Public Administration || QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ALREADY SCORED A+
What do public administrators do? correct answers Plan organize coordinate and control gov't
tasks in order to accomplish and provide public goods and services
Create and inplenent policy
Who are Public Administrators? correct answers Anyone tasked with transforming policy
from theory to practice
Focus on executive branch with close interactions with other branches
Differences between public and private administrators? correct answers Different goals: for
profit vs tax based /general welfare
Public administrators do their job in a more political environment-elected officials must fund
government organizations
How does the media portray Public Administration correct answers Positive
-Want to help
-Not corrupt
-Some work hard
Negative
-lazy, seat warmer
-missing money, wasteful, incompetent
-unaccountable for incompetency
-arrogance, do not care about others
-privatization is better than government ie. Pinellas County Florida switching to --private
ambulance service
-privatization of air traffic controller in Toronto, Canada
-freeing Choctaw Indians from gov't regulation
-gov't monopolies providing poor service
Class Definition of Public Administration correct answers Involves cooperative human action
in providing goods and services ("doing collectively that which cannot be so well done
individually")
Encompasses key management activities (eg. Planning, coordinating and controlling)
necessary for accomplishing goals.
Includes the development and implementation of public policies.
Largely focuses on individuals working in the executive branch of government (federal, state
and local) but involves close interactions with legislative and judicial branches and other
sectors (non profits)
Differs from private administration in important ways
Goals-service/fairness v. profit
Openness/transparency
Political/constitutional context
,Motivated to serve public v. pursuit of personal interest
Requires a high degree of ethics and integrity
Structures in Executive Branch and purpose correct answers EOP-(Executive Office of
President) closest to President-Serve at pleasure of the president
OMB-Office of Mngt. and Budget-typically staffed by long term civil service employees
National Security Council
Joint Chiefs
Cabinet Level Depts-15 in total correct answers Originally-Defense, State, Treasury and
Justice were the first four departments
Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Homeland Security, Transportation ,
Labor, State Department
Cabinet Heads correct answers Head of each Cabinet must be appointed by the President and
confirmed by the Senate. The president can fire the head of each cabinet.
Ie. Jeff Sessions being protected by the Senate from being fired by Trump by Senator
McConnell
Sometimes Presidents will appoint cabinet level positions from members of the opposition
party as way bringing parties together. Lincoln did this as a way of keeping Northern States
together during Civil War. Kept his enemies close within his cabinet.
These cabinet level positions are huge and carry out federal policies.
Independent Regulatory Commissions correct answers NRC-Nuclear Regulatory
Commission
SEC-Security Exchange Commission-regulate the markets
Federal employees who work on these commissions are experts in their field and are highly
trained
Headed by board of of 5-9 people..
Immune from political pressure They are appointed by the president for much longer terms.
Cannot be dismissed by the incoming president
Government Corporations correct answers Provides public goods and services-Usually self-
supporting
Amtrak, USPS, FDIC, Tennessee Valley Authority TVA (Public utility)
Amtrak maintained by gov't to keep the infrastructure and service in place that would likely
no longer exist if it was in the private sector.
TVA is a public utility that was created to provide power and flood control for the public
good in a part of the country where it would likely not be profitable in the private sector.
Headed by board of directors (like private corporations) Much less legislative/executive
oversight over day to day operations. They can acquire property in own name and be sued in
their own name
, Other Independent Agencies correct answers Many different responsibilities including
internal administration and regulation.
Usually headed by a single administrator which is appointed by President and confirmed by
the Senate.
ie. OPM, EPA, GSA, CIA etc..
Describe Executive Branch in State Government correct answers There are 10 separately
elected executives within NC State Gov't as opposed to Federal Gov't where the President
appointments these types of executive positions.
As a result you have a Plural Executive system where the Governor has much less control
over the Executive Branch within State Gov't.
Up until last year many other executive level positions could be appointed by the governor
without the state senate confirmation. When Cooper came into office the state general
assembly made this change for many cabinet level positions. This has taken away even more
power from the governor.
NC Governor has historically been very weak with a strong state legislature
Local Government (General v. Special Purpose) correct answers General Purpose-Provide a
variety of services to citizens
Water, sewer, animal control, etc...
City or County or towns
2. Special Purpose or Single Purpose-provide one service and there a multitude of these
School districts, mosquito control districts, transportation districts (triangle transit), RDU,
Eastover water and waste management, rural fire districts,
90,000 Local governments
General Purpose 38, 910
Special Purpose 51, 000
NC (page 17 Course pack)
Local Gov't 973 (Compared to other states we have a lot fewer local governments)
We have 673 General Purpose Local Governments-we rely upon local governments a lot
more than many other states
-100 Counties
-553 Cities
-0 Town Governments-Cary and Garner are technically a City-There are no towns
-320 Special Purpose Governments
-0 independent school districts-dependent on county governments-there are a few dependent
on cities
Structure of County Gov't correct answers NC and Va are different in that they hire a County
Manager-Professional Public Administrator who serves at the pleasure of the Board of
County Commissioners. This County Manager is very powerful and has a lot of control.
Elected County Positions-Board of Commissioners, Sheriff, County Clerk, Treasurer, Tax
Assessor,
ALREADY SCORED A+
What do public administrators do? correct answers Plan organize coordinate and control gov't
tasks in order to accomplish and provide public goods and services
Create and inplenent policy
Who are Public Administrators? correct answers Anyone tasked with transforming policy
from theory to practice
Focus on executive branch with close interactions with other branches
Differences between public and private administrators? correct answers Different goals: for
profit vs tax based /general welfare
Public administrators do their job in a more political environment-elected officials must fund
government organizations
How does the media portray Public Administration correct answers Positive
-Want to help
-Not corrupt
-Some work hard
Negative
-lazy, seat warmer
-missing money, wasteful, incompetent
-unaccountable for incompetency
-arrogance, do not care about others
-privatization is better than government ie. Pinellas County Florida switching to --private
ambulance service
-privatization of air traffic controller in Toronto, Canada
-freeing Choctaw Indians from gov't regulation
-gov't monopolies providing poor service
Class Definition of Public Administration correct answers Involves cooperative human action
in providing goods and services ("doing collectively that which cannot be so well done
individually")
Encompasses key management activities (eg. Planning, coordinating and controlling)
necessary for accomplishing goals.
Includes the development and implementation of public policies.
Largely focuses on individuals working in the executive branch of government (federal, state
and local) but involves close interactions with legislative and judicial branches and other
sectors (non profits)
Differs from private administration in important ways
Goals-service/fairness v. profit
Openness/transparency
Political/constitutional context
,Motivated to serve public v. pursuit of personal interest
Requires a high degree of ethics and integrity
Structures in Executive Branch and purpose correct answers EOP-(Executive Office of
President) closest to President-Serve at pleasure of the president
OMB-Office of Mngt. and Budget-typically staffed by long term civil service employees
National Security Council
Joint Chiefs
Cabinet Level Depts-15 in total correct answers Originally-Defense, State, Treasury and
Justice were the first four departments
Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Homeland Security, Transportation ,
Labor, State Department
Cabinet Heads correct answers Head of each Cabinet must be appointed by the President and
confirmed by the Senate. The president can fire the head of each cabinet.
Ie. Jeff Sessions being protected by the Senate from being fired by Trump by Senator
McConnell
Sometimes Presidents will appoint cabinet level positions from members of the opposition
party as way bringing parties together. Lincoln did this as a way of keeping Northern States
together during Civil War. Kept his enemies close within his cabinet.
These cabinet level positions are huge and carry out federal policies.
Independent Regulatory Commissions correct answers NRC-Nuclear Regulatory
Commission
SEC-Security Exchange Commission-regulate the markets
Federal employees who work on these commissions are experts in their field and are highly
trained
Headed by board of of 5-9 people..
Immune from political pressure They are appointed by the president for much longer terms.
Cannot be dismissed by the incoming president
Government Corporations correct answers Provides public goods and services-Usually self-
supporting
Amtrak, USPS, FDIC, Tennessee Valley Authority TVA (Public utility)
Amtrak maintained by gov't to keep the infrastructure and service in place that would likely
no longer exist if it was in the private sector.
TVA is a public utility that was created to provide power and flood control for the public
good in a part of the country where it would likely not be profitable in the private sector.
Headed by board of directors (like private corporations) Much less legislative/executive
oversight over day to day operations. They can acquire property in own name and be sued in
their own name
, Other Independent Agencies correct answers Many different responsibilities including
internal administration and regulation.
Usually headed by a single administrator which is appointed by President and confirmed by
the Senate.
ie. OPM, EPA, GSA, CIA etc..
Describe Executive Branch in State Government correct answers There are 10 separately
elected executives within NC State Gov't as opposed to Federal Gov't where the President
appointments these types of executive positions.
As a result you have a Plural Executive system where the Governor has much less control
over the Executive Branch within State Gov't.
Up until last year many other executive level positions could be appointed by the governor
without the state senate confirmation. When Cooper came into office the state general
assembly made this change for many cabinet level positions. This has taken away even more
power from the governor.
NC Governor has historically been very weak with a strong state legislature
Local Government (General v. Special Purpose) correct answers General Purpose-Provide a
variety of services to citizens
Water, sewer, animal control, etc...
City or County or towns
2. Special Purpose or Single Purpose-provide one service and there a multitude of these
School districts, mosquito control districts, transportation districts (triangle transit), RDU,
Eastover water and waste management, rural fire districts,
90,000 Local governments
General Purpose 38, 910
Special Purpose 51, 000
NC (page 17 Course pack)
Local Gov't 973 (Compared to other states we have a lot fewer local governments)
We have 673 General Purpose Local Governments-we rely upon local governments a lot
more than many other states
-100 Counties
-553 Cities
-0 Town Governments-Cary and Garner are technically a City-There are no towns
-320 Special Purpose Governments
-0 independent school districts-dependent on county governments-there are a few dependent
on cities
Structure of County Gov't correct answers NC and Va are different in that they hire a County
Manager-Professional Public Administrator who serves at the pleasure of the Board of
County Commissioners. This County Manager is very powerful and has a lot of control.
Elected County Positions-Board of Commissioners, Sheriff, County Clerk, Treasurer, Tax
Assessor,
