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American Government 2e

Review Questions

American Government 2eReview Questions
1.

During George Washington’s administration, there were ________ cabinet positions.

  1. four
  2. five
  3. six
  4. seven
2.

The “spoils system” allocated political appointments on the basis of ________.

  1. merit
  2. background
  3. party loyalty
  4. specialized education
3.

Two recent periods of large-scale bureaucratic expansion were ________.

  1. the 1930s and the 1960s
  2. the 1920s and the 1980s
  3. the 1910s and the 1990s
  4. the 1930s and the 1950s
4.

Briefly explain the underlying reason for the emergence of the spoils system.

5.

The Civil Service Commission was created by the ________.

  1. Pendleton Act of 1883
  2. Lloyd–La Follette Act of 1912
  3. Hatch Act of 1939
  4. Political Activities Act of 1939
6.

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 created the Office of Personnel Management and the ________.

  1. Civil Service Commission
  2. Merit Systems Protection Board
  3. “spoils system”
  4. General Schedule
7.

Briefly explain the benefits and drawbacks of a merit system.

8.

Which describes the ideal bureaucracy according to Max Weber?

  1. an apolitical, hierarchically organized agency
  2. an organization that competes with other bureaucracies for funding
  3. a wasteful, poorly organized agency
  4. an agency that shows clear electoral responsiveness
9.

Which of the following models of bureaucracy best accounts for the way bureaucracies tend to push Congress for more funding each year?

  1. the Weberian model
  2. the acquisitive model
  3. the monopolistic model
  4. the ideal model
10.

An example of a government corporation is ________.

  1. NASA
  2. the State Department
  3. Amtrak
  4. the CIA
11.

Briefly explain why government might create a government corporation.

12.

The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 helps citizens exercise oversight over the bureaucracy by ________.

  1. empowering Congress
  2. opening government records to citizen scrutiny
  3. requiring annual evaluations by the president
  4. forcing agencies to hold public meetings
13.

When reformers speak of bureaucratic privatization, they mean all the following processes except ________.

  1. divestiture
  2. government grants
  3. whistleblowing
  4. third-party financing
14.

Briefly explain the advantages of negotiated rulemaking.

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