Transcript The Federal Bureaucracy

Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy
Fourteenth Edition
Chapter 15
The Federal Bureaucracy
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Defintion
Classic conception of bureaucracy (Max
Weber)—a hierarchical authority
structure that use task specialization,
operates on the merit principle, and
behaves with impersonality
Bureaucracies govern modern states.
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Modern Bureaucracy
 More than 2.7 million employees.
 Most are selected based on merit.
 Also have high-level appointees.
 Wide variety of skills represented.
 Less diverse than America.
 Scattered throughout D.C. and regional offices.
 Growth of outside contractors.
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The Bureaucrats
Some Bureaucratic Myths
Americans dislike bureaucrats
Americans are generally satisfied with bureaucrats
Bureaucracies are growing bigger each year.
Not in the federal bureaucracy.
Most fed. bureaucrats work in Washington, D.C.
Only about 10-12 percent do.
Bureaucracies are ineffective, inefficient
(Mired in red tape.)
No more so than private businesses.
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Growth of
Government
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THE NUMBER OF FEDERAL CIVILIAN
EMPLOYEES IS LESS THAN 1945.
THE INCREASE IN FEDERAL REGULATIONS,
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES, AND
DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY HAS MADE THE
BUREAUCRACY MORE POWERFUL IN THE
LAST 30 YEARS.
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Civilian
Employment
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Who Are The Bureaucrats
– Most demographically representative part of government
– Diversity of jobs mirrors the private sector
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FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DEMOGRAPHICS
1994
2003
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Employee Characteristics

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THE UNIQUENESS OF THE AMERICAN BUREAUCRACY
1-POLITICAL AUTHORITY IS SHARED
AMONG SEVERAL FEDERAL INST’TIONS
2-FEDERAL AGENCIES SHARE
FUNCTIONS WITH STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS
3-AMERICA’S ADVERSARIAL CULTURE
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BUREAUCRACY INCREASED WITH
THE NEW DEAL (1930’s)
GREAT SOCIETY (1960’s)
AGENCIES BECAME MORE ACTIVIST (60’s)
DEREGULATION (80’S)
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The Bureaucrats
Patronage: job given for political reasons
Civil Service: system of hiring and promotion based
on merit and nonpartisanship, created by the
Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)
Merit Principle: entrance exams and promotion
ratings to find people with talent and skill
Hatch Act: prohibits government employees
prohibited from active participation in partisan
politics
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Organization of the Personnel
Office of Personnel Management: the federal
office in charge of most of the government’s hiring
General Schedule (GS) rating: a schedule for
federal employees ranging from GS 1 to 18, by
which salaries can be keyed to rating and
experience
Senior Executive Service: an elite cadre of about
9,000 federal government managers established by
the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978; mostly career
officials
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The Plum Book
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.
Their most important trait is transience.
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Characteristics of Bureaucracy
 Chain of command from top to bottom.
 Division of labor.
 Clear lines of authority.
 Goal orientation.
 Merit system.
 Productivity.
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How Bureaucracies Are Organized
The Cabinet Departments
Fourteen Cabinet departments
Headed by a secretary
and Department of Justice
Headed by Attorney General
Each has its own budget, staff, & policy areas
Status as a cabinet department=controversial
Republicans have tried to disband…
(Depts of Education, Energy, & Commerce)
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How Bureaucracies Are Organized
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The Executive Branch

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Independent Regulatory Agencies
Independent Regulatory Agency:
responsible for some sector of the economy
making rules and judging disputes to protect
the public interest
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
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Independent Regulatory Agencies
Headed by a commission of 5-10 people
Rule making an important function
Watched by interest groups, media, and
citizens
Concern over “capture” of the agencies
Agencies act on behalf of the industry they are
supposed to regulate, not the public interest
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The Government Corporations
Business-like–provide services like private
companies and typically charge for them
Postal Service and Amtrak
Independent Executive Agencies
The agencies that don’t fit in anywhere else
General Services Administration (GSA)
NASA
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Bureaucracies as Implementers
What Implementation Means
– Translating the goals and objectives of a
policy into an operating, ongoing program
– Implementation includes:
• Creating and assigning an agency the policy
• Translating policy into rules, regulations, forms
• Coordinating resources to achieve the goals
– Stage of policymaking that takes place
between establishment and consequences of
a policy
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Why Bureaucracies Flunk the
Implementation Test
Lack of Clarity
Congressional laws are ambiguous/imprecise.
Laws can conflict with each other.
Lack of Resources
Agencies may be big, but may not have staff
to carry out policy goals.
Many different types of resources are needed:
personnel, training, supplies, equipment
May also lack the authority to act
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Why Bureaucracies Flunk the
Implementation Test
Administrative Routine
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) bring
uniformity to complex organizations.
Often difficult to change the routines.
Fragmentation
Policies are spread among several agencies.
Agencies have different rules for same policy
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Bureaucracies as Implementers
A Case Study: The Voting Rights Act
of 1965
– Generally considered a success
– Had a clear, concise goal
– The implementation was clear
– Those carrying out the law had obvious
authority and vigor to do so.
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Bureaucracies as Regulators
Regulation in the Economy
and in Everyday Life
Regulation: use of governmental
authority to control or change some
practice in the private sector.
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All Regulations contain 3 elements
1=A grant of power and set of directions
from Congress
2=A set of rules and guidelines by the
regulatory agency itself
3=Some means of enforcing compliance
with congressional goals and agency
regulations
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Regulatory Strategies
Command-and-Control Policy: The
government tells business how to reach
certain goals, checks the progress, and
punishes offenders.
Incentive System: market-like strategies
used to manage public policy
Some agencies are proactive.
Some are reactive.
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Movement Towards Deregulation
Deregulation: the lifting of restrictions on
business, industry, and professional activities
Problems with Regulations:
Raises prices
Hurts U.S.’s competitive position abroad
Does not always work well
But some argue regulation is needed
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Understanding Bureaucracies & Democracy
Presidents Try to Control the Bureaucracy
Appoint the right people
Issue executive orders
Carry force of law for agency
Used to implement policies
Alter an agency’s budget
Create / Reorganize an agency
Department of Homeland Security
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Understanding Bureaucracies & Democracy
Congress Tries to Control the Bureaucracy
Influence appointment of agency heads
Senate confirms pres. nominees
Alter an agency’s budget
Hold oversight hearings
Rewrite legislation
Approve Budget
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Understanding Bureaucracies & Democracy
Iron Triangles: a mutually dependent
relationship between bureaucratic
agencies, interest groups, and
congressional committees or subcommittees
Some argue they are being replaced by
wider issue networks that focus on
more than one policy.
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Understanding Bureaucracy and the
Scope of Government
The size of federal bureaucracy is an example of
a government out of control.
Even though the size of the bureaucracy has
shrunk.
Some agencies don’t have enough resources to
do what they are expected to do.
Bureaucracy only carries out policies;
Congress and the president decide what needs
to be done.
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Agency Accountability (Limits on the Bureaucracy)
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Summary
Bureaucracy’s primary responsibility
is the implementation of public policy.
Bureaucrats shape policy as
administrators, implementers, and
regulators.
Federal bureaucracy has not grown
but has in fact shrunk of late.
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WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY
OBJECTIVES
1-DESCRIBE THE AMERICAN MODEL OF
GOVERNMENTAL BUREAUCRACY.
2-SKETCH THE HISTORY OF THE GROWTH OF
BUREAUCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY.
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WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY
OBJECTIVES
3. SHOW HOW THE ROLES AND MISSIONS OF THE AGENCIES ARE
AFFECTED BY BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS.
4-LIST SOME PAST ATTEMPTS OF CONGRESS TO REFORM THE
BUREAUCRACY. THEN EXPLAIN WY IT IS SO HARD TO REFORM THE
BUREAUCRACY.
5-LIST THE “PATHOLOGIES” THAT MAY AFFECT BUREAUCRACIES.
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WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY
IMPORTANT TERMS - SET 1
ANNUAL AUTHORIZATION
APPROPRIATION
AUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION
BUREAUCRACY
COMMITTEE CLEARANCE
COMPETITIVE SERVICE
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WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY
IMPORTANT TERMS - SET 1
DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY
EXPECTED SERVICE
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
IRON TRIANGLE
ISSUE NETWORK
LAISSEZ-FAIRE
LEGISLATIVE VETO
NAME-REQUEST JOB
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WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY
IMPORTANT TERMS - SET 1
PATRONAGE
PENDLETON ACT
RED TAPE
SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE
SPOILS SYSTEM
TRUST FUNDS
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WILSON CH 13-THE BUREAUCRACY
IMPORTANT TERMS
LEGISLATIVE VETO
NAME-REQUEST JOB
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
NONCAREER EXECUTIVE ASSIGNMENTS
OPEN MEETING LAW
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT
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WILSON CH 13-THE BUREAUCRACY
IMPORTANT TERMS
OVERSIGHT
PATRONAGE
PENDLETON ACT
PRIVACY ACT
RED TAPE
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WILSON CH 13-THE BUREAUCRACY
IMPORTANT TERMS
SCHEDULE C JOB
SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE
SPOILS SYSTEM
TRUST FUND
WASTE
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT
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WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY
QUESTIONS
1-WHAT IS AN ACTUAL WORKING DEFINITION OF
BUREAUCRATIC POWER?
2-WHAT ARE THE WAYS IN WHICH THE U.S.
BUREAUCRACY CONTRASTS WITH THOSE OF OTHER
NATIONS?
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WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY
QUESTIONS
3-SHOULD MORE MEMBERS OF THE BUREAUCRACY BE
ELECTED? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER
4-WHAT FACTORS ACCOUNT FOR THE BEHAVIOR OF
BUREAUCRATS? RANK THESE IN ORDER OF
IMPORTANCE.
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WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY
QUESTIONS
5-DEFINE THE BUDDY SYSTEM AS IT APPLIES TO
FEDERAL HIRING. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES OF SUCH A SYSTEM?
6-ARE BUREAUCRATS MOTIVATED TO KEEP COSTS
DOWN? WHY OR WHY NOT.
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