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The Bureaucracy

Chapter 14. The Bureaucracy. Introduction. A. administrative agencies that run the “day-to-day” operations of government B. from the French – “bureau” (meaning a desk of a government worker) and Greek – “- ocracy ” (meaning a form of government) and came into general use about 100 years ago

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The Bureaucracy

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  1. Chapter 14 The Bureaucracy

  2. Introduction • A. administrative agencies that run the “day-to-day” operations of government • B. from the French – “bureau” (meaning a desk of a government worker) and Greek – “-ocracy” (meaning a form of government) and came into general use about 100 years ago • C. definition: a large, complex organization of appointed, not elected, officials.

  3. Characteristics • A. reflect hierarchical authority • B. job specialization • C. rule and regulations are cornerstones of bureaucracy

  4. Functions • A. recognizable division of labor where skilled workers have a specialized function so that productivity is increased • B. allocation of functions where each task is assigned and defined • C. allocation of responsibilities where each task is understood by the worker and cannot be changed without supervisor’s approval

  5. Functions, contin… • D. direct and indirect supervision, including line authority and staff authority • E. workers make their careers synonymous with the organization because the bureaucracy provides benefits

  6. Functions contin… • F. there is control over the full time employment of the worker so s/he can be kept on task or held responsible • G. major functions are implementation and regulation of policy

  7. The Weberian Model of Bureaucracy • A. hierarchical authority structure: power flows from the top down and responsibility from the bottom up • B. task specialization: labor is divided so that “experts” efficiently perform specific jobs

  8. Weberian model, contin… • C. extensive rules: rules are needed to keep authority and responsibility lines consistent, and similar rules are applied to similar situations • D. merit principle: jobs and promotions are granted on the basis of demonstrated abilities rather than by patronage (granting jobs to friends and political allies) • E. impersonality: clients and supervisees are treated impartially and equally

  9. Formal Model of Bureaucratic Administration • A. Unity of command (everyone has a superior to whom they report) • B. Chain of command (line of authority from top to bottom) • C. Line and staff (staff advises the executive but gives no commands, whereas the line has operating duties) • D. Span of control (hierarchy) • E. Decentralization (delegation of responsibilities

  10. History of the American Bureaucracy • A. The Constitution makes little mention of the bureaucracy other than to say the President is empowered to appoint various officials • B. Bureaucracy was created in 1789 when Congress created the State Department to assist newly appointed Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson; consisted of the political and social elite

  11. History, contin… • C. The Spoils System • 1. used by President Andrew Jackson in 1829 • 2. rewarded party loyalists with key federal jobs • 3. encouraged participation of middle and lower classes

  12. D. The Pendleton Act (1881) • 1. passed by Congress after President James A. Garfield was assassinated by a disappointed office seeker • 2. it set up a limited merit system for appointing officials

  13. Pendleton, conin… • 3. established Civil Service Commission – supervised a testing program to evaluate job candidates • 4. 1978 – Civil Service Commission split into 2 new agencies • a. The Office of Personnel Management – administers civil service laws, regulations, rules and the written exam for competitive service • b. The Merit System Protection Board – protects integrity of the merit system & the rights of federal employees

  14. . Who are the bureaucrats? • A. work in the 15 cabinet departments & 50+ federal agencies (including 2000 bureaus, offices, services, and other governmental subdivisions) • B. largest employers are the Dept. of Defense (33%), Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Postal Service (26%)

  15. Who are bureaucrats, contin… • C. the executive branch employs over 3 million civilians and nearly 2 million military personnel • D. Make-up of the bureaucracy (2000 stats) • 1. approximately 57% male, 43% female • 2. 72% white, 28% minority • 3. 11% work in WDC area, 89% work in other parts of the US • 4. average age is 42 years • 5. most positions would be classified as “white collar” jobs (secretaries, clerks, lawyers, inspectors, engineers) • 6. nearly 20,000 civilians work in US territories; 100,000 civilians work in foreign nations

  16. Reform • A. National Performance Review (1993) – VP Al Gore’s plan to re-invent government • 1. bureaucracy too centralized, too rule- bound, too little concerned with making programs work (red tape) • 2. 800 recommendations: close offices, reduce programs, eliminate federal support payments, money for creative innovation, reduce time required to fire incompetent employees

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