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 8.2: The Modern Bureaucracy

2. Key Topics The Modern Bureaucracy The Formal Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy Who are Bureaucrats? Politics and Government Workers

3. The Modern BureaucracyProblems with the Spoils System Very inefficient system of policy implementation Many bureaucratic employees were quite good, but rarely were able to stay on the job long enough to develop any expertise Panic reigned during election seasons

4. 1i. Problems with Spoils Henry Clay: govt. officials after an election were �like the inhabitants of Cairo when the plague breaks out; no one knows who is next to encounter a death stroke�

5. 1a. The Pendleton Act Passed by reformist Democrats & Republicans in the wake of James Garfield�s assassination Established the principle of merit in federal hiring

6. 1ai. The Pendleton Act cont. Required open, competitive examinations of prospective candidates Created a bipartisan three-member Civil Service Commission The law initially only covered around 10% of positions Extended to cover over 90% of all federal employees

7. 1b. The Problem of Bureaucratic Politics Federal workers have tenure, and the influence of politicians over the bureaucracy is reduced Bureaucrats can become obstacles to reform Professional bureaucrats often become conservative and risk-averse

8. 1c. Why Government is Not Run Like a BusinessGovernment Businesses Exist for the public good Motivated to win reelection Extract money from tax payers To whom are bureaucrats responsible? Exist to make money Motivated by profit Extract money from customers Responsible to investors & customers

9. 2. The Formal Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy At least 1,149 civilian agencies OSHA handles occupational safety, the State Dept. handles foreign policy, and the EPA handles the environment Many agencies have authority in the same issue areas

10. 2a. The Cabinet Departments Major administrative units responsible for implementing policy in broad issue areas Account for around 60% of the federal workforce VP, Dept. heads, heads of the EPA, OMB, & Office of National Drug Control Policy & US Trade Representative make up the formal cabinet

11. 2ai. Where You Stand Depends on Where you Sit:Cabinet Secretaries Appointed by the president However, often perceived as serving multiple masters: President Bureaucratic agency & its constituents Congress Secretaries must walk a delicate path to avoid alienating any of these groups

12. 2aii. Common Features Each department covers a broad area of responsibility usually reflected in its name (e.g. �Defense�) Secretaries are assisted by one or more deputies Most departments are separated into bureaus

13. 2aiii. Organizational Chart for the Department of StateFrom www.state.gov.

14. 2aiv. Clientele Agencies Departmental status usually indicates a enduring national interest in promoting a particular function Many departments are also intended to service the interests of a particular clientele Examples include Agriculture, Education, Energy, Labor, and Veteran�s Affairs

15. 2b. Independent Regulatory Commissions Designed to function outside the Cabinet departments to regulate a specific economic activity Intended to develop expertise and provide continuity of policy Examples include the National Labor Relations Board, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

16. 2c. Independent Executive Agencies Resemble Cabinet departments but usually have a narrower area of responsibility Usually are independent for symbolic reasons (e.g. NASA) In addition to NASA, examples include the Environmental Protection Agency

17. 2d. Government Corporations Businesses created by Congress that perform functions that could be provided by private businesses Often provide services that help promote economic stability Examples include AMTRAK, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

18. 2di. Sallie Mae: Government Corporation Created under the Federal Family Educational Loan Program in 1973 Service 1/3 of all outstanding student loans Sallie Mae is in the process of privatizing

19. 3. Who are Bureaucrats? Approximately 1.78 million federal workers in the executive branch* Paid according to the General Schedule At lower levels, candidates must take examinations to determine qualifications Protected by the merit system from being fired for political reasons

20. 3a. The Remaining 10% Appointive Policy Makers: 600 persons subject to Senate confirmation Independent Regulatory Commissioners: 100 persons who become independent upon taking office Schedule C Positions: Assistants or advisers to Senate-confirmed positions

21. 3b. The Number of Federal Employees in the Executive Branch

22. 3c. Bureaucratic Diversity Government jobs vary in complexity, technical expertise, etc. Largely reflect the racial, ethnic and gender composition of the US However, women are underrepresented Only about 11% of all federal employees work in the nation�s capital

23. 3ci. Is the Federal Bureaucracy Growing Larger Each Year? No: efforts to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy have worked However, state and local bureaucracies have gotten larger Much downsizing has occurred through outsourcing jobs to private competitors

24. 4. Politics and Government Workers Fears during the New Deal that the federal bureaucracy would become politicized The Hatch Act (1939): designed to prevent federal employees from becoming directly involved in working for political candidates

25. 4a. Critics of the Hatch Act Argued it was too extreme Denied millions of federal workers 1st Amendment rights Discouraged political participation among people who otherwise might meaningfully participate in public discourse

26. 4b. The Federal Employees Political Activities Act (1993) Liberalized the Hatch Act Allowed federal employees to contribute to political organizations & campaign for election in nonpartisan elections Bureaucrats can also campaign for or against candidates in partisan elections