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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 eliminate all public services
B. To increase private business profits
C. To guide and check administrative actions
D. To replace elected governments

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 can make rules without authority
D. Officials may avoid all public questions

3 Administrative responsiveness refers to the ability of administration to:

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

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

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

5 Which institution usually exercises legislative control over public administration?

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

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

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

7 What is the purpose of legislative questions to ministers?

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

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. An audit report
D. A commercial advertisement

10 Executive control over administration is mainly exercised by:

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

11 Which is an example of executive control?

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

12 What does supervision within an executive department involve?

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

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

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

14 Internal administrative review is a process in which:

Overview of executive control over administration Easy
A. An authority examines an official decision
B. A citizen runs a private business
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. The courts
B. Local newspapers
C. Private companies
D. Political parties alone

16 What is the main concern of judicial review?

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

17 Which principle protects a person from arbitrary administrative action?

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

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

Overview of judicial control over administration Easy
A. Appoint all civil servants
B. Approve every future decision
C. Set aside the 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. Approving national budgets
C. Directing every ministry
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. Appoint cabinet ministers
D. Control private companies

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. Organizational hierarchy
B. Administrative responsiveness
C. Budgetary control
D. Personnel neutrality

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. Functional specialization
B. Administrative discretion
C. Public accountability
D. Policy delegation

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. Requiring approval for every minor action
D. Setting clear standards with periodic review

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. Judicial independence
B. Political patronage
C. Administrative secrecy
D. Administrative responsiveness

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. Citizen litigation
B. Executive supervision
C. Legislative oversight
D. Judicial review

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 judicial precedent
B. Control through appointments
C. Control through appropriations
D. Control through public petitions

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. Statutory authorization
D. Media criticism

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. Greater agency secrecy
B. More confidential instructions
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. Citizen arbitration
B. Legislative investigation
C. Judicial adjudication
D. Executive direction

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. Legislative representation
B. Internal executive control
C. Electoral control
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. Performance supervision
C. Parliamentary privilege
D. Public consultation

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

Overview of executive control over administration Medium
A. Auditing departmental expenditures
B. Using transparent recruitment standards
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 principle of ultra vires
B. The doctrine of political neutrality
C. The rule against delegation
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. Fiscal federalism
B. Executive privilege
C. Collective responsibility
D. Natural justice

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. Electoral legitimacy
C. Budgetary size
D. Political popularity

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. Certiorari
B. Quo warranto
C. Habeas corpus
D. Mandamus

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. Freedom of information
B. Judicial sentencing
C. Legislative immunity
D. Executive appointment

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. Citizen participation
B. Internal delegation
C. Judicial precedent
D. Executive auditing

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

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. Legislative control is binding
C. Judicial review is excessive
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 discretion without administrative control
B. It demonstrates representation without legislative oversight
C. It demonstrates responsiveness without accountability
D. It demonstrates legality without responsiveness

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

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 judicial independence
B. A failure of electoral representation
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 superior checks whether staff followed instructions
C. A minister increases inspections without publishing standards
D. A department centralizes all decisions in its headquarters

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 rule-making power but insufficient judicial tenure
D. The committee has budgeting power but insufficient executive immunity

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

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

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

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. General legislative supervision over policy
C. Equality and non-partisan application of law
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 ignore both the statute and the minister
B. The agency should ask private contractors to choose the rule
C. The agency must obey because ministers direct all administration
D. The agency should follow the statute and document the conflicting instruction

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. Judicial review has displaced legislative budgeting
C. Citizen participation has displaced executive responsibility
D. Electoral competition has displaced professional recruitment

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 citizen petitions without administrative records
B. Reliance on procedural obedience without outcome review
C. Reliance on judicial remedies without executive supervision
D. Reliance on legislative hearings without budget authority

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 invalidate all executive appointments
C. The audit may acquire excessive legislative jurisdiction
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. Obtained approval from every affected citizen
B. Avoided making any policy judgment
C. Selected the policy preferred by the judge
D. Acted within legal authority and used a rational process

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 executive issued annual instructions
B. Whether the legislature held sufficient hearings
C. Whether the agency used delegated legislation
D. Whether the claimant has standing or an actionable interest

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 substituted its policy judgment for administrative judgment
C. The court may have expanded citizen control through elections
D. The court may have refused to recognize legislative supremacy

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. Political accountability
B. Budgetary authorization
C. Procedural fairness or natural justice
D. Substantive delegation

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. Formal consultation exists, but effective participation is unequal
B. The agency has eliminated the need for legislative oversight
C. The agency has transferred adjudication to civil society
D. The agency has achieved complete democratic accountability

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

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 individual correction but suppresses systemic accountability
B. It replaces executive control with legislative taxation
C. It guarantees judicial independence but weakens public participation
D. It offers systemic reform but prevents individual remedies

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. Legislative authorization without electoral competition
B. Judicial enforcement without executive discretion
C. Participatory access without feedback and answerability
D. Administrative secrecy without public consultation
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