Chapter 11: Bureaucracy Flashcards
- Why is bureaucracy important to the governmental process? What key purpose does the bureaucracy serve?
Bureaucracies are responsible for providing public goods and or managing them. They are important to the process since they implement public policy that is drafted by the Congress and President. And this is probably why citizens often have a negative opinion on bureaucracies.
- What is the difference between cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, and
independent regulatory agencies in terms of their various missions and leadership
differences?
Cabinet departments have a broad-based mission in management containing many departments within each department. The leadership is confirmed by the Senate but is closely tied to the president since they can be removed.
Independent agencies have a focused-based policy implementation mission. Focusing on very specific issues that are narrow. Leadership is confirmed by the Senate, but are independent of the president meaning they can’t be removed by the president and can run things closer to how that individual thinks it should be run.
Independent regulatory agencies’ mission is to create, enforce, and adjudicate regulations. Leadership is of course confirmed by the Senate but instead of individuals being confirmed commissions, or groups, are confirmed in usually being a bipartisan group ( equal Democrat and Republican members).
- What concerns, in particular, are associated with independent regulatory agencies?
The biggest concern is that Congress gives the agencies a broad mission that they have to implement, but since it’s so vague they usually get to interpret what it means. And this is an issue since these regulations are just as powerful to laws. So if these bureaucracies aren’t voted-in yet carry the same power it isn’t democratic.
- In what sense are “independent” regulatory agencies independent?
I would argue that they are independent since they implement what they interpret from the broad mission. Are made up of a bipartisan commission so they aren’t to the president all that much. And they have their own courts that regulate it, so in a way it is its own small government operation.
- What are the main problems associated with congressional oversight of the bureaucracy?
The main issues is deciding which approach his the best to take in order to manage but of course each comes with its own issue. If you take the “police patrol” approach sometimes the issues has already occurred before Congress could do anything. If you take the “fire alarm” approach Congress could be unable to act fast enough to prevent or alleviate the issue.
- What is an “iron triangle”? Who are the participants, and what are the political effects of the
triangle?
The “iron triangle” is the name given to a rather simple yet problematic relationship between Congress, interest groups, and bureaucracies. The cycle is usually instigated by interest groups who lobby Congress, who will in turn give funding or political support to a Bureaucracy who in turn givers favorable enforcement or favors to the interest group. Many different issues can arise but often this results in lobbying a person who is there to help the opponent of an agency instead of defending what that agency is suppose to.
- What is deregulation? What about privatization? What are the benefits and drawbacks of
deregulation and privatization?
Deregulation is the removal of government-based regulation on the private sector. Privatization takes this a step further, embracing the free market approach and handing over agency responsibilities to the private sector. One benefit of deregulation is reduced prices for consumers, but a drawback could be the roll back of safety measures. One benefit of privatization is the decrease in inefficiency, ritualization, lack of innovation, and agency capture that is associated with bureaucracies. But a one drawback is that someone will have to pay for those services that now belong to the private sector which could result in a unintended consequences.
- How does the presidential appointment process (of bureaucratic leadership) help or hurt
bureaucratic outcomes?
It really depends, the president can put a person in charge but that individual could do the opposite of what is expected. So this could result in an agency being run by a person who is helping the opposition and thus going against what the agency is meant to defend. Or the individual could have been put there, expected to mess things up but decides to take things in another direction. None the less often this person can’t be removed by the president, resulting in varying outcomes.
- How did the Pendleton Act of 1883 change the way that civil service appointments were made?
The Pendleton Act put a merit based system into place. Before this bureaucratic positions were often given to people who had helped the president in a campaign or other things. Now individuals have to show their experience and talent to climb to that position, before under the spoil system many people were put in jobs that they were not at all capable of doing.
- What are other possible methods of reforming the bureaucracy? How effective have they
been?
Sunset provisions are a clause in the legislation that indicates when that law expires unless reformed or reviewed. This constant review ensures that it’s working.
Sunshine laws are legislations that make the agency hold a public meeting when rules, which hold the same weight as laws, will affect the public. During this time the public is free to make criticism. Can be effective since it increase transparency.
