Chapter 7 Midterm Review AP Gov

Actively strive for a representative bureaucracy that includes low-income or African American members

In 2016, a federal state of emergency was declared in Flint, Michigan when it was discovered that the water in the city was heavily contaminated. Many felt that the lack of previous knowledge of the contamination was due to the downtrodden socioeconomic climate of the city and argued that the water disproportionately affected African Americans. How might the Environmental Protection Agency avoid future incidents like the one in Flint, Michigan?

A member of the Department of Homeland Security

Which position would be considered part of the federal bureaucracy?

the iron triangle.

Suppose a member of Congress received campaign contributions from a group committed to fighting climate change by exploring clean energy options. Once elected, that member of Congress joins a committee that authorizes additional funding to the Department of Energy for the purpose of researching and implementing clean and renewable energy sources. This is an example of

The bureaucracy is inefficient.

The cartoon expresses which of the following criticisms of the bureaucracy?

(people in a circle of desks watching guy dig)

As of January 2011, there was more than an 18 percent gap between the growth of federal and private-sector employment.

The graph supports which of the following conclusions?

(Since the Recession, Federal Jobs Have Been Booming graph)

The Department of Energy

Assume you have just been appointed by the president to serve in a cabinet department that will fund and oversee research into the return on investment for solar panels and wind turbines. Which department have you been appointed to?

The size and reach of the bureaucracy make it impossible for average Americans to fully know who is making choices for them in unelected and unrepresentative positions.

Which statement would you cite to defend the argument that the federal bureaucracy is a threat to the American system of federalism?

The Department of Homeland Security

Which department fell under considerable scrutiny following Hurricane Katrina?

regulation

According to ABC News, the average chocolate bar contains eight insect parts. Anything less than sixty insect pieces per 100 grams of chocolate (two chocolate bars' worth) is deemed safe for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration. This is an example of bureaucratic:

Department of State

Which cabinet department established by George Washington is still in place today?

Implementing laws passed by Congress

What is the primary function of the federal bureaucracy?

Bureaucratic adjudication

Suppose that a pipeline bursts and causes a massive oil spill contaminating the water supply in a nearby national park. In response, the president issues an executive order calling for new policies regarding the safety and location of pipelines, but the order leads to a dispute between the Departments of Energy, Transportation, and the Interior about how exactly it should be implemented. The process of resolving this dispute corresponds with which role of the federal bureaucracy?

part of the federal civil service.

Someone that is appointed to the Department of Education based on their extensive experience as an educator and their unique success with implementing new methods of teaching would be

Appointees are frequently not qualified to serve the public interest.

Which of the following is a criticism of a patronage system in a democratic government?

agency capture.

Suppose a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission is a former employee of a large investment firm on Wall Street and has been easing the enforcement of regulations on his old firm. This is an example of

Since the United States was a relatively new country, the interactions with other countries had to be strong and upstanding so as to assert America as a powerful nation despite its newfound independence.

President George Washington had only three cabinet departments, including the Department of State, which handled foreign policy and diplomatic relations with other countries. Why were the functions of the Department of State so important to George Washington that he dedicated an entire department to them?

Using the iron triangle

Suppose an interest group that advocates for accessible and affordable health care is lobbying members of Congress on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services to secure additional funding to develop a public health campaign to increase awareness about changes to the Affordable Care Act. These groups are engaged in which activity?

The merit system ensures that only those who are qualified for a position are hired or promoted, whereas the political patronage system allows for hiring and promotion based on political support.

How does the merit system established by the Pendleton Act differ from the political patronage system used by Andrew Jackson?

compliance

The following statement appears on the Food and Drug Administration Web site:

The objective of FDA regulatory programs is to assure compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act). Specific enforcement activities include actions to correct and prevent violations, remove violative products or goods from the market, and punish offenders. The type of enforcement activity FDA uses will depend on the nature of the violation. The range of enforcement activities include issuing a letter notifying the individual or firm of a violation and requesting correction, to criminal prosecution of the individual or firm.

-U.S. Food and Drug Administration:FDA Enforcement Actions

The quote refers to which of the following tasks of the bureaucracy?

receiving the proper funding to implement the policy.

Suppose a group of Congress members have successfully passed a new bill that would improve the interstate highway system to make it safer and more efficient for drivers. Once the president has signed the bill into law, the next hurdle for the policy would be

did not expect the president to be an expert in all areas of social, economic, or military matters.

In authorizing the president to establish executive departments and seek the advice of the heads of those departments, the founding fathers

Getting on the policy agenda

Which step is crucial for anyone who wants to influence the policymaking process?

bureaucratic discretion.

Suppose Congress has just passed a new law that would impose additional standards on public schools for receiving state funding. The Department of Education needs time to determine how the new standards will be applied to public schools, which is an example of

It undermines the goals of the bureaucracy and can lead to corruption within the government.

Why is agency capture a problem within the federal bureaucracy?

an oversight committee.

Suppose a member of Congress is part of a committee in which she reviews the actions of the president's cabinet departments to make sure the funds that were granted the year before are being used properly and the goals of each policy are on track to being achieved. This member of Congress is part of

Public trust in the federal bureaucracy would likely increase and the response to disasters would likely be greater.

What would result if the Department of Homeland Security worked with private organizations to coordinate efforts to respond to natural disasters all over the United States?

To implement regulations and standards that Americans must follow to comply with the law

What is the purpose of federal bureaucrats?

Ensuring the departments are properly executing laws and policies

What is the main function of the president in relation to the executive branch bureaucracy?

political patronage.

Suppose a president who has just been elected to office is deciding who to appoint to a cabinet position and decides to nominate several of the people who had worked on his campaign. This is an example of

a temporary web of influence between policymakers, policy advocates, and interest groups to address a specific need.

An issue network can be best described as

Rules that are added to legislation must be reviewed by interested parties, the president, and Congress before being implemented.

Why might the regulation process delay the enforcement of a new law passed by Congress?

Congress

Who has control over how much money each bureaucratic department, bureau, and agency can have?

The president has considerably less power over the bureaucracy than Congress has over the bureaucracy.

How does the power of the president over the bureaucracy compare to the power of Congress over the bureaucracy?

The bureaucracy is large and deals with complex issues.

Which of the following makes it difficult for the executive branch to control the bureaucracy?

Reducing the size and scope of the bureaucracy by cutting regulations and devolving responsibility to the states and private organizations

How could the bureaucracy be changed in a way that would reduce overhead and increase efficiency?

Cabinet secretaries often change with administrations, whereas General Service employees tend to be career civil servants.

How does the position of a top-level cabinet secretary differ from that of General Service employee?

To ensure that executive agencies are using their funds and exercising their authority properly

What is the main function of the Government Accountability Office (GAO)?

The lower-level members are usually more experienced and have greater knowledge than the appointed cabinet secretary.

Why do cabinet secretaries often have to consult with the lower-level members of the federal bureaucracy?

Barack Obama

Which president prioritized diversity in their cabinet appointments?

By appointing members of the bureaucracy

How is the president able to influence the federal bureaucracy?

Congress

Suppose that the slow government response following an earthquake in California creates a harsh public outcry. In response, the president promises to allocate more resources to FEMA so that such a situation does not occur again. Who would the president have to persuade in order to see this promise fulfilled?

elitist

Iron triangles have been criticized because they benefit their members but limit the ability of outside groups to influence the policymaking process. This criticism represents which theory of democracy?

A coordinated and mutually beneficial effort between the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

Which of the following best describes the function of the iron triangle?

To enforce rules on hiring and promoting members of the civil service based on merit

What was the primary function of the Pendleton Act of 1883?

an issue network.

Beginning in early 2016, Native American tribes, environmental groups, and human rights advocates began a protest movement against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, gaining the support of numerous members of Congress. The opposition to the pipeline's construction could be characterized as an example of

President George W. Bush

During Hurricane Katrina, there was a delay in FEMA resources dispatched by the Department of Homeland Security to the victims in New Orleans. Based on the structure and functions of the federal bureaucracy, who likely received most of the blame for FEMA's failure to respond in a timely manner?

The Senate must approve the cabinet secretaries nominated by the president.

How does Congress check the power of the president when it comes to the federal bureaucracy?

The bureaucracy is overly complex and inefficient.

The cartoon is from India. What is the viewpoint expressed in the cartoon?

Supreme Court / Issues decisions overturning regulations

Select the pair of answers that matches a branch of government with the correct check on the bureaucracy.

The policy would be terminated.

Suppose state legislatures and the federal courts reviewed a policy that restricted the sale and use of firearms. Which result would likely occur if they found that the policy was failing to lower violent crime rates as Congress stated it would?

It requires that bureaucracies respond to all three branches of government, leading to mixed signals and inefficient oversight.

How does the system of checks and balances actually hamper the functioning of the bureaucracy?

It is a bureaucracy established by Congress, for Congress, instead of for the executive branch.

How is the Government Accountability Office different from other government agencies?

An official who is employed within an executive department or agency

What is a bureaucrat?

General Service

Suppose you are a member of the federal bureaucracy. You earned the position based on your educational qualifications and performance on a competitive examination, and it has led to a long career in the civil service. Which classification of federal employee do you likely fall under?

Congressional oversight of executive agencies

During the last week of July 2017, members of the Federal Communications Commission testified before Congress about net neutrality rules. In the same week, the House Homeland Security Committee heard testimony about the role of technology in policing the border. These hearings are an example of

No, the Constitution does not require that the federal bureaucracy be so large that it cannot operate effectively.

The federal bureaucracy is often limited in its actions by its sheer size, providing additional checks on its own power. Was this check an intentional one by the framers of the Constitution?

The Department of Homeland Security

The dispatch of FEMA resources during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 is an example of which bureaucracy in action?

Ensuring that federal workers cannot become overly-partisan by engaging in politics

Which of the following describes the purpose of the Hatch Act?

effectiveness of private organizations to take quicker and more effective action than federal agencies.

Following Hurricane Katrina, groups like Habitat for Humanity and Minnesota Helpers stepped up to help the victims of the natural disaster, demonstrating the

Suing the FCC in federal court

Suppose that Congress has recently passed a net neutrality bill. Under the new legislation, internet service providers are classified as common carrier services, like telephone companies, and thus are subject to regulation by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). If internet service providers believe the law's regulations are being unreasonably interpreted by the FCC, how would they most effectively challenge the law?