The Bureaucracy: Roles, Organization, and Impact on Policy MCQs USA

Political science MCQs

1. What is the primary role of the federal bureaucracy?
a) To create laws
b) To enforce laws
c) To interpret laws
d) To amend laws
Answer: b) To enforce laws

2. Which of the following is a characteristic of a bureaucratic organization?
a) Flexible roles
b) Decentralized decision-making
c) Hierarchical structure
d) Informal procedures
Answer: c) Hierarchical structure

3. What term describes the specialized agencies within the executive branch that manage specific areas of public policy?
a) Committees
b) Departments
c) Councils
d) Commissions
Answer: b) Departments

4. Which of the following is NOT a primary function of a federal agency?
a) Policy implementation
b) Policy evaluation
c) Policy making
d) Policy enforcement
Answer: c) Policy making

5. Who appoints the heads of federal executive departments?
a) The Vice President
b) The Supreme Court
c) The President
d) The Senate
Answer: c) The President

6. Which body has the power to confirm the appointments of federal agency heads?
a) The House of Representatives
b) The President
c) The Supreme Court
d) The Senate
Answer: d) The Senate

7. Which federal agency is responsible for regulating the safety of food and drugs?
a) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
b) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
c) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
d) Federal Reserve
Answer: c) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

8. Which federal agency oversees the enforcement of civil rights laws?
a) Department of Justice (DOJ)
b) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
c) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
d) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Answer: a) Department of Justice (DOJ)

9. What is the main purpose of regulatory agencies within the federal bureaucracy?
a) To create laws
b) To review judicial decisions
c) To implement and enforce regulations
d) To conduct foreign diplomacy
Answer: c) To implement and enforce regulations

10. Which of the following is a role of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?
a) Enforcing environmental regulations
b) Conducting criminal investigations
c) Preparing the federal budget
d) Overseeing public health
Answer: c) Preparing the federal budget

11. What term describes the process by which agencies make rules and regulations?
a) Rulemaking
b) Legislation
c) Litigation
d) Adjudication
Answer: a) Rulemaking

12. Which type of bureaucracy primarily deals with internal administration and support services within a department?
a) Line agencies
b) Staff agencies
c) Regulatory agencies
d) Executive agencies
Answer: b) Staff agencies

13. What term refers to the practice of bureaucrats using their expertise to influence policy decisions?
a) Policy making
b) Bureaucratic discretion
c) Public opinion
d) Administrative law
Answer: b) Bureaucratic discretion

14. Which federal agency is responsible for national defense and military operations?
a) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
b) Department of Defense (DoD)
c) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
d) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Answer: b) Department of Defense (DoD)

15. Which of the following best describes “iron triangles” in policy-making?
a) Relationships between Congress, the President, and the courts
b) Partnerships between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees
c) Interactions between local, state, and federal governments
d) Links between state legislatures and local governments
Answer: b) Partnerships between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees

16. Which federal department is responsible for overseeing immigration and border security?
a) Department of Justice (DOJ)
b) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
c) Department of State
d) Department of Treasury
Answer: b) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

17. What is the primary function of the General Services Administration (GSA)?
a) Managing federal employees
b) Overseeing federal procurement and property management
c) Regulating interstate commerce
d) Administering foreign aid programs
Answer: b) Overseeing federal procurement and property management

18. Which concept refers to the tendency of bureaucratic agencies to promote their own interests over those of the public?
a) Bureaucratic drift
b) Agency capture
c) Administrative overreach
d) Institutional inertia
Answer: b) Agency capture

19. Which federal agency is tasked with protecting the environment and human health?
a) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
b) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
c) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
d) Department of Energy (DOE)
Answer: b) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

20. Which body is responsible for reviewing and approving federal regulations proposed by bureaucratic agencies?
a) The President
b) Congress
c) The Supreme Court
d) The Federal Reserve
Answer: b) Congress

21. Which concept refers to the situation where bureaucratic agencies become overly influenced by the interests of the industries they regulate?
a) Iron triangles
b) Agency capture
c) Administrative discretion
d) Policy drift
Answer: b) Agency capture

22. Which agency administers the Social Security program?
a) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
b) Social Security Administration (SSA)
c) Department of Labor
d) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Answer: b) Social Security Administration (SSA)

23. What is the term for the specialized knowledge or expertise that bureaucrats bring to policy-making?
a) Political capital
b) Bureaucratic expertise
c) Legislative knowledge
d) Public policy insight
Answer: b) Bureaucratic expertise

24. Which of the following is a key challenge faced by federal bureaucracies?
a) Lack of public interest
b) Over-regulation of local governments
c) Inefficiency and slow response times
d) Excessive transparency
Answer: c) Inefficiency and slow response times

25. Which of the following is a role of the Federal Reserve Board?
a) Enforcing federal laws
b) Conducting monetary policy
c) Regulating the stock market
d) Overseeing national defense
Answer: b) Conducting monetary policy

26. Which agency is responsible for ensuring fair labor standards and wage protections?
a) Department of Labor (DOL)
b) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
c) Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
d) Department of Transportation (DOT)
Answer: a) Department of Labor (DOL)

27. Which concept describes the practice of bureaucratic agencies acting independently of presidential or legislative control?
a) Administrative discretion
b) Bureaucratic autonomy
c) Agency independence
d) Policy drift
Answer: b) Bureaucratic autonomy

28. What is the main purpose of a “bureaus” within a federal agency?
a) To conduct policy research
b) To manage day-to-day operations
c) To regulate foreign trade
d) To enforce judicial decisions
Answer: b) To manage day-to-day operations

29. Which of the following is a major function of the Department of Treasury?
a) Managing federal tax policy
b) Overseeing public health
c) Regulating interstate commerce
d) Administering immigration laws
Answer: a) Managing federal tax policy

30. Which federal agency is responsible for ensuring the safety of highways and railroads?
a) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
b) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
c) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
d) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Answer: c) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

31. Which of the following is a responsibility of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)?
a) Managing national security
b) Preserving federal documents and historical records
c) Regulating financial markets
d) Conducting scientific research
Answer: b) Preserving federal documents and historical records

32. What term refers to the process by which Congress reviews and evaluates the performance of federal agencies?
a) Oversight
b) Rulemaking
c) Regulation
d) Adjudication
Answer: a) Oversight

33. Which agency is responsible for protecting the nation’s airspace and coordinating air traffic?
a) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
b) National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
c) Department of Transportation (DOT)
d) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Answer: a) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

34. Which of the following best describes the “merit system” used in federal employment?
a) Employment based on political connections
b) Employment based on qualifications and performance
c) Employment based on seniority
d) Employment based on party affiliation
Answer: b) Employment based on qualifications and performance

35. Which federal agency is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and medications?
a) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
b) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
c) National Institutes of Health (NIH)
d) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Answer: b) Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

36. What is the primary function of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?
a) Enforcing labor laws
b) Regulating environmental policies and practices
c) Overseeing public transportation
d) Managing national security
Answer: b) Regulating environmental policies and practices

37. Which of the following is a major responsibility of the Department of State?
a) Managing national defense
b) Conducting foreign affairs and diplomacy
c) Regulating commerce
d) Overseeing public health
Answer: b) Conducting foreign affairs and diplomacy

38. Which agency is primarily responsible for disaster response and recovery in the United States?
a) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
b) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
c) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
d) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Answer: a) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

39. What is the role of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)?
a) Regulating healthcare
b) Managing the federal workforce
c) Conducting military operations
d) Overseeing environmental policy
Answer: b) Managing the federal workforce

40. Which of the following is a function of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?
a) Regulating air travel
b) Preventing anti-competitive business practices
c) Enforcing immigration laws
d) Conducting foreign intelligence
Answer: b) Preventing anti-competitive business practices

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