Chapter 15: Bureaucracy

Question 1

bureaucracy

Answer 1

administrative group of non elected officials charged with carrying out functions connected to a series of policies and programs

Question 2

bureaucrats/civil servants

Answer 2

individuals who work in bureaucracy who are hired or sometimes appointed

Question 3

political patronage

Answer 3

the use of state resources to reward individuals for their political support. Became increasingly apparent in the 1820s under president Andrew Jackson and source of controversy under Grant’s presidency in the 1870’s.

Question 4

Pendleton Act aka Civil Service Reform Act of 1883

Answer 4

Inspired by the attempted assassination of President Garfield, this created the civil service commission that made sure the bureaucracy would hire with competitive and open examinations under a merit system.

Question 5

Growth of bureaucracy

Answer 5

FDR initiated many national programs to stifle The Great Depression. He created the FDIC, The National Labor Relations Board, SEC and etc. LBJ did similarly by passing the Great Society program with the economic opportunity act which created many youth corps. He also created medicare. Reagan rolled back some national programs but expanded some with his involvement in The Cold War.

Question 6

Achievements of the Pendleton Act

Answer 6

Reduced the impact of politics on the civil sector service by making it illegal to fire or hire someone on strictly political grounds. Requires applicants to pass an exam testing their competence in the field. It created the Civil Service Commission which enforced these laws.

Question 7

Features of the Civil Service Commission

Answer 7

Consists of three commissioners, only two of which could be of the same party. They make sure the examinations are fair and relevant as well as making sure that each state has their share of civil service appointess based on population. They also make sure that each position isnt forced to further a political cause or create undue political influence with their position.

Question 8

Civil Service Reform Act of 1978

Answer 8

Amidst Watergate and Vietnam War scandal, this abolished the Civil Service Commission and in its place created The Office of Personnel Management and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Also puts in a clause that whistleblowers are protected if they report misconduct within their bureaucracy

Question 9

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Answer 9

The OPM has responsibility for recruiting, interviewing, and testing potential government employees in order to choose those who should be hired

Question 10

Merit Systems Protection Board

Answer 10

The MSPB is responsible for investigating charges of agency wrongdoing and hearing appeals when corrective actions are ordered

Question 11

What is KSA

Answer 11

Meaning Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities that the government merit system screen for.

Question 12

Weberian model of bureauracy

Answer 12

Model of an ideal bureaucracy as asserted by Max Weber saying that increased demands of growing populations make it a necessity that bureaucracies must have set hierarchies and strict regulation and procedures. Only high level bureaucrats have the freedom of being flexible, everyone else has little to no discretion.

Question 13

acquisitive model

Answer 13

This model of bureaucracy proposes that bureaucracies are naturally competitive and power hungry because they compete for limited resources. Bureaucratic leadership seek to enhance their department’s status by incessantly spending and pushing for bigger budgets and creating government waste.

Question 14

monopolistic model

Answer 14

Since their is no competition against private firms, bureaucracies in this model act in similar ways to a monopoly in their respective functions. These bureaucracies thus act in inefficient ways because there’s no greater incentive for them to improve. They are criticized for creating waste, red tape, and etc. Exception to these are NSA, CIA, and DoD because they compete against each other for presidential favor.

Question 15

How many federal departments are their in the president’s cabinet?

Answer 15

15

Question 16

Government Corporations

Answer 16

Agencies formed by the federal government to administer a quasi-business enterprise. They perform governmental functions that the government has an interest in maintaining but are also exposed to market forces such as the United States post office or Amtrak. Important to note is that they do not have stockholders or board of executives.

Question 17

Independent Executive Agencies and Regulatory Agencies

Answer 17

Independent Executive Agencies are similar to cabinet departments because they report to the president, Independent agencies have far more specific tasks than cabinet departments and have no regulatory agencies watching over. Some examples are CIA and NASA. Regulatory Agencies are supposed to be nonpartisan and are meant to be watchdogs enforcing government regulations such as the Interstate Commerce Commission and the SEC.

Question 18

red tape

Answer 18

set rules and regulations that bureaucrats must follow. Has a negative connotation because it has become synonymous with inefficiency.

Question 19

negotiated rulemaking

Answer 19

When authorizing a new program, the gray areas are straightened out by the bureaucracy because Congress doesn’t have the resources to go over 100% of the details. A committee within the bureaucracy is created consisting of neutral advisors called “convenors” who try to reach a general consensus of rules.

Question 20

Government Accountability Office

Answer 20

Agency that provides Congress and executive department heads with auditing, evaluation, and investigative services.

Question 21

Office of Management and Budget

Answer 21

Executive Office charged with the responsibility of the president’s annual budget and giving reports on federal departments and programs

Question 22

Freedom of Information Act (1966)

Answer 22

gives journalists and the general public the right to request records from various federal agencies as long as it passes through certain exemptions like sensitive information, personnel privacy, foreign policy plans, trade secrets, and etc.

Question 23

Sunshine Act (1976)

Answer 23

This bill states that multi-headed federal agencies must make their meetings available to the public as long as they don’t meet certain criteria such as discussing classified information, talking about private personnel information, discussing information about companies that can change public perceptions and etc. The bill comes from the expression. “Sunshine is the best disinfectant” meaning its meant to reduce government secrecy and corruption when things are out in the open/

Question 24

What are the three types of privatization?

Answer 24

1. Divestiture or full privatization 2. Contracting 3. Third Party Financing

Question 25

Divestiture/Full privatization

Answer 25

When a once government organization/function becomes completely privatized. It is a rare occurrence. Example: Sallie Mae being completely privatized in 2004

Question 26

Contracting

Answer 26

When the government outsources projects to private companies (usually through bidding) to save costs. Ex: roadwork or defense contracts: tanks, missiles, vehicles

Question 27

Whistleblower Protection Act (1989 & 2012)

Answer 27

places special protections for whistleblowers that publicize genuine misconduct within their bureaucracy.

Question 28

Third Party Financing

Answer 28

Here the federal government signs an agreement with a private entity so the two can form a special-purpose vehicle to take ownership of the object being financed. The special-purpose vehicle is empowered to reach out to private financial markets to borrow money. This type of privatization is typically used to finance government office space, military base housing, and other large infrastructure projects. Departments like the Congressional Budget Office have frequently criticized this form of privatization as particularly inefficient and costly for the government.