Question

Difficulty: HardControl of Civil Service and Bureaucratic Problems

Match each civil service control mechanism or bureaucratic pathology on the left with its defining administrative characteristic on the right:

  • Writ of MandamusJudicial remedy compelling a public official or government department to perform an unperformed mandatory statutory duty.
  • Public Accounts CommitteeFinancial oversight by the legislature investigating unauthorized departmental spending and audit queries.
  • Red TapeBureaucratic pathology characterized by excessive adherence to rigid formal procedures, causing undue administrative delays.
  • Public Complaints CommissionIndependent administrative ombudsman established to investigate citizens' grievances against civil service injustice.

Answer

Writ of Mandamus matches judicial enforcement of unperformed statutory duties; Public Accounts Committee matches legislative financial oversight; Red Tape matches excessive adherence to rigid procedures causing delay; Public Complaints Commission matches independent ombudsman investigating citizen grievances.
Each control mechanism and bureaucratic issue is correctly aligned with its proper organ of government or operational definition: the judiciary uses writs like Mandamus to compel public duties; the legislature exercises financial control via the Public Accounts Committee; Red Tape represents procedural rigidity; and the Public Complaints Commission serves as the official administrative Ombudsman.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify judicial controls over the civil service
Recognize that the Writ of Mandamus is an order issued by the judiciary to compel administrative performance.
Judicial review prevents civil servants from neglecting statutory duties.
2
Identify legislative controls over departmental finances
Match the Public Accounts Committee to legislative scrutiny of government expenditures and audit queries.
Parliamentary control over the purse ensures civil servants operate within legislative appropriations.
3
Analyze bureaucratic problems
Associate Red Tape with rigid routine, official bottlenecking, and excessive formality.
Over-reliance on procedure hinders swift service delivery in public administration.
4
Analyze administrative redress mechanisms
Link the Public Complaints Commission to its Ombudsman role of handling public complaints against civil service administrative injustice.
Administrative Ombudsman bodies provide an accessible, non-judicial avenue for citizen redress.

Key Concept

Control of Civil Service and Bureaucratic Problems
Rate this question