Unit 2 - The Bureaucracy Flashcards
What is the Composition of the Bureaucracy?
- Departments (Cabinet Departments)
- Agencies
- Commissions
- Government Corporations
Examples of Departments (Cabinet Departments)
- Department of Homeland Security (helps protect the country)
- Department of Transportation (handles transportation safety and infrastructure)
- Department of Veterans Affairs (provides services to veterans)
- Department of Education (works on education policies)
Examples of Agencies
- FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
- TSA (Transportation Security Administration)
- EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
Examples of Commission
- Federal Elections Commission
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Examples of Government Corporations
- Post Office
- AMTRAK
What are the bureaucratic powers?
- Writing / Enforcing Regulations
- Issuing Fines
- Testifying before Congress
- Forming Iron Triangles
- Creation of Issue Networks
What is Civil Service/Merit-Based System?
- Promotes Professionalism
- Specializes in a specific area of expertise (promotes efficiency)
- Neutrality; free of partisanship
- Replaced Political Patronage/Spoils System
Rulemaking authority
Congress gives bureaucracies the
power to create rules.
Discretionary authority
Power to decide how to apply and enforce rules given.
How is Congressional oversight achieved?
- Review and Monitoring of Bureaucratic Agencies
- Investigations / Committee Hearings
- Power of the Purse
What is the Presidential Influence on Bureaucracies?
The president’s ideology (or political beliefs) can affect how bureaucratic agencies carry out their tasks and policies.
Why is Compliance Monitoring hard?
It can be hard to make sure agencies are following all the rules. Checking that they are doing things correctly is a challenge for those in charge of making policies.
