Transcript chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
THE FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY
CHAPTER 8: LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand the critical role that the
bureaucracy plays in the
implementation of federal policy
Identify the bureaucracy as part of the
executive branch of government
organized hierarchically with standard
operating procedures for doing
business
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CHAPTER 8: LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Explain “delegated authority” and
describe the conditions under which
such authority is granted
Describe the oversight function of
Congress over the bureaucracy
Understand why Congress has
provided some bureaucratic units with
administrative judicatory authority
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CHAPTER 8: LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe how the federal bureaucracy
has evolved over time, including
substantial growth spurts as a result of
the New Deal and Great Society
programs and the Cold War
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CHAPTER 8: LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Explain methods for attempting to
control or reduce the size and scope of
the federal bureaucracy through
privatization, devolution, deregulation,
and accountability
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CHAPTER 8: LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Define the different types of agencies in
the federal bureaucracy including
cabinet departments, independent
agencies, regulatory agencies,
government corporations and the
Executive Office of the President
Appreciate the large scope of the
federal workforce and the civil service
rules governing federal employment
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……: NOW & THEN
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NOW…
The “Reagan Revolution” aimed to
reduce the burden of government.
Reagan found that he often needed to
increase the size of government to
accomplish many of his policy
objectives.
He left office in 1989 with a much
larger bureaucracy than the one he had
inherited in 1981.
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THEN…
Thomas Jefferson talked the talk of
cutting the bureaucracy, but failed to
walk the walk of containing its growth.
In his campaign, Jefferson stressed
the need for “frugality” when it came to
federal spending.
When he left office in 1809,
however, the federal bureaucracy
was much larger than the one he
had inherited in 1801.
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WHAT IS BUREAUCRACY?
Often refers to overgrown government,
excessive rules and paperwork, or a
burdensome process
Despite negative connotations, it is
necessary for any government
Laws must be enforced, programs must
be administered, and regulations must
be implemented
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WHAT IS BUREAUCRACY?
Citizens are more likely to come into
direct contact with the bureaucracy than
any other part of government
The bureaucracy comes to symbolize
what government is
Visit to an unemployment office
Check from the Social Security
Administration
Department of Motor Vehicles
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People wait in line to
speak to a clerk at a
U.S. Social Security
office.
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MAX WEBER’S SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF
EFFECTIVE BUREAUCRACIES
1. Organized based on specialization,
expertise, and division of labor
2. Hierarchical—chain of command
3. Standard operating procedures
4. Good record keeping—paper trail
5. Air of professionalism
6. Merit-based hiring and promotions
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YOUR PERSPECTIVE … ON AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT
You, Your Parents, and the Dreaded
FAFSA (Free Application for Student
Aid) Form:
What do you think about FAFSA? Is it
too cumbersome or tedious?
Is the federal government transforming
a simple process into one that is too
complex to be effective?
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YOUR PERSPECTIVE … ON AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT
Do you believe this form of “red tape” is
necessary to ensure that colleges and
universities can make fair decisions
about financial aid for the nation’s
college students?
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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT . . . IN
POPULAR PERSPECTIVE:
MIXED VIEWS ON BUREAUCRACY
Americans exhibited mixed feelings
about federal government expansion in
response to economic problems during
the recessionary period of 2007–09
Over 8-in-10 either disapproved of
government’s expanded role or wanted
it to retract once the recession was over
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WHAT DOES THE FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY DO?
Most of the federal bureaucracy is
contained within the executive branch
Executive power—to carry out,
administer, and enforce specific laws
Primarily a presidential responsibility
The president uses the bureaucracy to
exercise executive authority
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POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
The process of carrying out a law requires translating the legislation into
action
Begin by developing regulations – rules
guiding employees in carrying out the
program or service
The rules are published in the Federal
Register and enforceable by law
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BUREAUCRATIC LEGISLATION
When laws are vague, agencies have
administrative discretion—
Considerable freedom in deciding how
to implement the law
Delegated congressional power—
The agency has power to make laws
(administrative law)—power that is
supposed to rest with Congress alone
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CHECK THE LIST
SENATOR PROXMIRE’S TOP TEN
GOLDEN FLEECE AWARDS
In 1975, U.S. Senator William Proxmire
(D-WI) began taking aim at wasteful
pork-barrel spending in the federal
bureaucracy
The “Golden Fleece Awards” target
bureaucratic agencies spending money
on wasteful programs
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PROXMIRE’S TOP TEN
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CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT
Congress’s monitoring of bureaucratic
agency performance—accountability
Options: Conduct investigations
Reduce or eliminate the budget
Refuse to confirm appointments
Eliminate the agency, or establish a
new agency and shift resources and
powers to it
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BUREAUCRATIC ADJUDICATION
Determining the rights and duties of
particular parties within the scope of an
agency’s rules or regulations
Most adjudication takes place in the
court system
However, Congress has placed judicial
power in some bureaucratic agencies
Example: EEOC
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY
During Washington’s presidency
Congress created just three
departments
Department of State—foreign affairs
Department of Treasury—fiscal affairs
Department of War—military affairs
Later authorized hiring an attorney
general and a postmaster general
Approximately 50 federal employees
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY
Mid-1800s: Congress created the
Department of the Interior
1862: Department of Agriculture
1870: Department of Justice
1884: Bureau of Labor
1888: Commerce Agency
Early 1900s: Given Cabinet status
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY
FDR’s New Deal created a myriad of
new federal agencies:
Examples:
Social Security Administration
Securities and Exchange Commission
Civilian Conservation Corps
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY
1940—federal government accounted
for 10% of the gross domestic product
1975—22%
$9.5 billion spent on federal programs
1975—$332 billion
About 700,000 federal employees
1975—2.2 million
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY
Two factors fueling the massive growth
1. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great
Society program of the 1960s
Social and economic improvements
2. Cold War—U.S. and the Soviet Union,
vying against each other for global
influence
Federal budget for defense programs
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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT . . . IN
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE:
ONE ITALIAN WRITER
EXPERIENCES AMERICAN
BUREAUCRACY
In Ciao, America!: An Italian Discovers
the U.S., Italian Beppe Severgnini
compares his experiences with the
Italian and U.S. bureaucracies
A “matador faced with a milk cow.”
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GETTING CONTROL OF THE GROWING
BUREAUCRACY
Privatization: replacing governmentprovided services with the private sector
Deregulation: eliminating government
oversight and regulation
Devolution: shifting responsibility and power
back to the states
“Reinventing Government:” improved
effectiveness and efficiency
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THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY
Cabinet Departments
15 major administrative organizations;
vary in size and importance
Each is headed by a secretary except
Justice (attorney general)
President nominates; Senate confirms
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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT . . . IN
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:
CONFLICTS WITHIN THE CABINET
1789–1793: U.S. Bank—Jefferson vs.
Hamilton
1977–1979: U.S. response to the
Iranian hostage crisis—Brzezinski v.
Vance
2003: militarily intervention in Iraq—
Rumsfeld vs. Powell
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INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
Not part of any executive cabinet
department, but do report directly to the
president
Focus on a narrower scope of issues
Examples: NASA and the Small
Business Administration
Agency heads are appointed by the
president and confirmed by the Senate
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REGULATORY AGENCIES
Implement rules and regulations regarding
individual or corporate conduct related to
some aspect of the economy
Not under control of the president
Run by independent boards or commissions
that are not supposed to exert partisan
influence
Examples: ICC, FTC, FCC, SEC, EPA
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GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS
Run like private companies even
though they serve an important public
purpose
When revenue falls short, the
government will often intervene to keep
it in business
Examples: U.S. Postal Service;
AMTRAK; Tennessee Valley Authority
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THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENT
Managed by the Chief of Staff:
Examples: Communications Office;
Council of Economic Advisors; National
Security Council; Office of Management
and Budget; White House Counsel;
Office of Science and Technology;
Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative; etc…
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THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE
Currently 2.7 million civilian personnel,
excluding 1 million postal workers, and 1.5
million U.S. military personnel
Political Appointees and Career
Professionals—About 8000 appointees
(usually replaced by a new president)
7500 Senior Executive Service (SES)
career professionals (usually remain
employed)
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THE CIVIL SERVICE
Majority of the federal workforce
Theoretically hired based on
qualifications, and remain employees
beyond the term of a president
Historically: the federal workforce
began with “higher society” employees
Changed with Andrew Jackson’s “spoils
system”—patronage
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THE CIVIL SERVICE
1881—President Garfield’s
assassination strengthened the reform
movement in federal employment
Killed by a party worker who didn’t get a job
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
of 1883
Hatch Act of 1939
Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
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GETTING A JOB IN THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
Office of Personnel Management
(OPM): http://www.usajobs.opm.gov
Bruce Maxwell lists four advantages of
federal jobs in his Insider’s Guide to
Finding a Job in Washington:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Nation’s largest employer, numerous jobs
Excellent job security
Good wages and benefits
Excellent pension benefits
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Pictured above is the “plum book,”
which provides a listing of all job
openings in the federal bureaucracy
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NOW & THEN: MAKING THE
CONNECTION
The federal bureaucracy has grown
dramatically since George
Washington’s administration
As new presidents seek to advance
new policy goals, federal departments
and agencies have been created,
modified, and expanded
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POLITICS INTERACTIVE!
Czars aplenty in the U.S. Government
Special bureaucratic leaders—usually
enjoy close, working relationships with
the president—no Senate confirmation
Presidents since FDR have made these
special “czarist“ appointments
Obama, in his first 15 months in office
set a record number at 38
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POLITICS INTERACTIVE!
Do you think that all high level
appointments made by the president
should require congressional
confirmation before they can serve?
Should the so-called czars be formally
confirmed by the Senate just as are all
cabinet-level and many sub-cabinetlevel appointments?
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POLITICS INTERACTIVE!
What accounts for the increased use of
czars by Presidents George W. Bush
and Barack Obama?
Has the growth and increased
complexity of the federal bureaucracy
created an atmosphere wherein
presidents need a special advisor to
coordinate agencies in a specific
problem area?
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Carol Browner, Assistant to
the President for Energy
and Climate
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