Civil Servants, Councils and Everyday Government · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

The officials who actually do it

Civics & Economics · Government · ages 15-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________
  1. What does the merit system mean for government jobs?

    • Jobs go to political friends
    • Jobs go by skill and qualifications
    • Jobs rotate to new winners
  2. Most of what government does each day is done by whom?

    • Unelected officials applying policies
    • Elected ministers giving speeches
    • Foreign diplomats visiting
  3. Which of these services is run locally?

    • Printing money
    • Making treaties
    • Collecting garbage
  4. An official has discretion over your case. What does that mean?

    • Free choice to invent any rule
    • Limited room judging how a rule fits your case
    • Power to ignore every rule
  5. A pothole wrecks your street. Who should hear about it first?

    • The national defence office
    • The state elections office
    • The local council
  6. A civil servant who refuses a permit is making up the rules on the spot.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A student says every election sweeps all officials out and restarts services. What is wrong?

    • Elections never change any leader
    • The permanent civil service stays and work continues
    • Councils close during elections
  8. Your bins go uncollected for weeks. What is your best first move?

    • Complain to the council team running collections
    • Write to the national leader
    • Stop paying all taxes
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

The officials who actually do it W1-mt_oCh-n1NG7P-s1

  1. Jobs go by skill and qualifications · Merit hiring rewards ability, not connections.
  2. Unelected officials applying policies · The bureaucracy of nonelected officials does the daily work.
  3. Collecting garbage · Garbage collection sits with your town or city council.
  4. Limited room judging how a rule fits your case · Discretion is small judgment inside rules made by others.
  5. The local council · Local roads belong to the local level, which is also funded there.
  6. False · Officials apply rules made by others, not personal inventions.
  7. The permanent civil service stays and work continues · Permanence across elections is the point of a civil service.
  8. Complain to the council team running collections · Challenge the body that actually applies the rule and ask for review.
Worksheet · LightMySky