Chapter 15 Reading Quiz

All of the following are a distinctive characteristic of our bureaucracy except for...

• Bureaucracy follows a strict set of guidelines and orders are given in a direct hierarchy of command from the bottom to the top.

• Political authority over bureaucracy is not in one set of hands, but shared among several institutions

• Most of the agencies of the federal government share their functions with related state and local agencies

• Is described as an "adversary culture," where the definition and expansion of personal rights and the defense of rights and claims through lawsuits and political action are important.

In the American representative government, voters elect legislators to make the laws, but often times, these legislators will pay other people to do the work. This type of government is best known as

• Government by proxy

• Government by representative

• A Republic

• Government by substitute

The primary role of the federal bureaucracy is to...

• Draft and pass legislation

• Interpret constitutional principles

• Implement and enforce federal laws and regulations

• Resolve disputes between the executive and legislative branches

Under the U.S. Constitution, which of the following powers directly influences the structure and function of the bureaucracy?

• The judicial power to declare laws unconstitutional

• The president’s power to appoint officials with Senate confirmation

• The states’ ability to nullify federal programs

• The power of the President to shape agency policies

Which of the following events contributed most to the expansion of the federal bureaucracy?

• The Louisiana Purchase

• The Civil War

• The New Deal and World War II

• The Civil Rights Movement

Discretionary authority allows federal agencies to:

• Write and pass new legislation

• Decide how to implement and enforce policies within the boundaries of federal law

• Overturn Supreme Court rulings

• Appoint their own leaders without presidential approval

How does Congress exercise control over the federal bureaucracy?

• By issuing executive orders to limit agency actions.

• By requiring agencies to consult with state governments.

• Through budgetary control and oversight hearings.

• By directly appointing agency heads.

Which agency administers written exams to fulfill roles in competitive service?

• Office of Personnel Management

• Department of Personnel Management

• The Personnel Management Agency

• Office of Human Resources

"Red tape" is a term often used to criticize bureaucracies for:

• Transparency and public accountability

• Ensuring that all agency actions are thoroughly reviewed

• Creating inefficiencies through excessive regulations and procedures

• Centralizing power within the executive branch

The fragmentation of authority over the bureaucracy in the U.S. is designed to:

• Streamline agency decision-making processes

• Reduce the influence of the judiciary

• Prevent any one branch of government from dominating the bureaucracy

• Limit the power of state governments over federal programs