Chapter 5

Question 1

The chief executive’s influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 1

• Appointment of agency heads and other officials
• Executive staff and staff offices (for example, budget office)
• Initiating legislation and policy directions
• Vetoing legislation
• Executive orders and directives

Question 2

Legislative bodies influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 2

• Power of the purse: final approval of the budget
• Authorizing legislation for agency formation and operations
• Approval of executive appointments of officials
• Oversight activities: hearings, investigations
• Authority of legislative committees
• Initiating legislation

Question 3

The court’s influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 3

• Review of agency decisions
• Authority to render decisions that strongly influence agency operations
• Direct orders to agencies

Question 4

Government Agencies’ influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 4

• Oversight and management authority (GAO, OMB, OPM, GSA)
• Competitors
• Allies
• Agencies or government units with joint programs

Question 5

Other levels of government’s influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 5

• “Higher” and “lower” levels
• Intergovernmental agreements and districts

Question 6

Interest groups’ influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 6

• Client groups
• Constituency groups
• Professional associations

Question 7

Policy Subsystems’ and Policy Communities bodies’ influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 7

• Issue networks
• Inter-organizational policy networks

Question 8

The news media’s influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 8

• Constitutional protections of freedom of the press
• Open meetings laws, Sunshine laws

Question 9

General Public opinion’s influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 9

Providing (or refusing to provide) popular support

Question 10

Individual citizens’ influence on public organizations derives from

Answer 10

Requests for services, complaints, other contacts

Question 11

Which 2 types of public opinion influence public managers?

Answer 11

• General attitude about government
• Attitudes toward specific policies

Question 12

What are Mass Publics

Answer 12

Broad diffuse populations

Question 13

Alternative publics

Answer 13

more organized groups that are interested in specific agencies

Question 14

Example of Paradoxes in Public Opinion

Answer 14

The public expresses negative attitudes and ambivalence toward government but at the same time can have high praise for specific agencies and programs.

Question 15

Why is public support for an agency’s programs important?

Answer 15

• The general level of public support for a particular agency’s programs affects the agency’s ability to maintain a base of political support.
• Certain agencies hold a more central place than others in the country’s values.

Question 16

What powers do the media use to influence organizations

Answer 16

•Public opinion – “bolsters the power of news media (105).”

“Close media scrutiny – indispensable role in governance (105).”

“News reporters take strong adversarial stance (106).”

“News coverage [is] increasingly negative (106).”

“Goldfish bowl” – disparity in coverage – government vs. business (106).