POLS 355 FINAL QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
What is a bureaucracy? - Answers - A method of organizing people and work, based on
3 principles; hierarchical authority, job specialization, and formalized rules.
Why do we need bureaucracies? - Answers - It is the most efficient means of getting
people to work together on tasks of great magnitude and complexity.
What system did bureaucracies replace? - Answers - Patronage system - Practice of
filling administrative offices with people who had supported the winning party- Labeled
"spoils system" - a device for awarding government jobs to friends and party hacks
What are the various types of bureaucracies? - Answers - Cabinet department,
independent agency, regulatory agency, government cooperation, or presidential
commission.
1. Cabinet Departments - Answers - These are the major administrative units in the
executive branch that are responsible for specific areas of government policy,
administration, and services. They are headed by a Secretary (except for the
Department of Justice, which is headed by the Attorney General).
Examples:
Department of Defense
Department of State
Department of Education
Function: They carry out laws, administer programs, and set policies in areas like
national defense, education, or health.
2. Independent Agencies: - Answers - These agencies are created by Congress to
perform specific functions, and they operate independently of the executive
departments, though they still fall under the president's authority. They are not part of
any cabinet department.
Examples:
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Function: These agencies have broad, specialized missions, often in areas that require
flexibility and autonomy.
, 3. Regulatory Agencies: - Answers - These agencies are responsible for creating and
enforcing rules and regulations within specific industries or sectors. They often have the
authority to make rules that have the force of law.
Examples:
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Function: They oversee specific areas of the economy, such as communication,
finance, and public health, and ensure compliance with regulations.
4. Government Corporations - Answers - These are government-owned corporations
that provide services or products that could be handled by the private sector but are
instead run by the government for public interest or convenience.
Examples:
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Function: They operate like private businesses, providing services or goods and
generating revenue, but are still part of the government.
5. Presidential Commissions: - Answers - These are temporary or permanent advisory
bodies established by the president to study specific issues, provide recommendations,
or address certain tasks.
Examples:
9/11 Commission (to investigate the September 11 attacks)
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
Function: They gather information, analyze issues, and advise the president or the
government on specific problems or initiatives.
What are some criticisms of bureaucracies? - Answers - In the process, they can
become insensitive to circumstances. They often stick to the rules even when it's clear
that bending them would produce better outcomes.
Agency point of view- distorts government priorities
Administrators accountability
Judicial system - Answers - Districts courts: Lowest level (where most federal cases
begin)
What is a bureaucracy? - Answers - A method of organizing people and work, based on
3 principles; hierarchical authority, job specialization, and formalized rules.
Why do we need bureaucracies? - Answers - It is the most efficient means of getting
people to work together on tasks of great magnitude and complexity.
What system did bureaucracies replace? - Answers - Patronage system - Practice of
filling administrative offices with people who had supported the winning party- Labeled
"spoils system" - a device for awarding government jobs to friends and party hacks
What are the various types of bureaucracies? - Answers - Cabinet department,
independent agency, regulatory agency, government cooperation, or presidential
commission.
1. Cabinet Departments - Answers - These are the major administrative units in the
executive branch that are responsible for specific areas of government policy,
administration, and services. They are headed by a Secretary (except for the
Department of Justice, which is headed by the Attorney General).
Examples:
Department of Defense
Department of State
Department of Education
Function: They carry out laws, administer programs, and set policies in areas like
national defense, education, or health.
2. Independent Agencies: - Answers - These agencies are created by Congress to
perform specific functions, and they operate independently of the executive
departments, though they still fall under the president's authority. They are not part of
any cabinet department.
Examples:
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Function: These agencies have broad, specialized missions, often in areas that require
flexibility and autonomy.
, 3. Regulatory Agencies: - Answers - These agencies are responsible for creating and
enforcing rules and regulations within specific industries or sectors. They often have the
authority to make rules that have the force of law.
Examples:
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Function: They oversee specific areas of the economy, such as communication,
finance, and public health, and ensure compliance with regulations.
4. Government Corporations - Answers - These are government-owned corporations
that provide services or products that could be handled by the private sector but are
instead run by the government for public interest or convenience.
Examples:
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Function: They operate like private businesses, providing services or goods and
generating revenue, but are still part of the government.
5. Presidential Commissions: - Answers - These are temporary or permanent advisory
bodies established by the president to study specific issues, provide recommendations,
or address certain tasks.
Examples:
9/11 Commission (to investigate the September 11 attacks)
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
Function: They gather information, analyze issues, and advise the president or the
government on specific problems or initiatives.
What are some criticisms of bureaucracies? - Answers - In the process, they can
become insensitive to circumstances. They often stick to the rules even when it's clear
that bending them would produce better outcomes.
Agency point of view- distorts government priorities
Administrators accountability
Judicial system - Answers - Districts courts: Lowest level (where most federal cases
begin)
