The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy Ch. 8

Question 1

Federal Bureaucracy

Answer 1

The thousands of federal government agencies and institutions that implement and administer federal laws and programs. (Belongs only to Executive Branch)

Question 2

Spoils System

Answer 2

The firing of public office holders of a defeated political party to replace them with loyalists of the newly elected party.

Question 3

Patronage

Answer 3

Jobs, grants, or other special favors that are given as rewards to friends and political allies for their support.

Question 4

Pendleton Act

Answer 4

Reform measure that established the principle of federal employment on the basis of open, competitive exams and created the Civil Service Comission

Question 5

Merit System

Answer 5

A system of employment based on qualifications, test scores, and ability, rather than party loyalty.

Question 6

Civil Service System

Answer 6

The merit system by which many federal bureaucrats are selected. (90% federal employees employed this way)

Question 7

Independent Regulatory Comission

Answer 7

An entity created by Congress outside a major executive department.
These agencies “regulate” or control business and government by watching out for unfair business practices and unsafe products. It’s the duty of these agencies to establish and enforce rules for this purpose.

Question 8

Federal Workforce not employed by the Civil Service System

Answer 8

1. Appointive Policy-Making Positions
2. Independent Regulatory Commissioners
3. Low-level nonpolicy patronage positions

Question 9

Departments

Answer 9

Major administrative units with responsibilities for a broad area of government operations. Departamental status usually indicates a permanent national interest in a particular governmental function, such as defense, commerce, or agriculture.

Question 10

Cabinet Departments

Answer 10

State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Transportation, Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Energy, Education, Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security.

Question 11

Independent Executive Agencies

Answer 11

Governmental Units that closely resemble a Cabinet department but have narrower areas of responsibility and perform services rather than regulatory functions.

Question 12

Governmental Corporations

Answer 12

Businesses established by Congress to perform functions that private businesses could provide

Question 13

Independent Executive Agencies - Breakdown

Answer 13

CIA - EPA - NASA - SBA - NSF - FEMA

Question 14

Independent Regulatory Agencies or Comissions

Answer 14

FCC - FED - FTC - NLRB - NTSB - FAA - OSHA

These agencies “regulate” or control business and government by watching out for unfair business practices and unsafe products. It’s the duty of these agencies to establish and enforce rules for this purpose.

Question 15

Hatch Act

Answer 15

The 1977 act to prohibit civil servants from taking activist roles in partisan campaigns. This act prohibited federal employees from making political contributions, working for a particular party, or campaigning for a particular candidate.

Question 16

Max Weber - Bureaucracies

Answer 16

1. A chain of command in which authority flows from top to bottom.
2. A division of labor whereby work is appointed among specialized workers to increase productivity.
3. Clear lines of authority among workers and their superiors.
4. A goal orientation that determines structure, authority, and rules.
5. Impersonality, whereby all employees are treated fairly based on merit and ll clients are served equally, without discrimination, according to established rules.
6. Productivity, whereby all work and actions are evaluated according to established rules.

Question 17

Implementation

Answer 17

The process by which a law or policy is put into operation

Question 18

Iron Triangle

Answer 18

The relatively ironclad relationships and patterns of interaction that occur among agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees.

Question 19

Issue Networks

Answer 19

The loose and informal relationships that exist among large number of actors who work in broad policy areas.

Question 20

Interagency Councils

Answer 20

Working groups created to facilitate coordination among of policy making and implementation across a host of governmental agencies.

Question 21

Policy Coordinating Committees

Answer 21

Subcabinet-level committees created to facilitate interactions between agencies and departments to handle complex policy problems.

Question 22

Administrative Discretion

Answer 22

The ability of bureaucrats to make choices concerning the best way to implement congressional or executive intentions.

Question 23

Rule Making

Answer 23

A quasi-legislative process resulting in regulations that have the characteristics of a legislative act.

Question 24

Regulations

Answer 24

Rules governing the operation of all government programs that have the force of law.

Question 25

Administrative Adjudication

Answer 25

A quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties in a manner similar to the way courts resolve disputes.