MPA Master of Public Administration 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ethical framework holds that the morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences and the greatest good for the greatest number?
- Deontology
- Virtue ethics
- Utilitarianism (Correct answer)
- Social contract theory
Correct answer: Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism, associated with Bentham and Mill, judges actions by their outcomes — specifically whether they maximize overall happiness or welfare.
Question 2: In program evaluation, a 'logic model' is used primarily to do which of the following?
- Calculate cost-benefit ratios for a program
- Map the relationship between program inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes (Correct answer)
- Determine the statistical significance of program results
- Allocate budget across program components
Correct answer: Map the relationship between program inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes
A logic model visually represents the theory of change, linking resources and activities to expected short- and long-term outcomes.
Question 3: Which principle of public finance holds that those who use a government service should bear its costs?
- Ability-to-pay principle
- Benefits principle (Correct answer)
- Vertical equity principle
- Horizontal equity principle
Correct answer: Benefits principle
The benefits principle of taxation argues that individuals should pay taxes in proportion to the benefits they receive from government services.
Question 4: Street-level bureaucrats, as described by Michael Lipsky, are significant because they effectively make policy through which mechanism?
- Testifying before congressional committees
- Drafting administrative regulations
- Exercising discretion in individual client interactions (Correct answer)
- Lobbying for agency budget increases
Correct answer: Exercising discretion in individual client interactions
Lipsky argued that frontline workers (teachers, police, social workers) shape policy in practice through the discretionary decisions they make with individual clients.
Question 5: Which intergovernmental grant type gives recipient governments the broadest discretion over how to spend federal funds?
- Categorical grant
- Project grant
- Block grant (Correct answer)
- Matching grant
Correct answer: Block grant
Block grants consolidate multiple categorical programs into a single grant with fewer strings attached, giving states and localities wider latitude in spending decisions.
Question 6: The concept of 'satisficing,' introduced by Herbert Simon, describes how decision-makers typically choose an option that is:
- Perfectly optimal given all available information
- Good enough to meet minimum acceptable criteria (Correct answer)
- Selected through majority vote among stakeholders
- Based purely on quantitative cost-benefit analysis
Correct answer: Good enough to meet minimum acceptable criteria
Simon's bounded rationality model holds that decision-makers 'satisfice' — they select the first option that meets a satisfactory threshold rather than exhaustively optimizing.
Question 7: Which accountability mechanism allows citizens to challenge arbitrary or illegal government actions in court?
- Legislative oversight hearings
- Executive performance reviews
- Judicial review (Correct answer)
- Inspector general audits
Correct answer: Judicial review
Judicial review empowers courts to examine whether government actions comply with constitutional and statutory requirements, checking executive and legislative power.
MPA Master of Public Administration 3
Which ethical framework holds that the morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences and the greatest good for the greatest number?