BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies BSGS Public Administration 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'new public management' (NPM) primarily advocates for:
- Expanding the size and role of government bureaucracy
- Applying private-sector management techniques to public agencies (Correct answer)
- Eliminating competitive contracting in government services
- Increasing direct democracy in administrative decisions
Correct answer: Applying private-sector management techniques to public agencies
NPM, prominent since the 1980s, promotes market-oriented reforms like performance measurement, privatization, and customer-focused service delivery in government.
Question 2: Under U.S. federal law, which body has the primary authority to confirm presidential appointments to major executive branch positions?
- The House of Representatives
- The Senate (Correct answer)
- The Supreme Court
- The Office of Personnel Management
Correct answer: The Senate
The Senate exercises its 'advice and consent' authority under Article II of the Constitution to confirm major presidential appointees, including cabinet secretaries.
Question 3: In program evaluation, what does a 'logic model' primarily illustrate?
- The statistical significance of program outcomes
- The causal chain linking program inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes (Correct answer)
- The legal authority under which a program operates
- The organizational hierarchy of program staff
Correct answer: The causal chain linking program inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes
A logic model is a visual tool that maps the theoretical pathway from resources and activities through outputs to intended short- and long-term outcomes.
Question 4: Which term describes the situation where a regulatory agency becomes dominated by the very industry it was established to regulate?
- Regulatory capture (Correct answer)
- Administrative discretion
- Bureaucratic inertia
- Principal-agent problem
Correct answer: Regulatory capture
Regulatory capture occurs when an agency advances the interests of the regulated industry rather than the public interest, often due to industry influence over appointments and information.
Question 5: The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) of 1946 primarily established:
- The structure of the federal court system for administrative appeals
- Uniform procedures for federal agency rulemaking and adjudication (Correct answer)
- The merit-based civil service examination system
- Standards for federal grant disbursement to states
Correct answer: Uniform procedures for federal agency rulemaking and adjudication
The APA set out standardized procedures agencies must follow when creating rules and conducting hearings, ensuring due process and public participation.
Question 6: A city decides to contract with a private firm to collect residential trash instead of using city employees. This is an example of:
- Intergovernmental transfer
- Privatization through contracting out (Correct answer)
- Collaborative governance
- Devolution of authority
Correct answer: Privatization through contracting out
Contracting out (outsourcing) transfers service delivery to a private vendor while the government retains responsibility for funding and oversight.
Question 7: Which Hamiltonian-era principle argued that a strong, energetic executive branch is essential to good government?
- Checks and balances
- Energy in the executive (Correct answer)
- Separation of powers
- Federalism
Correct answer: Energy in the executive
In Federalist No. 70, Alexander Hamilton argued that 'energy in the executive' — decisiveness, vigor, and accountability — was indispensable for effective government.
BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies BSGS Public Administration 3
The concept of 'new public management' (NPM) primarily advocates for: