Warm up: Reading- A Very Big Branch

1. Warm up: Reading- A Very Big Branch

2. Structure of the Executive Branch Objectives: • Assess the roles of the Cabinet and the heads of the the executive departments. • Explain the relationship between the President and his Cabinet. • Identify key roles in the White House Staff. • Explain why the bureaucracy maintains a large amount of independence from Congress and the President.

3. The Executive Branch President Executive Departments & Agencies

4. How can this bureaucracy be structured? • Pyramid structure-A president's subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff • Circular structure- president's assistants report directly to him. • Ad hoc structure- Several subordinates, cabinet officers and committees report directly to the president on different matters. Pros and cons of each???

5. Some stats FUN FACT: Including the members of the armed forces, the Executive Branch employs over 4 million people! (that’s over 2% of the working US population!)

6. More stats • White House staff size: 456 • Want to see the pay? https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/disclosures/annual-records/2014 • Executive Office of the President staff: b/t 2000-2500 • Budget: $300-$400 million • Created shortly after 1937 after bureaucracy got too large!

8. The Cabinet= heads of 15 departments + VP

9. The Cabinet Departments • The 15 cabinet departments headed by a cabinet secretary appointed by the president and approved by the Senate • Each department “expert” in specific policy area • Each department has its own budget • Department of Homeland Security, created in 2002, is newest department

10. Cabinet • Article II Sec. 2 • The Cabinet is NOT explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, but Article 2, Section 2states "he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices” • 25th amendment – succession. • Must be approved by the Senate ROLES: • Advise the President in the respective area. They are the SPECIALISTS! • Not a collective group, usually meet for first time after being appointed. • Consequences???

13. Why might the President have little control over his Cabinet? • Cabinet departments are HUGE, so hard to get everyone to back you-> doesn’t appoint workers in the Cabinet departments. • Given leeway for day to day operations. • Competes with Congress for power (Congress funds them). • Greater experts in the field than President • Civil servants loyal to agency, not President.

14. White House Staff • Composed mainly of advisors and analysts. • Closer to the President, but more general knowledge of issues than the EOP and Cabinet. • Grown from fewer than a dozen people (Kitchen Cabinet) to over 400. • Tension b/t Staff and Cabinet • Extension of personality and policies vs. expert knowledge • Young, inexperienced vs. older and experienced • Take position of President vs. that of expert

15. Executive office of the President • Launch pad for implementing policy • Highly specialized, reflect the President at the time. • Can be used to lobby legislators • Help carry out day to day responsibilities of the President. • Part of Institutionalized Presidency- permanent agencies that perform defined management tasks for the President. • Some important offices: • White House office • National Security Council- “inner cabinet” • Office of Management and Budget (most important) • Council of Economic Advisors.

16. White House Office • Closest assistants-located in West Wing. • Develops policy favored by the President • Research policy • Staff members are loyal and trustworthy-hand picked by the President. (not confirmed by Senate) • Key positions • Chief of Staff –advises the President and manages WHO • Press Secretary- spokesperson to the media. • White House Counsel-Presidents lawyer. • RULE OF PROPINQUITY- power wielded by those closest to the President.

17. 3 degrees of propinquity • White House Office • Executive Office • cabinet

18. Hmmm…. • Why do presidents rely on only one or two key subordinates? • Where are Senior White House staff members from?

19. The Federal Bureaucracy:What is it and how is it organized?

20. Bureaucracy: Definition •     The government organizations, usually staffed with officials selected on the basis of experience and expertise, that implement public policy •      Hierarchical organization into specialized staffs •      Free of political accountability (non-partisan) –   Still affected by Congressional budget and oversight •      Ideal scenario: members apply specific rules of action to each case in a rational, nondiscretionary, predictable, and impersonal way Literally means “rule by desk”

21. Bureaucracy What does it do? –  From protecting the environment to collecting revenue to regulating the economy –  American bureaucracies implement a $2 trillion budget –  Vague lines of authority allow some areas of the bureaucracy to operate with a significant amount of autonomy Very complex for complex public policy problems!

22. Max WeberGrowth of the Federal Bureaucracy •      1789 – 50 federal government employees •      2000 – 2.8 million (excluding military, subcontractors, and consultants who also work for federal government) •      Growth mainly at state and local level since 1970 –   Federal government began devolving powers and services to state and local government •      Total federal, state, local employees – roughly 21 million people

23. What is the federal bureaucracy? The Federal Bureaucracy

24. The Federal Bureaucracy is: • 4 million employees; 2.8 million are civilians or “civil servants” • President only appoints 3% (patronage or political appointments) • 15 cabinet level departments • 200+ independent agencies with 2,000+ bureaus, divisions, branches, etc. • Biggest - Dept. of Defense, U.S. Postal Service, Veterans Administration • HIRED ON “MERIT SYSTEM”

25. What does the bureaucracy do? Functions of the Federal Bureaucracy • Implementation- carry out laws of Congress, executive orders of the President • Administration- routine administrative work; provide services (ex: SSA sends social security checks to beneficiaries) • Regulation- issue rules and regulations that impact the public (ex: EPA sets clean air standards)

26. The Federal Bureaucracy organization Consists of • Cabinet Departments • Independent Executive Agencies • Independent Regulatory Commissions • Government Corporations

27. Federal Bureaucracy Federal Bureaucracy President Congress Executive Office of the President (Ex: OMB, NSC) Independent Regulatory Commissions (Ex: FCC, SEC) Independent Executive Agencies (Ex: CIA, NASA) Cabinet Departments (Ex: State, Defense) Government Corporations (Ex: Amtrack, Postal Service)

28. 2. Independent Executive Agencies • Established by Congress with separate status outside the executive branch • Not located within any cabinet department, but report directly to the President • This gives it some independence from a department that may be hostile to the creation of the agency • Secretary of the Interior vs. Environmental Protection Agency • Some examples include: Social Security Administration, CIA, NASA, EPA.

29. 3. Independent Regulatory Commissions IRCs exist to regulate a specific economic activity or interest such as the Federal Communications Commission (public air waves) or Federal Reserve Board (banking system, money supply) •      Make and implement rules and regulations in a particular sector of the economy to protect the public interest –   Congress unable to handle complexities and technicalities required to carry out specific laws •      Are they truly independent? –   Suppose to work for public interest, but industries can “capture” them (Interstate Commerce Commission - ICC) •    Leads to pro-business, rather than pro-consumer, behavior •      Examples: Federal Reserve Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

30. 4. Government Corporations • Government owned businesses created by Congress • May or may not be profitable, but serve a public need • Ex: U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, Tennessee Valley Authority, Corporation for Public Broadcasting

31. Executive agencies vs. independent agencies • Heads of executive agencies serve at the pleasure of the president and can be removed at his discretion. • The heads of many independent agencies serve for fixed terms and can only be removed "for cause.” • Ex: Federal Reserve Chair- 4 years

32. 97% are career government employees Only 10% live in the D.C. area 30% work for the D.O.D. Less than 15% work for social welfare agencies Most are white collar workers: secretaries, clerks, lawyers, inspectors & engineers Civil employees more diverse demographically than Congress Who are the “Bureaucrats?”

33. Where do Federal Employees Work? Source: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths/ClassActivities/ Brzovic/policeymakersChapters12-16/

34. Who supervises the federal bureaucracy?

35. The President Supervises the Bureaucracy The President can: • appoint & remove agency heads • reorganize the bureaucracy • issue executive orders • reduce an agency's budget President Bush speaks about his budget priorities for FY 2007

36. Congress oversees the bureaucracy Congress can: • create or abolish agencies departments • cut or reduce funding • investigate agency activities • hold committee hearings • pass legislation that alters an agency's functions • influence or even fail to confirm presidential appointments Former FEMA Chief Michael Brown testifies before House committee investigating Hurricane Katrina

37. Federal Courts Check the Bureaucracy Federal courts can: • through judicial review rule on whether the bureaucracy has acted within the law and the U.S. Constitution • provide due process for individuals affected by a bureaucratic action Supreme Court of the United States

38. Thinking Critically • Why is the federal bureaucracy often referred to as “the fourth branch?” • Some critics believe that the real power in the federal government lies with the federal bureaucracy. To what extent do you believe this is true?

39. Title: The Damages of the Bureaucracy Artist: unknown, La Presna, Panama Date: May, 2006 Source:http://www.politicalcartoons.com

40. Title: Federal Employees Self Esteem Class Artist: Chip Bok Date: unknown Source: http://www.reason.com/9602/bok.gif

41. Title: Another Layer of Bureaucracy Artist: Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant Date: February, 2006 Source: : http://www.politicalcartoons.com

42. Crash Course • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vnuFJSMYkY