Test 3 Flashcards
What is bureaucracy?
The sum of government organizations that carry out public policy.
What was the Pendelton Act?
- Government jobs were awarded through merit, instead of through patronage.
What is the source of bureaucratic power?
Alliances with congressional committees (separate branch of government).
What is the basic structure of the bureaucracy?
- 15 executive departments.
- Independent agencies.
- Independent regulatory commissions
- Government corporations (e.g. post office).
Is bureaucratic jurisdiction clearly defined?
No. Many areas of overlap. (E.g.: FBI vs NSA vs CIA vs Homeland Security.)
Why has the bureaucracy grown?
Because the government itself has grown.
What are Iron Triangles, Issue Networks, and Policy Communities?
Groups of people representing Congress, the bureaucracy, and interest groups, that meet together and discuss issues.
How likely is it for someone in the bureaucracy to be fired because of misconduct or poor work?
Not very. 0.01% are fired annually. Has lead to waste, fraud, and abuse.
What is “The Plum Book”?
A list of key policy positions, used to steer department in the direction the president wants.
What is the relationship of the bureaucracy to Congress?
Congress has oversight authority.
What are some common complaints about the bureaucracy?
Red tape: large number of rules and procedures that often seem to have no purpose.
Conflict: agencies sometimes work against each other (e.g. Dept of Agriculture vs HHS)
Duplication (see example in jurisdiction)
Imperialism: agencies tend to grow without regard to costs.
Lack of responsiveness. Jobs protected.
Productivity. Workers have no motivation to be productive.
What are the benefits of the bureaucracy?
It is hard to be fired.
There are perks, including large number of vacation and sick days, which all roll over.
What was the Judiciary Act of 1789?
Organized system of lower or inferior courts.
What are the levels of courts?
- Courts of original jurisdiction - Federal District Courts.
- Courts of appeal - appelate jurisdiction.
- Nine Justices (Supreme Court)
What is discretionary power?
The court must determine if there is a substantial federal question.
What is a writ of search or certiorari?
It means to “make more certain”. When no one appeals a case, the Supreme Court can issue this to a lower court in order to rule on it anyway.
What is the schedule of the court?
October through June. First two weeks of the month oral arguments are heard, second two weeks are recesses and debates.
What is judicial review?
Power to rule on constitutionality of federal laws. Also claimed power to invalidate state actions.
What is Marbury vs. Madison?
- Established judicial review. Court has power to declare acts of congress unconstitutional. This power was not directly derived from the Constitution.
What is McCulloch vs. Maryland?
- Defined “necessary and proper”. Doctrine of implied powers.
What is Gibbons vs. Ogden?
- Broadened meaning of interstate commerce. Laid foundation for modern expansion of US government.
What characterized the Taney court?
Judicial restraint. Supported local democratic action.
What is Dual Federalism?
The state and federal governments are separate entities and have non-overlapping areas of jurisdiction.
What was the theme from 1865 to 1929(37)?
Post Civil War. Protection of private property against unreasonable state regulation. Stress on separation of power.
What was the courts role from 1929(37) to 1972(3)?
Prevention of arbitrary intrusion by government on first amendment freedom.
What is the role of interest groups in policy making?
They can help influence the agenda by lobbying politicians.
What forces affect agenda-setting?
Shared political values.
The weight of custom and tradition.
The impact of current events.
Changes in the way political elites think and talk about politics.
What is the the role of the media in agenda-setting?
Can influence what people are talking about, and thus influence what is put on agenda.
What is the definition of “cost”?
Any burden that some people must bear if the policy is adopted.
What is the definition of “benefit”?
Any satisfaction, monetary or non-monetary, that people believe they will enjoy if the policy is adopted.
What are the four kinds of policies?
Majoritarian, interest group, client, and entrepreneurial.
What is a majoritarian policy?
Distributed benefits and distributed costs. E.g. Social Security.
What is an interest group policy?
Concentrated costs and concentrated benefits.
What is a client policy?
Concentrated benefits and distributed costs. E.g. most subsidies.
What is an entrepreneurial policy?
Distributed benefits and concentrated costs. E.g. taxes.
What is “log rolling”?
The trading of favors by legislators.
What does “political economy” mean?
The relationship between the government and the markets.
What is the Classical economic theory?
The market is a self-adjusting mechanism that will produce the greatest overall private and public benefit.
What is the Keynesian economic theory?
Focuses on the demand side of the economic equation. “If the consumer has money, they will spend it.” Government would borrow money and spend it to increase demand.
What is Stagflation?
High unemployment and high inflation at the same time. Something that is never supposed to happen with Keynesian economics (but happened anyway in the 70s).
What is the role of deficit spending in Keynesian economics?
Government would spend money to stimulate economy during slow growth. Once economy speeds up, government should stop spending and pay back debt. Problem: second half never happened.
What is the definition of supply-side economics?
Economic growth is caused by increasing the overall supply of goods and thereby holding prices down, reducing inflation. Low taxes, reduced regulation, free trade.
What is Monetarist Economics?
Claims that economic stability can only be achieved by holding the rate of monetary growth to the same rate as the economy’s growth.
Who is in charge of fiscal policy?
Congress: taxing, spending, and borrowing. The President: implementation.
Who is in charge of monetary policy?
The Federal Reserve. Independent of both President and congress.
What is GDP?
Gross Domestic Product. Total production of goods and services for a single year.
What is the definition of a recession?
Two or more consecutive quarters of negative growth (in GDP).
What is the definition of unemployment?
The percentage of the labor force that is looking for or waiting to return to a work.
What is inflation?
More money is in circulation, thus each dollar is worth less.
What is the largest area of government spending?
Entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare, foodstamps, etc). 62% of budget. Not discretionary spending.
What are the three main taxes?
Individual income taxes 42%
Corporate income taxes 12%
Social security 40%
What is progressive taxation?
People who earn more are taxed at a higher rate. (Someone must not know how percentages work.)
What is regressive taxation?
Tax applies to years before it was passed.
Is the debt burden bad?
Yes.
