terms list Flashcards
Hatch Act
said civil service employees couldn’t participate in political campaigns
Goal: bureaucratic neutrality
cannot run for office, solicit campaign funds from coworkers or make political speeches
Whistleblower protection act
protect bureaucrats who expose wrong doing
Max Weber
thumbs up that bureaucracy is a positive and logical method for societies to organize government
Pendleton Act
States that jobs must be created on merit and no employee can be fired based on political beliefs
Red tape
maze of government rules and regulations
Clientele agencies
serve one specific group
ex veterans affairs
Issue network
Media, university types, think tanks, interest groups important when pres makes appointment of that agency head
freedom of information act
get the public more info from executive department
bureaucratic advantage over pres is knowledge from continuity
What are 2 examples of gov corporations
Amtrak
US Postal Service
Presidential control of bureaucracy
Appointments: those hired serve less than lifetime
Executive orders
Cutting or adding to the budget (OMB)
reorganizing or combing agencies (Homeland security)
Civil service administration
does civil service laws, rules, and regulations
Department
Usually the largest organization in government with the largest mission; also the highest rank in the federal hierarchy
what department is the largest?
dept of defense
Independent agencies
Gov entity that is independent of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
under presidents direct control but tend to be smaller and have more focused responsibilities than departments.
work on specific problems
headed by administrator
what are examples of independent agencies?
EPA, CIA, NASA, NSA, SBA
Bureau of alcohol and tobacco, firearms
centers for medicare and medicaid services
how are gov corporations unique?
tend to act more like businesses
greater authority to hire/ fire employees quickly
allowed to make $ through the sale of services like TRAIN TICKETS, STAMPS, OR HOMELOANS
What are the steps for a nominee as they seek senate confirmation
- selected by white house presidential staff
- survive white house clearance process
- pres submits nominees name to clerk of senate
- senate refers each nomination to appropriate confirmation committee
what is the role of the OPM
office of personal management
Helps employees find their jobs, give them benefits , make employment accessible, and make the workforce aad diverse as the work it does and the people it serves
Merit systems protection board
oversees and protects merit in the federal gov personnel systems, conducts studies of merit systems
Administrative discretion
authority given by congress to use reasonable judgement in implementer laws, which gives power to the federal bureaucracy
criticims is it can be abused
whistleblower
employees help oversee gov by leaking important info to the media and congress
bureaucrat
career gov employee
what are 4 problems with the bureaucracy
1 jobs are so complex they cannot be divided into specialized pieces
2 so many leaders employees don’t know who to report to
3 duplication and overlap between units create confusion over who does what
4 rules are almost impossible to enforce
who belongs in the senior executive service
work closely w presidential appointees to manage government
rigorous review process
slsected on merit, continue no matter who’s president
OPM manages the overall federal executive personnel program providing the day to day oversight and assistance to agencies