AP Government Flashcards
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1) Under the Articles of Confederation, the bureaucracy consisted of A) a handful of individuals without any formal staff. B) two departments: Domestic and Foreign Affairs. C) two departments: War and Treasury. D) three departments: Foreign Affairs, War, and Treasury. E) four departments: War, Treasury, Foreign Affairs, and Justice.
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d
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2) The civil service system, established in 1883, A) initially covered only about a third of federal workers. B) was governed by a partisan board appointed by the president. C) eventually was replaced by the spoils system. D) eventually covered 10 percent of all federal employees. E) was eventually expanded to cover most federal appointees.
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e
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3) The Pendleton Act established the principle of ________ in federal hiring. A) patronage B) merit C) civility D) partisanship E) gender equality
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b
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4) In 1914, Congress, at the request of the Wilson administration, created the _______ to protect small businesses and the public from unfair business practices and competition. A) Interstate Commerce Commission B) Department of Economic Affairs C) Department of Commerce D) Federal Trade Commission E) Anti-Monopoly and Trust Commission
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d
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5) The ratification of the ________ Amendment in 1913 gave Congress the authority to implement a federal income tax, and thus allowed government to grow even more. A) Tenth B) Eleventh C) Twelfth D) Sixteenth E) Nineteenth
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d
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6) Most federal employees are paid according to what is called the A) merit plan. B) nepotism doctrine. C) general schedule. D) bureaucratic hierarchy. E) schedule C system.
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c
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7) All Cabinet departments are headed by a secretary except for the Department of A) Defense. B) State. C) Commerce. D) Veterans Affairs. E) Justice.
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e
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8) The Environmental Protection Agency is a/an A) independent regulatory agency. B) independent executive agency. C) government corporation. D) Cabinet department. E) iron triangle.
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b
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9) The law enacted in 1939 to prohibit federal employees from becoming directly involved in political campaigns was called the A) Campaign Reform Act. B) Federal Employees Political Activities Act. C) Pendleton Act. D) Taft-Hartley Act. E) Hatch Act.
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e
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10) In exercising its oversight function, it is not unusual for Congress to A) hold hearings. B) conduct impeachment proceedings. C) issue executive orders. D) go to court to get executive documents. E) override a president's veto.
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a
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11) When evaluating the bureaucracy, it seems that Americans A) tend to despise it, regardless of the agency. B) like programs such as NASA, but not the Internal Revenue Service. C) are generally satisfied with the current state of the bureaucracy. D) like specific agencies to which they are exposed, but not the bureaucracy as a whole. E) want to eliminate it.
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d
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12) Why would the Pony Express, the precursor to the U.S. Postal Service, want to employ orphans? A) It kept poverty low. B) If they were to die on the job, there would be no family to notify or compensate. C) They could pay them egregiously low wages. D) It was a way to stimulate the economy in a bottom-up fashion. E) It was believed that orphans were more devoted workers.
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c
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13) According to the text, ________________ permanently changed the nature of the federal bureaucracy, A) George Washington. B) Thomas Jefferson. C) James Monroe. D) Andrew Jackson. E) Abraham Lincoln.
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e
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14) The firing of public-office holders representing a defeated political party, and replacing them with loyalists of the victorious political party, is called the A) replacement doctrine. B) merit system. C) civil service. D) spoils system. E) nepotism system.
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d
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15) The Civil War A) led to the creation of the Department of Defense. B) prompted President Lincoln to call on Congress to double the size of the bureaucracy. C) led to growth in the size of the bureaucracy. D) facilitated making the Attorney General part of the Cabinet. E) ended with the Department of Agriculture being given full Cabinet status.
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c
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16) The Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 was designed to reduce patronage and was also known as the A) Hatch Act. B) Pendleton Act. C) Garfield Reform. D) National Reform Program. E) Anti-Patronage Act.
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b
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17) The first independent regulatory commission was the A) Interstate Commerce Commission. B) Federal Election Commission. C) Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. D) Securities and Exchange Commission. E) Tennessee Valley Authority.
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a
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18) The Department of Commerce and Labor, established by Congress at the request of President _________, was a sign of increased regulation of the economic sector. A) James A. GarfieldB) Rutherford B. HayesC) Theodore RooseveltD) Woodrow Wilson E) Franklin D. Roosevelt
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c
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19) Over time, the number of federal employees in the executive branch has A) grown substantially and continuously. B) grown, but then fell to pre-1900 levels. C) stagnated somewhat after World War I. D) fallen considerably since the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. E) peaked during the New Deal, fell, then generally increased thereafter.
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e
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20) All of the following were created within a few years of passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 EXCEPT A) the G.I. Bill. B) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. C) the Department of Housing and Urban Development. D) the Department of Transportation. E) the Great Society programs.
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a
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21) President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty A) was an unprecedented expansion of the federal government and its bureaucracy. B) was a way for him to curry favor with southern legislators. C) produced additional growth in the bureaucracy. D) was equal in scope to President Theodore Roosevelt's expansion of the federal bureaucracy. E) was unrelated to fighting discrimination.
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c
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22) One way government differs from business is that A) government promotes the public good, while businesses promote profits. B) bureaucrats are elected while businesses hire based on merit. C) divisions of responsibility are clearer in government than in business. D) most public employees find their jobs in jeopardy when administrations change. E) government can learn little from business but business has much to learn from government.
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a
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23) There are currently more than ________ subunits of Cabinet-level departments and independent agencies. A) 1,000 B) 1,250 C) 1,500 D) 1,800 E) 2,000
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e
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24) Of the more than 2.7 million federal employees, nearly ____ percent work for the U.S. Postal Service. A) 20 B) 30 C) 40 D) 50 E) 55
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b
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25) The president directly appoints nearly ________ people. A) 300 B) 3,500 C) 6,500 D) 10,000 E) 15,500
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b
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26) High-level bureaucrats in France generally all A) are selected based on political connections.B) receive their jobs through nepotism.C) graduate from the same training academy. D) are appointed by the president.E) have modest backgrounds.
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c
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27) Hispanics are A) dramatically underrepresented in the federal workforce. B) not as well represented as Asian and Pacific Island Americans in the federal workforce. C) as well represented as African Americans in the federal workforce. D) far better represented than whites in the federal workforce. E) not as well represented as American Indians in the federal workforce.
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a
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28) Women comprise A) a majority of federal workers. B) a majority of federal employees at the lowest GS levels. C) nearly half of federal employees at the highest GS 13-15 levels. D) a minority of all federal workers at all GS levels. E) a majority federal employees at the GS 9-12 levels.
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b
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29) Among the federal responses to the graying of the bureaucracy have been I. changing retirement ages. II. creating affirmative action programs for younger employees. III. reliance on White House Fellows. IV. using outside, private contractors. A) IV only B) I and III C) II and IV D) I, II, and III E) II and III
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b
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30) When a gas leak resulted in an explosion in a factory in Garner, NC, which of the following agencies was MOST likely called in to evaluate safety procedures? A) HUD B) EPA C) OSHA D) OMB E) FTC
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c
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31) There are _______ Cabinet departments. A) ten. B) twelve. C) thirteen. D) fourteen. E) fifteen.
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e
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32) Many members of the Constitutional Convention A) wanted to prevent the president from having a council of advisers like the British king. B) voted to make explicit mention of the Cabinet in the Constitution. C) wanted members from the Senate to rotate into the Cabinet. D) concluded that the president should have the authority to require written opinions from executive department officers. E) believed the Cabinet should be able to veto a presidential decision.
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d
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33) Why are clientele agencies subject to intense outside lobbying? A) Interest groups want to influence the officials who regulate the policies to which the interest groups specifically cater. B) There is less regulation of these agencies. C) Other agencies do not regulate sectors around which interest groups form. D) Lobbyists feel they can have greater influence over these agencies, as they are generally seen as weak entities. E) Clientele agencies are actually not subject to much lobbying whatsoever.
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a
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34) Newer regulatory boards often I. are more political than boards created earlier. II. are more concerned with public health and safety. III. enjoy autonomy from political pressure. IV. are more dependent upon the courts for authority. A) I and II B) II and III C) III and IV D) I and IV E) II and IV
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a
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35) A business established by government that performs functions that could be provided by private industry is called a/an A) independent corporation. B) government corporation. C) clientele agency. D) executive agency. E) independent regulatory commission.
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b
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36) _________ is an example of a government corporation. A) Federal Express B) The Better Business Bureau C) The Environmental Protection Agency D) Amtrak E) The Securities and Exchange Commission
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d
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37) If you work for the Environmental Protection Agency, you cannot work for Barack Obama's reelection campaign because A) you would be working in two branches of government. B) the Hatch Act legally prevents you from doing so. C) federal employees cannot work for incumbent candidates. D) you would likely be an elected official. E) federal employees cannot show public political support for anyone.
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c
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38) Iron triangles A) by design exacerbate inefficiencies of the bureaucratic system. B) are not as powerful as they once were. C) illustrate the competition that exists within different government agencies. D) became illegal after the Federal Employees Political Activities Act of 1993 was passed. E) are synonymous with issue networks.
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b
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39) The increasing complexity of the policy-making process within bureaucracies is MOST reflected in the growth of A) iron triangles. B) issue networks. C) interagency councils. D) policy councils. E) political action committees.
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c
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40) Policy Coordinating Committees (PCCs) exist A) to do away with iron triangles. B) to do away with interagency councils. C) because President Bill Clinton viewed them as a way to stop territorial conflicts among policy makers. D) to handle policy problems within single departments and/or agencies. E) to handle large-scale problems such as terrorist financing and space shuttle disasters.
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e
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41) Suppose Congress passes a law requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to decrease the amount of copper used in household appliances. The EPA has several different ways they can enforce this directive, but they choose to impose fines on companies who use over a certain amount. This choice is an example of A) quasi-legislative choice. B) administrative discretion. C) selective implementation. D) implementation prerogative. E) an iron triangle.
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b
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42) If the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reviews and approves a final version of a regulation, what happens next? A) The president signs the regulation into law. B) The Supreme Court reviews the constitutionality of the proposed regulation. C) The OMB asks Congress if the regulation was part of its intent. D) The new regulation is published in the Federal Register. E) The new regulation is enforced but only with administrative discretion.
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d
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43) According to the text, which of the following is NOT responsible for holding the bureaucracy accountable? A) The president B) Congress C) Interest groups D) The bureaucracy E) Other countries
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e
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44) About ___ percent of Americans file their taxes online. A) 30 B) 50 C) 66 D) 80 E) 95
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c
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45) In terms of holding agencies accountable, the judiciary can I. rule on whether bureaucracies have acted within the parameters of the law. II. rule on the constitutionality of challenged rules and regulations. III. initiate policies to alter the bureaucracy's activities. IV. force the bureaucracy to respect rights of individuals through hearings. A) I only B) I and II C) I, II, and III D) I, II, and IV E) II, III, and IV
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d
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46) To shape policy and provide direction to the bureaucracy, the president can issue A) laws. B) edicts. C) executive orders. D) vetoes. E) pardons.
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c
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47) The Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 A) expands Stafford loans. --- guess B) expands Pell grants. C) eliminates tuition increases until 2012. D) caps public school tuition increases to 5 percent annually. E) makes the government responsible for interest payments on student loans.
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b
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48) Calls to reform the bureaucracy were not seriously considered until A) President John F. Kennedy took office. B) the Civil War. C) the Progressive movement. D) the Great Society. E) President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal was implemented.
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c
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49) The Department of Labor's Employment of Standards Administration's failure to draft guidelines to enforce President Lyndon B. Johnson's executive order prohibiting discrimination based on gender for several years is an example of A) the critical role bureaucrats play in the execution of policy directives. B) President Johnson's policy-making struggles. C) the uselessness of executive orders. D) the unpopularity of gender equality. E) the need to eliminate the bureaucracy altogether.
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a
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50) The Senate's checks on the bureaucracy include I. the power to confirm presidential appointees. II. its investigatory powers. III. its ability to remove presidential appointees for any reason. IV. congressional review. A) I and II B) I, III, and IV C) II, III, and IV D) I, II, and IV E) I, II, III, and IV
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d
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51) The congressional reaction to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill would MOST likely be classified as _________ by political scientists. A) police patrol oversightB) adjudicative oversightC) fire alarm oversight -- reactiveD) reactive implementation E) better-late-than-never response
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c
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52) According to the text, globalization presents numerous challenges to the American bureaucracy in that A) if other countries are in charge, cultural disputes sometimes prevent progress. B) there are constantly competing interests. C) multinational organizations cause confusion as to who is in charge. D) international law always supersedes national law. E) it is unclear how international organizations can be held accountable.
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e
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47) "Democratic deficit" refers to A) an increase in regulations and fewer laws by elected officials. B) the disparity in civil rights between democratic and non-democratic nations. C) the challenge of bureaucracies around the world gaining power that cannot be checked by citizens. D) the economic costs of democratization in nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq. E) domestic agencies that do not answer to the president.
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c
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48) Which government agency is responsible for regulating the safety of toys and other products that may be deemed safety hazards? A) Occupational Health and Safety Administration B) Consumer Product Safety Commission C) Federal Trade Commission D) Department of Commerce E) Department of Health and Human Services
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b
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49) A federal agency stepping in to regulate hot dogs as a choking hazard before they become a serious health risk is an example of A) police patrol oversight. B) adjudicative oversight. C) fire alarm oversight. D) responsive rule making. E) the early bird catching the worm.
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a
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50) Research by political scientists shows that government agencies are A) well-organized. B) well-liked. C) strategic. D) inherently flawed. E) greatly respected by the public and members of Congress.
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c
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50) Research by political scientists shows that government agencies are A) well-organized. B) well-liked. C) strategic. D) inherently flawed. E) greatly respected by the public and members of Congress.
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c
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50) Research by political scientists shows that government agencies are A) well-organized. B) well-liked. C) strategic. D) inherently flawed. E) greatly respected by the public and members of Congress.
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c
