Explain the principal-agent problem and how it affects productivity in the bureaucracy. For maximum credit, your answer must address who the players are, the problem that exists between the players, and how the problem influences productivity (i.e., ability to implement policy) within the bureaucracy.

Parties in cases heard on appeal in the courtroom are either referred to as the petitioner or the respondent. Which of the following fits the profile of a petitioner in the case?

When Congress submits a bill for the president’s consideration, he has, per the Constitution, ten days to act. If, however, Congress has adjourned (i.e., not in session, departed from Capitol Hill) by the 11th day, he can simply avoid taking any action on the bill. If he declines to take action by the 11th day, and Congress is simultaneously not in session, then he issues what amounts to a ____________________. They cannot be overridden.

In any bureaucratic agency, there are political appointees and civil servants. Civil servants are temporary hires, while appointees are permanent hires that serve in senior positions.

Which of the following is not an example of unilateral action?

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak, was created by Congress under the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 to compensate for the increasing popularity of the automobile. Amtrak is responsible for shuttling Americans along railway lines across the country. While it exists alongside other privately-owned passenger railway services, the federal government exclusively funds and exercises significant oversight over Amtrak because the entity serves an important public interest. The entity is also not subject to federal taxes on their annual profits, but instead, its annual profits are used to maintain its operations. Which of the following characterizes Amtrak?

Nominations to the US Supreme Court follow the norm of senatorial courtesy, whereby the president consults with senators of the state that contains the vacant judicial seat.

Assuming a banking system with limited reserves, an increase in the money supply will result in an increase in

A petition submitted to the US Supreme Court requesting that it order (i.e., call up, request) records from the lower courts and review the case is referred to as _________________.

The US has a ___________________ system, where laws are actively developed and modified through judicial decisions, while some countries utilize a _____________ system, where laws are detailed, comprehensive, and largely discourage judicial interpretation.