MPA Introduction 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which scholar is most associated with the politics-administration dichotomy, arguing that politics should be separate from administrative functions?
- Max Weber
- Woodrow Wilson (Correct answer)
- Frederick Taylor
- Luther Gulick
Correct answer: Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson's 1887 essay 'The Study of Administration' established the politics-administration dichotomy as a foundational concept in public administration.
Question 2: The concept of 'street-level bureaucrats,' introduced by Michael Lipsky, refers to which group?
- Senior policy makers who draft legislation
- Front-line public employees who interact directly with citizens (Correct answer)
- Budget analysts in federal agencies
- Elected officials at the municipal level
Correct answer: Front-line public employees who interact directly with citizens
Lipsky's street-level bureaucrats are front-line workers like teachers, police officers, and social workers who exercise discretion in implementing policy.
Question 3: In the U.S. federal system, which constitutional clause most directly enables Congress to create federal administrative agencies?
- Supremacy Clause
- Commerce Clause
- Necessary and Proper Clause (Correct answer)
- Due Process Clause
Correct answer: Necessary and Proper Clause
The Necessary and Proper Clause grants Congress broad authority to establish agencies and laws required to execute its enumerated powers.
Question 4: Which model of public administration emphasizes customer satisfaction, decentralization, and competition among service providers?
- Old Public Administration
- New Public Management (Correct answer)
- Democratic Governance Model
- Weberian Bureaucracy
Correct answer: New Public Management
New Public Management (NPM) borrows private-sector techniques, emphasizing efficiency, customer orientation, and market mechanisms in government.
Question 5: Which term describes the situation where a regulatory agency becomes dominated by the interests it is supposed to regulate?
- Agency drift
- Regulatory capture (Correct answer)
- Principal-agent problem
- Iron triangle
Correct answer: Regulatory capture
Regulatory capture occurs when a regulatory body advances the commercial or political interests of the industry it oversees rather than the public interest.
Question 6: The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) of 1946 primarily governs which aspect of federal agencies?
- Personnel hiring and firing procedures
- Rulemaking, adjudication, and judicial review processes (Correct answer)
- Agency budget formulation
- Intergovernmental grant distribution
Correct answer: Rulemaking, adjudication, and judicial review processes
The APA standardizes how federal agencies propose and establish regulations, conduct hearings, and how courts review agency actions.
Question 7: Which approach to public administration focuses on building relationships, trust, and collaborative governance with citizens rather than top-down control?
- Scientific Management
- New Public Service (Correct answer)
- Classical Organization Theory
- Budgetary Incrementalism
Correct answer: New Public Service
New Public Service, developed by Denhardt and Denhardt, emphasizes democratic citizenship, community engagement, and serving rather than steering.
MPA Introduction 2
Which scholar is most associated with the politics-administration dichotomy, arguing that politics should be separate from administrative functions?