POLI 1090 Midterm Study Guide with
Complete Solutions
4 types of bureaucracy - ANSWER--Executive branch departments
-Independent agencies- narrow set of functions Ex. FEMA, NASA
-Independent Regulatory ... and Commissions have special legal status; can create
rules and punish those who violate rules
-Government Corporations function like private businesses Ex. Post office, Amtrak
5 bureaucratic pathologies - ANSWER-Clientelism, Pathological incrementalism,
Arbitrariness, Parochialism, and Imperialism
5 functions of bureaucracy - ANSWER-idk
Advantages of federalism - ANSWER-ties to voters & local differences, allows states to
address differences, flexibility, experimentation in the 'laboratories of democracy'
Anti-federalists - ANSWER-Concerned that the president would look too much like a
king, let the power rest w/ the ppl
Appointment of judges - ANSWER-•President nominates someone to become a judge
•Senate majority vote confirms
•Judges serve for life
Arbitrariness - ANSWER-develops when the use of regularized procedures interferes
with responsiveness or replaces common sense
Articles of Confederation - ANSWER-1777- First staff of the US gov, where we get the
name United States of America.
Failures: congress could not raise taxes so they had no money, requirement of a
unanimous vote made it hard to pass anything, state governments were dominated by
the legislator
Bill of Rights - ANSWER-to satisfy the anti federalists, list of protection for individuals
Bureaucracy - ANSWER-A bunch of civil servants, people who work for the
government: federal state or local
(Informal) red tape- the inflexibility of organizations
Organizational fourm
Bureaucratic incompetence myth - ANSWER-full of incompetent people, they should be
able to do everything in their power to make sure your problems get solved
o Interactions with private agencies
, o Comes from idea that government should be as efficient and responsive as the private
sector
Centralized (federally focused) federalism - ANSWER-The federal government should
take the lead in setting national policy and state and local government should implement
the policy.
Citizen mechanisms (bureaucracy) - ANSWER--Interest groups
-Street-level bureaucrats- do the work, one could argue that they have the greatest
amount of control
Clientelism - ANSWER-develops when constant contact w/ a clientele results in
favoritism toward that clintele's interests
Cloture Vote - ANSWER-the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30
additional hours, but only by vote of three-fifths of the full Senate, normally 60 votes.
Commander and Chief - ANSWER-top strategist when it comes to war
expansion of power in role (war powers act of 1973 allows president to deploy troops for
up to 60 days w/o congressional approval)
Confederal System (Confederation gov) - ANSWER--Independent states or
governments grant legal authority to central government
- Type of system under the Articles of Confederation
- In this system each state has some amount of of authority that can overrule the
national government if need be
- Legislature set their own laws independent of the other states
-States worked together to create national power
Conference Committee - ANSWER-work out very specific issues when the house &
senate cannot agree on a bill (also can hear testimony, propose bill amendments, and
oversee policy implementation)
Congressional Committees - ANSWER--Standing- permanent, can propose & kill
legislation (how most legislative is proposed)
-Select- spend a very limited amount of time on very limited issues, not permanent
-Joint- made up of members from both chambers, can write bills but not pass them
Conference- work out very specific issues when the house & senate cannot agree on a
bill (also can hear testimony, propose bill amendments, and oversee policy
implementation)
Congressional mechanisms (bureaucracy) - ANSWER--Funding: Power of the purse
-Oversight: revision of empowering or limiting statutes
Threats of hearings and investigations
-Authorization: Senate approval of certain appointees
Reorganization: The power to create or destroy agencies
Complete Solutions
4 types of bureaucracy - ANSWER--Executive branch departments
-Independent agencies- narrow set of functions Ex. FEMA, NASA
-Independent Regulatory ... and Commissions have special legal status; can create
rules and punish those who violate rules
-Government Corporations function like private businesses Ex. Post office, Amtrak
5 bureaucratic pathologies - ANSWER-Clientelism, Pathological incrementalism,
Arbitrariness, Parochialism, and Imperialism
5 functions of bureaucracy - ANSWER-idk
Advantages of federalism - ANSWER-ties to voters & local differences, allows states to
address differences, flexibility, experimentation in the 'laboratories of democracy'
Anti-federalists - ANSWER-Concerned that the president would look too much like a
king, let the power rest w/ the ppl
Appointment of judges - ANSWER-•President nominates someone to become a judge
•Senate majority vote confirms
•Judges serve for life
Arbitrariness - ANSWER-develops when the use of regularized procedures interferes
with responsiveness or replaces common sense
Articles of Confederation - ANSWER-1777- First staff of the US gov, where we get the
name United States of America.
Failures: congress could not raise taxes so they had no money, requirement of a
unanimous vote made it hard to pass anything, state governments were dominated by
the legislator
Bill of Rights - ANSWER-to satisfy the anti federalists, list of protection for individuals
Bureaucracy - ANSWER-A bunch of civil servants, people who work for the
government: federal state or local
(Informal) red tape- the inflexibility of organizations
Organizational fourm
Bureaucratic incompetence myth - ANSWER-full of incompetent people, they should be
able to do everything in their power to make sure your problems get solved
o Interactions with private agencies
, o Comes from idea that government should be as efficient and responsive as the private
sector
Centralized (federally focused) federalism - ANSWER-The federal government should
take the lead in setting national policy and state and local government should implement
the policy.
Citizen mechanisms (bureaucracy) - ANSWER--Interest groups
-Street-level bureaucrats- do the work, one could argue that they have the greatest
amount of control
Clientelism - ANSWER-develops when constant contact w/ a clientele results in
favoritism toward that clintele's interests
Cloture Vote - ANSWER-the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30
additional hours, but only by vote of three-fifths of the full Senate, normally 60 votes.
Commander and Chief - ANSWER-top strategist when it comes to war
expansion of power in role (war powers act of 1973 allows president to deploy troops for
up to 60 days w/o congressional approval)
Confederal System (Confederation gov) - ANSWER--Independent states or
governments grant legal authority to central government
- Type of system under the Articles of Confederation
- In this system each state has some amount of of authority that can overrule the
national government if need be
- Legislature set their own laws independent of the other states
-States worked together to create national power
Conference Committee - ANSWER-work out very specific issues when the house &
senate cannot agree on a bill (also can hear testimony, propose bill amendments, and
oversee policy implementation)
Congressional Committees - ANSWER--Standing- permanent, can propose & kill
legislation (how most legislative is proposed)
-Select- spend a very limited amount of time on very limited issues, not permanent
-Joint- made up of members from both chambers, can write bills but not pass them
Conference- work out very specific issues when the house & senate cannot agree on a
bill (also can hear testimony, propose bill amendments, and oversee policy
implementation)
Congressional mechanisms (bureaucracy) - ANSWER--Funding: Power of the purse
-Oversight: revision of empowering or limiting statutes
Threats of hearings and investigations
-Authorization: Senate approval of certain appointees
Reorganization: The power to create or destroy agencies
