XIV - Federal Bureaucracy Flashcards
Government bureauracry
Organization of non-elected gov’t officials who fulfill the functions of their particular agency
Job of bureaucracy
Carry out responsibilities of federal government
Examples of bureacracy
Postal service
Federal meat inspectors
Department of Veteran Affairs
How does bureaucracy carry out the responsibilities?
Implement laws passed by Congress/ EO of President
Develop/enforce rules & regulations
Administer gov’t programs
Objective performed by
Agencies
Commissions
Departments
Gov’t corporations
Myth: Americans dislike bureaucrats
Citizens & elected officials dislike “faceless” bureaucracies
Majority of citizens report favorable interactions
Myth: Bureaucrats are increaisng
Federal is shrinking
State & local have grown
Myth: Bureaucrats work in D.C.
Most work at state/local level
Two distinction in civil servants
Patronage
Merit
Patronage
System in which hiring and promotions are based upon political factors
Merit
System in which hiring & promotions are based on skill & talent
In the pass, patronage system
was prominent
“spoils system”
Civil Service System
Pass exam(s) and promotions are based upon merit/ performance
Pendleton Act (1883)
Created federal civil service
Hatch Act (1939)
Prohibits civil servants from engaging in political activities
Merit based professional civil service help
Effectiveness of bureaucracy by promoting professionalism, specialization, and neutrality
Political appointees
Newly elected presidents fill thousands of executive positions
Civil servants
Relatively protected from being fired for political reasons
Last longer than political appointees/ elected officials
Types of bureaucratic federal agencies
Cabinet Departments
Independent Regulatory Commissions
Gov’t Corporations
Independent Executive Agencies
Cabinet Departments
15 different types
Secretary appointed by President/ confirmed by Senate
Bureaus within department
Cabinet Departments examples
State
Treasury
Defense
Justice
Independent Regulatory Commissions
Make & enforce the rules in public interest
Serves fixed terms
Can’t be fired easily by President
Alphabet soup of gov’t agencies
Independent Regulatory Commissions examples
Federal Communications Commission
Securities and Exchange Commission
Government Corporations
Provide services to citizens that could be dealt with by the private sector
Government Corporations examples
TVA: electricity to rural areas
US Postal Service
Independent Executive Agencies
Any agency that is not one of the above
Independent Executive Agencies examples
EPA
NASA
CIA
The bureaucracy implement policies by
working out details of newly passed laws
How does bureaucracy implement policies?
Creating new agency/ assign responsibility to existing agency
Develop rules/ guidelines
Coordinate resources to ensure successful implementation
Discretionary authority
Ability of an agency to choose a course of action and set policies
Implementation can be difficult
Lack of clarity Lack of resources (funding, personnel) Lack of authority Standard operating procedures Fragmentation
Discretionary & rule-making authority to implement policy are given to
Homeland Security Transportation Veterans Affairs Education EPA Federal Elections Commission Securities and Exchange Commission
Privatization
Move towards reinventing gov’t began in 1980’s
More jobs previously done by public employees transferred to private sector
Decentralize authority trhough devolution
Power shifting from federal to states
Regulation
One of most important/ controversial roles of bureaucracies
US has a “free enterprise” system but
it is regulated
Interstate Commerce Commission (1887)
Fed. regulation of railroad services
Over the years, there has been
Tremendous growth of regulations
Enforcement largely dependent on bureaucratic discretion
Criticisms on regulations
Overly complicated
Increased prices
Hurt American competition
Deregulation & weak enforcement of regulations
Has created problems
Env’tal pollution
Economic collapse in housing & financial industries
How can President control bureaucracy?
Appoint agency heads who share their policy ideas/ ideology
Issue Executive Orders
Budget
Reorganizing agency
How can Congress control the bureaucracy?
Confirm/Reject agency head nomination
Budget (power of the purse)
Hold oversight committee hearings
Create more detailed legislation
How can the federal courts hold the bureaucracy accountable?
Can rule a law or executive order unconstitutional
Iron triangle
Relationship between regulated industry’s interest group, the regulating agency, and committees in Congress that make policy in that area
Iron triangle example in agirculture
Interest groups representing farmers
& agribusiness
Federal Department of Agriculture
House/ Senate agriculture committees
Issue network
Consist of informal group of interest groups, congressional staff, media, think tanks, and various others who are drawn to an issue and try to shape gov’t policy
Importance of issue networks
Increase participation in bureaucracy policy
Hope to create change in bureaucracy
Issue network example in environmental policy
EPA Department o Commerce Department of Interior Department of Agriculture Commerce committee Science & tech committee Public welfare committee Chambers of Commerce Sierra Club National Resource Defense Council
Unelected policy-making institutions
Courts
Bureaucracy
Should the bureaucracy be cut?
Wide variety of social & economic problems we look toward bureaucracy to solve
