Federal Bureacracy
15
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.
AP Daily Quiz
2. TRUE or FALSE: Most bureaucrats work in
Washington, D.C.
AP Daily Quiz
3. Which of the following governmental
agencies employs the largest number of
civilian employees?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Department of Defense
Department of Homeland Security
Social Security Administration
U.S. Postal Service
AP Daily Quiz
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.
B.
C.
D.
James A. Garfield Hiring Act
Hatch Act
Pendleton Civil Service Act
Personnel Management Act
AP Daily Quiz
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)?