American Government Chapter 15 Answer Key

CHAPTER 15 During George Washington’s administration, there were ________ cabinet positions. A. four B. five C. six D. seven The “spoils system” allocated political appointments on the basis of ________. A. merit B. background C. party loyalty D. specialized education Two recent periods of large-scale bureaucratic expansion were ________. A. the 1930s and the 1960s B. the 1920s and the 1980s C. the 1910s and the 1990s D. the 1930s and the 1950s Briefly explain the underlying reason for the emergence of the spoils system. Government employment in which workers are hired on party loyalty. The Civil Service Commission was created by the ________. A. Pendleton Act of 1883 B. Lloyd–La Follette Act of 1912 C. Hatch Act of 1939 D. Political Activities Act of 1939 The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 created the Office of Personnel Management and the ________. A. Civil Service Commission B. Merit Systems Protection Board C. “spoils system” D. General Schedule Briefly explain the benefits and drawbacks of a merit system. A benefit of the merit system is that it helps to ensure the most qualified applicants are given the position. A drawback is that the bureaucracy is less responsive to the will of elected leaders than under patronage. Which describes the ideal bureaucracy according to Max Weber? A. an apolitical, hierarchically organized agency B. an organization that competes with other bureaucracies for funding C. a wasteful, poorly organized agency D. an agency that shows clear electoral responsiveness Which of the following models of bureaucracy best accounts for the way bureaucracies tend to push Congress for more funding each year? A. the Weberian model B. the acquisitive model C. the monopolistic model D. the ideal model An example of a government corporation is ________. A. NASA B. the State Department C. Amtrak D. the CIA Briefly explain why government might create a government corporation. Congress tends to create government corporations to perform services that respond to market forces but are too important to the public to be allowed to fail. The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 helps citizens exercise oversight over the bureaucracy by ________. A. empowering Congress B. opening government records to citizen scrutiny C. requiring annual evaluations by the president D. forcing agencies to hold public meetings When reformers speak of bureaucratic privatization, they mean all the following processes except ________. A. divestiture B. government grants C. whistleblowing D. third-party financing Briefly explain the advantages of negotiated rulemaking. Neutral advisors knows as convenors put together a committee of those who have vested interests in the proposed rules. The convenors then set about devising procedures for reaching a consensus on the proposed rules. The committee uses these procedures to govern the process through which the committee members discuss the various merits and demerits of the proposals. With the help of neutral mediators, the committee eventually reaches a general consensus of the rules. What concerns might arise when Congress delegates decision-making authority to unelected leaders, sometimes called the fourth branch of government? Going away from democracy and they aren’t held accountable In what ways might the patronage system be made more efficient? By requiring appointments to meet certain criteria. Does the use of bureaucratic oversight staff by Congress and by the OMB constitute unnecessary duplication? Why or why not? Which model of bureaucracy best explains the way the government currently operates? Why? The acquisitive model explains the best competitive nature of government today. As resources dwindle, certain government agencies fight others to survive and advance their agendas. Do you think Congress and the president have done enough to protect bureaucratic whistleblowers? Why or why not?