MPA Master of Public Administration MCQ 4

Question 1

According to the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, federal employment decisions must primarily be based on:

Accepted Answer

Merit and competitive examination

Answer

The Pendleton Act established the merit system for federal hiring, replacing the spoils system with competitive examinations.

Question 2

In network governance theory, what is the PRIMARY challenge that distinguishes managing public networks from managing single organizations?

Accepted Answer

Absence of hierarchical authority to compel compliance

Answer

Network managers lack formal authority over partner organizations and must rely on negotiation, facilitation, and trust to achieve collective goals.

Question 3

Which economic concept explains why individuals overuse shared public resources, leading to their degradation or depletion?

Accepted Answer

Tragedy of the commons

Answer

Garrett Hardin's tragedy of the commons describes how rational self-interest leads individuals to overuse shared resources until they are destroyed.

Question 4

A state health department wants to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Which policy tool is classified as a 'capacity-building' instrument?

Accepted Answer

Providing grants for local treatment center training

Answer

Capacity-building instruments provide resources, training, and infrastructure to enable target groups to achieve desired outcomes rather than commanding or prohibiting behavior.

Question 5

Which form of program evaluation assesses whether a program is being implemented as designed?

Accepted Answer

Process evaluation

Answer

Process (or implementation) evaluation examines fidelity to program design—whether activities are being carried out as planned—rather than measuring outcomes.

MPA - Master of Public Administration Practice Test

MPA - Master of Public Administration Practice Test

MPA Master of Public Administration MCQ 4