Chapter 14 Flashcards
Bureaucracy
the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that are employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate the work of their personnel
implementation
the efforts of departments and agencies to translate laws into specific bureaucratic rules and actions
merit system
a product of civil service reform, in which appointees to positions in public bureaucracies must objectively be deemed qualified for those positions
independent agency
an agency that is not part of a cabinet department
government corporation
a government agency that performs a service normally provided by the private sector
regulatory agencies
departments, bureaus, or independent agencies whose primary mission is to impose limits, restrictions, or other obligations on the conduct of individuals or companies in the private sector
fiscal policy
the government’s use of taxing, monetary and spending powers to manipulate the economy
revenue agencies
agencies responsible for collecting taxes
devolution
a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government, such s from the national government to the state and local governments
privatization
a formerly public service that is now provided by a private company but paid for by the government.
Oversight
the effort by congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies
Federal Reserve System
system of 12 Federal Reserve banks that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks, and credit, regulates member banks, and uses monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation
department
largest subunit of the executive branch, secretaries of the 15 departments form the Cabinet
