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26. A woman is most likely to be employed in which of the following departments?
a. the Department of Housing and Urban Development
b. the Department of Defense
c. the Department of Energy
d. the Department of Transportation
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 363
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
27. Independent regulatory commissions are not completely independent, as indicated
by the fact that __________.
a. their decisions can be overturned by Congress
b. commissioners can be removed from office at any time
c. their decisions are subject to judicial review
d. the president has input into their decisions
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 361
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
28. Federal policies that reduce benefits for all groups, often by imposing regulations
or taxes that govern everyone, rich or poor, are called __________ policies.
a. reverse distributive
b. redistributive
c. distributive
d. public
400
Topic: Defining Public Policy
Learning Objective: LO 12.4: Relate politics and public policy, and differentiate
the three types of public policy.
Page Reference: 372
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
29. __________ refers to efforts by Congress and the president to assure faithful
execution of the laws.
a. Administrative discretion
b. Oversight
c. The civil service system
d. The public policy process
Topic: Controlling the Federal Bureaucracy
Learning Objective: LO 12.3: Assess presidential and congressional tools for
controlling the federal bureaucracy.
Page Reference: 368
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
30. You are a federal employee who has recently learned that a newly hired staff
member in your agency may have been chosen based on criteria other than
qualifications for the position. What body should you take this information to?
a. the Department of Labor
b. the Merit Systems Protection Board
c. Congress
d. the Government Accountability Office
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 364
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
31. Public policies typically reproduce what two types of solutions?
a. economic and social
401
b. national and international
c. material and symbolic
d. federal and state
Topic: The Public Policy Process
Learning Objective: LO 12.5: Outline the key steps in making public policy, and
assess the different types of policy.
Page Reference: 377 – 378
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
32. The Serve America Act in 2009 expanded which of the following?
a. Teach for America
b. Youth Build
c. AmeriCorps
d. Habitat for Humanity
Topic: Citizens and Public Policy
Learning Objective: LO 12.6: Assess ways in which citizens can influence the
public policy process.
Page Reference: 382
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
33. Which statement best describes what political scientists call a nondecision in the
public policy process?
a. The policy problem was based on a false assumption.
b. The process stops before final action.
c. No policy problem is identified.
d. The process does not begin.
Topic: The Public Policy Process
Learning Objective: LO 12.5: Outline the key steps in making public policy, and
assess the different types of policy.
Page Reference: 372
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
402
34. What role is the Environmental Protection Agency taking when it sets limits on
air pollution from power plants?
a. regulation
b. adjudication
c. intervention
d. oversight
Topic: The Job of the Federal Bureaucracy
Learning Objective: LO 12.2: Analyze the bureaucracy’s implementation
options and its effectiveness.
Page Reference: 365 – 366
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
35. Which of the following is an entitlement program?
a. student loans
b. Medicare
c. highway construction
d. health research
Topic: The Job of the Federal Bureaucracy
Learning Objective: LO 12.2: Analyze the bureaucracy’s implementation
options and its effectiveness.
Page Reference: 367
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
36. What phenomenon is illustrated by a sudden spike in public concern about global
warming followed by a gradual fading of the issue from the center of public and
governmental attention?
a. the public policy process
b. the issue-attention cycle
c. incremental policy change
d. the power of iron triangles
Topic: The Public Policy Process
403
Learning Objective: LO 12.5: Outline the key steps in making public policy, and
assess the different types of policy.
Page Reference: 375
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
37. Congress and the president share which of the following powers over agencies
and departments in the federal bureaucracy?
a. the power to influence budgets
b. the power to issue executive orders
c. the power to hold oversight hearings
d. the power to use inspectors general
Topic: Controlling the Federal Bureaucracy
Learning Objective: LO 12.3: Assess presidential and congressional tools for
controlling the federal bureaucracy.
Page Reference: 369
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
38. Based on Downs’s issue-attention cycle, what is one reason that policy issues fade
from public attention?
a. The problem has no known solution.
b. Congress blocks action on the policy proposal.
c. People realize that solving the problem will be costly.
d. The policy is enacted, and people believe that nothing more can be done.
Topic: The Public Policy Process
Learning Objective: LO 12.5: Outline the key steps in making public policy, and
assess the different types of policy.
Page Reference: 375 – 376
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
39. The __________ is the list of issues that the federal government pays attention to.
a. policy agenda
b. Federal Register
c. legislative calendar
d. administrative calendar
404
Topic: The Public Policy Process
Learning Objective: LO 12.5: Outline the key steps in making public policy, and
assess the different types of policy.
Page Reference: 373
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
40. How do independent regulatory commissions differ from independent stand-alone
agencies?
a. Unlike independent agencies, regulatory commissions are headed by a single
administrator.
b. Unlike independent agencies, regulatory commissions are part of the
president’s cabinet.
c. Unlike independent agencies, regulatory commissions do not report directly to
the president.
d. Unlike independent agencies, regulatory commissions are allowed to charge for
their services.
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 360
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
41. In Downs’s issue-attention cycle, the last stage is __________, described as a
“prolonged limbo—a twilight realm of lesser attention or spasmodic recurrences
of interest.”
a. rule-making
b. the solution stage
c. implementation
d. the post-problem stage
Topic: The Public Policy Process
Learning Objective: LO 12.5: Outline the key steps in making public policy, and
assess the different types of policy.
405
Page Reference: 376
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
42. Which of the following groups might want to use the Freedom of Information
Clearinghouse as a resource?
a. citizens who want to access Federal Bureau of Investigation files about
themselves
b. researchers who want to investigate cases that have involved government
secrets
c. government officials who want to find out what citizens would like to see
accomplished
d. citizens who want to become more involved in public policy issues
Topic: Citizens and Public Policy
Learning Objective: LO 12.6: Assess ways in which citizens can influence the
public policy process.
Page Reference: 381
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
43. The __________ enforces the laws by representing the nation in court cases and
investigates crimes through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
a. Department of Homeland Security
b. Department of State
c. Department of Justice
d. Department of Defense
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 360
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
44. What was the purpose of the Hatch Act?
a. to prohibit federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity
b. to promote transparency in the federal bureaucracy
406
c. to prohibit awarding government jobs based on partisan loyalty
d. to authorize greater use of discretion in bureaucratic decision-making
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 364
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
45. Which of the following groups is likely to have the most influence over the
construction of regulations during the rule-making stage of the policy process?
a. citizens
b. interest groups
c. Congress
d. the media
Topic: The Public Policy Process
Learning Objective: LO 12.5: Outline the key steps in making public policy, and
assess the different types of policy.
Page Reference: 378
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
46. How are cabinet secretaries similar to independent agency administrators?
a. Both are appointed by the president.
b. Neither can be fired by the president.
c. Both are part of the federal civil service system.
d. Both can be removed from office by Congress.
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 359
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
407
47. Which of the following is a redistributive policy?
a. an increase in defense spending to build more ships
b. an improvement program for national parks
c. an educational program for poor minority high school students
d. funding to build a new interstate highway
Topic: Defining Public Policy
Learning Objective: LO 12.4: Relate politics and public policy, and differentiate
the three types of public policy.
Page Reference: 372
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
48. How is police patrol oversight different from fire alarm oversight?
a. Police patrol oversight is conducted by Congress, whereas fire alarm oversight
is conducted by the president.
b. Police patrol oversight involves oversight by the judicial branch, whereas fire
alarm oversight does not.
c. Police patrol oversight involves more frequent monitoring than fire alarm
oversight.
d. Police patrol oversight allows for greater administrative discretion than fire
alarm oversight.
Topic: Controlling the Federal Bureaucracy
Learning Objective: LO 12.3: Assess presidential and congressional tools for
controlling the federal bureaucracy.
Page Reference: 369
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
49. What advantage do cabinet departments have over other organizations in the
federal bureaucracy?
a. Cabinet departments may operate independently from the presidency.
b. Cabinet officers cannot be fired as easily as other bureaucrats.
c. Cabinet departments typically have larger budgets.
d. Cabinet departments are more isolated and protected from partisan politics.
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 360
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
50. What did the Framers assume about the executive branch of the federal
government?
a. that it would be relatively small
b. that it would make use of a patronage or spoils system
c. that it would grow over time
d. that it would be largely overseen by Congress
Topic: Understanding the Federal Bureaucracy: Constitutional Origins,
Organizations, and Employees
Learning Objective: LO 12.1: Outline the constitutional roots of the federal
bureaucracy, its organizations, and its employees.
Page Reference: 359
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
51. Under what circumstance are bureaucrats most likely to exercise discretion?
a. when an agency is creating environmental regulations
b. when an agency is under congressional investigation
c. when an agency is implementing a law that contains ambiguity
d. when an agency is elevated to the status of a cabinet department
Topic: The Job of the Federal Bureaucracy
Learning Objective: LO 12.2: Analyze the bureaucracy’s implementation
options and its effectiveness.
Page Reference: 365
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
52. The Gulf oil spill of 2010 highlighted what central problem in the relationship
between government agencies and the industries they regulate?
