Today’s posting is a transcription of the “correlation examination” questions for public administration and finance given at Harvard in May 1939.
Concentrators in Economics will have to pass in the spring their Junior year a general examination on the department of Economics, and in the spring of their Senior year an examination correlating Economics with either History or Government (this correlating exam may be abolished by 1942), and a third one on the student’s special field, which is chosen from a list of eleven, including economic theory, economic history, money and banking, industry, public utilities, public finance, labor problems, international economics, policies and agriculture.
Courses in allied fields, including Philosophy, Mathematics, History, Government, and Sociology, are suggested by the department for each of the special fields. In addition, Geography 1 is recommended in connection with international policies or agriculture.
[Source: Harvard Crimson, May 31, 1938]
A printed copy of questions for twelve A.B. examinations in economics at Harvard for the academic year 1938-39 can be found in the Lloyd A. Metzler papers at Duke’s Economists’ Papers Project.
- One Departmental Examination from the Department of Economics.
- Five Division Special Examinations.
Economic Theory,
Economic History Since 1750,
Money and Finance,
Market Organization and Control,
Labor Economics and Social Reform.
- Six Correlation Examinations given to Honors Candidates.
Economic History of Western Europe since 1750,
American Economic History,
History of Political and Economic Thought,
Public Administration and Finance,
Government Regulation of Industry,
Mathematical Economic Theory.
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DIVISION OF HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMICS
CORRELATION EXAMINATION
Public Administration and Finance
(Three hours)
Answer either FOUR or FIVE questions, including TWO from each group. If you answer FOUR questions, write about an hour on ONE of them and mark your answer “Essay.” This question will be given double weight.
A
Use a separate blue book for the questions in this part
- “A marked tendency of modern legislation is to deal with regulatory problems by setting forth less frequently in the legislation itself the particular rules that shall control. More commonly the administrative agency is given power to prescribe governing regulations in certain spheres of activity.”
- “One factor that has received little attention is the need for administrative agencies to give adequate and effective publicity to their achievements. In the field of policy determination, effective publicizing of the policy and of the reasons that underlie it is essential.”
- “Although the U. S. Civil Service Commission has accomplished much in the way of reducing the patronage evil and in introducing competition as a means of recognizing merit, the full implications of the merit system have not been realized.”
- “The ultimate test of an administrative agency regulating business is the policy that it formulates; not the fairness as between the parties of the disposition of a controversy on a record of their own making.”
- “The development of American administrative law involves a potential conflict between the legislature and the judiciary. In humble realization by each of their respective functions lies in large measure the trembling hope for the maintenance of our democracy.”
- “A serious charge against the grant-in-aid from the point of view of concern for our dual system, is that it breaks down state initiative and devitalizes state policies. The exact contrary appears to be the case in actual practice.”
- “An old, established rule of statecraft is that ad hoc agencies should be kept at a minimum. Every agency that wants to be free from the integrated structure of the government and the control of central staff agencies must be able to make out a case for itself, showing that the advantages considerably outweigh the disadvantages.”
- “The concept of efficiency can be made the basis of a comprehensive and flexible framework for the evaluation and appraisal of government. It is a powerful tool for analyzing relationships of legislature and administrator.”
- “In the lack of cooperation between the President and Congress, is to be found the most serious weakness in the national fiscal system.” Discuss with reference to the Bureau of the Budget and the Treasury Department as agencies for financial planning, accounting and control.
B
Use a separate blue book for the questions in this part
- “You cannot run a war without inflation, so the government must finance it by borrowing or issuing paper money instead of by increasing taxation.”
- Explain the purposes and the principal activities of the Farm Credit Administration, or the Reconstruction Finance Corporation.
- “People who talk about the ‘burden’ of the public debt fail to see that it is simply a matter of taxing Peter to pay Paul, or sometimes Peter.”
- Discuss the more important financial, administrative, and political problems which would be involved in a government program for extensive slum clearance.
- “Few people seem to realize that the Tennessee Valley Authority is socialism, and socialism of the worst sort characterized by fairyland economics, academic ideology, and absentee control.”
- “The chief result of the pernicious system of federal grants to states is that the people of those states with the smartest politicians get part of the bills for their own schools and highways paid by people in other states.”
- Discuss the possibilities of achieving a reduction in the costs of federal government or state government without diminishing the output of government services.
- “Our tax system needs to be revised in such ways as to discourage saving and encourage investment.”
- “The unplanned character of public spending by state and local governments must bear a considerable part of the blame for fluctuations in employment and the national income.”
May 12, 1939.
Source: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Lloyd Appleton Metzler Papers. Box 7. [Harvard University], Division of History, Government and Economics. Division Examinations for the Degree of A.B., 1938-39.