Controlling Bureaucracies in Government

What is one of the main reasons Americans dislike bureaucracies?

• They are inefficient.

• They are funded by taxes.

• They are too innovative.

• They are too small.

What are the two broad categories of controls over bureaucracies?

• Before-the-Fact and After-the-Fact

• Procedural and Substantive

• Internal and External

• Direct and Indirect

What is a procedural control in the context of bureaucracies?

• A form of direct oversight by the President

• A method to increase the budget of an agency

• A requirement for agencies to report their activities

• A way to appoint agency heads

Why is influencing the appointment process considered a weak control?

• The President has no say in the appointments

• Once appointed, agency heads cannot be easily removed

• It requires a unanimous vote in Congress

• Congress can only appoint agency heads

What is one of the best-known examples of congressional hearings?

• The Watergate Scandal

• The Army-McCarthy hearings

• The Iran-Contra Affair

• The Teapot Dome Scandal

What is the best way to control what a bureaucracy can do?

• Through the appropriations process

• By appointing new agency heads

• By holding more public hearings

• By increasing the number of regulations

What is termination in the context of bureaucracies?

• Shifting tasks to state and local governments

• Limiting the number of regulations

• Getting rid of an agency completely

• Reducing the budget of an agency

What is devolution?

• Eliminating federal agencies

• Increasing the number of federal regulations

• Shifting regulatory tasks from federal to state and local governments

• Transferring federal tasks to private companies

What was President George W. Bush's proposal regarding Social Security?

• To reduce the benefits

• To eliminate it completely

• To privatize it by allowing investments with private companies

• To increase the retirement age

What is a potential downside of privatization?

• It always reduces costs

• It can be more expensive in the short term

• It eliminates the need for government oversight

• It guarantees better service