Chapter 9

Question 1

Bereaucracy

Answer 1

A form of organization that operates through impersonal, uniform regulations and procedures.

Question 2

Bureaucrat

Answer 2

A negative term for describing a career government employee.

Question 3

Types of federal organizations (4)

Answer 3

1. Departments
2. Independent stand-alone agencies
3. Independent regulatory commissions
4. Government Corporations

Question 4

Departments

Answer 4

Usually the largest organization in government with the largest mission; also the highest rank in the federal hierarchy.

Question 5

Independent stand alone agency

Answer 5

A government agency that operates outside a traditional government department, but under the president’s direct control. (independent from a department)

Question 6

Independent regulatory commission

Answer 6

A government agency or commission with regulatory power whose independence is protected by congress. Run by a board instead of by Pres or congress

Question 7

Government Corporation

Answer 7

Government agency that is designed like a business corporation, and is created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for the particular program.

Question 8

Largest department?

Answer 8

Department of defense, followed by department of veterans affairs and homeland security.

Question 9

How many departments?

Answer 9

15

Question 10

Three types of federal employees

Answer 10

1. Presidential appointees (run the bureaucracy and make major policy recommendations to pres and congress)
2. Members of Senior Executive Service (help translate policy into action)
3. Members of civil service (implement policy under direction of other 2) …plus military personal.

Question 11

Civil service

Answer 11

Federal employees who work for government through a competitive, not political selection process

Question 12

Spoils system

Answer 12

Expanded by Andrew Jackson; a system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.

Question 13

Patronage

Answer 13

The process of awarding favors to the party in power.

Question 14

Merit System

Answer 14

Replaced spoils system; a system of public employment in which selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage.

Question 15

OPM

Answer 15

Office of Personnel Management- agency that administers civil service laws and regulation

Question 16

Merit Systems Protection Board

Answer 16

An independent agency that oversees and protects merit in the federal government personnel system.

Question 17

Hatch Act

Answer 17

A federal statue barring federal employees from active participation in certain kinds of politics and protecting them from being fired on partisan grounds. Loosened in 1993.

Question 18

Implementation

Answer 18

The process of putting a law into practice through bureucratic regulations or spending

Question 19

Administrative discretion

Answer 19

Authority given by congress to the federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgement in implementing the laws.

Question 20

Regulation

Answer 20

Precise statement of how a law is implemented. Detailed.

Question 21

Rule-making process

Answer 21

The detailed process for drafting a regulation

Question 22

How do agencies implement ambiguous laws? (3)

Answer 22

1. Writing regulations for enforcing the laws
2. Collecting revenues from individuals and corporations and rewarding activities like giving to charity or buying a home.
3. Spending money for specific programs like Social Security and hiring employees like military.

Question 23

Federal Register

Answer 23

The official record of what the beaucracy does.

Question 24

How can the government raise revenue?

Answer 24

1. Individual Income Taxes
2. Payroll Taxes
3. Corporate Income Taxes
4. Excise Taxes

Question 25

Individual income taxes

Answer 25

Largest share of federal governments tax revenue. Allowed in 1913.

Question 26

Payroll taxes

Answer 26

Pay for social insurances (Social Security and Medicare) are 2nd largest source. Most people pay more in SS than in income taxes.

Question 27

Corporate Income Taxess

Answer 27

Fallen significantly, only count for 1/10 of revenue.

Question 28

Excise Taxes

Answer 28

Sale of liquor, cigs, gas, telephones, air travel, and other luxury items.

Question 29

Federal Reserve Board

Answer 29

Variation of an independent regulatory agency with a chairman and board that controls the supply of money that flows through the U.S. economy.

Question 30

Uncontrollable Spending

Answer 30

The portion of the federal budget that is spent on previously enacted programs (SS) that no one is willing to cut.

Question 31

Entitlement Program

Answer 31

Such as unemployment insurance, disaster relief, or disability payments that provides benefits to all eligible citizens.

Question 32

Oversight

Answer 32

Review of a particular government program or organization that can be in response to a crisis of some kind or part of routine review. Ongoing effort to make sure laws are executed correctly.

Question 33

Central Clearence

Answer 33

Review of all executive branch testimony, reports, and draft legislation by the OMB to ensure that each communication to Congress is in accordance with the president’s program.

Question 34

Public Policy

Answer 34

A specific course of action that government takes to address a problem.

Question 35

Policy Makers

Answer 35

Individuals and groups that make the actual choices to create a public policy.

Question 36

Distributive policy

Answer 36

public policy like SS that provides benefits to all groups in society.

Question 37

Redistributive policy

Answer 37

policy that provides to one group of society while taking away from another such as tax increases to pay for job training.

Question 38

Zero-sum games

Answer 38

Same thing as redistributive policy

Question 39

Reverse distributive policy

Answer 39

Reduces benefits for all people, like taxes that affect everyone.

Question 40

Nondecision

Answer 40

A decision not to move ahead with the policy process. In short it is a decision not to decide.

Question 41

Think tank

Answer 41

A nongovernmental organization that seeks to influence public policy through research and education.

Question 42

issue-attention cycle

Answer 42

The movement of public opinion toward public policy from initial enthusiasm for action to realization of costs and a decline in interest.

Question 43

incremental policy

Answer 43

small adjustments to existing public policies

Question 44

punctuating policy

Answer 44

radical changes to public policy that occur only after the mobilization of large segments of society to demand action.

Question 45

Iron triangle

Answer 45

policy-making instrument composed of a tightly relates alliance of a congressional committee, interest groups, and a federal department or agency.

Question 46

Issue Network

Answer 46

A policy-making instrument composed of loosely related interest groups, congressional committee, presidential aides, and other parties.

Question 47

What solutions does the gov usually propose? (3)

Answer 47

1. Make regulations to encourage/ prohibit behaviors
2. Using taxes to raise money and encourage behavior
3. Spend money to purchase goods and services to provide benifits