edition Ansolabehere Test Bank

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CHAPTER 7: The Executive Branch
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. What is a bureaucracy?
a. the place where bureaus are made
b. the loose network of presidential staffers and political consultants who sets the course of
the nation
c. all the people who work for the government
d. the partnership between congressional committees, agencies, and organized interests
e. the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that are
employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate the work of their personnel
ANS: E DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Remembering
2. What are the actual offices, tasks, and principles of organization that are employed to coordinate
the work of personnel called?
a. polity d. bureaucracy
b. regime e. republican government
c. delegacy
ANS: D DIF: Easy TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Remembering
3. What is the key to effective bureaucracy?

a. flexibility d. generalized functions
b. division of labor e. swift adaptation
c. representative power
ANS: B DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Remembering
4. As bureaucracies develop, these organizations often approximate the shape of a

a. circle. d. rectangle.
b. square. e. pentagon.
c. pyramid.
ANS: C DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Remembering
5. Why does bureaucracy make government possible?

a. It makes for the efficient implementation of policy and allows a credible commitment to
the long-term existence of a policy.
b. It takes the power to implement policy from the hands of corrupt politicians and places it
in the hands of bureaucrats.
c. It increases the responsiveness of the government to the wishes of the people.
d. It removes politics from the policy-making process, putting apolitical bureaucrats in
charge instead of politicians.
e. The workforce of government employees provides a powerful political force for
expanding government spending.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Understanding
6. Which of the following is a constraint that government bureaucrats face to a greater degree than
private (business) bureaucrats?
a. Government bureaucrats are often not allowed to keep a thorough paper trail.
b. Government bureaucrats are subject to much greater public scrutiny.
c. Government bureaucrats may not make Freedom of Information Act requests.
d. Government bureaucrats do not have to conform to the same strict standards for hiring and
firing as private bureaucrats do.
e. Government bureaucrats must consider the effects of their decisions on company stock
prices.
MSC: Remembering
7. The primary task of bureaucracy is

a. systems analysis. d. public relations.
b. coordination. e. maximization.
c. implementation.
MSC: Remembering
8. What are the efforts of departments and agencies to translate laws into specific bureaucratic
routines called?
a. lex republica d. implementation
b. effectuation e. codification
c. calcification
ANS: D DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Remembering
9. A form of implementation in which bureaucrats try to discern and carry out the intention of their
political superiors is known as
a. undersight. d. representation.
b. adjudication. e. elucidation.
c. interpretation.
MSC: Remembering
10. After the rules for a federal public agency are approved, where are they published?
a. National Record d. Congressional Record
b. Federal Register e. U.S. Regulatory Code
c. Washington Post
MSC: Remembering
11. After the rules for a federal public agency are approved, they
a. supersede prior Supreme Court decisions.
b. establish minimum standards for state-level regulation.
c. are read aloud to the U.S. House and Senate.
d. must be accepted by a referendum of affected industries and agencies.
e. have the force of law.
ANS: E DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Remembering
12. When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) specified that the congressional mandate to
provide clean drinking water would be interpreted as meaning water could have no more than .01
microgram per liter of arsenic and still be considered safe for drinking, it exercised the power of
a. rule making. d. administrative adjudication.
b. bureaucratic oversight. e. veto authority.
c. discretionary effectuation.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Applying
13. A quasi-legislative administrative process that produces regulations by government agencies is

a. rule making. d. implementation.
b. effectuation. e. stare decisis.
c. adjudication.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Remembering
14. The U.S. Forest Service’s ban on road building and development in national forests is an example
of
a. oversight. d. administrative adjudication.
b. rule making. e. executive legislation.
c. administrative evil.
MSC: Applying
15. The application of rules and precedents to specific cases to settle disputes with regulated parties is
a. oversight. d. administrative adjudication.
b. rule making. e. civilian law.
ANS: D DIF: Easy TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?
MSC: Remembering
16. In the process of administrative adjudication, executive agencies act essentially like a(n)
a. legislature. d. interest group.
b. court. e. therapist.
c. police agency.
MSC: Remembering
17. Some bureaucracies are intended to promote, serve, or represent a particular interest. What is the
general term for this type of department or bureau?
a. advocacy institution d. clientele agency
b. constituent liaison e. interest group
c. ombudsman
ANS: D DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Understanding
18. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security are both examples of the
________ level of bureaucracy.
a. bureau d. government corporation
b. cabinet department e. committee
c. independent agency
ANS: B DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Applying
19. In the United States, the head of a cabinet-level department is usually called a(n)
a. general. d. chief adviser.
b. minister. e. ambassador.
c. secretary.
ANS: C DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
20. The highest level of responsibility for specialized programs like the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and the U.S. Forest Service generally rests
a. at the bureau level. d. with the general counsel.
b. at the cabinet level. e. with the Supreme Court.
c. with the judicial officer.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
21. The United States Post Office is an example of which type of bureaucratic structure?
a. cabinet department d. independent regulatory commission
b. independent agency e. pyramid scheme
c. government corporation
ANS: C DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Applying
22. A type of government agency that is outside the departmental structure but operates more like a
private business that charges for its services is called a(n)
a. cabinet department. d. independent regulatory commission.
b. independent agency. e. government contractor.
c. government corporation.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
23. A governmental agency set up by Congress outside the departmental structure altogether is known
as a(n)
b. independent agency. e. rogue agency.
c. shell corporation.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
24. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is most accurately classified as a(n)
b. independent agency. e. government contractor.
ANS: B DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Applying
25. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is not part of a cabinet department, is most
accurately classified as a(n)
a. distinct bureau. d. independent regulatory commission.
b. multinational corporation. e. independent agency.
ANS: E DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Applying
26. An agency with broad discretion to make rules and the expertise and time to promulgate them is
called a(n)
a. cabinet department. d. nonprofit agency.
b. independent agency. e. independent regulatory commission.
ANS: E DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
27. In 1887, Congress established the __________ as the first independent regulatory agency.
a. Transportation Administration
b. Interstate Commerce Commission
c. Railroad Trust and Oversight Authority
d. Industry Safety and Accountability Board
e. National Institute for Standards and Technology
Organized?
MSC: Applying
28. A department or bureau of government whose mission is to promote, serve, or represent a

particular interest is called a(n) __________ agency.
a. welfare d. regulatory
b. revenue e. interest
c. clientele
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
29. The Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Labor, and Commerce, each designed to serve or
represent a particular set of interests, are most accurately classified together as
a. welfare agencies. d. regulatory agencies.
b. revenue agencies. e. government corporations.
c. clientele agencies.
Organized?
MSC: Applying
30. What do the authors of the text mean when they suggest clientele agencies provide “functional
representation”?
a. Clientele agencies are held accountable by their clients if they fail to represent them
properly.
b. Clientele agencies learn the interests and needs of their clients and then advocate for them
in Washington.
c. Clientele agencies are composed of individuals that match the characteristics of their
clients.
d. Clientele agencies serve as trustees and do what they think is right for their clients,
regardless of the clients’ expressed interests.
e. Clients vote for members of the clientele agency to ensure they adequately represent the
clients’ interests.
Organized?
MSC: Understanding
31. Most clientele agencies locate a relatively large proportion of their total personnel in
a. Washington, D.C., to be close to the center of national governance.
b. field offices dealing directly with those they serve.
c. New York to be near the nation’s financial sector.
d. the central states to support agricultural initiatives.
e. overseas embassies to promote foreign trade.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
32. What is the most important revenue agency in the United States today?
a. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) d. Division of Taxation
b. Department of the Treasury e. Federal Reserve System
c. Federal Reserve Bank
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
33. As long as the United States is not in a state of insurrection, who is tasked with conducting most of
the nation’s internal security?
a. National Security Service
b. Department of State
c. Agency for Internal Security
d. Department of Defense
e. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security
ANS: E DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
34. The primary task of the State Department is
a. research. d. state and local relations.
b. diplomacy. e. assassination.
c. military planning.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
35. Which two agencies take center stage among agencies for external national security?
a. the State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
b. the State Department and the Department of Defense
c. the Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
d. the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security
e. the Department of State and the Department of International Affairs
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
36. The primary political problem with the United States military is
a. incompetence.
b. pork-barrel politics.
c. maintenance of civilian control.
d. undue interference with the democratic process.
e. declining marksmanship in the American population.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
37. The bureaucracy ensures political support among elected officials by locating military bases,
contracts, facilities, and jobs in the various states and districts from which the legislators are
elected according to the
a. seeding theorem. d. law of benefit dispersion.
b. fertilizer principle. e. geographic decentralization.
c. distributive tendency.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
38. A department, bureau, or independent agency whose primary mission is to eliminate or restrict
certain behaviors defined as negative (either in themselves or in their consequences) is called a(n)
a. independent commission.
b. social agency.
c. regulatory agency.
d. agency for the maintenance of the union.
e. prohibitive agency.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
39. Rules made by regulatory agencies and commissions are referred to as
a. statutory law. d. bureaucratic adjudication.
b. civil ordinances. e. lex agencia.
c. administrative legislation.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
40. Which type of agencies influence the amount of money in the economy, who has money, who has
credit, and the incentives for saving and spending?
a. agencies of redistribution
b. agencies for the maintenance of the union
c. clientele agencies
d. regulatory agencies
e. Robin Hood agencies
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
41. Where is the administration of fiscal policy primarily performed?

a. in the Treasury Department
b. in the Federal Reserve System
c. in the Office of Management and Budget
d. in the Securities and Exchange Commission
e. in the Bureau of Appropriations
ANS: A DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
42. Which of the following is an example of a government department agency that is both an agency
for the maintenance of the Union and a fiscal agency?
a. Treasury Department
b. Federal Reserve System
c. Congressional Budget Office
d. Securities and Exchange Commission
e. Bureau of the Budget
Organized?
MSC: Applying
43. Which federal agency has authority over the credit rates and lending activities of the nation’s most
important banks?
a. Treasury Department d. Securities and Exchange Commission
b. Federal Reserve System e. Department of the Interior
c. Internal Revenue Service
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
44. All of the following are tasks of the Treasury Department EXCEPT
a. managing the federal debt.
b. printing currency.
c. administering tax collection.
d. regulating interest rates to influence the supply of money to banks.
e. policing tax collection.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
45. Policies having to do with taxing and spending are generally referred to as
a. fiscal. d. pecuniary.
b. welfare. e. treasury.
c. monetary.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
46. Policies having to do with banks, credit, and currency are generally referred to as
a. fiscal. d. pecuniary.
b. welfare. e. treasury.
c. monetary.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
47. Which agency is responsible for adjusting the supply of money to the needs of banks in different
regions and for the commerce and industry in each region?
a. Treasury Department
b. Federal Reserve System
c. Internal Revenue Service
d. Securities and Exchange Commission
e. Department of the Interior
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
48. What is the largest federal welfare agency?

a. Department of Agriculture
b. Social Security Administration
c. Office of Medicare and Medicaid
d. Department of Health and Human Services
e. Department of Labor
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
49. The agency that administers the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program is the
a. Department of Agriculture.
b. Social Security Administration.
c. Department of Health and Human Services.
d. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
e. Department of the Interior.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
50. Which of the following is an example of a welfare agency?

a. Postal Service
b. Department of Welfare
c. Food and Drug Administration
d. Department of Health and Human Services
e. National Animal Welfare Office
ANS: D DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
51. Programs that require applicants to demonstrate that their total annual cash earnings fall below an
officially defined poverty line before they are eligible to receive public assistance are considered to
be
a. means-tested. d. subsistence-confirmed.
b. needs-certified. e. poverty-confirmed.
c. indigence-verified.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
52. The food stamp program, which is given only to individuals who can demonstrate that they meet
the needs-based criteria for the program, is an example of a program that is
a. means-tested. d. subsistence-confirmed.
b. needs-certified. e. threshold-compliant.
c. indigence-verified.
Organized?
MSC: Remembering
53. In his classic treatment of bureaucrats, economist William Niskanen proposed that, for purposes of
modeling bureaucratic behavior, a bureau chief or department head should be thought of as a(n)
a. expert in public relations. d. maximizer of his or her budget.
b. expert in public accounting. e. expert in human relations.
c. minimizer of his or her budget.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Remembering
54. Which of the following is a plausible motivation for explaining the budget-maximizing behavior of
bureaucrats?
a. to increase the stock price of the agency
b. to help the agency hire better lobbying firms and make contributions to members of
Congress
c. to attract budget resources that would otherwise go to their rival agencies
d. to help the department secretary finance his or her campaign for the presidency
e. to follow their belief in the importance of fulfilling the mission of the bureaucracy and
helping people in their communities
ANS: E DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Analyzing
55. By implementing the laws and policies passed by elected officials, bureaucrats can be seen as
a. principals of Congress and the presidency.
b. principals of the American people.
c. simple cogs in the machine with little influence on policy.
d. enablers of frequent sweeping change in public policy.
e. agents of Congress and the presidency.
ANS: E DIF: Easy TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Remembering
56. A situation in which an entity chooses to rely on another entity to perform a task or service for it
but risks not having the task done according to its wishes is sometimes called a(n)
a. principal-agent problem. d. owner-contractor dilemma.
b. deadbeat servant problem. e. rogue agency scenario.
c. master-slave dilemma.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Remembering
57. When bureaucratic implementation produces policy more to the liking of the bureaucracy than
originally legislated, but not so much as to trigger a political reaction from elected officials, that
phenomenon is known as
a. coalitional drift. d. administrative retargeting.
b. agency freedom. e. bureaucratic drift.
ANS: E DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Understanding
58. Which choice is an example of a powerful before-the-fact political weapon for controlling the
bureaucracy?
a. sunset provision d. appropriations process
b. procedural control e. congressional hearing
c. appointment process
ANS: C DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Applying
59. In 2013, President Obama nominated Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense to lead the Defense
Department. There was substantial controversy in the Senate regarding some of Hagel’s policy
positions, and a number of senators attempted to block Hagel’s confirmation, although he was
eventually approved by a vote of 58–41. This attempt to block Hagel’s confirmation is an example
of which type of control to address the principal-agent problem?
a. a before-the-fact control mechanism
b. a procedural control
c. an after-the-fact control mechanism
d. a control against coalitional drift
e. oversight control
ANS: A DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Applying
60. The 1921 Budget and Accounting Act conferred agenda-setting powers over the budget to the
president. This change in power over the budget helped create what is now known as
a. bureaucratic drift. d. the managerial presidency.
b. coalitional drift. e. the distributive tendency.
c. congressional oversight.
MSC: Remembering
61. Which factor has led to the expansion of the president’s capacity as manager-in-chief of the federal
bureaucracy?
a. The Supreme Court mandated an expansion of the White House to keep pace with
congressional development.
b. The expansion of Internet media required dozens of new media staffers to maintain
relations with news websites and maintain a social media presence.
c. The White House downsized the federal bureaucracy by delegating implementation of
programs to state and local governments.
d. The White House needed additional staff to follow through on presidential decisions.
e. Modern presidents spend an ever-increasing share of their time raising campaign funds, so
they delegate the task of monitoring agencies to White House staff.
MSC: Understanding
62. Which term defines congressional efforts to exercise control over the activities of bureaucratic
agencies in the executive branch through hearings, investigations, and other techniques?
a. oversight d. superintendence
b. regulation e. macro-management
c. invigilation
ANS: A DIF: Easy TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Remembering
63. In the U.S. House of Representatives, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence reviews the
performance of the Central Intelligence Agency in helping to prevent international terrorism. What
is this review known as?
a. grandstanding d. superintendence
b. regulation e. oversight
c. invigilation
ANS: E DIF: Easy TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Applying
64. The Department of Justice was recently involved in a scandal for secretly obtaining the phone
records of reporters from the Associated Press. Which of the following options is available to
Congress if it decides to investigate the scandal?
a. The House of Representatives could pass a resolution ordering the Central Intelligence
Agency to investigate the Department of Justice.
b. The House Judiciary Committee has the authority to fire employees of the Department of
Justice who were involved in the scandal.
c. The House Judiciary Committee could decide to hold public hearings and call individuals
from the Department of Justice to defend themselves publicly.
d. Congress could declare the attorney general and president of the United States guilty of
espionage and throw them in jail.
e. The House Judiciary Committee can file criminal charges against the Attorney General
and have the Capitol Police arrest him or her.
ANS: C DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Applying
65. An agency that does not actively monitor the businesses it regulates but instead waits for private
citizens or interest groups to raise questions about the actions of the businesses can be said to use
a. fire-alarm oversight. d. no oversight.
b. police patrol oversight. e. last-minute oversight.
c. random sampling.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Applying
66. What is the policy of reducing or eliminating regulatory restraints on the conduct of individuals or
private institutions called?
a. deregulation d. devolution
b. downsizing e. reorganizing
c. privatizing
ANS: A DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy
MSC: Remembering
67. Which term defines downsizing the federal bureaucracy by delegating the implementation of
programs to state and local governments?
a. devolution d. capitalization
b. outsourcing e. federalism
c. agentic shift
ANS: A DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy
MSC: Remembering
68. Which term defines a formerly public activity that is picked up under contract by a business
outside of government?
a. rightsizing d. capitalization
b. downsizing e. profiteering
c. privatization
ANS: C DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy
MSC: Remembering
TRUE/FALSE
1. Politicians delegate little power to bureaucrats.
ANS: F DIF: Easy TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

MSC: Remembering
2. By definition, bureaucrats work exclusively in government.
ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

MSC: Remembering
3. Bureaucracies take advantage of the division of labor to perform their tasks with greater efficiency.
ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

MSC: Remembering
4. Bureaucracy helps solve the problem of credibly committing to the long-term existence of a policy.

MSC: Remembering
5. Due to the power of public unions, far more constraints are imposed on private employees than
public bureaucrats.

MSC: Remembering
6. In contrast to their counterparts in private industry, public bureaucrats are required to maintain a
far more thorough paper trail.

MSC: Remembering
7. Bureaucracies can make rules that have the full force of law, just like laws passed by Congress.

MSC: Remembering
8. Bureaucrats typically leave the task of settling disputes to the courts or to Congress.

MSC: Remembering
9. Congress often deliberately delegates to an administrative agency the responsibility of lawmaking.

MSC: Remembering
10. The bureau level of the executive agency is higher in the federal hierarchy than a cabinet
department.
ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
11. All government agencies are part of cabinet departments.

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
12. The first independent regulatory commission was the Interstate Commerce Commission.
ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
13. Clientele agencies are designed to serve the broad interests of the country.

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
14. The agencies that collect taxes and handle money for the U.S. government are called pecuniary
agencies.

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
15. The Department of Justice is an agency for internal security.
ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
16. The Department of State is an agency for internal security.

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
17. Policies focused on banks, credit, and currency are called fiscal policies.

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
18. The single government agency responsible for all the programs making up the welfare state is the
Department of Human Services.

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
19. In August 1996, virtually all of the means-tested public assistance programs were abolished as a
national program and were devolved to the states.
ANS: T DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

Organized?
MSC: Remembering
20. Generally, bureaucrats care about their missions.
ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control

MSC: Remembering
21. Elections have negligible effect on the conditions for employment of bureaucrats in the United
States.
ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control
MSC: Remembering
22. The most powerful before-the-fact political weapon is the appointment power.
ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control

MSC: Remembering
23. Each expansion of the national government into new policies and programs in the twentieth
century was accompanied by a parallel restriction on the president’s management authority.

MSC: Remembering
24. The 1921 Budget and Accounting Act transferred agenda-setting power over the budget from the
president to Congress.

MSC: Remembering
25. Bureaucratic drift might be contained if Congress spent more of its time on oversight activities and
less of its time clarifying legislative intent.

MSC: Remembering
26. Police patrol oversight is more efficient than the fire-alarm variety given costs and the electoral
incentives of members of Congress.

MSC: Remembering
27. Despite attempts to control the growth of bureaucracy, the number of federal employees in the civil
service has grown exponentially over the past 30 years.
ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy

MSC: Remembering
28. The federal service has not been growing any faster than the economy or the rest of society.
ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy

MSC: Remembering
29. The only certain way to reduce the size of bureaucracy is to eliminate programs.
ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy

MSC: Remembering
30. Privatization is a euphemism for “termination.”

MSC: Remembering
31. Through privatization, the government terminates its obligation to provide goods and services.

MSC: Remembering
ESSAY
1. Is a federal government bureaucracy necessary? Why or why not?
ANS:
Yes. National policies do not administer themselves, and Congress and the president lack the
capacity to administer the laws without help. In addition to the sheer necessity of bureaucracy,
there are immense benefits to specialization—greater expertise and efficiency.
MSC: Evaluating
2. Describe how the executive branch of the American system of government is organized.
ANS:
1) Fifteen cabinet departments, subdivided into bureaus and then divisions

2) Independent agencies
3) Government corporations
4) Independent regulatory agencies
MSC: Analyzing
3. If you were hired as a public relations expert by the U.S. government to improve the public image
of the American bureaucracy, what specific recommendations would you make?
ANS:
This question asks for creativity. Here are some possibilities:
1) Humanize the bureaucrats themselves. Show them explaining why they chose the jobs
they have and how their actions improve the lives of others.
2) Highlight the benefits of bureaucratic actions, many of which may be taken for granted or
unnoticed.
3) Advertise popular programs within the government bureaucracy, such as cancer research.
MSC: Evaluating
4. What are the primary characteristics of bureaucracy? Is bureaucracy an efficient form of

organization?
ANS:
1) Delegation and monitoring from principals (like Congress) to an organized set of agents
2) Division of labor
3) A specialized labor force (with skills tailored to each job)
4) Routine procedures to follow
5) Cultivation of external clients
In terms of the question’s second half, answers will vary.

MSC: Evaluating
5. Are fears about unrestrained bureaucratic growth justified? What methods have been used to
reduce the size and the role of the federal bureaucracy? Analyze the effectiveness of these efforts.
ANS:
The fears are not really justified. Federal government workers have declined as a percentage of the
workforce since 1970. The number of employees has been steady for state governments, federal
civilian workers, and the military. The number of local government employees increased from
1946 to 2009 but has decreased since.
Methods used to reduce bureaucracy include the following:

• Terminating agencies: This is the only sure way, but it is politically difficult if an agency
has successfully cultivated external clients.
• Across-the-board-cuts: This approach is too blunt, hurting both popular and unpopular
agencies the same.
• Deregulation: Deregulation decreases the role of agencies on specific topics.
• Privatization: Privatizing agency functions can reduce the size of agencies, whether it
actually saves money or maintains a similar level of benefits is unclear.
• Devolution: Shifting responsibilities for policies to state or local governments may reduce
the size of one agency but increase it at the next, lower level.
MSC: Analyzing
6. What motivates bureaucratic behavior?
ANS:
According to William Niskanen, agencies seek to maximize their budgets. There are several
reasons they do so: to increase their own compensation, to increase their own professional
gratification, or to better achieve the department’s mission. To these ends, agencies may encourage
their interest group allies to lobby legislatures for additional funds, an arrangement the text calls
“cozy little triangles.”
MSC: Understanding
7. Do bureaucratic agencies make public policies, or do they simply implement executive orders and
laws made by Congress? Explain your answer.
ANS:
Agencies may have preferences of their own that differ from the expectations of Congress and the
president, creating the potential for bureaucratic drift from the initial mandate toward the agency’s
preferences. Bureaucratic drift may be facilitated by “cozy little triangles” of agencies, allied
interests, and committees in Congress that are allied with the same interests.
One approach to prevent this is before-the-fact controls: presidential appointments of loyal

directors and procedural controls built into the management system (e.g., annual budgeting). There
are also after-the-fact mechanisms: executive orders, or presidential directives to rewrite
regulations, and congressional efforts to change authorizing laws, hold investigative hearings, or
attach conditions to appropriations bills. In these efforts, a fire-alarm system of organized groups
that seek congressional assistance if they are dissatisfied by an agency aids Congress.
MSC: Understanding
8. Explain how private interests have often succeeded in turning the programs designed to regulate
their behavior to their advantage. How can citizens and political leaders ensure that regulatory
agencies act on behalf of the public interest?
ANS:
Organized interests have two resources that agencies desire. First, they can help, entertain, or even
bribe bureaucrats. Second, they can help agencies lobby legislatures.
Before-the-fact controls to regulate the interaction between bureaucrats and private interests can
prevent this scenario so there are no improper exchanges of benefits. This may include regulating
the career opportunities available to bureaucrats after they leave the agency so they do not receive
rewards for favors granted.
A second strategy is openness: full disclosure of agency deliberations, subject to evaluation by

Congress and the court system. This way, monitors outside the system can challenge any cozy
relationships.
MSC: Analyzing
9. How can an unelected bureaucracy remain accountable to the citizenry it is supposed to serve?
ANS:
MSC: Understanding
10. Who controls the bureaucracy?
ANS:
The text discusses the autonomy of agencies as a principal-agent problem. Agencies may have
preferences of their own that differ from the expectations of Congress and the president, creating
the potential for bureaucratic drift from the initial mandate toward the agency’s preferences.
Bureaucratic drift may be facilitated by “cozy little triangles” of agencies, allied interests, and
committees in Congress that are allied with the same interests.

MSC: Evaluating
11. How do public agencies maintain their base of power within government?
ANS:
1) Perform their jobs well.
2) Organized interests (businesses, interest groups, and lobbyists) can help agencies lobby
legislatures.
3) Another strategy is restraint. Legislators and presidents will act to rein in agencies that
exceed their mandate too much. A strategic agency may act on its own preferences but stay
within the bounds set by Congress and the president.
4) Strategically locate facilities and distribute benefits across states and congressional
districts.
MSC: Understanding
12. How have U.S. presidents attempted to reform the federal bureaucracy? Have they been
successful?
ANS:
Methods used include the following:
agencies the same.
MSC: Evaluating
13. Should bureaucracy be reduced? How could we go about doing so?
ANS:
There is no real reason to reduce bureaucracy. Federal government workers have declined as a
percentage of the workforce since 1970. The number of employees has been steady for state
governments, federal civilian workers, and the military. The number of local government
employees increased from 1946 to 2009 but has decreased since.
However, here are some reduction methods used before:

agencies the same.
MSC: Evaluating
14. Describe a personal experience you have had with a federal bureaucratic agency. Overall, was your
experience pleasant or unpleasant? Helpful or unhelpful?
ANS:
Answers will vary.
MSC: Creating
15. Explain the principal-agent problem as it relates to congressional delegation of power to

bureaucratic agents and the ways in which Congress attempts to control bureaucracy.
ANS:
Agencies may have preferences of their own that differ from the expectations of Congress and the
president, creating the potential for bureaucratic drift from the initial mandate toward the agency’s
preferences. Bureaucratic drift may be facilitated by “cozy little triangles” of agencies, allied
interests, and committees in Congress that are allied with the same interests.

MSC: Analyzing

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3. What is the key to effective bureaucracy?

4. As bureaucracies develop, these organizations often approximate the shape of a

5. Why does bureaucracy make government possible?

7. The primary task of bureaucracy is

13. A quasi-legislative administrative process that produces regulations by government agencies is

28. A department or bureau of government whose mission is to promote, serve, or represent a

41. Where is the administration of fiscal policy primarily performed?

48. What is the largest federal welfare agency?

50. Which of the following is an example of a welfare agency?

1. Politicians delegate little power to bureaucrats.

ANS: F DIF: Easy TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

2. By definition, bureaucrats work exclusively in government.

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

9. Congress often deliberately delegates to an administrative agency the responsibility of lawmaking.

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Does Bureaucracy Work?

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

11. All government agencies are part of cabinet departments.

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

15. The Department of Justice is an agency for internal security.

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

16. The Department of State is an agency for internal security.

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

ANS: T DIF: Difficult TOP: CH07 - How Is the Executive Branch

20. Generally, bureaucrats care about their missions.

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - The Problem of Bureaucratic Control

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy

ANS: T DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy

30. Privatization is a euphemism for “termination.”

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy

ANS: F DIF: Moderate TOP: CH07 - Reforming the Bureaucracy

1. Is a federal government bureaucracy necessary? Why or why not?

1) Fifteen cabinet departments, subdivided into bureaus and then divisions

4. What are the primary characteristics of bureaucracy? Is bureaucracy an efficient form of

In terms of the question’s second half, answers will vary.

Methods used to reduce bureaucracy include the following:

6. What motivates bureaucratic behavior?

One approach to prevent this is before-the-fact controls: presidential appointments of loyal

A second strategy is openness: full disclosure of agency deliberations, subject to evaluation by

10. Who controls the bureaucracy?

One approach to prevent this is before-the-fact controls: presidential appointments of loyal

13. Should bureaucracy be reduced? How could we go about doing so?

However, here are some reduction methods used before:

15. Explain the principal-agent problem as it relates to congressional delegation of power to

One approach to prevent this is before-the-fact controls: presidential appointments of loyal

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