MPA Introduction 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which layer of the U.S. government system is primarily responsible for public education, zoning, and local police services?
- Federal government
- State government
- Local government (Correct answer)
- Regional authorities
Correct answer: Local government
Local governments (municipalities, counties, school districts) primarily deliver education, land-use regulation, and local law enforcement services to residents.
Question 2: The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 was significant in U.S. public administration because it:
- Created the federal budget process
- Replaced the spoils system with merit-based hiring (Correct answer)
- Established the Administrative Procedure Act
- Created the Senior Executive Service
Correct answer: Replaced the spoils system with merit-based hiring
The Pendleton Act introduced competitive examinations for federal jobs, shifting hiring from political patronage toward merit-based civil service.
Question 3: Which theory of organization argues that workers are motivated not just by money but by social relationships and group norms, as revealed by the Hawthorne Studies?
- Scientific Management Theory
- Human Relations Theory (Correct answer)
- Bureaucratic Theory
- Systems Theory
Correct answer: Human Relations Theory
Elton Mayo's Hawthorne Studies led to Human Relations Theory, showing that social dynamics, worker morale, and group norms significantly affect productivity.
Question 4: In public budgeting, 'incrementalism' as described by Aaron Wildavsky means agencies typically base their budget requests on:
- Zero-based analysis of all programs each year
- Last year's budget plus a small increment (Correct answer)
- Performance metrics tied to program outcomes
- Competitive bids from multiple service providers
Correct answer: Last year's budget plus a small increment
Wildavsky found that budget negotiations focus on marginal changes to the previous year's base, rather than comprehensive review of all expenditures.
Question 5: Which constitutional amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people, forming the basis of federalism?
- First Amendment
- Fifth Amendment
- Tenth Amendment (Correct answer)
- Fourteenth Amendment
Correct answer: Tenth Amendment
The Tenth Amendment's reservation clause is the constitutional foundation for states' rights and the division of powers between federal and state governments.
Question 6: Which ethical framework in public administration holds that administrators should be guided primarily by duty and universal rules regardless of outcomes?
- Utilitarianism
- Deontological ethics (Correct answer)
- Virtue ethics
- Consequentialism
Correct answer: Deontological ethics
Deontological ethics, rooted in Kant's philosophy, judges actions by adherence to moral rules and duties rather than by their consequences.
Question 7: Which type of government organization operates with significant independence from executive branch control and often combines legislative, executive, and judicial functions?
- Cabinet department
- Executive office agency
- Independent regulatory commission (Correct answer)
- Government-sponsored enterprise
Correct answer: Independent regulatory commission
Independent regulatory commissions like the FCC or SEC have commissioners with fixed terms, insulating them from direct presidential removal and combining rulemaking, enforcement, and adjudication.
MPA Introduction 4
Which layer of the U.S. government system is primarily responsible for public education, zoning, and local police services?