Introduction to Politics 2Ce, Student Quiz: Chapter 10

. The Northcote-Trevelyan Report of 1854 established ________.

a) a bureaucratic model which has been followed by other states

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

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

d) all of the above

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

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

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

c) the US bureaucracy is much more hostile to big business

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

. In the context of the civil service, the term "embedded autonomy" means ________.

a) civil servants are totally isolated from the rest of society

b) civil servants spend a lot of time in bed

c) civil servants are insulated to an extent from pressures from the rest of society but are not completely isolated

d) economic activity should not be autonomous, and not subject to bureaucratic interference

. New public management is an approach to bureaucracy which ________.

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

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

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

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

. A key danger arising from the export of new public management to African states is ________.

a) it might conflict with previous attempts to inculcate the values of impartial public service in those countries

b) it makes too many concessions to existing practices in those countries

c) it implies an over-optimistic view of human nature

d) it might deter potential investors from doing business with those countries

. The process of "agencification" refers to ________.

a) the greater centralization of power over government agencies

b) sharply reducing the reliance of government agencies on "targets"

c) an explicit attempt to make bureaucratic structures more complex

d) the splitting of government departments and dividing functions to create new agencies

. The concept of "good governance" calls for ________.

a) a closer association between the state and corporations

b) reduced reliance on state bureaucracies

c) civil societies and communities that are represented in the policy-making process

d) the exclusion of the private sector from any role in the economy

. The term "governance" implies that ________.

a) government is no longer as effective as it used to be

b) government can no longer be understood simply in terms of official state institutions

c) government is now just a branch of big business

d) the West is right to impose its values on the developing world

. The concept of "policy communities" focuses on relationships between ________.

a) the top decision makers in government

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

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

d) politicians and officials who share the same ideology

. In the context of policy-making, "iron triangles" are ________.

a) tightly-knit groups of officials who devise policies without consulting other groups

b) groups of politicians and officials which work to exclude business interests from policy-making

c) closely guarded areas in countries of strategic importance

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

. The Civil Service was established to ensure that ________.

a) civil servants who were loyal to the crown were hired

b) the monarch's whims were met with hiring and firing of staff

c) civil servants were politically neutral and had job security

d) civil servants compete in office Olympics and the job goes to the victor

. The key features of new public management are ________.

a) cronyism, lack of meritocracy, and favoritism

b) economics, lack of meritocracy, and a focus on policymaking, emphasis on improved business practices in government

c) a business oriented approach to government, quality and performance-oriented approach, emphasis on improved public service

d) ending the civil servant employment

. Good governance is important for strong states and according to Kayizzi-Mugera it should include ________.

a) an effective state that enables economic growth and equitable distribution, civil society that are represented in the policymaking process, and a private sector that plays and independent and productive role in the economy

b) good steering of the government and policymaking

c) solid decision making and policymaking with the United Nations

d) performance contracting, deregulation and other management matters

. The elements of good governance are _________.

a) participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus-oriented, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, and accountability

b) lack of participation, closed elections, government controlled press, rule of law, and a lack of transparency, limited equity, and responsiveness

c) governance, the EU, and human rights

d) all of the above

. Policy communities involve ________.

a) closed, stable subgovernments

b) civil servants who are responsible for policymaking

c) external groups with a special interest in particular areas

d) all of the above

Introduction to Politics 2Ce, Student Quiz: Chapter 10

Quiz Content