Chapter 14 Self-test questions

. The Northcote-Trevelyan Report of 1854 established ...

a bureaucratic model which has been followed by other states.

a system in which civil service applicants are selected on the basis of competitive examinations rather than patronage.

a division between civil servants who perform routine administrative tasks and those who are responsible for policy formation.

all of the above.

. A major difference between bureaucracy in the US and the UK is that ...

in the UK, individuals cannot occupy senior positions in the civil service without years of specialized training.

the US allows elected leaders at various levels of government to make numerous key civil service appointments.

the US bureaucracy is much more hostile to big business.

the most senior members of the British civil service have to wear bowler hats at all times.

. In the context of the civil service, what does the term 'embedded autonomy' mean?

Civil servants are totally isolated from the rest of society.

Civil servants operate in a totally insulated environment.

Civil servants are insulated to an extent from pressures from the rest of society but are not completely isolated.

Economic activity should not be autonomous, and not subject to bureaucratic interference.

. New Public Management is an approach to bureaucracy which ...

argues that the ethos of the public sector should not be confused with that of private enterprise.

assumes that people who work in the public sector are driven by the same motives as those who work in the private sector.

argues that the state should take a more active part in regulating the economy.

assumes that all public servants lack the dynamism necessary to secure jobs in the private sector.

. Which of the following is a key danger arising from the export of New Public Management to African states?

It might conflict with previous attempts to inculcate the values of impartial public service in those countries.

It makes too many concessions to existing practices in those countries.

It implies an over-optimistic view of human nature.

It might deter potential investors from doing business with those countries.

. What does 'hiving off' mean?

Sharply increasing the accountability of elected officials.

Sharply reducing the amount of work undertaken by bureaucrats.

Increasing the workload of key bureaucrats.

Creating semi-autonomous agencies to perform governmental functions.

. Which of the following was a major theme for the Blair government?

To make civil servants more image-conscious.

A determination to make civil servants put the interests of the country well above those of the ruling party.

A fixation with 'targets' and 'delivery'.

Much more use of the cabinet to coordinate decision-making between departments.

. The concept of 'policy communities' focuses on relationships between ...

the top decision-makers in government.

bureaucrats who live and work in a specific geographical location (e.g. London's Whitehall).

officials, ministers, and interest groups with concerns in the same policy areas.

politicians and officials who share the same ideology.

. In the context of policy-making, what are 'iron triangles'?

Tightly-knit groups of officials who devise policies without consulting other groups.

Groups of politicians and officials that work to exclude business interests from policy-making.

Closely guarded areas in countries of strategic importance.

Similar to policy communities, but with an enhanced role for politicians (e.g. members of the US Congress).

. In terms of Rhodes' typology of networks, the most stable, or strongest, element is …

professional networks.

issue networks.

intergovernmental networks.

policy or territorial communities.

Chapter 14 Self-test questions

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