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
Spoils system or patronage
based on rewarding party loyalists and friends
gave pres parties control over almost every job
Merit system
selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage
Pendleton act
created civil service commission to ensure most federal jobs were under the merit system
Independent regulatory commissions
headed by a small # of commissioners appointed by the pres w senate confirmation for fixed terms of office
cannot b removed w/o cause, less responsive to political pressure from either congress or pres
Federal trade commission
regulate business
securities and exchange commission
regulate stock market
Federal communications commission
monitor TV and radio
Federal reserve board
control supply of $
independent regulatory commission
Implementation
prices of putting law into practice through bureaucratic rules of spending
uncontrollable spending
goes to entitlement programs, everyone eligible for these programs is entitled to benefits
What is the purpose of the rule- making process?
federal agencies are responsible for putting those laws into action through regulations. Generally designed to ensure that the public is informed of proposed rules before they take effect
Oversite
legislative or executive review of a particular gov program or organization can be in response to a crisis of some kind of part of routine review
Federal register
the official record of what the federal burearucracy does
what is a good way to determine or predict the size the budget for a bureaucracy is to
evaluate the previous year’s budget
what did Munn v illinois uphold
power of gov to regulate private industries
what are the three points of the iron triangel
interest groups, bureaucrats, and congressional subcommittee members
main purpose of hatch act?
to protect bureaucrats from political pressures
ways congress controls bureaucracy
hearings (mcarthyism
funding
investigate (GAO)
confirmation (attorney general, water boarding isn’t torture)
GAO
gov accountability office
provides auditing, evaluation, and investigative services to the US congress
sees what agencies are doing w their budgets
CBO
congressional budget office
nonpartisan analysis for economic and budget decisions
OMB
office of management and budget
produce the presidents budget
largest office
Advantages bureaucrats have over the executive in policy making
have continuity of service the president lacks
OPM and merit systems board deal with
1 administering laws, rules, and regulations
2 studies of the merit system
3 consideration of employee appeals
4 ordering disciplinary action against agencies
bureaucracies demographic is representative of americas population
where do bureaucracies get their powers?
law, external support, expertise, discretion, longevity in office, skill, leadership, and a variety of other sources
GSA
general service administration
independent agency
manage and support basic functioning of federal agencies
GSA ratings
rates the performance of agencies
FBI
domestic intelligence and security service of the US
IRS
tax collection and tax law enforcement
Civil service exam
improves hiring process
Civil service commission
select employees of gov on merit rather than personal relationships
Interstate commerce commission
created by interstate commerce act of 1887
regulate railroads, ensure fair rates, eliminate race discrmination, regulate other aspects of common carriers
Informal power structures
Informal power in an organization refers to the ability to lead, direct or achieve without an official leadership title.
Attempts to reform the bureaucracy
1 privatization
2 sunshine laws
3 sunset provisions
4 protection for whistleblowers
sunshine laws
require gov agencies to hold public meetings on a regular basis
Privatization
private companies handle services formally handled by gov agency
occupational safety and health administration
to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.
