Which term describes routine or mechanical tasks performed by agents?

• A. Ministerial duties
• B. Disclosed principal
• C. Partially disclosed principal
• D. Independent contractor

Answer: (A)

Ministerial duties describe routine or mechanical tasks performed by agents. These tasks are carried out under explicit instructions from the principal and require little to no discretion or judgment—think filing forms, processing standard paperwork, or following established procedures exactly as directed. This contrasts with tasks that involve evaluation or decision-making. The other terms relate to the relationship between the agent and the principal rather than the nature of the tasks: a disclosed principal is known to the third party, a partially disclosed principal’s identity isn’t revealed, and an independent contractor is someone not treated as an agent under the principal’s control. So, routine, mechanical tasks performed by agents are best described as ministerial duties.