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| Chapter 11: Bureaucracy |
| Questions for Discussion and Thought |
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| 1. Have you ever considered seeking a career in government? How do you feel about working for government after having read this chapter? What level of government interests you most: federal, state, or local? What agency would you like to work for? |
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| 2. Suppose you were aware of some corruption that was occurring in the government agency in which you work. What would you do? Would you be a whistleblower? What are the possible consequences to you for reporting the corruption? Do you believe yourself to be an honest and ethical person? If you didn’t report the corruption, would you still consider yourself to be honest and ethical? |
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| 3. Many people complain about government red tape. Suppose we were to abolish the red tape and just let bureaucrats make their own decisions, using their own judgment. Would you support this change? Would decisions be consistent? |
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| 4. Suppose the civil service was abolished and all federal jobs were given out through patronage. Would this create a more responsive bureaucracy? What problems do you see with this proposal? Would you support it? Would you support some larger proportion of patronage jobs, say 30 percent? |
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| 5. There are laws that seek to limit the ability of presidential appointees to cash in on their relationships, usually as lobbyists. Do these restrictions limit the freedom of these individuals in a way that is unfair, or do you think that the laws are appropriate? If you worked at the White House, would you attempt to benefit financially from those connections after leaving your job? |
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| 6. As governments downsize, they often contract with private companies to perform what was once considered to be the traditional work of government. What are the advantages and disadvantages of privatizing these institutions?: jails, public schools, military security, state welfare agencies, and state employment agencies |
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