The Bureaucracy

Question 1

What two types of agencies exist in the executive branch of the federal government?

Answer 1

The executive branch has departmental agencies and independent agencies.

Departmental agencies serve under a cabinet department; for example, the Office of Surface Mining serves under the Department of the Interior.

Independent agencies serve independent of a cabinet department; for example, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.

Question 2

How many federal executive departments comprise the cabinet?

Answer 2

Fifteen

The 15 departments are headed by secretaries (except for the Justice Department, which is headed by the attorney general). The president appoints the secretaries, who then must be approved by the Senate.

Some of the 15 cabinet departments include State, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security.

Question 3

The executive branch contains many independent regulatory agencies. How do these agencies differ from cabinet departments?

Answer 3

The independent regulatory agencies (such as the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Federal Trade Commission) are constitutionally part of the executive branch but operate fairly independent of presidential control.

Most independent agencies are run by commissions of between five and seven members who share power. While the president has the power to name the commissions’ members, these commissions have staggered terms; thus, no one president can name all a commission’s members.

Question 4

What “rule making” powers do executive regulatory agencies possess?

Answer 4

Most federal agencies possess “rule making” and “rule adjudication” powers (commonly termed “quasi-legislative” and “quasi-judicial,” respectively), given to them by the Congress.

• Rule making: federal agencies have the power to pass regulations pursuant to their statutory grant of authority. These regulations have the power of laws passed by Congress.
• Rule adjudication: Most federal agencies have the power to initiate proceedings for violations of regulations passed under their rulemaking authority.

Question 5

What controls can the executive branch exercise over the executive bureaucracy?

Answer 5

The president, acting through the Office of Management and Budget, has the power to determine the amount of funds an agency receives. The ability to limit the amount of available funds acts as a check on an agency’s independence.

For non-regulatory agencies such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the president can hire and terminate beauracrats employed therein.

Question 6

How may Congress exercise control over the executive bureaucracy?

Answer 6

Congress may restrain executive agencies in a number of ways by:

• exercising its power to revise the statutes that established the agency’s mission
• sending the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an audit
• approving or rejecting agency directors (Senate), ensuring the appointment of directors it prefers

Question 7

What judicial branch controls exist over the executive bureaucracy?

Answer 7

Although judicial branch power is limited, it can exercise control by making rulings, overturning or supporting acts taken under an agency’s rule making, or rule adjudication authority.

For the most part, the federal judiciary defers to the agency by requiring that before a case is heard, all administrative (agency) remedies must be exhausted.

Appeals from adminsitrative rulings are heard by the Federal Circuit Court, sitting in Washington, D.C.

Question 8

What are the main agencies of the legislative branch?

Answer 8

The main agencies of the legislative branch are:

• Congressional Budget Office
• Library of Congress
• Copyright Office
• Government Accountability Office

Congress also supervises the Library of Congress and several minor agencies such as the Capitol Police, the United States Botanical Garden, and the Architect of the Capitol.

Question 9

What is the one independent agency in the judicial branch?

Answer 9

The judicial branch’s only independent agency is the United States Sentencing Commission. The commission establishes sentencing guidelines for a variety of federal crimes.

Question 9

What is the role of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)?

Answer 9

The CBO submits periodic reports about fiscal policy to the House and Senate committees on the budget and provides baseline projections of the federal budget.

The CBO is objective and non-partisan.

Question 10

What does the Government Accountability Office (GAO) do?

Answer 10

As a part of the legislative branch, the GAO provides support to Congress to ensure the accountability of the federal government to the American people. Known as the “congressional watchdog,” the GAO conducts frequent audits and investigations that uncover government inefficiency and waste.

Question 11

What is the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) role?

Answer 11

As an independent agency in the executive branch, the CIA acts to gather intelligence about activities in foreign countries and provides national security information to policymakers in the United States.

Question 12

What is the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) mission?

Answer 12

As an independent agency in the executive branch, the FCC regulates interstate satellite, cable, television, and radio transmissions. The FCC assigns radio frequencies, grants broadcast licenses, monitors wireless and landline telephone companies, and acts to ensure reasonable cable television rates.

Question 13

What is the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) primary responsibility?

Answer 13

The FTC’s primary responsibilty is the encouragement of fair trade and competiition by enforcing antitrust and consumer protection statutes.

Question 14

Which independent agency of the executive branch is responsible for overseeing Social Security?

Answer 14

The Social Security Administration oversees Social Security.

Question 15

What is the role of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)?

Answer 15

The SEC is an independent regulatory agency of the executive branch and regulates the securities markets (e.g., stocks, bonds, etc.) in the United States.

Question 16

Which independent agency of the executive branch investigates discrimination complaints based upon a person’s race, color, national origin, creed, sex, age or disability?

Answer 16

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigates discrimination issues.

Question 17

What agency’s mission is “pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.”

Answer 17

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The vast majority of U.S. space exploration efforts have been led by NASA, including the Apollo moon-landing missions, the Skylab space station, the Space Shuttle. NASA is an independent executive agency.

Question 18

What is the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

Answer 18

The EPA, an independent executive agency, writes and enforces regulations for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment.

Question 19

What independent agency of the executive branch summarizes its threefold mission as “providing technical assistance in foreign countries, helping people outside the United States to understand American culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries.”

Answer 19

The Peace Corps

The Peace Corps was founded in 1961 under the direction of President John F. Kennedy

Question 20

What is the role of the executive office of the president?

Answer 20

The executive office of the president’s role is to support the president in formulating public policy.

The executive office of the president consists of the president’s immediate staff and is headed by his chief of staff. The executive office includes, but is not limited to, special assistants to the president, the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, and the National Economic Council. Most members of the executive office require Senate confirmation.

Question 21

What does the United States National Economic Council (NEC) do?

Answer 21

As an executive office agency, the NEC provides economic advice to the president, monitors implementation of the president’s economic agenda, and coordinates economic policy making for domestic and international economic issues.

Question 22

Which executive office agency advises the president on issues of national security?

Answer 22

The National Security Council (NSC) serves as the primary advisory body to the president on national security issues. The NSC coordinates the activities of the armed forces, the CIA, and other federal agencies.

By statute, the president, vice president, and secretaries of state, defense and treasury are required to attend meetings. The national security advisor, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the director of national intelligence, and the director of national drug control policy are invited to attend.

Question 23

Which agency of the executive office of the president assists the president in preparing the budget?

Answer 23

The Office of Management and Budget

The presidential budget must be submitted to Congress on February 1st of each year. In recent years, the president has missed the deadline.

Question 24

Which cabinet department oversees the foreign relations of the United States?

Answer 24

The State Department, which operates U.S. embassies, and coordinates U.S. foreign policy, oversees the country’s foreign relations.

The State Department was the first established executive-level department.

Question 25

Which executive department oversees the federal government’s revenue?

Answer 25

Overseeing government revenue falls under the Treasury Department. In addition to overseeing the Internal Revenue Service, which collects taxes, the Treasury Department prints currency, supervises national banks, and manages federal finances.

Alexander Hamilton was the first secretary of the treasury.

Question 26

Which executive office is the world’s largest employer?

Answer 26

Headed by the secretary of defense, the Department of Defense (DOD) is the world’s largest employer and the overseer of all agencies and government functions directly related to national security. The DOD employs a total 3.2 million servicemen and servicewomen, including civilian support staff.

The Department of Defense oversees the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the National Guard.

Question 27

What body advises the president, secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council, and the National Security Council on military matters?

Answer 27

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense, provide advice on military matters.

Question 28

Which executive department does the U.S. Attorney General head?

Answer 28

The attorney general heads the Department of Justice (DOJ), responsible for enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. Among others, the DOJ oversees the U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and prosecutes tax fraud and civil rights violations.

Question 29

What is the role of the Department of the Interior?

Answer 29

The Department of the Interior administers federal lands and programs related to indigenous Americans.

Some 507 million acres (one-fifth of the U.S.) is under the control of the Department of the Interior. It manages 388 national parks and 544 national wildlife refuges.

Question 30

Which executive department oversees the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (aka food stamps)?

Answer 30

The Department of Agriculture oversees the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.

Among other responsibilities, the Department of Agriculture leads the federal government policy on farming, forestry, and food.

Question 31

What is the mission of the Department of Commerce?

Answer 31

The Department of Commerce focuses on ensuring U.S. economic growth. The department’s stated goal is to “promote job creation and improved living standards for all Americans by creating an infrastructure that promotes economic growth, technological competitiveness, and sustainable development.”

Question 32

Which executive department oversees the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)?

Answer 32

OSHA is overseen by the Department of Labor, the executive department tasked with assisting wage earners, job seekers, and retirees by advancing employment opportunities, improving working conditions, and assuring work-related benefits and rights.

Question 33

Which executive department’s motto is “Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America”

Answer 33

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Among other things, HHS oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs, many of the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), and the Centers for Disease Control.

Question 34

What does the executive Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) do?

Answer 34

HUD works to strengthen both the rental and purchase housing markets, ensures adequate supplies of both, and protects consumers.

Among HUD’s many tasks are overseeing the Section 8 housing voucher program; the Office of Fair Housing, whose mission is to prevent housing discrimination; and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two loan guarantee programs.

Question 35

Which cabinet department overseas the nation’s highways, railroads, and air facilities?

Answer 35

The Department of Transportation (DOT)

The DOT’s mission is to “[s]erve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future.”

Question 36

Which cabinet department oversees U.S. nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors, as well as peaceful nuclear developments, such as power plants?

Answer 36

The Department of Energy (DOE) oversees U.S. nuclear energy safety and domestic energy development. The DOE also runs a number of laboratories and is the largest sponsor of physical science research of any federal agency or department.

The mapping of the human genome (the Human Genome Project) began in the DOE.

Question 37

By number of employees, which executive department is the smallest among the 15 cabinet-level departments?

Answer 37

The Department of Education (ED) is the smallest of the executive departments with just over 5,000 employees. The department coordinates federal education assistance and collects data on U.S. schools.

Though an original ED was created in 1867, it was not a cabinet office. President Jimmy Carter requested Congress to establish the ED as a cabinet-level department in 1979.

Question 38

Which executive department cares for U.S. military veterans after their time of service?

Answer 38

Caring for veterans falls under the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), which administers hospitals, medical facilities, and veterans’ benefits programs.

Question 39

Which executive department is the most recent, created in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks?

Answer 39

In 2002, President Bush and Congress created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which protects the United States from terrorist attacks and responds to natural disasters.

Among other agencies, DHS oversees the Transportation Safety Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Border Patrol.

Question 40

Define:

red tape

Answer 40

Red tape refers to the complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be completed in order to get things done. As an example, to secure a Housing and Urban Development Loan, a potential borrower must fill out significant amounts of paper work.

Question 41

What is the iron triangle?

Answer 41

The iron triangle refers to a close, potentially mutually beneficial relationship between an executive agency, the congressional committee that oversees that agency, and an interest group. Individual groups on all three sides of the triangle exchange political favors and information, leading to the development of significant power to steer public policy, which may not be in the best interest of the public.