Bureaucracy

Question 1

THE COST OF CONGESTION:
A)The Department of Transportation can write stronger regulations on freight volume.
B)The president can negotiate a treaty that would allow for increased imports of oil.
C)The House Committee on Energy and Commerce can hold a hearing on the cost of fuel.
D) The Supreme Court can overturn laws that regulate fuel economy.

Answer 1

A)The Department of Transportation can write stronger regulations on freight volume.

Question 2

THE COST OF CONGESTION:
A)Congress could raise money through gasoline taxes to address the issues shown in the infographic.
B)Congress could request that an iron triangle be formed to ensure that all bureaucratic solutions are heard prior to taking action.
C)Congress could remove the members of the cabinet who work on issues related to transportation.
D)Congress could have members of the Department of Transportation testify before a committee to discuss the issue and potential solutions.

Answer 2

D)Congress could have members of the Department of Transportation testify before a committee to discuss the issue and potential solutions.

Question 3

An advantage that bureaucrats in federal government have over the President in the policymaking process is that bureaucrats
A)control the budgetary process
B)have an independence from the President that is guaranteed by the Constitution
C)find it easier to marshall public support than does the President
D)usually have a continuity of service in the executive branch that the President lacks
E)have better access to the media than does the President

Answer 3

D)usually have a continuity of service in the executive branch that the President lacks

Question 4

A fundamental source of power for the federal bureaucracy lies in its
A)role in moving legislation out of subcommittees
B)role in mediating interstate conflicts
C)ability to convince Congress to fund most projects it supports
D)ability to mobilize public opinion in support of legislative initiatives
E)ability to set specific guidelines after receiving a general mandate from Congress

Answer 4

E)ability to set specific guidelines after receiving a general mandate from Congress

Question 5

All of the following are true about the relationship between regulatory agencies and the industries they regulate EXCEPT:
A)Agency employees are often recruited from the regulated industry.
B)Agencies often rely on support from regulated industries in making budget requests before Congress.
C)An agency’s relationship with a regulated industry may change when a new president takes office.
D)Agencies usually make decisions without consulting the regulated industry.
E)Agency employees often are employed by the regulated industry once they leave the agency.

Answer 5

D)Agencies usually make decisions without consulting the regulated industry.

Question 6

All of the following help to explain the President’s difficulty in controlling cabinet-level agencies EXCEPT.
A)Agencies often have political support from interest groups
B)Agency staff often have information and technical expertise that the President and presidential advisers lack
C)The President can only fire appointees before they have been confirmed by the Senate
D)Civil servants who remain in their jobs through changes of administration develop loyalties to their agencies
E)Congress is a competitor for influence over the bureaucracy

Answer 6

C)The President can only fire appointees before they have been confirmed by the Senate

Question 7

A policy that sets emission standards for automobiles is an example of
A)regulatory policy
B)judicial policy
C)fiscal policy
D)distributive policy
E)monetary policy

Answer 7

A)regulatory policy

Question 8

Which of the following is the best predictor of the Department of Education’s annual budget?
A)The preferences of the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee
B)The budget recommendations of the National Education Association
C)The rate of increase of teachers’ salaries
D)The number of children entering kindergarten
E)The size of the previous year’s budget

Answer 8

E)The size of the previous year’s budget

Question 9

Which of the following is likely to occur as a result of new legislation regarding automobile safety?
A)The Supreme Court will be asked to review the legislation annually.
B)States will be empowered to begin automobile manufacturing.
C)The Department of Transportation will be given discretionary authority to create auto regulations.
D)Mandatory spending will be required in all future federal budgeting for the program.

Answer 9

C)The Department of Transportation will be given discretionary authority to create auto regulations.

Question 10

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service will spend money appropriated by Congress to maintain wildlife refuges. This action is an example of
A)the power of the filibuster
B)congressional oversight of the bureaucracy
C)bureaucratic implementation of law
D)an unfunded mandate
E)an independent expenditure

Answer 10

C)bureaucratic implementation of law

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of bureaucratic rulemaking?
A)The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collecting back taxes with interest from citizens
B)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) writing a regulation to support a clean water bill
C)Congress passing legislation to establish the Department of Homeland Security
D)The federal government listing a business opportunity on its clearinghouse Web site for government contracts

Answer 11

B)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) writing a regulation to support a clean water bill

Question 12

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the process of bureaucratic?
A)The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs considers the credentials of a person nominated to serve as Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits.
B)The Department of Veterans Affairs rewrites its regulations regarding compensation and pensions into plain language that is easier for beneficiaries to understand.
C)The president signs Executive Order 13777 intended to “lower regulatory burdens on the American people by implementing and enforcing regulatory reform.”
D)The Supreme Court denies a writ of certiorari in Freddie H. Mathis v David J. Shulkin, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, which focused on veterans’ disability claims.

Answer 12

B)The Department of Veterans Affairs rewrites its regulations regarding compensation and pensions into plain language that is easier for beneficiaries to understand.

Question 13

Cabinet departments differ from independent regulatory agencies in which of the following ways?
A)The President can use an executive order to create a cabinet department but not to create an independent regulatory agency.
B)The President can dismiss cabinet officers, but not commissioners of independent regulatory agencies.
C)The President seeks appointees who reflect administration views in making cabinet appointments but not in making appointments to independent regulatory agencies.
D)Through the appropriations process, Congress can exert control over the cabinet departments but not over independent regulatory agencies.
E)The courts can overrule regulations issued by cabinet departments, but not those issued by independent regulatory agencies.

Answer 13

B)The President can dismiss cabinet officers, but not commissioners of independent regulatory agencies.

Question 14

Cabinet members often do not have a dominant influence on presidential decision-making because
A)cabinet members generally maintain close independent ties to Congress
B)cabinet members generally view their position only as a stepping-stone to further their own political ambitions
C)cabinet members are not permitted to disagree publicly with the President
D)presidential goals often conflict with the institutional goals of individual cabinet-level agencies
E)only half of all cabinet members can be members of the President’s party

Answer 14

D)presidential goals often conflict with the institutional goals of individual cabinet-level agencies

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why cabinet secretaries might not aggressively pursue the president’s policy agenda?
A)Cabinet secretaries are unlikely to be members of the president’s party.
B)Cabinet secretaries may develop strong loyalty to their departments.
C)Cabinet secretaries are likely to compete with the president in a subsequent election.
D)Under the Hatch Act, cabinet secretaries are prohibited from campaigning on behalf of the president.
E)The Freedom of Information Act compels cabinet secretaries to divulge confidential information to the media.

Answer 15

B)Cabinet secretaries may develop strong loyalty to their departments.

Question 16

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a formal check on the power of the bureaucracy?
A)A lobbyist representing the National Rifle Association refusing to meet with employees from the Department of Homeland Security
B)The secretary of defense being called to testify before a congressional committee
C)The White House chief of staff being formally censured by the president for publicly speaking out against the president’s policy goals
D)A federal judge being impeached for making legal decisions based on bribes

Answer 16

B)The secretary of defense being called to testify before a congressional committee

Question 17

Federal Civilian employee salaries-
A)Members of Congress can increase congressional salaries, but only for the next Congress.
B)Congress can pass legislation that influences the federal salary structure.
C)Congress can cut funding for federal programs, which would lead to a decrease in salaries.
D)Congress can enforce a regulation that addresses wage increases.

Answer 17

B)Congress can pass legislation that influences the federal salary structure.

Question 18

Federal Civilian employee salaries-
A) Through the role of chief executive officer of the executive branch, the president can determine salary grades of federal employees.
B)The president has the power to formally introduce appropriations bills in the House of Representatives which can determine salary grades of federal employees.
C)The president as commander in chief can issue executive orders to modify the salary grades of federal employees.
D)The president has the authority to issue signing statements to determine the salary grades of federal employees.

Answer 18

A) Through the role of chief executive officer of the executive branch, the president can determine salary grades of federal employees.

Question 19

Which of the following pairs accurately identifies the methods used by Congress and the president to hold the bureaucracy accountable to the other branches?-
A)Congress: Holding a committee hearing
President:Appointing a Cabinet

B)Congress: Using the power of the purse to control spending
President: Negotiating a treaty

C) Congress: Firing civil servants
President: Exercising power as commander in chief

D) Congress: Meeting in a congressional caucus
President: Attaching a signing statement to legislation

Answer 19

A)Congress: Holding a committee hearing
President:Appointing a Cabinet

Question 20

Congress has exerted the great’s influence on the operation of a federal agency by doing which of the following?
A)Requiring the agency to participate in interagency task forces
B)Dismissing an agency head who disagrees with congressional priorities
C)Reviewing the annual budget appropriations for the agency
D)Passing “sunset” legislation that terminates programs after a certain period
E)Asking the Supreme Court for advisory opinions on agency regulations

Answer 20

C)Reviewing the annual budget appropriations for the agency

Question 21

CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS-
A)An increase in accountability of the bureaucracy
B)A decrease in the length of regulatory bills passed by Congress
C)A decrease in congressional oversight as a mechanism to control the bureaucracy
D)An increase in the authority of the House of Representatives over the bureaucracy

Answer 21

C)A decrease in congressional oversight as a mechanism to control the bureaucracy

Question 22

Congressional oversight refers to the power of Congress to
A)override presidential vetoes
B)hold public hearings before confirming judicial appointees
C)exercise some control over executive agencies
D)allow nongovernmental agencies to defend or refute pending legislation publicly
E)seek judicial opinion on the constitutionality of pending legislation

Answer 22

C)exercise some control over executive agencies

Question 23

Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?
A)Holding hearings for review of an executive agency’s activities
B)Assisting constituents with particular problems
C)Reporting campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission
D)Signing trade agreements with other countries without input from the president
E)Conducting ethics investigations of congressional leadership

Answer 23

A)Holding hearings for review of an executive agency’s activities

Question 24

One of the formal tools used by Congress for oversight of the bureaucracy is
A)the line-item veto
B)authorization of spending
C)impoundment bills
D)private bills
E)senatorial courtesy

Answer 24

B)authorization of spending

Question 25

Congress is most likely to exert oversight of the executive bureaucracy in which of the following ways?
A)Directly selecting the head of an executive agency
B)Impeaching the head of an executive agency
C)Using the Court to block implementation of proposed regulations
D)Controlling an executive agency’s annual budget
E)Changing the term length of heads of independent regulatory commissions

Answer 25

D)Controlling an executive agency’s annual budget

Question 26

Which of the following is true of independent regulatory agencies?
A)They tend to have larger budgets than cabinet departments.
B)They are directly supervised by cabinet departments.
C)They provide a product or service directly to the public.
D)They are insulated from contact with interest groups.
E)They tend to be freer from presidential control than are cabinet departments.

Answer 26

E)They tend to be freer from presidential control than are cabinet departments.

Question 27

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates delegated discretionary authority?
A)Congress giving the Environmental Protection Agency the power to establish national pollution standards
B)The chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce appointing the chair of the Environment subcommittee
C)The House of Representatives establishing the jurisdiction for the Committee on Energy and Commerce
D)The president nominating the attorney general of Ohio to serve as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Answer 27

A)Congress giving the Environmental Protection Agency the power to establish national pollution standards

Question 28

Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?
A)Holding hearings for review of an executive agency’s activities
B)Assisting constituents with particular problems
C)Reporting campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission
D)Signing trade agreements with other countries without input from the president
E)Conducting ethics investigations of congressional leadership

Answer 28

A)Holding hearings for review of an executive agency’s activities

Question 29

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are examples of
A)cabinet departments
B)independent agencies
C)Executive Office bureaus
D)congressional committees
E)White House staff agencies

Answer 29

B)independent agencies

Question 30

The mission of the Department of Transportation is to ensure the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. The Department of Transportation has accepted public comments regarding the safety of automated vehicles in the United States in order to establish standards and guidelines for this new technology. Which of the following concepts is most related to the scenario?
A)Exclusive powers
B)Reserved powers
C)Delegated discretionary authority
D)Enumerated legislative authority

Answer 30

C)Delegated discretionary authority

Question 31

Which of the following is an example of the executive branch implementing a public policy passed by Congress?
A)The Department of Health and Human Services determines eligibility requirements for government assistance.
B)As chief diplomat, the president negotiates a treaty that is then ratified by the Senate.
C)A Federal Trade Commission official is asked to testify before Congress about the agency’s activities.
D)Congress passes a law reorganizing the structure of the federal bureaucracy.

Answer 31

A)The Department of Health and Human Services determines eligibility requirements for government assistance.

Question 32

MENTIONS OF WAR FUNDING POLICIES:
A)Support for the Vietnam War led Congress to hold more hearings to discuss increases in expenditures on the military effort.
B)Public concern over the Vietnam War led Congress to hold more hearings to consider using the power of the purse to influence the conduct of the war.
C)The public reaction to the September 11 terrorist attacks led to many hearings to limit federal expenditures to fight terrorism.
D)The number of hearings have increased in the House of Representatives because members have become more dependent on political action committees.

Answer 32

B)Public concern over the Vietnam War led Congress to hold more hearings to consider using the power of the purse to influence the conduct of the war.

Question 33

When independent regulatory agencies make rules, enforce those rules, and adjudicate disputes arising under those rules, they risk violating the constitutional concept of
A)equal protection of the laws
B)due process of law
C)federal supremacy
D)separation of powers
E)federalism

Answer 33

D)separation of powers

Question 34

When independent regulatory agencies make rules, enforce those rules, and adjudicate disputes arising under those rules, they risk violating the constitutional concept of
A)equal protection of the laws
B)due process of law
C)federal supremacy
D)separation of powers
E)federalism

Answer 34

D)separation of powers

Question 35

In general, independent regulatory commissions are created primarily for the purpose of
A)supporting and helping cabinet-level departments
B)proposing policy alternatives during periods of crisis
C)regulating the activities of other bureaucratic agencies to ensure that they act in a fair and objective manner
D)regulating certain industries to protect the public interest
E)increasing the President’s patronage powers

Answer 35

D)regulating certain industries to protect the public interest

Question 36

In the process and structure of public policymaking, “iron triangles” refer to the
A)bargaining and negotiating process between the President and Congress about the direction of domestic policy
B)dominance of corporate power in setting the national policy agenda for economic expansion
C)interrelationship among federal, state, and local levels of government in the policy process
D)networks of congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that strongly influence the policy process
E)group of presidential advisers who formulate the President’s foreign policy agenda

Answer 36

D)networks of congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that strongly influence the policy process

Question 37

Lobbyists from the Airlines for America, an advocacy group that represents commercial airlines, work with members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and officials from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to discuss a new policy that addresses issues of airline safety. This scenario best illustrates
A)a political action committee
B)an iron triangle
C)a social movement
D)an independent expenditure

Answer 37

B)an iron triangle

Question 38

The role Congress plays in ensuring that executive branch agencies are carrying out their legislated responsibilities is known as
A)judicial review
B)legislative oversight
C)bicameralism
D)federalism
E)executive privilege

Answer 38

B)legislative oversight

Question 39

Department of Homeland Security Spending:

A)Congress could vote to remove the secretary of Homeland Security.
B)Congress could hold a special joint session to discuss potential solutions.
C)Congress could vote to reduce spending on the Department of Homeland Security in the next year’s budget.
D)Congress could pass a constitutional amendment limiting appropriations.

Answer 39

C)Congress could vote to reduce spending on the Department of Homeland Security in the next year’s budget.

Question 40

Department of Homeland Security Spending:
A)Changing national priorities have caused a drop in spending for the Department of Homeland Security.
B)Special circumstances in 2005 and 2018 led Congress to approve supplemental appropriations.
C)Bureaucratic rule making has led to a gradual increase in supplemental appropriations over time.
D)Ideological divisions in Congress have led to gradual increases in annual appropriations.

Answer 40

B)Special circumstances in 2005 and 2018 led Congress to approve supplemental appropriations.

Question 41

The Web site healthcare.gov was launched on October 1, 2013, to help citizens purchase health insurance for themselves in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. Within two hours of launch the site crashed. Once it was restored, problems continued, leading to difficulty for users. The following year, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius was called to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee to discuss the issue. The committee held this hearing as part of which of the following functions?
A)Committee markup
B)Budget testimony
C)Oversight
D)Impeachment

Answer 41

C)Oversight

Question 42

Which of the following is true of the relationship between Congress and executive agencies?
A)The agencies were created by and work under the direction of Congress.
B)Agencies, once created, work totally independent of Congress.
C)Because the agencies have bureaucratic expertise, Congress delegates “rulemaking authority” to them.
D)Because of differing objectives, their relationships are always adversarial.
E)Congress creates, staffs, and supervises all executive agencies.

Answer 42

C)Because the agencies have bureaucratic expertise, Congress delegates “rulemaking authority” to them.

Question 43

Women in federal bureaucracy:
A)Despite many attempts at reform, some members of the federal bureaucracy are still hired through political patronage.
B)Like most businesses, the federal government has to seek out well-qualified and diverse job candidates.
C)Specialized skills, such as a background in STEM, are less important than a degree in political science for most jobs in the bureaucracy.
D)Most members of the federal bureaucracy work near Washington, D.C., or in state capitals.

Answer 43

B)Like most businesses, the federal government has to seek out well-qualified and diverse job candidates.