o connor and sabato, chapter 8: the executive branch and the federal bureaucracy

1. O’Connor and Sabato, Chapter 8:The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy Presentation 8.3:Policy Making & Making Agencies Accountable

3. Policy Making Policy making is to the bureaucracy what legislating is to Congress When Congress creates a bureaucratic agency it is delegating some of its power to that agency Implementation is the process by which agencies execute congressional intentions

4. 1a. Iron Triangles Stable relationships and patterns of interaction among bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees & subcommittees Cozy relationships lead to corruption

5. 1ai. Why ‘Iron’ Triangles? Policy making subgovernments are often impenetrable to outsiders (e.g. citizens) Use expertise to limit access to decision making Sometimes even presidents have difficulty penetrating the workings of subgovernments

6. 1aii. Arms Procurement as an Iron Triangle The twin claims of expertise & ‘national security’ insulate the military from external control Reformers face stiff obstacles Decisions are designed to advance the interests of a clientele group

7. 1b. Issue Networks Today, actors are rarely able to dominate an issue domain entirely Larger groups of participants influence policy in issue networks Issue networks usually involve more complicated matters Examples include education and labor policy

8. 1bi. How to Distinguish Between an Iron Triangle & an Issue Network Iron Triangles Smaller issue areas Highly technical & sensitive issues Limited number of players Players ‘protect turf’ & control access Issue Networks Broad issue domains Fairly comprehensible & inclusive issues Expansive cast of potential actors Players constantly move in and out of influence

9. 1c. Interagency Councils Working groups created to encourage policy coordination across a variety of governmental agencies Created to deal with complex issues where agencies have overlapping authority The level of funding is often decisive in determining an interagency council’s effectiveness

10. 2. Administrative Discretion Bureaucrats make as well as implement policy Congress often creates confusing & vague laws Bureaucrats are often forced to interpret congressional intentions

11. 2a. Rule Making A quasi-legislative administrative process that results in regulations & has the characteristics of a legislative act Rule-making is viewed by some as “the single most important function performed by agencies of government”

12. 2ai. Rule Making Procedures Public notice of the time, place and nature of the rule-making proceedings must be provided in the Federal Register Interested parties must be given the opportunity to submit written arguments & facts relevant to the rule The statutory purpose & basis of the rule must be stated.

13. 2aii. Rule Making and the FCC Federal Communications Commission determines rules for ownership Recently changed those rules Ended cross-ownership bans & expanded market share: one company can now reach 45% of US households

14. 1b. Adjudication A quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settle disputes between two parties the way a court resolves disputes Generally deals with compliance issues Persons or business in violation of agency rules Adjudication involves independent judges hired to mediate the conflict

15. 3. Government ControlTo Whom are Bureaucrats Responsible? To itself? To organized interest groups? To its clientele? To the President? To Congress To EVERYONE?!

16. 3a. Executive Control Presidents must delegate a great deal of authority to the bureaucracy The importance of presidential appointments The power of executive orders to change bureaucratic behavior

17. 3b. Congressional Control Creates and abolishes departments and agencies Can transfer functions, and expand or contract bureaucratic discretion Can pass laws affecting an agency’s activities Through oversight, Congress can investigate citizen complaints

18. 3c. Judicial Control The judiciary’s control over the bureaucracy is passive Federal judges can determine whether or an agency’s rulings or actions are constitutional Judges can determine whether due process rights have been protected

19. 3d. Does Oversight Work? Not always: bureaucrats are difficult to hold accountable The Clinton administration’s attempts to reduce the size of the bureaucracy and reduce govt. waste yielded some positive results

20. 3e. Global Politics:Bureaucrats in Other countries In some countries, being a civil servant is a prestigious job (e.g. Britain, France, & Japan) In parliamentary systems, bureaucrats take top-spots & have a more intimate understanding of the bureaucratic agency than US Cabinet members appointed ‘from the outside’

21. Conclusion: Why Do Americans Hate Bureaucracy? American culture: individualism & resentment at ‘being treated like a number’