Chapter Twelve: The Bureaucracy Flashcards
Bureaucracy
a large, complex organization of appointed, not elected, officials
Max Weber
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
Hierarchical authority structure
a chain of command that is hierarchical - the top bureaucrat has ultimate control, and authority flows from the top down
Task specialization
a clear division of labor in which every individual has a specialized job
Extensive rules
clearly written, extensive rules that all people in the organization follow
Clear goals
a clearly defined set of goals that all people in the organization strive toward
The merit principle
merit-based hiring and promotion, no granting of jobs to friends or family unless they are the best qualified (contrasts spoils system)
Impersonality
job performance that is judged by productivity, or how much work the individual gets done
Weber’s characteristics of a bureaucracy
Hierarchical authority structure, task specialization, extensive rules, clear goals, the merit principle, and impersonality
Divided supervision
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
Close public scrutiny
emphasis of individual rights and their defense against governmental abuse makes court challenges to agency actions more likely
Regulation rather than public ownership
US government agencies regulate privately owned enterprises, rather than operate publicly owned ones - regulation rather than ownership
Federal civilian employee demographics
- 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
Department of Justice
is in inner cabinet - created to serve Attorney General
General Services Administration
(GSA) operates and maintains federal properties, handling buildings, supplies, and purchasing - independent executive agency
National Science Foundation
(NSF) supports scientific research - independent executive agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) administers the US space program, financing ventures into space - independent executive agency
Discretionary authority
the extent to which bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled put in advance by laws
Spoils system
party loyalists are rewarded with key federal posts by the newly elected president (contrast to the merit system) - patronage
Pendleton Act
set up a limited merit system for appointing federal offices - federal service placed under the Civil Service Commission
Civil Service Commission
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
Office of Personnel Management
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
Senior Executive Service
at the top of the civil service system - executives with high salaries who may be moved from one agency to another
Merit Systems Protection Board
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
Interstate Commerce Commission
(ICC) oldest of the regulatory agencies - first regulated railroads, but now oversees trucking as well
Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) regulates business practices and controls monopolies
National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB) regulates labor-management relations
Federal Reserve Board
(FRB) governs banks and regulates the supply of money
Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) polices the stock market
Government corporations
a blend of private corporation and government agency - allow more freedom and flexibility than exists in regular government agencies
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
controversial - operates public radio and television stations
Tennessee Valley Authority
One of FDR’s New Deal programs - harnesses power of the Tennessee River to protect farmlands and provide cheap electricity
US Postal Service
the post office is a corporation that competes with private services
Amtrak
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
Munn v. Ohio
upheld the rights of the state of Illinois to regulate the charges and services of a Chicago warehouse (1877)
Duplication
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.
Authorization
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)
Appropriation
money formally set aside for a specific use
Hearings
Congressional committees may hold hearings as part of their oversight responsibilities - a weak agency reflects weak oversight
Rewriting legislation
Congress may rewrite legislation or make it more detailed to restrict the power of an agency
Appointments
POTUS appoints senior bureaucrats, including agency heads and subheads - this gives him control over the bureaucracy (only 3% of total positions though)
Executive orders
agencies must obey them - aides may also pass the word informally to agencies as to the Pres’ wishes
Economic powers
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
Reorganization
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
Iron Triangle
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
Issue networks (not common on the exam)
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
Hatch Act
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
