Chapter 15: Federal Bureaucracy Flashcards
What’s a bureaucracy and what is it often referred to as?
An organization/hierarchy in government to regulate laws, businesses, and other organizations; “alphabet soup”
Who is a bureaucrat?
Anyone who has a say in the hierarchy
What is ‘red tape’?
Rules and regulations; standard operating procedures (SOP)
Hierarchy:
- responsibility is top down
- discretion at the bottom
- experts have qualifications and certifications
- extensive rules
What is the office of personnel management (OPM)?
It’s upper level, top tier, federal, and does hiring for agencies
What is the Pendleton Civil Service act?
Ends the spoil system, and outlines the federal civil service program
What is the Hatch act?
Prohibits federal employees from active partisan politics
How are federal employees payed?
They’re payed on a General Schedule (GS); G1-G18, G16-G18 are top level
Four types of bureaucracies:
1) all cabinets
2) regulatory agencies
3) government corporations
4) independent executive agencies
Describe the bureaucracies under the cabinets
There are agencies under departments and cabinets that make laws
What are regulatory agencies?
"Alphabet soup" Oversees public interest SEC- stocks and bonds FCC- public airwaves FDA- food and drug OSHA- ensure workplace is safe and healthy
What are government corporations?
United States postal service (USPS)
Amtrak (US railway)
Tennessee valley authority (TVA)
What are independent executive agencies?
Not part of a cabinet, and not a regulatory agency
NASA
NSF (national science foundation)
What are the key roles that bureaucrats play?
1) creation
2) translation
3) coordination
What is Implementing when it comes to bureaucracies?
Goes through the president, congress, or the courts
The best implementation was the voting rights act of 1965, bc there were federal officers at voting posts
What are some problems with implementing?
1) faulty design - NCLB
2) lack of clarity - Title IX
3) lack of resources (money and people) - ADA
4) administration routine
5) administrative discretion
6) fragmented - DEA
What are the cons of bureaucracies as regulators?
1) government had too much power
2) you can’t regulate everything
3) crossover
What were the first regulatory agencies?
ICC- interstate commerce commission
IRS- bc of 16th amendment
Regulations…
Come from congress and the agencies set up guidelines
How do you regulate?
Complaints (FCC & FDA)
Inspections (OSHA & FDA)
How does the president control bureaucracies?
- executive orders
- appoint cabinet members
- in charge of the budget
- reorganize an agency (ex/ homeland security)
How does congress control bureaucracies?
- create new laws
- senate confirms the appointment
- budget (house ways and means committee) - appropriation
- hold hearings
Agencies…
Rise in agencies after new deal and Great Depression
20th century there’s a decrease in agencies and an increase in red tape bc there’s new laws which lead to new regulations
Iron triangles (Subgovernments)…
Three primary players:
1) bureaucrats
2) interest groups
3) congress committees
How iron triangles work:
1) interest groups can bypass congress with litigation/amicus curiae briefs (SC)
2) congress can get things done with legislation
3) bureaucracies enforce laws and have discretion with them
