List 4 offices that make up the Executive Office of the President. correct answers 1. White House
Office.
2. Office of Management and Budget.
3. National Security Council.
4. Council of Economic Advisers.
Who makes up the president's cabinet? correct answers The 15 heads of each department.
What's the head of the Justice Department called? correct answers The attorney general.
What are the department heads of the cabinet called (not Justice department head)? correct
answers Secretaries.
What are the 15 departments represented in the cabinet? correct answers State, Treasury,
Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health & Human Services, Housing &
Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security.
What are the main responsibilities of the cabinet? correct answers To advise the President on
matters that touch the departments they lead.
What is the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security? correct answers To protect
the nation from attacks by terrorists.
Approximately how many people work in the Executive branch? correct answers About 3
million people.
The hundreds of agencies within the Executive branch and the employees of the Executive
branch are called what? correct answers The federal bureaucracy.
What are the 3 basic tasks of the federal bureaucracy that help make government policy? correct
answers 1. Agencies write rules that put laws passed by Congress into practice.
2. Depts and agencies carry out the day to day activities of the federal government.
3. Federal agencies oversee certain activities eg. they watch banks to make sure they obey all
banking rules.
The Executive branch has many independent agencies. Why are they called independent? correct
answers Because these agencies are not part of a cabinet department.
What are the 3 types of independent agencies within the Executive branch? correct answers 1.
Executive agencies.
2. Government corporations.
3. Regulatory commissions.
, Describe the Executive agencies. correct answers Executive agencies are independent agencies
that deal with specific areas within government. NASA for example runs the space program. The
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) provides intelligence.
Describe the government corporations. correct answers These are businesses that are owned by
the government. They provide goods or services and charge people for them. The United States
Postal Service is one example.
Describe regulatory commissions. correct answers The job of regulatory commissions is to
protect the public. They make and enforce the rules that an industry or group must follow. Eg.
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) makes rules for TV and radio stations.
What's the main difference between regulatory commissions and the other 2 types of independent
agencies? correct answers Regulatory commissions do not report to the President. The President
does name the people who head these commissions, but cannot fire them. Only Congress can
remove them.
Who do the top jobs in a department or agency usually go to? correct answers Political
appointees. These are people chosen by the President. People in these jobs usually leave office
when the President does.
What are the 90% of people who work in the federal government called? correct answers Civil
service workers.
What's the main difference between political appointees and civil service workers? correct
answers Civil service workers usually have permanent jobs.
Give 3 examples of civil service workers. correct answers 1. Clerks.
2. Lawyers.
3. Park Rangers.
How are civil service workers hired? correct answers Through the civil service system. This is
the practice of hiring government workers on the basis of open, competitive examinations and
ability.
Before 1883, how were federal jobs awarded? correct answers Before 1883, many federal jobs
fell under the spoils system. In this practice, people won government jobs as a reward for
political support. Under this system, appointees weren't always qualified to do the jobs.
What did the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 do? correct answers This law created the civil
service system. It also placed limits on the number of jobs a new President could give to friends
and backers.
Who directs the civil service system today? correct answers The Office of Personnel
Management (OPM). It sets standards for federal jobs & sets tough tests to people who want
these jobs.