Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Adjudication
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question presents a passage about modern public administration and its borrowing of techniques from the legislature and the judiciary. The same word must fill three blanks in the passage. The passage describes an administrative process where departments decide questions of a judicial or quasi judicial nature, hear parties, weigh evidence, and pronounce decisions. Your task is to identify the single word that fits all three blanks.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
When an authority hears evidence and decides legal rights or duties, it is engaging in adjudication. "Adjudication" is a legal term that refers to the formal judgment or decision making process, often done by a judge or a tribunal. The phrase "administrative adjudication" is commonly used to describe judicial like decisions made by administrative agencies. None of the other options captures this technical meaning in all positions of the passage.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Insert "Adjudication" into the first blank: "Administrative adjudication is the latest addition to the administrative techniques." This is a standard phrase in public administration.
Step 2: Insert "Adjudication" into the second blank: "Administrative adjudication means the determination of questions of a judicial or quasi judicial nature by an administrative department or agency." This matches the definition of adjudication.
Step 3: Insert "Adjudication" into the third blank: "The main point of difference between administrative adjudication and administration of justice by the courts is that administrative justice is administered by administrative agencies instead of regular courts." This contrast is exactly how textbooks explain the term.
Step 4: Test "Division" in all three positions. "Administrative division" can refer to organisational units but does not describe judicial decision making.
Step 5: Test "Hearing" and "Service". "Administrative hearing" can be used in some places, but the phrase "modern public administration has taken a leaf from the judiciary, administrative hearing is the latest addition" is not idiomatic, and the final contrast with administration of justice is usually framed in terms of adjudication, not hearing.
Step 6: Conclude that "Adjudication" is the only word that fits all three blanks naturally and precisely.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can check standard public administration and constitutional law texts, where the phrase "administrative adjudication" is widely used. It refers to decision making by administrative agencies that resembles court procedures but is carried out by the executive branch. No other term among the options is as closely associated with this concept. "Division" and "service" are too general, and while "hearing" describes a part of the process, it does not encompass the entire determination of legal rights and duties, which is what the passage describes.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Division" is wrong because it refers to organisational units or the act of dividing, not to judicial style decision making. "Hearing" is part of adjudication but does not cover the final judgment aspect; it would not fit well in all three blanks, especially where the passage refers to a technique added to administrative methods. "Service" is unrelated in meaning to judicial determination and therefore cannot complete the passage meaningfully.
Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to be misled by the word "hearing", which does appear in the passage when describing how administrative bodies operate. However, the passage distinguishes the overall process of adjudication from individual steps like hearings. Students may also think of "division" because public administration often has divisional structures, but the context here is clearly legal, focusing on judgments and legal rights. Always read the entire passage and ensure that the chosen word fits every blank logically and idiomatically.
Final Answer:
The single word that correctly fills all three blanks is Adjudication.
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