MPA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield MPA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A county government is considering contracting out its solid waste collection to a private firm. Which factor would MOST strongly argue AGAINST privatization? → The service involves significant information asymmetry and equity concerns
2. What does the 'debt service ratio' measure in public finance? → The proportion of government revenue consumed by principal and interest payments on debt
3. Which management concept refers to delegating authority and decision-making power to lower levels of an organization? → Decentralization
4. Which financial statement shows a government's assets, liabilities, and net position at a specific point in time under GASB standards? → Statement of net position
5. Which ethical framework holds that the morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences and the greatest good for the greatest number? → Utilitarianism
6. Which constitutional amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people, forming the basis of federalism? → Tenth Amendment
7. Which federal law prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the public and private sectors? → Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
8. Which concept describes the tendency of public bureaus to continually seek budget increases beyond what is needed to achieve their mandated mission? → Niskanen's budget-maximizing bureaucrat
9. In organizational change management, Kurt Lewin's three-step model involves: → Unfreezing, changing, and refreezing
10. Which approach to public leadership emphasizes transforming followers' values and motivations to pursue collective goals beyond self-interest? → Transformational leadership
11. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs applied to public sector motivation, which need level must be satisfied before employees seek esteem and self-actualization? → Safety and security needs
12. Which organizational structure features functional departments reporting to a central authority with clear top-down command? → Hierarchical (line) structure
13. Which management theory argues that workers are primarily motivated by social relationships and a sense of belonging rather than financial incentives alone? → Human relations theory
14. Which budgeting approach requires agencies to justify every expenditure from zero each budget cycle rather than using prior-year baselines? → Zero-based budgeting
15. Which principle of public finance holds that those who use a government service should bear its costs? → Benefits principle
16. In the context of public administration, 'equity' as a core value primarily concerns: → Ensuring fair and impartial treatment and distribution of services across all groups
17. Which budgeting format directly links funding levels to measurable outcomes and results? → Performance budgeting
18. Which federal statute is considered the foundational law governing the procedures of U.S. federal administrative agencies? → Administrative Procedure Act
19. The three main branches of government are often responsible for different aspects of its operations. → Bureaucracy
20. Which principle of public administration ethics holds that administrators should treat similar cases in the same way, free from personal bias or favoritism? → Impartiality (neutrality)
21. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 was a landmark reform primarily because it did which of the following? → Replaced the spoils system with merit-based federal hiring
22. Which approach to public administration focuses on building relationships, trust, and collaborative governance with citizens rather than top-down control? → New Public Service
23. Which model of public administration emphasizes customer satisfaction, decentralization, and competition among service providers? → New Public Management
24. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives citizens the right to do which of the following? → Request access to federal agency records
25. What does 'PAYGO' stand for in U.S. federal budget law? → Pay as you go
26. What is 'capital budgeting' in public administration? → A separate budget process for long-lived infrastructure and capital asset investments
27. A government that devolves authority to lower levels of government or to nongovernmental organizations to deliver services is practicing which approach? → Devolution and decentralization
28. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) serves primarily as the investigative and audit arm of which branch of the U.S. government? → Legislative branch
29. What is an 'adverse action' in federal civil service terminology? → A disciplinary measure such as removal, demotion, or suspension for more than 14 days
30. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) primarily gives the public what right? → The right to access records held by federal executive branch agencies