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Unit 6: Control over Public Administration - Practice Quiz

PBA115 — Introduction To Public Administration 60 Questions
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1 What is the main purpose of control over public administration?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Easy
A. To replace elected governments
B. To guide and check administrative actions
C. To increase private business profits
D. To eliminate all public services

2 What does administrative accountability mean?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Easy
A. Officials must explain and justify their actions
B. Officials are free from legal responsibility
C. Officials may avoid all public questions
D. Officials can make rules without authority

3 Administrative responsiveness refers to the ability of administration to:

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Easy
A. Avoid contact with the public
B. Ignore complaints from citizens
C. Respond to public needs and concerns
D. Delay every government decision

4 Which principle requires public officials to follow established laws and rules?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Easy
A. Personal preference
B. Rule of law
C. Administrative secrecy
D. Political favoritism

5 Which institution usually exercises legislative control over public administration?

Overview of legislative control over administration Easy
A. Individual households
B. The legislature
C. The judiciary alone
D. The private sector

6 Which legislative activity gives the legislature control over public expenditure?

Overview of legislative control over administration Easy
A. Appointing every citizen
B. Issuing court judgments
C. Conducting private trade
D. Approving the budget

7 What is the purpose of legislative questions to ministers?

Overview of legislative control over administration Easy
A. To suspend every public program
B. To replace all administrative agencies
C. To seek information about administration
D. To decide private legal disputes

8 A legislative committee is commonly used to:

Overview of legislative control over administration Easy
A. Manage all local businesses
B. Examine government work in detail
C. Perform the duties of judges
D. Organize private social events

9 Which document commonly explains how public funds were spent?

Overview of legislative control over administration Easy
A. A personal diary
B. A campaign poster
C. A commercial advertisement
D. An audit report

10 Executive control over administration is mainly exercised by:

Overview of executive control over administration Easy
A. Private citizens alone
B. Independent businesses
C. The head of government and ministers
D. Foreign courts only

11 Which is an example of executive control?

Overview of executive control over administration Easy
A. Electing every public employee
B. Passing a judicial sentence
C. Operating a private company
D. Issuing administrative directives

12 What does supervision within an executive department involve?

Overview of executive control over administration Easy
A. Avoiding performance reviews
B. Monitoring subordinate officials
C. Removing all written procedures
D. Transferring power to courts

13 Which method can the executive use to control administrative personnel?

Overview of executive control over administration Easy
A. Court verdicts and appeals
B. Private sales and purchases
C. Appointments and transfers
D. Citizen petitions and protests

14 Internal administrative review is a process in which:

Overview of executive control over administration Easy
A. A citizen runs a private business
B. An authority examines an official decision
C. A legislature conducts an election
D. A court writes the annual budget

15 Judicial control over administration is exercised by:

Overview of judicial control over administration Easy
A. Political parties alone
B. The courts
C. Private companies
D. Local newspapers

16 What is the main concern of judicial review?

Overview of judicial control over administration Easy
A. Whether citizens attend meetings
B. Whether officials are personally popular
C. Whether administrative action is lawful
D. Whether businesses earn high profits

17 Which principle protects a person from arbitrary administrative action?

Overview of judicial control over administration Easy
A. Administrative privilege
B. Unlimited official power
C. Due process of law
D. Political convenience

18 What may a court do when an administrative decision is unlawful?

Overview of judicial control over administration Easy
A. Set aside the decision
B. Appoint all civil servants
C. Approve every future decision
D. Write the agency's budget

19 Which is a common way citizens control public administration?

Overview of citizen control over administration Easy
A. Submitting complaints
B. Directing every ministry
C. Approving national budgets
D. Issuing court judgments

20 Freedom of information laws mainly help citizens to:

Overview of citizen control over administration Easy
A. Create criminal courts
B. Obtain information from government
C. Control private companies
D. Appoint cabinet ministers

21 A department follows all formal procedures but repeatedly ignores citizens' urgent service complaints. Which principle is most clearly weak?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Medium
A. Administrative responsiveness
B. Organizational hierarchy
C. Personnel neutrality
D. Budgetary control

22 An agency must explain how it used public funds and face consequences for unauthorized spending. This situation best illustrates:

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Medium
A. Public accountability
B. Administrative discretion
C. Policy delegation
D. Functional specialization

23 Which arrangement best balances administrative discretion with effective control?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Medium
A. Replacing professional judgment with public voting
B. Allowing officials to act without review
C. Setting clear standards with periodic review
D. Requiring approval for every minor action

24 A public office publishes service standards and permits citizens to track delayed applications. The main purpose is to improve:

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Medium
A. Political patronage
B. Administrative responsiveness
C. Administrative secrecy
D. Judicial independence

25 A legislative committee summons an agency head to explain why a program exceeded its approved budget. This is an example of:

Overview of legislative control over administration Medium
A. Legislative oversight
B. Judicial review
C. Citizen litigation
D. Executive supervision

26 Parliament refuses to approve funding for a proposed administrative program until the agency provides performance evidence. Which legislative instrument is being used?

Overview of legislative control over administration Medium
A. Control through public petitions
B. Control through judicial precedent
C. Control through appropriations
D. Control through appointments

27 A legislature passes a detailed law defining an agency's powers and limits. This most directly controls administration through:

Overview of legislative control over administration Medium
A. Internal supervision
B. Administrative custom
C. Media criticism
D. Statutory authorization

28 A committee hearing becomes ineffective because legislators lack reliable information about an agency's performance. Which condition is most necessary to strengthen the hearing?

Overview of legislative control over administration Medium
A. More confidential instructions
B. Greater agency secrecy
C. Fewer reporting requirements
D. Independent performance information

29 A minister issues policy guidelines to ensure that several departments implement the government's priorities consistently. This reflects:

Overview of executive control over administration Medium
A. Executive direction
B. Citizen arbitration
C. Legislative investigation
D. Judicial adjudication

30 An agency's internal audit unit discovers repeated procurement violations and recommends corrective action to the department head. This is primarily:

Overview of executive control over administration Medium
A. Internal executive control
B. Electoral control
C. Legislative representation
D. External judicial control

31 A senior official evaluates regional offices using uniform targets and requires remedial plans from poor performers. Which executive control mechanism is illustrated?

Overview of executive control over administration Medium
A. Constitutional litigation
B. Parliamentary privilege
C. Public consultation
D. Performance supervision

32 Which situation creates the greatest risk that executive control will weaken administrative impartiality?

Overview of executive control over administration Medium
A. Using transparent recruitment standards
B. Auditing departmental expenditures
C. Directing officials to favor political supporters
D. Reviewing compliance with service rules

33 A court cancels an agency decision because the agency acted beyond the authority granted by statute. This is an application of:

Overview of judicial control over administration Medium
A. The rule against delegation
B. The principle of ultra vires
C. The doctrine of political neutrality
D. The practice of legislative privilege

34 An official denies a license without giving the applicant a chance to respond to serious allegations. Which principle may have been violated?

Overview of judicial control over administration Medium
A. Natural justice
B. Fiscal federalism
C. Collective responsibility
D. Executive privilege

35 A court finds that an agency selected a policy through an irrational process despite having legal authority to act. Judicial review may address the decision's:

Overview of judicial control over administration Medium
A. Administrative rationality
B. Political popularity
C. Budgetary size
D. Electoral legitimacy

36 Which remedy is most suitable when a public authority unlawfully refuses to perform a legally required duty?

Overview of judicial control over administration Medium
A. Mandamus
B. Quo warranto
C. Habeas corpus
D. Certiorari

37 Citizens request records showing how a local authority selected a contractor. Which mechanism most directly supports this request?

Overview of citizen control over administration Medium
A. Judicial sentencing
B. Freedom of information
C. Executive appointment
D. Legislative immunity

38 Residents submit a collective petition demanding correction of unsafe public housing conditions. This is primarily a form of:

Overview of citizen control over administration Medium
A. Executive auditing
B. Internal delegation
C. Citizen participation
D. Judicial precedent

39 A public ombudsman investigates a citizen's complaint about unreasonable delay by an agency and recommends corrective action. The ombudsman mainly provides:

Overview of citizen control over administration Medium
A. A substitute legislature
B. A form of electoral representation
C. A source of executive policy
D. A channel of citizen control

40 A consultation meeting is held after an infrastructure plan has already been finalized, and no public suggestions can change it. What is the main weakness?

Overview of citizen control over administration Medium
A. Participation is merely symbolic
B. Judicial review is excessive
C. Legislative control is binding
D. Administrative secrecy is reduced

41 A ministry meets all formal reporting requirements but repeatedly ignores evidence that its licensing policy harms small rural applicants. Which diagnosis is most accurate?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Hard
A. It demonstrates representation without legislative oversight
B. It demonstrates legality without responsiveness
C. It demonstrates discretion without administrative control
D. It demonstrates responsiveness without accountability

42 An agency is given broad discretion to respond quickly during a disaster. Which institutional arrangement best balances discretion with accountability?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Hard
A. Permit discretion with reasons, records, review, and sunset limits
B. Require prior approval for every emergency decision
C. Transfer all emergency authority to the legislature
D. Replace professional judgment with automatic statutory formulas

43 A performance target causes officials to process only simple cases, leaving complex cases unresolved. What control failure does this best illustrate?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Hard
A. A failure of electoral representation
B. A failure of judicial independence
C. A failure of performance-measure design
D. A failure of legislative supremacy

44 Which situation most clearly reflects accountability rather than merely control?

Control, accountability and administrative responsiveness Hard
A. An agency explains outcomes and accepts review by authorized bodies
B. A minister increases inspections without publishing standards
C. A department centralizes all decisions in its headquarters
D. A superior checks whether staff followed instructions

45 A legislative committee summons officials to discuss a procurement scandal but cannot inspect contracts, question responsible officers, or recommend corrective action. What is the principal weakness?

Overview of legislative control over administration Hard
A. The committee has adjudication but insufficient electoral authority
B. The committee has publicity but insufficient investigatory capacity
C. The committee has budgeting power but insufficient executive immunity
D. The committee has rule-making power but insufficient judicial tenure

46 Why can highly detailed statutory instructions sometimes weaken legislative control over administration?

Overview of legislative control over administration Hard
A. They eliminate all possibilities of judicial review
B. They may obscure responsibility when implementation requires rigid technical choices
C. They prevent legislatures from using budgetary oversight
D. They guarantee that agencies will become politically neutral

47 A legislature approves an agency's entire annual appropriation but receives no reliable performance information. Which conclusion is strongest?

Overview of legislative control over administration Hard
A. Financial authorization alone may not produce effective oversight
B. The agency's decisions are automatically immune from review
C. The agency is automatically independent of executive control
D. The legislature has transferred its taxing power to the courts

48 A legislative committee uses hearings to pressure an agency to deny benefits to a named applicant despite statutory eligibility. Which principle is most threatened?

Overview of legislative control over administration Hard
A. Executive coordination of departmental work
B. Equality and non-partisan application of law
C. General legislative supervision over policy
D. Administrative specialization in technical matters

49 A minister orders an agency to adopt a policy that contradicts an enacted statute. Which response best reflects lawful executive control?

Overview of executive control over administration Hard
A. The agency should ask private contractors to choose the rule
B. The agency must obey because ministers direct all administration
C. The agency should follow the statute and document the conflicting instruction
D. The agency should ignore both the statute and the minister

50 A central department requires every field office to use an identical procedure, although local conditions differ substantially. What is the most likely control problem?

Overview of executive control over administration Hard
A. Coordination has displaced adaptive administrative discretion
B. Electoral competition has displaced professional recruitment
C. Citizen participation has displaced executive responsibility
D. Judicial review has displaced legislative budgeting

51 An agency head is evaluated only on whether directives were followed, even when those directives produce persistent service failures. Which executive-control defect is shown?

Overview of executive control over administration Hard
A. Reliance on legislative hearings without budget authority
B. Reliance on citizen petitions without administrative records
C. Reliance on judicial remedies without executive supervision
D. Reliance on procedural obedience without outcome review

52 A department creates an internal audit unit that reports directly to the same manager whose programs it audits. What is the principal institutional risk?

Overview of executive control over administration Hard
A. The audit may lack independence and credible escalation
B. The audit may acquire excessive legislative jurisdiction
C. The audit may invalidate all executive appointments
D. The audit may convert policy into constitutional law

53 An agency interprets an ambiguous statute using a reasoned explanation, considers relevant evidence, and applies the interpretation consistently. A court should generally focus first on whether the agency:

Overview of judicial control over administration Hard
A. Acted within legal authority and used a rational process
B. Avoided making any policy judgment
C. Selected the policy preferred by the judge
D. Obtained approval from every affected citizen

54 A claimant challenges an administrative decision but cannot show personal injury, legal interest, or a concrete effect. Which threshold issue is most likely decisive?

Overview of judicial control over administration Hard
A. Whether the claimant has standing or an actionable interest
B. Whether the legislature held sufficient hearings
C. Whether the agency used delegated legislation
D. Whether the executive issued annual instructions

55 A court invalidates an agency decision solely because it would have weighed competing social costs differently, despite finding the agency's process lawful and rational. What concern does this raise?

Overview of judicial control over administration Hard
A. The court may have converted an agency into a private body
B. The court may have expanded citizen control through elections
C. The court may have refused to recognize legislative supremacy
D. The court may have substituted its policy judgment for administrative judgment

56 An agency imposes a severe penalty without giving the affected party notice of the allegation or an opportunity to respond. Which judicial-control principle is most directly implicated?

Overview of judicial control over administration Hard
A. Procedural fairness or natural justice
B. Substantive delegation
C. Budgetary authorization
D. Political accountability

57 A public agency publishes consultation notices online, but the affected population has limited internet access and no meaningful alternative channel. What is the strongest assessment?

Overview of citizen control over administration Hard
A. The agency has transferred adjudication to civil society
B. The agency has achieved complete democratic accountability
C. Formal consultation exists, but effective participation is unequal
D. The agency has eliminated the need for legislative oversight

58 A freedom-of-information system releases large volumes of technically complex documents but withholds the data needed to interpret them. Which limitation is most significant?

Overview of citizen control over administration Hard
A. Disclosure without intelligibility may not enable meaningful accountability
B. Disclosure automatically violates administrative confidentiality
C. Complexity transfers all oversight authority to courts
D. Data publication eliminates the need for citizen organizations

59 A complaint mechanism resolves cases quickly but systematically rejects complaints that challenge the agency's general policy. What is the most likely weakness?

Overview of citizen control over administration Hard
A. It offers systemic reform but prevents individual remedies
B. It replaces executive control with legislative taxation
C. It guarantees judicial independence but weakens public participation
D. It offers individual correction but suppresses systemic accountability

60 A community group participates in a policy forum, but officials provide no reasons for rejecting its proposals and no record of how its input was considered. What is missing?

Overview of citizen control over administration Hard
A. Participatory access without feedback and answerability
B. Legislative authorization without electoral competition
C. Judicial enforcement without executive discretion
D. Administrative secrecy without public consultation
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