The role of presidential appointees to a federal bureaucracy is to provide ______.

The United States Constitution provides that the president "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for." (Article II, section 2).

The president nominates all federal judges in the judicial branch and specified officers in cabinet-level departments, independent agencies, the military services, the Foreign Service, and uniformed civilian services, as well as U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals. The vast majority are routinely confirmed, while a small but sometimes highly visible number of nominees fail to receive action or are rejected by the Senate.

In its history, the Senate has confirmed 126 Supreme Court nominations and well over 500 Cabinet nominations.

  • Which of the following is NOT listed in the chapter as one of the national issues that pushed the US to develop the large bureaucracy we have today?

      a. morality
      b. economics
      c. race
      d. income
  • Well-specified codes of conduct called Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) fall under which category of the bureaucratic model?

      a. hierarchy
      b. division of labor
      c. fixed routines
      d. different rules for different people
  • When an agency sometimes develops routines (SOPs) that favor some constituents over others, it is known as

      a. imperialism.
      b. turf war.
      c. clientelism.
      d. lack of coordination.
  • Democratic dilemma refers to

      a. the generality of the citizens and the expertise of bureaucrats.
      b. the expertise of the citizens and the generality of bureaucrats.
      c. the fact that, because they rely on specialized expertise and information, bureaucracies pose a dilemma for democratic governance.
      d. all of the above
  • Who can read the Federal Register?

      a. political appointees
      b. the president
      c. the vice president
      d. any citizen can read it
  • Which aspect of American life is free from bureaucracy?

      a. Health
      b. Employment
      c. Food
      d. Every aspect of life is touched by bureaucracy
  • Today, civil servants number approximately

      a. 1 million.
      b. 2 million.
      c. 2.7 million.
      d. 3 million.
  • The Department of Homeland Security was created in

      a. 1945.
      b. 1965.
      c. 1990.
      d. 2002.
  • Who was the first president to have a woman in his cabinet?

      a. Abraham Lincoln
      b. Woodrow Wilson
      c. Franklin Roosevelt
      d. Ronald Reagan
  • Every president (from both parties) since the _______ has appointed a diverse cabinet that reflects the nation.

      a. 1950s
      b. 1960s
      c. 1970s
      d. 1980s
  • The cabinet and other appointed executives provide political ______; the civil servants provide _______.

      a. expertise; direction
      b. direction; expertise
      c. direction; labor
      d. labor; direction
  • The Federal Trade Commission is one of the

      a. independent regulatory commissions.
      b. executive agencies.
      c. central service agencies.
      d. cabinet departments.
  • In theory, who controls the bureaucracy?

      a. the people
      b. the president
      c. Congress
      d. interest groups
  • Which of the following is NOT one of the powers through which Congress shapes the bureaucracy?

      a. oversight
      b. authorization
      c. reorganization
      d. budgeting
  • The main role of the central service agencies is to

      a. budgeting
      b. submit legislation
      c. foreign policy
      d. supply and staff the federal government
  • What role does the president play in the bureaucracy?

    Most directly, the president controls the bureaucracies by appointing the heads of the fifteen cabinet departments and of many independent executive agencies, such as the CIA, the EPA, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These cabinet and agency appointments go through the Senate for confirmation.

    Which bureaucrats are appointed by the president?

    The President also appoints the heads of more than 50 independent federal commissions, such as the Federal Reserve Board or the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as federal judges, ambassadors, and other federal offices.

    Who appoints the federal bureaucracy?

    The president usually receives nominations and suggestions from party officials, political allies, close advisers, academics, and business leaders on whom to appoint to bureaucratic offices. Sometimes the president appoints loyal political allies to key positions, particularly ambassadorships.

    Which of the following are actions the president can perform to exercise oversight of the bureaucratic agencies?

    Both Congress and the president exercise direct oversight over the bureaucracy by holding hearings, making appointments, and setting budget allowances. Citizens exercise their oversight powers through their use of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and by voting.