AP Government Bureaucracy Questions

Executive orders are issued by…

• independent regulatory agencies
• Congress 
• any federal agency or department
• The President 

Which of the following is NOT a method a president can use to control the bureaucracy?

• request a congressional oversight hearing 
• appoint people to head an agency who share the presidentʹs goals and strategies 
• influence an agency’s recommended budget
• issue executive orders or more informal requests 

Congress tries to control the bureaucracy through…

• rewriting laws, controlling budgets and holding hearings 
• the use of executive orders and appointments
• the creation of iron triangles
• dismissing members of the President’s cabinet 

Issue networks are…

• An informal and relatively open network of public officials, think tanks, political pundits and lobbyists who have a common interest in a given area and who are brought together by a proposed policy in that area
• the relatively new television stations that specialize in political coverage
• two or more agencies that share regulatory power when a policy or regulation affects more than one regulatory body
• the same as ʺiron trianglesʺ 

An obstacle to the successful implementation of public policy is…

• the failure of Congress to pass authorizing legislation
• the over-specialization of civil service employees 
• unclear policy goals and poorly designed policies
• competition between the private and public sectors

The parts of the federal bureaucracy with responsibility for different sectors of the economy, and making and enforcing rules designed to protect the public interest, are the..

• independent executive agencies
• independent regulatory agencies
• government corporations
• cabinet departments 

Patronage is a hiring and promotion system based on…

• knowing the right people
• civil service exams
• talent and skill
• the Pendleton Act 

Which of the following statements about bureaucracies is FALSE? 

• Bureaucratic power extends to every corner of American economic and social life 
• Bureaucracies are scarcely hinted at in the Constitution
• Nothing better illustrates the complexity of modern government than its massive bureaucracies
• How to manage and control bureaucracies is a central problem of democratic government 

 Considered as a single group, the Small Business Administration, the Small Business committees in the House and Senate, and small business advocacy groups are an example of...

• an iron triangle
• a conference committee 
• a regulatory agency
• dual federalism

A member of the president’s cabinet is said to have “gone native” when that cabinet member... 

• resigns to take a position as a consultant to lobbying groups
• accepts bribes or expensive favors from businesses regulated by his or her department
• places his or her department’s priorities above the president’s
• suggests merging his or her department into another executive department