Around the world, capital cities are disgorging bureaucrats | CAT VARC Questions- Reading Comprehension

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The question below is from previous year CAT question from CAT 2019 exam comes from CAT Reading Comprehension: Around the world, capital cities are disgorging bureaucrats . Find out by answering this question which tests an aspirant’s CAT VARC skills:

CAT 2019 – Slot -2 - Question 2 - Around the world, capital cities are disgorging bureaucrats

Around the world, capital cities are disgorging bureaucrats. In the post-colonial fervour of the 20th century, coastal capitals picked by trade-focused empires were spurned for “regionally neutral” new ones But decamping wholesale is costly and unpopular; governments these days prefer piecemeal dispersal. The trend reflects how the world has changed. In past eras, when information travelled at a snail’s pace, civil servants had to cluster together. But now desk- workers can ping emails and video-chat around the world. Travel for face-to-face meetings may be unavoidable, but transport links, too, have improved. . . .

Proponents of moving civil servants around promise countless benefits. It disperses the risk that a terrorist attack or natural disaster will cripple an entire government. Wonks in the sticks will be inspired by new ideas that walled-off capitals cannot conjure up. Autonomous regulators perform best far from the pressure and lobbying of the big city. Some even hail a cure for ascendant cynicism and populism. The unloved bureaucrats of faraway capitals will become as popular as firefighters once they mix with regular folk.

Beyond these sunny visions, dispersing central-government functions usually has three specific aims: to improve the lives of both civil servants and those living in clogged capitals; to save money; and to redress regional imbalances. The trouble is that these goals are not always realised.

The first aim—improving living conditions—has a long pedigree. After the second world war Britain moved thousands of civil servants to “agreeable English country towns” as London was rebuilt. But swapping the capital for somewhere smaller is not always agreeable. Attrition rates can exceed 80% The second reason to pack bureaucrats off is to save money. Office space costs far more in capitals. . . .

Agencies that are moved elsewhere can often recruit better workers on lower salaries than in capitals, where well-paying multinationals mop up talent.

The third reason to shift is to rebalance regional inequality Norway treats federal jobs as a resource every region deserves to enjoy, like profits from oil. Where government jobs go, private ones follow Sometimes the aim is to fulfil the potential of a country’s second-tier cities. Unlike poor, remote places, bigger cities can make the most of relocated government agencies, linking them to local universities and businesses and supplying a better-educated workforce. The decision in 1946 to set up America’s Centres for Disease Control in Atlanta rather than Washington, D.C., has transformed the city into a hub for health-sector research and business.

The dilemma is obvious. Pick small, poor towns, and areas of high unemployment get new jobs, but it is hard to attract the most qualified workers; opt for larger cities with infrastructure and better-qualified residents, and the country’s most deprived areas see little benefit Others contend that decentralisation begets corruption by making government agencies less accountable. A study in America found that state-government corruption is worse when the state capital is isolated—journalists, who tend to live in the bigger cities, become less watchful of those in power.

Q. 1: According to the author, relocating government agencies has not always been a success for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

1. a rise in pollution levels and congestion in the new locations.

2. the difficulty of attracting talented, well-skilled people in more remote areas.

3. increased avenues of corruption away from the capital city.

4. high staff losses, as people may not be prepared to move to smaller towns.

Show Answer

refer to paragraph 6, second sentence, “pick small, poor towns, and areas of high unemployment get new jobs, but it is hard to attract the most qualified workers;” this is in conformity with option 2.

option 3 has also been mentioned in relation to the reasons relocating government agencies have not always been successful. the following extract from paragraph 7, “others contend that decentralisation begets corruption by making government agencies less accountable. . . . a study in america found that state-government corruption is worse when the state capital is isolated—journalists, who tend to live in the bigger cities, become less watchful of those in power.”

option 4 has been stated in paragraph 4. the following extract, “after the second world war britain moved thousands of civil servants to “agreeable english country towns” as london was rebuilt. but swapping the capital for somewhere smaller is not always agreeable. attrition rates can exceed 80%” confirms option 4 to be a genuine reason for not relocating government agencies.

option 1 has not been stated in the passage. therefore, it cannot be a reason for not relocating government agencies to smaller cities. hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Q. 2: : According to the passage, colonial powers located their capitals:

1. to promote their trading interests.

2. where they had the densest populations.

3. to showcase their power and prestige.

4. based on political expediency.

Show Answer

refer to the following extract from paragraph 1, “in the post-colonial fervour of the 20th century, coastal capitals picked by trade-focused empires were spurned for “regionally neutral” new ones.” this extract points to option 1 as being the correct answer. options 2, 3 and 4 have not been mentioned in the passage in relation to the location of capitals by colonial powers. they can be eliminated.

hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Q. 3: The “long pedigree” of the aim to shift civil servants to improve their living standards implies that this move:

1. is supported by politicians and the ruling elites.

2. is not a new idea and has been tried in the past.

3. has become common practice in several countries worldwide.

4. takes a long time to achieve its intended outcomes.

Show Answer

refer to paragraph 4. the following extract, “the first aim—improving living conditions—has a long pedigree. after the second world war britain moved thousands of civil servants to “agreeable english country towns” as london was rebuilt” confirms the assertion that shifting civil servants to smaller and cheaper towns has been tried for a long time now (since after world war ii). this points to option 2 as being the correct answer.

options 1 and 4 have not been mentioned in the passage. they can be eliminated.

option 3 is true but does not answer the question that has been asked.

hence, the correct answer is option 2

Q. 4: The “dilemma” mentioned in the passage refers to:

1. relocating government agencies to boost growth in remote areas with poor amenities or to relatively larger cities with good amenities.

2. keeping government agencies in the largest city with good infrastructure or moving them to a remote area with few amenities.

3. encouraging private enterprises to relocate to smaller towns or not incentivising them in order to keep government costs in those towns low.

4. concentrating on decongesting large cities or focusing on boosting employment in relatively larger cities..

Show Answer

the following extract from paragraph 6, “the dilemma is obvious. pick small, poor towns, and areas of high unemployment get new jobs, but it is hard to attract the most qualified workers; opt for larger cities with infrastructure and better-qualified residents, and the country’s most deprived areas see little benefit. . . .” is in conformity with the statement made in option 1. the main aims of decentralizing are to save costs and boost growth in smaller cities.

option 2 is incorrect because it focuses exclusively on amenities of large cities versus poor amenities in remote towns. option 3 refers to “encouraging private enterprises to relocate to smaller towns versus not incentivizing them to move to smaller towns.” this is not in conformity with the extract given above.

the dilemma is not population decongestion in large cities versus boosting employment in relatively larger cities but picking small towns where it is hard to attract qualified people versus picking larger cities where qualified people would agree to work in but this would deprive remote areas. eliminate option 4.

hence, the correct answer is option 1.

Q. 5: People who support decentralising central government functions are LEAST likely to cite which of the following reasons for their view?

1. Policy makers may benefit from fresh thinking in a new environment.

2. More independence could be enjoyed by regulatory bodies located away from political centres.

3. It could weaken the nexus between bureaucrats and media in the capital.

4. It reduces expenses as infrastructure costs and salaries are lower in smaller cities

Show Answer

option 1 has been mentioned in paragraph 2, second sentence. thus, option 1 is eliminated.

option 2 has been mentioned in paragraph 2, third sentence. thus, option 2 is eliminated.

option 4 has been mentioned in paragraph 4, fifth sentence. thus, option 4 can also be eliminated.

the “nexus” between bureaucrats and media in capital cities has not been mentioned in the passage. in fact the reverse idea to nexus has been hinted in the passage – smaller cities tend to be more corrupt because journalists tend to live in large cities and are therefore not able to keep a close watch on civil servants in smaller towns. thus, option 3 is the least likely reason for decentralizing central government functions.

hence, the correct answer is option 3.