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AP Gov > Chapter Twelve: The Bureaucracy > Flashcards

Chapter Twelve: The Bureaucracy Flashcards

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1
Q

Bureaucracy

A

a large, complex organization of appointed, not elected, officials

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2
Q

Max Weber

A

one of the first people in modern times to think seriously about the importance of bureaucracy - well organized, complex machine that is a “rational” way for a modern society to organize its business

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3
Q

Hierarchical authority structure

A

a chain of command that is hierarchical - the top bureaucrat has ultimate control, and authority flows from the top down

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4
Q

Task specialization

A

a clear division of labor in which every individual has a specialized job

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5
Q

Extensive rules

A

clearly written, extensive rules that all people in the organization follow

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6
Q

Clear goals

A

a clearly defined set of goals that all people in the organization strive toward

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7
Q

The merit principle

A

merit-based hiring and promotion, no granting of jobs to friends or family unless they are the best qualified (contrasts spoils system)

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8
Q

Impersonality

A

job performance that is judged by productivity, or how much work the individual gets done

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9
Q

Weber’s characteristics of a bureaucracy

A

Hierarchical authority structure, task specialization, extensive rules, clear goals, the merit principle, and impersonality

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10
Q

Divided supervision

A

Congress has the power to create, organize, and disband all federal agencies - this makes the Bureaucracy’s 2 masters: the Pres and Congress - encourages bureaucrats to play one branch against the other

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11
Q

Close public scrutiny

A

emphasis of individual rights and their defense against governmental abuse makes court challenges to agency actions more likely

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12
Q

Regulation rather than public ownership

A

US government agencies regulate privately owned enterprises, rather than operate publicly owned ones - regulation rather than ownership

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13
Q

Federal civilian employee demographics

A
  • 57% male
  • 73% are white
  • 33% hired by Defense Dept., 26% by Postal Service, 41% other agencies
  • 10% work in DC
  • average age is 42
  • number of fed employees per 1,000 people in US has decreased from 14 in 1970’s to a little over 10 in late 1990’s
  • Most fed employees are white-collar workers - secretaries, clerks, lawyers, inspectors, and engineers
  • Nearly 20,000 fed civilian employees work in US territories and another 100,000 in foreign nations
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14
Q

Department of Justice

A

is in inner cabinet - created to serve Attorney General

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15
Q

General Services Administration

A

(GSA) operates and maintains federal properties, handling buildings, supplies, and purchasing - independent executive agency

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16
Q

National Science Foundation

A

(NSF) supports scientific research - independent executive agency

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17
Q

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

A

(NASA) administers the US space program, financing ventures into space - independent executive agency

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18
Q

Discretionary authority

A

the extent to which bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled put in advance by laws

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19
Q

Spoils system

A

party loyalists are rewarded with key federal posts by the newly elected president (contrast to the merit system) - patronage

20
Q

Pendleton Act

A

set up a limited merit system for appointing federal offices - federal service placed under the Civil Service Commission

21
Q

Civil Service Commission

A

supervised a testing program to evaluate candidates for the bureaucracy - were to be selected and retained according to merit, not party loyalty - later split into the Office of Personnel Management and the Merit Systems Protection Board

22
Q

Office of Personnel Management

A

administers civil service laws, rules, regulations, written examinations for the competitive service - in charge of hiring for most agencies - when someone is hired a GS (General Schedule) Rating (GS 1 - GS 18) determines salaries

23
Q

Senior Executive Service

A

at the top of the civil service system - executives with high salaries who may be moved from one agency to another

24
Q

Merit Systems Protection Board

A

protects the integrity of the federal merit system and the rights of federal employees - hears charges of wrongdoing and employee appeals against agency actions and orders disciplinary actions against executives or employees

25
Q

Interstate Commerce Commission

A

(ICC) oldest of the regulatory agencies - first regulated railroads, but now oversees trucking as well

26
Q

Federal Trade Commission

A

(FTC) regulates business practices and controls monopolies

27
Q

National Labor Relations Board

A

(NLRB) regulates labor-management relations

28
Q

Federal Reserve Board

A

(FRB) governs banks and regulates the supply of money

29
Q

Securities and Exchange Commission

A

(SEC) polices the stock market

30
Q

Government corporations

A

a blend of private corporation and government agency - allow more freedom and flexibility than exists in regular government agencies

31
Q

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

A

controversial - operates public radio and television stations

32
Q

Tennessee Valley Authority

A

One of FDR’s New Deal programs - harnesses power of the Tennessee River to protect farmlands and provide cheap electricity

33
Q

US Postal Service

A

the post office is a corporation that competes with private services

34
Q

Amtrak

A

provides railroad passenger service - heavily subsidized by government - created because of lack of private companies doing the same, and has had some huge financial losses

35
Q

Munn v. Ohio

A

upheld the rights of the state of Illinois to regulate the charges and services of a Chicago warehouse (1877)

36
Q

Duplication

A

Congress rarely gives any one job to a single agency - helps keep one agency from becoming all powerful - e.g. drug trafficking handled by Customs Services, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Border Patrol, and Defense Dept.

37
Q

Authorization

A

no agency may spend money unless it has first been authorized by Congress - Congress also appropriates the money (almost always cuts agency budgets from the levels authorized)

38
Q

Appropriation

A

money formally set aside for a specific use

39
Q

Hearings

A

Congressional committees may hold hearings as part of their oversight responsibilities - a weak agency reflects weak oversight

40
Q

Rewriting legislation

A

Congress may rewrite legislation or make it more detailed to restrict the power of an agency

41
Q

Appointments

A

POTUS appoints senior bureaucrats, including agency heads and subheads - this gives him control over the bureaucracy (only 3% of total positions though)

42
Q

Executive orders

A

agencies must obey them - aides may also pass the word informally to agencies as to the Pres’ wishes

43
Q

Economic powers

A

Pres may exercise authority through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) OMB may cut or add to an agency’s budget, although Congress does most of the appropriating

44
Q

Reorganization

A

the Pres may reorganize or combine agencies to reward or punish them - this is limited however, because entrenched bureaucracies, Congress, and interest groups may keep him from doing what he might like

45
Q

Iron Triangle

A

alliance among bureaucrats, interest groups, and congressional subcommittee members - form to promote their common causes (so strong that they’re referred to as subgovernments - place where real decisions are made) - how policy is formed

46
Q

Issue networks (not common on the exam)

A

consist of people in an interest group, on congressional staffs, in universities, and in the mass media who regularly debate an issue - contentious - a President may pick a new agency head from the issue network who agrees with him

47
Q

Hatch Act

A

required employees, once they were hired, to have as little to do with political parties as possible, forbidding them from engaging in many party activities

AP Gov (14 decks)

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