Federal Bureacracy

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AP Daily Quiz

1. According to Max Weber’s definition, a bureaucracy

A. is organized into a hierarchy, in which power flows from the top down.

B. ensures that experts perform technical jobs through task specialization.

C. offers jobs not through patronage, but on the basis of merit.

D. treat all who seek its services with impartiality.E. All of the above responses are correct.F. Only answers A & C are correct responses.

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2. TRUE or FALSE: Most bureaucrats work in Washington, D.C.

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3. Which of the following governmental agencies employs the largest number of civilian employees?

A. Department of DefenseB. Department of Homeland SecurityC. Social Security AdministrationD. U.S. Postal Service

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4. Which of the following acts of Congress ended the patronage system of distributing federal jobs, opting instead to hire individuals on the basis of merit?

A. James A. Garfield Hiring ActB. Hatch ActC. Pendleton Civil Service ActD. Personnel Management Act

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5. When a government agency needs to hire a new employee, the Office of Personnel Management

A. sends them the names of three individuals qualified for the job, and the agency selects one.

B. waits until that agency collects applications, then interviews and selects candidates for them.

C. administers the ASVAB to individuals interested in the position.

D. does a background check to ensure that interested applicants do not have a history of political activism.

Whole Group: Check for Understanding

6. How does an independent executive agency differ from the other three types of bureaucracy?

A. It doesn’t.

B. It works most closely with state officials, unlike the other bureaucracies that focus on national-level issues.

C. It doesn’t answer directly to the president, regulate any sector of the economy, or provide any services to the public for a fee.

D. All of its employees are chosen by the president, but they don’t need to get the consent of the Senate.

Whole Group: Check for Understanding

7. Government corporations

A. operate airlines, manufacture steel, and provide investment services.

B. provide services and charge for them.

C. are a type of independent regulatory agency.

D. sell stock and pay dividends to stockholders.

Whole Group: Check for Understanding

8. Independent regulatory agencies are governed by

A. a small commission who are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the President.

B. a small commission, appointed by the President for fixed terms.

C. a single individual, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the President.

D. a single individual, chosen by the Senate committee responsible for that agency’s oversight.

Whole Group: Check for Understanding

9. The Securities & Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve Board are examples of

A. independent executive agencies.

B. independent regulatory commissions.

C. government corporations.

D. Cabinet departments.

Whole Group: Check for Understanding

10. Which Cabinet department is charged with overseeing the nation’s natural resources?

A. Department of Homeland Security

B. Department of State

C. Environmental Protection Agency

D. Department of the Interior

AP Daily Quiz BONUS

• 11. What name is given to the list of top federal jobs, published by Congress, that can be appointed directly by an incoming president (though most require Senate confirmation)?