america’s alphabet soup the bureaucracy mcdonald’s vs. dmv rules of operation workers goals...
TRANSCRIPT
America’s alphabet soup
THE BUREAUCRACY
McDonald’s vs. DMVRules of Operation
Workers
Goals (measuring those goals)
Acquiring and Using the Factors of ProductionExternal vs. Internal factors
The Weberian Model of Bureaucracy The five characteristics of bureaucracy.
Division of laborHierarchy-pyramidFormal rulesMaintenance of files
and records-Freedom of InformationAct (1974)ProfessionalizationGoals-promote the “public good”, but how is
that measured? This causes many people to believe the bureaucracy is wasteful.
Benefits
Hierarchy: can speed action by reducing conflicts over decisions
Specialization: promote efficiency because workers focus on one job (become skill)
Formal rules: workers act with speed and precision because decisions based on rules
They are large unwieldy organization that can create endless paperwork and delays (red tape)
Bureaucrats are unelected public-policy makers
Bureaucracies are expensive and sometimes uncontrollable
Cost vs. Benefits
Costs
Neutral CompetenceThe idea of neutral competence
• Despite stereotypes, most government employees work efficiently and inexpensively.
• Roughly 2.9 million people work for the government bureaucracy-2nd to Wal-Mart
• The bureaucracy is largely staffed by people hired for their skills, not their political leanings.
The Merit System The spoils system
Assassination of GarfieldThe Pendleton Actmerit system and
the civil service
Functions of BureaucracyPolicy ImplementationMaking Policy-delegated legislative
authority because what Congress passes is to vague to be effective
Regulation-establish standards and impose restrictions on violations of those standards
Collecting Data and Doing ResearchProvide Continuity-elected officials come
and go, bureaucrats never leave which provides for continuity and professionalization
Organization of the U.S. Government
No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan, 1964
The Structure of American Bureaucracies
The Executive Office of the President (President’s closest advisors)
White House Staff (the “nerve center”)Cabinet Departments-directly responsible to
President, but also responsible to their department
Independent Agencies-not part of Cabinet, report to President, perform specialized functions (NASA, CIA, EPA); or they regulate the economy and protect the public (FED, SEC, FCC)
Government Corporations-work off its profits, not funded by Congress (Post Office, TVA, FDIC, AMTRAK)
Other Bureaus
Privatization-Advantages and Disadvantages
AdvantagesLess red tape and
bureaucracyMore competitionCan obtain special
skillsImprove service
qualityIdeology-less
government is better
More choices for people (school vouchers)
DisadvantagesIncentives to reduce
qualityReduced access to
service for the disadvantaged
Resulting cost savings directed away from taxpayer