Ch. 13 and 14 Flashcards
Bureaucracy is the name given to
A large organization that is hierarchically structured and carries out specific functions
A large organization that is hierarchically structured and carries out specific functions
Bureaucracy
Within a bureaucracy the units are divided according to
Hierarchy
One of the important differences between public (government) bureaucracies and private corporations is that government bureaucracies
Are not organized to make a profit
Organizations that are directly accountable to the president and are responsible for performing government functions, such as printing money and training troops, are known as
Line organizations
The weberian model of bureaucracy characterizes it as having
Hierarchical organizations in which decisions are based on logical reasoning
The acquisitive model of bureaucracy holds that
Top level bureaucrats as seeking to expand the size of their budgets and start t gain greater power
Government agencies with leaders who seek to expand their organization’s budgets and staffs to gain power are known as
Acquisitive agencies
The monopolistic model of bureaucracy states that
Lack of competition in bureaucracies and monopolistic business forms, leads to inefficient and costly operations
Government agencies that are thought to be inefficient because they lack competitors called
Monopolistic agencies
Compared to governmental bureaucracies in other countries, the federal bureaucracy in the U.S.
Enjoys a greater degrees of autonomy that federal or national bureaucracies in other countries
The securities and exchange commission, the EPA, and the nuclear regulatory commission are examples o
Administrative agencies
A federal, state, or local government unit created by legislative bodies to administer and enforce specific laws and to perform a specific function are known as
Administrative agencies
The number of federal government employees has
Remained stable for the last several decades
If all government employees are included, more than —-of all civilian employment is accounted for by government
16%
Today, government spending accounts for about ——of the U.S. gross domestic product
30%
With subsidies for Amtrak exceeding $1 billion/year, a member of congress notes that “every time a passenger boards a train, Uncle Sam writes a check for —– on average”
$138.71
The cabinet departments can be described in management terms as
Line organizations
The first cabinet department to be created
State department
The only cabinet department not headed by a secretary is
Justice department
Independent executive agencies are
Bureaucratic organizations that aren’t located within a department but report directly to the president, who appoints their chief officials
——–were set up because congress felt it was unable to handle the complexities and technicalities required to carry out specific laws in the public interest
Independent regulatory agencies
Labor, agriculture, and interior are all examples of
Departments in the presidents cabinet
The CIA, EPA, and the national aeronautical and space administration are examples of
Independent executive agencies
The federal reserve, securities and exchange commission, and the national labor relations board are all examples of
Independent executive agencies
When the industry that is being regulates gains control over the agency that is supposed to regulate it, this is called
Captured
Amtrak, the U.S. postal service, and the Tennessee valley authority are examples o
Government corporations
The creation of the department of homeland security merged 22 agencies responsible for fighting terrorism into a single department, a process that illustrates
How an administrative agency can gain department status
The spoils system can be viewed as
A system of patronage
The merit system refers to
The selection, retention, and promotion of government employees on the basis of competitive examinations
Pendleton act ( civil service reform act)
Act that established the principle of employment on the basis of merit and created the civil service commission to administer personnel service
Civil service reform act of 1978
Abolished the civil service commission and created 2 new federal agencies in place of it
Hatch act
Prohibited federal employees from actively participating in the political management of campaigns
The “government and sunshine act”
Required all committee directed federal agencies to conduct their business regularly in public session
Freedom of information act
Required federal government agencies, with certain exceptions, to disclose to individuals, on their request, any information about them contained in government files
Sunset legislators requires
Existing programs be reviewed regularly for their effectiveness and be terminated unless specifically extended as a result of their reviews
Privatization
The replacement of government services with services provided by private firms
Supporters of privatization argue that
Some services could be provided more efficiently by the private sector
A “whistle-blower”
Someone who “blows the whistle” on a gross governmental inefficiency or illegal action