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The Federal Bureaucracy

Unravel myths surrounding government workers, job allocation, merit principles, and administrative functions. Learn the reality about efficiency and policy implementation.

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The Federal Bureaucracy

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  1. The Federal Bureaucracy Chapter 9

  2. The Bureaucrats Myths: • Americans dislike bureaucrats. • Bureaucracies are growing bigger each year. • Most federal bureaucrats work in Washington, D.C. • Bureaucracies are ineffective, inefficient and always mired in red tape. Reality: Most tasks performed by bureaucrats are not controversial.

  3. The Bureaucrats • A bureaucrat is someone who works for the government, carrying out policy. • Most demographically representative part of government. • Diversity of jobs mirrors the private sector.

  4. The Bureaucrats • Patronage: Job given for political reasons. • Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883 began the creation of a merit-based civil service. • Civil Service: System of hiring and promotion based on merit and nonpartisanship. • Merit Principle: Entrance exams and promotion ratings to find people with talent and skill. • Office of Personnel Management: The federal office in charge of most of the government’s hiring.

  5. The Bureaucrats The Plum Book • Published by Congress. • Lists the very top jobs available for Presidential appointment. • Presidents work to find capable people to fill the positions. • Some plum jobs (ambassadorships) are patronage.

  6. The Weberian Model • Hierarchical authority structure • Uses task specialization • Operate on the merit principle • Behave with impersonality • A well-organized machine with lots of working parts.

  7. The Acquisitive Model Bureaucracies seek to maximize their budgets • Work to expand their powers and programs, even joining with Congress to expand their functions • Often operate under monopolistic conditions • Privatization could cut back on the monopolistic attitudes of the bureaucracies

  8. Rick Perry struggles with the bureaucracy:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzcZcdL2eQY&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=activehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzcZcdL2eQY&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

  9. Four Categories of Bureaucracy • The Cabinet Departments • 15 Cabinet departments • 14 headed by a secretary • Department of Justice headed by Attorney General • Each has its own budget, staff and policy areas • Republicans have been trying to eliminate several departments

  10. Four Categories of Bureaucracies Regulatory Agencies • Independent: Responsible for some sector of the economy making rules and judging disputes to protect the public interest. • Headed by a commission of 5-10 people. • Rule making is an important function watched by interest groups and citizens alike. • EPA, SEC

  11. Four Categories of Bureaucracies • Government Corporations • Business like- provide a service like private companies and typically charges for its services • Postal Service, Amtrak are examples • Independent Executive Agencies • The agencies that don’t fit anywhere else • NASA is an example

  12. Implementation • Translating the goals and objectives of a law passed by Congress into an operating, ongoing program. • It includes: • Creating / assigning an agency the policy • Turning policy into regulations. • Coordinating resources to achieve the goals. • Getting feedback and revising regulations.

  13. Why Some Policies Fail • Poor program design • Lack of Clarity. • Congressional laws are ambiguous and imprecise. • Sometimes the laws conflict with each other. • Title IX • Lack of Resources • Budget cuts may make it difficult for agencies to fulfill their goals.

  14. Why Policies Fail • Administrative Discretion • Ability to ignore or subvert portions a policy • Street-level bureaucrats have the most discretion. • Fragmentation. • Some policies are spread among several agencies.

  15. Why Policies Succeed • A Case Study: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 • Had a clear, concise goal (increase registration and turnout rates among Afircan Americans). • The implementation was clear (send Federal Marshals to the South). • Those carrying out the law had obvious authority and vigor to do so.

  16. Regulation • Regulation: Use of governmental authority to control or change some practice in the private sector. • A Full Day of Regulation. • Federal agencies check, verify and inspect many of the products and services we take for granted.

  17. Regulation • Command-and-Control Policy: Government tells business how to reach certain goals, checks the progress and punishes offenders. • Incentive System: Positive behavior is rewarded with tax credits or other benefits.

  18. Deregulation • Deregulation: The lifting of restrictions on business, industry and professional activities. • Problems with Strict Regulations • Raises prices • Hurts U.S.’s competitive position abroad • Are not always effective

  19. Understanding Bureaucracies • Bureaucracy and Democracy • Iron Triangles and Issue Networks • A mutually dependent relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees. • Exist independently of each other. • They are tough, but not impossible, to eliminate • Some argue they are being replaced by wider issue networks that focus on more policies.

  20. Iron Triangle

  21. Understanding Bureaucracies

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