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The Bureaucracy

The Bureaucracy. The Fourth Branch of Government?. Typical stereotype of bureaucracy: Not grounded in reality. "Bureaucrats are people we hate in the abstract but cannot do without in the concrete.". Max Weber’s Contribution. Bureaucracy is a form of organizing

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The Bureaucracy

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  1. The Bureaucracy The Fourth Branch of Government?

  2. Typical stereotype of bureaucracy: Not grounded in reality • "Bureaucrats are people we hate in the abstract but cannot do without in the concrete."

  3. Max Weber’s Contribution • Bureaucracy is a form of organizing • Characteristics of bureaucracy include: • Hierarchical structure • Use of formal written procedures (standard operating procedures) • Staffed by technical “experts”

  4. Three groups comprise our Federal bureaucracy  • Cabinet departments (e.g., State, Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security - 15 total)  • Executive Agencies (e.g., NASA, EPA, CIA) • Various regulatory commissions (FCC, FTC, SEC, CPSC) 

  5. Merit vs Patronage • Career Civil Service • 2.9 million federal employees • Hired on the basis of Merit • Political Appointees • Cabinet Secretaries, Undersecretaries, Assistant Secretaries, etc. • 4000 hired on the basis of political loyalty

  6. Historical Background • The “Spoils System” • Assassination of President Garfield (1881) • The rise of Progressives • Progressive Reforms • Pendleton Act of 1883 • voter registration reforms

  7. Why is Bureaucracy So Large? • The increasing complexity of society and the public’s call for government to respond. • The demands of interest groups (e.g., farmers and the Department of Agriculture) • The attempt to deal with serious economic and social problems in our country (e.g., New Deal, Johnson’s War on Poverty) • The US becoming a world leader (Defense, State, CIA) •  Congress responding to public demands (e.g., EPA)

  8. Why is Bureaucracy so Powerful? • Congressional delegation of resources and responsibility to implement public policies. • Resident expertise - "technocrats" • Support of interest groups 

  9. Bureaucracy & Democracy • Bureaucrats are not elected but they do make important policy decisions. • How can we ensure that bureaucracy serves the public and not merely its own interests of those of narrow special interests? 

  10. Is Bureaucracy Raging Out of Control? • External Controls • Presidential, Congressional, Judicial • Internal Controls • Ethics and Professionalism • Too Much versus Too Little Control? Implications?

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