the federal bureaucracy: administering the government · regulatory agencies – created to oversee...
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The Federal Bureaucracy:
Administering the Government
Chapter 13
Federal Administration:
Form, Personnel, and Activities
Bureaucracy – a system of organization and control
that is based on three principles: hierarchical
authority, job specialization, and formalized rules
Structure of the Federal bureaucracy – more
immediate impact on American everyday life
Cabinet departments – 15 secretaries
Independent agencies – similar to cabinet but have a
narrower area of responsibility
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 2
Regulatory agencies – created to oversee the
regulation of a particular economic activity
Commissions who go through the nomination process
but are not subject to removal
Independent of political pressure
Quasi legislative and judicial functions
Government corporations – similar to private
corporations except they receive federal funding
Presidential commissions – advise the president
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 3
Federal Administration:
Form, Personnel, and Activities Federal employment
2,500,000 civilian employees
More than 90% hired by merit criteria
Lower pay but better benefits
Hatch Act of 1939
Office of Personnel Management and Merit Service Protection Board
The Federal bureaucracy’s policy responsibilities
Power comes from the three branches
Policy implementation
rulemaking
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 4
Development of the Federal
Bureaucracy: Politics & Administration Small government and the patronage system
Only distinguished men
Andrew Jackson – spoils system
Growth in government and the merit system
Pendleton Act
Neutral competence
Big government and the executive leadership system
Office of Management and Budget
Executive Office of the President
Critics say that it limits the power of the Congress over the bureaucracy
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 5
The Bureaucracy’s Power Imperative
The agency point of view
High loyalty to agency mission
Sources of bureaucratic power
Expertise – president and congress rely on the
bureaucracy for policy advice and guidance
Client groups – special interests that benefit
directly from an agency’s programs
Friends in high places – iron triangles
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 6
Bureaucratic Accountability
Unfavorable ratings – wasteful and inefficient; known as big
government
Antithesis of democracy
Through the Presidency
Presidents can’t eliminate an agency or its funding of
programs
Reorganization – streamline the bureaucracy
Appointments – turnover is high
Little knowledge of the agency heads
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
7
Executive budget – through the OMB
Budget doesn’t change much from year to year
Through the Congress
Congressional budget – authorize and fund
programs
Oversight function – monitors the bureaucracy in
its compliance with legislative intent
GAO and CBO
Sunset laws – sets specific dates when a law will expire
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 8
Bureaucratic Accountability
Through the Courts – judges can order an
agency to change is application of the law
Reasonable interpretation of statutes
Within the bureaucracy itself
Whistle-blowing – report of mismanagement
Demographic representativeness – bureaucracy
will be more responsive to the public if its
employees are demographically representative of
the population
© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. 9
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