Home › MCQs › Public Adminstration › Question #9536
Back to Questions
Public Adminstration QUESTION #9536
Question 1
A public manager simultaneously faces pressure from the legislature to cut expenditure, from citizens demanding better services, and from courts challenging a departmental policy. Which foundational characteristic of public administration most directly explains this multi-directional accountability?
  • Ambiguity of public sector goals
  • Pluralistic decision-making environment✔️
  • Pervasiveness of government power
  • Visibility of public managers' actions
Correct Answer Explanation
Public administration operates within a pluralistic decision-making environment where multiple constituencies — legislature, judiciary, citizens — all hold legitimate authority over the executive. This is structurally distinct from private management and is the root cause of multi-directional accountability.