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Bureaucracy: a large, complex organization of appointed officials. Our federal bureaucracy
includes all of the agencies, people and procedures through which the federal government operates.
Key Features:
1. Hierarchical authority—a chain of command in which authority follows from the top down
2 Job specialization
2.
Job specialization—each
each employee has defined duties and responsibilities
employee has defined duties and responsibilities
3. Formal rules—all employees must follow established standard operating procedures and regulations
Trends:
• Federal government employees currently account for 3% of all civilian jobs
• The number of federal gov employees has remained constant since 1950
• The number of state and local government employees has steadily increased since 1950
• Block grants have contributed to the widening gap between the number of fed and state employees by shifting resources from the federal government to state and local governments
• Federal mandates have also shifted more responsibility to states, causing an increase in the number of their public employees
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Cabinet Departments
• There are 15 cabinet departments. With the exception of the Department of Justice (headed by the attorney general), each department is headed by a secretary
• All 15 heads are chosen by the president and approved by majority vote in the Senate
• Cabinet secretaries often develop strong loyalty to their departments. As a result, cabinet members are often not close presidential advisors
Independent Regulatory Agencies
Independent
Regulatory Agencies
• Created to protect the public by regulating key sectors in the economy
• Led by small commissions appointed by the president and confirmed by Senate. Commissioners cannot be removed by the president during their terms of office
Government Corporations
• Provide a service that could be provided by the private sector
Independent Executive Agencies
• Includes most of the non‐cabinet departments
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Implementation is the translation of policy goals into rules and standard operating procedures.
Implementation can break down for a number of reasons, including conflicting goals, lack of clarity, faulty program design, lack or financial resources or personnel, and the fragmentation of responsibilities. Ex. Before the formation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, 46 federal agencies were involved in counterterrorism efforts.
Congress usually provides federal agencies with general mandates As a result the agencies
Congress usually provides federal agencies with general mandates. As a result, the agencies often have administrative discretion to set specific guidelines for a given problem or situation.
Regulation is the use of governmental authority to control or change practices in the private sector. SCOTUS first upheld the right of government to regulate businesses in Munn v. Illinois (1877).
During the administrations of presidents Reagan and George W. Bush, the federal government deregulated or lifted a number of restrictions on businesses. Ex. In 1984, Congress disbanded the Civil Aeronautics Board.
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Appointments
• Presidents have the power to appoint senior agency heads and subheads. This enables the president to exercise influence over an agency
• President’s power is limited. Senate has the power to approve presidential appointments. In addition, agency heads often develop a strong loyalty to their departments and thus do not aggressively pursue a president’s policy agenda.
Executive orders
• A directive, order, or regulation issued by the president
A di ti
d
l ti i
d b th
id t
• Executive orders are based on constitutional or statutory authority and have the force of law
Economic Powers
• The president may use the Office of Management and Budget to cut or add to an agency’s budget.
• It’s important to remember that Congress has the sole power to appropriate funds to an agency.
Divided Authority
• U.S. has a system of divided supervision in which both the president and Congress exercise authority over the federal bureaucracy
• This system creates checks and balances while at the same time often encouraging agencies to play one branch of government against the other
Exercising Legislative Oversight
Exercising
Legislative Oversight—(Congress
(Congress is often the problem
is often the problem‐identifying
identifying branch of government, branch of government
setting the bureaucratic agenda, but letting them decide how to implement set goals)
• Exercising budgetary control by setting aside funds for each agency
• Holding hearings and conducting investigations
• Reorganizing an agency
• Setting new guidelines for an agency.
• Spreading out responsibilities in order to prevent any one agency from becoming too powerful
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An iron triangle is an alliance among an administrative agency, an interest group, and a congressional committee. Each member of the iron triangle provides key services, information, or policy for the others. Iron triangles are so pervasive and powerful that they are often called subgovernments. Add a strong decentralizing and fragmenting element to the policy making process
An issue network includes policy experts, media pundits, congressional staffs, and interest groups who regularly debate an issue The president often fills agency positions with
groups who regularly debate an issue. The president often fills agency positions with people from an issue network who support his or her views. Unlike iron triangles, issue networks continually form and disband according to the policy issues.
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• The EOP and Congress obviously have vested interest in policy issues that are important to Americans like Health Care
• The Department of Health and Human Services and agencies like the Food and Drug Administration will be involved in the implementation of policy formulated and adopted by Congress.
• Interest groups represent Americans interested in particular policies. The National Organization of Women would be interested in women’s health issues like reproductive rights and cancer research The American Medical Association represents the doctors
rights and cancer research. The American Medical Association represents the doctors that will be affected by policies implemented by the government.
• Private businesses want to protect their interest when the new regulation are put in place so drug companies like Pfizer and insurance companies like Cigna would likely to have representation in the issue network.
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