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Chapter 13

Chapter 13. THE BUREAUCRACY. Learning Objectives. 1) Describe the size & functions of the U.S. bureaucracy. 2) Discuss the structure & basic components of the federal bureaucracy. 3) Indicate when the federal civil service was established & explain how bureaucrats get their jobs.

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Chapter 13

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  1. Chapter 13 THE BUREAUCRACY

  2. Learning Objectives • 1) Describe the size & functions of the U.S. bureaucracy. • 2) Discuss the structure & basic components of the federal bureaucracy. • 3) Indicate when the federal civil service was established & explain how bureaucrats get their jobs.

  3. Learning Objectives • 4) Explain how regulatory agencies make rules & how “iron triangles” affect policymaking in government. • 5) Identify some of the ways in which the government has attempted to curb waste & improve efficiency in the bureaucracy.

  4. Bureaucrats & the Bureaucracy • Bureaucrat: • An individual who works in a bureaucracy. • Term refers to a government employee • Bureaucracy: • A large, complex, hierarchically structured administrative organization that carries out specific functions.

  5. The Nature & Size of the Bureaucracy • The Growth of Bureaucracy • In 1789 the government had three Departments & Few employees • Since then government has grown immensely, much growth has been at state & local level

  6. Government Employment at Federal, State, & Local LevelsFigure 13-1 pg. 300

  7. The Nature & Size of the Bureaucracy • The Costs of Maintaining the Government: • In 1929 maintaining all levels of government accounted for 11% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). • Today, maintaining all levels of government exceeds 40%

  8. Where Does All the Money Go? Pg. 301

  9. The Organization of the Federal Government Figure 13-2 pg. 302

  10. How the Federal Bureaucracy is Organized • Executive Branch of federal government includes four major types of structures: • Executive Departments • Independent Executive Agencies • Independent Regulatory Agencies • Government Corporations

  11. How the Federal Bureaucracy is Organized • Executive (Cabinet) Departments: • Major administrative organizations w/in the federal executive bureaucracy. • Each has its own budget, staff, & policy areas: • Each headed by a secretary (15 departments) • Exception being DOJ (Attorney General) • Has a responsibility for a major function of the federal government • i.e.- Defense, Agriculture, Justice, Education etc.

  12. Executive Departments Table 13-1 pg. 302

  13. Executive Department Table 13-1 pg. 303

  14. The Organization of the Department of AgricultureFigure 13-3 pg. 306

  15. How the Federal Bureaucracy is Organized • Independent Agencies: • Bureaucratic agencies similar to cabinet departments; • Have narrower area of responsibility, • Headed by presidential appointee who is not a cabinet member • i.e. National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)

  16. Independent Executive Agencies • Agencies kept independent due to sensitive nature of their functions &/or to protect them from Partisan Politics: • Political actions or decisions that benefit a particular party. • i.e. Civil Rights Commission (1957), Central Intelligence Agency (1947), General Services Administration (1949)-GSA, monitors federal government spending.

  17. Selected Independent Executive AgenciesTable 13-2 pg. 308

  18. Independent Regulatory Agencies • Regulatory Agencies: • Administrative units; responsible for creating & implementing rules that regulate private activity • Have the responsibility of monitoring & regulating ongoing economic activities. • i.e.- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) • Protect the public interest • Headed by a commission of 5-10 people

  19. Selected Independent Regulatory AgenciesTable 13-3 pg. 309

  20. Government Corporation • Government Corporations: • Business like- provide services like private companies and typically charge for their services; • Differ in that they receive federal funding to help defray expenses. • Directors are appointed by the president w/ Senate approval. • i.e.- Post Office, Amtrak

  21. Selected Government CorporationsTable 13-4 pg. 309

  22. How Bureaucrats Get Their Jobs • Civil Service: • Nonmilitary government employment. • Approach to managing the bureaucracy; • People are appointed to government positions on the basis of either competitive examinations • Or special qualifications (professional training). • 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Act

  23. Regulatory Agencies: Are they the 4th Branch of Government? Legislative Rule: • An administrative agency rule that carries the same weight as a statute enacted by a legislature. • Since 19th century regulatory agencies have been around however, had sharp incline during 1960s & 1970s. • Regulatory agencies in charge of policy implementation.

  24. Agency Creation • Enabling Legislation: • A law enacted by a legislature to establish an administrative agency. • Enabling legislation normally specifies the name, purpose, composition, & powers of the agency being created.

  25. Agency Creation • Adjudicate: • To render a judicial decision. • Regarding administrative law • Process in which administrative law judge hears & decides issues • Issues arising when an agency charges a person or firm w/ violating a law or regulation enforced by the agency.

  26. Regulatory Agencies • Rulemaking: • The process undertaken by an administrative agency when formally proposing, evaluating, & adopting a new regulation. • Conferred on it (the agency) by Congress in the agency’s enabling legislation

  27. Policymaking • Neutral Competency: • The application of technical skills to jobs without regard to political issues. • Employees are hired & retained on basis of their expertise • Operates by objective standards rather than partisan ones.

  28. Iron Triangles • A three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, & interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests. • i.e. Agriculture pg. 313

  29. Example of Iron TriangleFigure 13-4 pg. 313

  30. Issue Networks • Groups of individuals or organizations consisting of: • Legislators, & Legislative staff members, Interest groups leaders, Bureaucrats, Media, Scholars, & Other Experts • that support particular policy positions on a given issue.

  31. Issue Network: The Environment Figure 13-4 pg. 312

  32. Curbing Waste & Improving Efficiency • Examples of Waste: • $11 million, CIA, Pentagon, & Psychics • $20 million, Prison Inmates, SS supplemental income program • $10 million, Dept. Energy, Employees & Weight • $30 million, non existent slavery tax credits • $1.1 million public housing tenants, & self-esteem

  33. Improving Efficiency • Whistleblower: • Someone who “blows the whistle” • (reports to authorities) • On gross governmental • Inefficiency, • Illegal action, • or Other Wrongdoing. • Reforms in place to protect whistleblowers however, more effective protection needed.

  34. Improving Efficiency • Results-oriented goals for agency to streamline its performance • Performance-based budgeting • Utilizing “grades” for agency, better the grade more $ • Pay-for-performance

  35. Alternative for Reforming Bureaucracy • Privatization: • The transfer of the task of providing services traditionally provided by government to the private sector.

  36. Bush Administration • Executive Order establishes Regulatory Policy Office (RPO) w/in each agency: • Headed by a political appointee w/ authority to review & approve agency guidelines. • Critics of Bush Administration viewed order as simply an attempt to politicize the bureaucracy

  37. Government in the Sunshine • Freedom of Information Act (1966) • Americans pay for gov., therefore they own it & have a right to know what is going on • Expanded during Clinton due to Internet • Restricted immensely under Bush due to 9/11 • “Sunshine Laws” (1970)

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