[¶5] Congress has the power to create, organize, and disband all federal agencies. Most of them are under the control of the President, although few of them actually have direct contact with the White House. So, the bureaucracy has two masters—Congress and the President. The bureaucracy generally falls into four broad types: Cabinet departments, government corporations, independent agencies, and regulatory commissions.
[¶6] The 15 Cabinet departments are each headed by a Secretary who sits on the President's Cabinet. The exception is the Justice Department, which is headed by the Attorney General, who is also a member of the President's Cabinet. The Secretaries are responsible for directing the department's policy and for overseeing its operation. Cabinet secretaries are usually torn between their responsibilities as presidential advisers and heads of their departments.
[¶7] Government corporations do not belong to any department—they stand on their own. Probably the best-known government corporations are the United States Postal Service and Amtrak. They are different from other agencies in that they are businesses created by Congress, and they charge fees for their services.
[¶8] Independent agencies Generally, they have narrower areas of responsibility than do Cabinet departments. Most of these agencies are not free from presidential control and are independent only in the sense that they are not part of a department. Congress creates them as separate agencies for many reasons, practical as well as symbolic. For example, when NASA was established, many members of Congress assumed that it would be a part of the Department of Defense.
[¶9] Regulatory agencies are important parts of the economy, making rules for large industries and businesses that affect the interests of the public. Because regulatory commissions are "watchdogs" that by their very nature need to operate independently, they are not part of a department, and the President does not directly control most of them. Examples of these commissions are the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates the stock market, brokers, and investment practices. Another well-known commission is the Federal Reserve Board that governs monetary policy. The EPA serves as a guardian over the nation's environment, making and enforcing standards for industrial and commercial sectors.
Passage Reference • The Development of the Bureaucracy Turn to Page 2 for Questions 1–5 • Page 1 of 3
Items 1–5 of 10
1. Reading: Central Idea (Entire Passage) Main Purpose
Which statement best expresses the primary purpose of the passage?
A. Argue that federal regulatory agencies should be abolished.
B. Describe the history, structure, and functions of the bureaucracy.
C. Prove that 19th-century patronage was superior to merit exams.
D. Examine constitutional disputes among Cabinet secretaries.
Reasoning / Text Evidence: __________________________________________________________________________
2. Reading: Vocabulary in Context (Paragraph 3) Context Clues
As used in paragraph 3, the word "diluted" most nearly means:
A. contaminated with toxic foreign materials
B. weakened in strength, frequency, or dominance
C. dissolved completely into a liquid state
D. officially codified and strengthened by law
Reasoning / Text Evidence: __________________________________________________________________________
3. Reading: Cause & Effect (Paragraph 3) Textual Evidence
According to the passage, what specific event catalyzed the passage of the Pendleton Act?
A. The beginning of the American Civil War
B. The assassination of President James Garfield
C. The emergency expansion of the New Deal
D. The creation of NASA outside the Pentagon
Reasoning / Text Evidence: __________________________________________________________________________
4. Reading: Comparative Analysis (Paragraphs 6 & 9) Categorical Distinction
How do regulatory commissions primarily differ from Cabinet departments?
A. They act as independent watchdogs not under direct presidential control.
B. They charge user fees for business services rather than using taxes.
C. They are created by presidential executive order without Congress.
D. They are headed by Cabinet Secretaries who advise the President.
Reasoning / Text Evidence: __________________________________________________________________________
5. Revising: Redundancy & Word Economy (Paragraph 3) Concise Phrasing
Draft: "The executive branch employs today almost three million people today." Which revision best eliminates wordiness?
A. Today, the executive branch employs almost three million people currently.
B. The executive branch employs today almost three million people at present.
C. Today, the executive branch employs nearly three million people.
D. Almost three million people today are currently employed by the branch.
Reasoning / Elimination Note: ________________________________________________________________________
TSIA2 Student Worksheet • Bureaucracy Breakdown Turn to Page 3 for Questions 6–10 • Page 2 of 3
Items 6–10 of 10
6. Revising: Sentence Combining (Paragraph 2) Synthesis
Which choice most effectively combines the statements about merit systems and career employee longevity?
A. The transition to merit elevated expertise, but career employees span administrations for stability.
B. By replacing patronage with merit, the bureaucracy elevated expertise while establishing career personnel whose longevity ensures continuity.
C. Because career employees span multiple administrations, the transition to merit was elevated.
D. Expertise was elevated; however, stability is ensured as employees span various presidencies.
Reasoning / Elimination Note: ________________________________________________________________________
7. Revising: Transitional Logic (Paragraph 4) Logical Cohesion
Draft: "[ ___ ], contrary to popular opinion, the bureaucracy did not grow significantly in the late 20th century."
A. As a result
B. Thus therefore
C. In fact
D. In summary
Reasoning / Elimination Note: ________________________________________________________________________
8. Editing: Sentence Boundaries & Run-ons (Paragraph 8) Punctuation
Draft: "Independent agencies Generally, they have narrower areas of responsibility..." Which edit corrects this?
A. Independent agencies, generally they have narrower areas of responsibility.
B. Independent agencies generally have narrower areas of responsibility.
C. Independent agencies; generally having narrower areas of responsibility.
D. Independent agencies: having narrower areas, than do Cabinet units.
Reasoning / Elimination Note: ________________________________________________________________________
9. Editing: Subject-Verb Agreement (Paragraph 6) Agreement
Draft: "Each of the fifteen Cabinet departments [ is / are ] headed by a Secretary..." Which rule applies?
A. Use are to agree with plural "departments."
B. Use is because singular "Each" is the true subject.
C. Use are because "fifteen" indicates plural quantity.
D. Use were to shift the verb into past historical tense.
Reasoning / Elimination Note: ________________________________________________________________________
10. Editing: Apostrophes & Possessives (Paragraph 6) Plural vs. Possessive
Draft: "The [ secretaries ] responsibilities require balancing loyalty with mission." Which form is correct?
A. secretaries
B. secretary's
C. secretaries'
D. secretaries's
Reasoning / Elimination Note: ________________________________________________________________________
Student Performance Self-Audit Track Presentation Review
Reading (Q1–Q4) Score: ____ / 4
Notes: ____________
Revising (Q5–Q7) Score: ____ / 3
Notes: ____________
Editing (Q8–Q10) Score: ____ / 3
Notes: ____________
TSIA2 Student Worksheet • Bureaucracy Breakdown Completed Assessment & Reflection • Page 3 of 3
