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bureaucracy

answer

a form of organization that operates through impersonal, uniform regulations and procedures

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bureaucrat

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a negative term for describing a career government employee

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department

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usually the largest organization in government with the largest mission; also the highest rank in the federal hierarchy

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independent stand-alone agency

answer

a government agency that operates outside a traditional government department, but under the president's direct control

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independent regulatory commission

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a government agency or commission with regulatory power whose independence is protected by Congress

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government corportation

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a government agency that is designed like a business corporation, and is created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program

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Senior Executive Service

answer

established by Congress in 1978 as a flexible, mobile corps of senior career executives who work closely with presidential appointees to manage government

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civil service

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federal employees who work for government through a competitive, not political selection process

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spoils system

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a system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends

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patronage

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the process of awarding favors to the party in power

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merit system

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a system of public employment in which selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage

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Office of Personal Management (OPM)

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an agency that administers civil service laws, and regulations

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Merit System Protection Board

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an independent agency that oversees and protects merit in the federal government personnel system

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Hatch Act

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a federal statue barring federal employees from active participation in certain kinds of politics and protecting them from being fired on partisan grounds

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implementation

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the process of putting a law into practice through bureaucratic regulations or spending

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administrative discretion

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authority given by Congress to the federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgement in implementing the laws

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regulation

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a precise statement of how a law is implemented

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rule-making process

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the detailed process for drafting a regulation

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Federal Register

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the official record of what the federal bureaucracy does

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uncontrollable spending

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the portion of the federal budget that is spent on previously enacted programs, such as Social Security, that the president and Congress are willing to cute

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entitlement program

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program such as unemployment insurance, disaster relief, or disability payments that provides benefits to all eligible citizens

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Federal Reserve Board

answer

a variation of an independent regulatory agency with a chairman and board that controls the supply of money that flows through the US economy

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oversight

answer

legislative or executive review of a particular government program or organization that can be in response to a crisis of some kind or part of routine review

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central clearance

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review of all executive branch testimony, reports, and draft legislation by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure that each communication to Congress is in accordance with the president's program

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public policy

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a specific course of action that government takes to address a problem

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politics

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the interaction of the people and their government, including citizens, interest groups, political parties, and the institutions of government at all levels; is concerned with who gets what, when, where, and how from the government

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policy makers

answer

individuals and groups that make the actual choices to create a public policy

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distributive policy

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a public policy such as Social Security that provides benefits to all groups in society

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redistributive policy

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a policy that provides to one group of society while taking away from another through policy solutions such as tax increases to pay for job training

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zero-sum games

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a policy that takes away benefits or money from one group to give to another

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reverse distributive policy

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a policy that reduces benefits for all groups, often by imposing regulations or taxes that govern everyone, rich or poor

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nondecision

answer

a decision not to move ahead with the policy decision; in short, it is a decision not to decide

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policy agenda

answer

the list of issues that the federal government pays attention to

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think tank

answer

a nongovernmental organization that seeks to influence public policy through research and education

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issue-attention cycle

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the movement of public opinion toward public policy from initial enthusiasm for action to realization of costs and a decline in interest

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incremental policy

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small adjustments to existing public policies

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punctuating policy

answer

radical changes to public policy that occur only after the mobilization of large segments of society to demand action

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iron triangle

answer

a policy-making instrument composed of a tightly related alliance of a congressional committee, interest groups, and a federal department or agency

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issue network

answer

a policy-making instrument composed of loosely related interest groups, congressional committee, presidential aides, and other parties

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statement that best describes the president's influence over agency budgets

answer

the president influences the initial budget proposal, but depends on Congress for appropriations of federal money

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what role is the Environmental Protection Agency taking when it sets limits on air pollution from power plants?

answer

regualtion

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which of the following was a consequence of the spoils, or patronage, system

answer

the federal bureaucracy was staffed with people who lacked expertise

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why was the spoils system ultimately discontinued?

answer

due to growing concerns about a poorly functioning federal bureaucracy

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under what circumstance are bureaucrats most likely to exercise discretion?

answer

when an agency is implementing a law that contains ambiguity

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why was the Senior Executive Service created?

answer

to give the president greater flexibility and mobility in managing government

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what was the purpose of the Hatch Act?

answer

to prohibit federal employees from engaging in partisan politcal activity

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which of the following would be an example of a redistributive policy?

answer

an educational program for poor minority high school students

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what are the three sides of an iron triangle?

answer

a federal department or agency, a set of interest groups, and a House and/or Senate committee

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how does an iron triangle work in creating change in public policy?

answer

members of Congress protect agencies and interest groups; agencies give special services to interest groups and congressional representatives' constituencies; and interest groups support members of Congress and agencies

question

iron triangles have been replaced by issue networks for which of the following reasons?

answer

increasing numbers of small, highly specialized groups have made one corner of the iron triangle harder to fill with a steady occupant

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