Sean Vondrak
Dr. Volonnino
AP US Government & Politics (B-Block)
31 March 2014
Free Response
1) The federal bureaucracy as part of the executive branch exercises substantial independence in implementing governmental policies and programs. Most workers in the federal bureaucracy are civil-service employees who are organized under a merit system. (a) Describe one key characteristic of the merit system.

The key characteristic of the merit system is its allowance for appointments and promotions based on qualification opposed to nepotism, or any other way. This makes the system not a matter of who you know, but what you actually know, and your abilities in demonstrating so. (b) For each of the following, describe one factor that contributes to bureaucratic independence. The federal bureaucracy is made up of subgroups, each serving its own individual purpose. Each group retains a decent amount of individual freedom because of their expertise on their specific work. They also usually remain free of political influence ...

1 2 2014 31 abil accord action actual address agenda allow also alter alway american amount angl anoth ap appoint array attack author b b-block base becom belief best better bill block branch bureaucraci bureaucrat c call campaign candid carri case chang characterist check choos citizen civil civil-servic come committe complex compon congress congression conserv constitut contribut control court cut decent decis deem demonstr describ difficult dilemma dilig disciplin discret discretionari discrimin display dr easier effect either elect employe enact entiti equal equilater etc evalu everi execut exempt exercis expertis explain factor favor feder filter fit flexibl follow form format free freedom function fund fundrais govern government great group heavili identifi ideolog implement import independ individu influenc institut intemper interest involv ir iron issu job judici key know larg law leader leadership legisl life like limit line littl live lot made maintain make mani march matter media merit natur need nepot offic often one opinion oppon oppos order organ origin outlin outlook outsid oversight part parti pass peopl pick polici polit power presid prevent previous process program promot propos prospect provid provis public punish purpos qualif qualifi quit recent reflect regard relat relationship relev religi remain requir respons retain review right role rule sean sector seek serv servic sign similar slow solv specif speech status stay stori strength strike subgroup subject substanti system task tax thing three triangl ultim uncheck unconstitut us use usual vital volonnino vondrak vote voter want way weight whole work worker worthi