Transcript Chapter 15 The Bureaucracy-Powers

The Executive Branch:
Government at Work: The
Bureaucracy
Chapter 15
American Government
Ms. Powers
The Executive Branch:
Government at Work: The
Bureaucracy
Section I: The Federal Bureaucracy
What is a Bureaucracy?
Bureaucracy: A large, complex administrative structure that
handles the everyday business of an organization
(Organization = Federal Government)
• An efficient & effective way to organize people
• People who work in bureaucracies are called Bureaucrats
Examples:
• US Air Force
• McDonald’s
• Social Security Administration
• Roman Catholic Church
The President & The Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy Basics
Types of Bureaucracies
Features of a Bureaucracy
Three Features/Principles of Bureaucracies:
1. Hierarchical Authority: Bureaucracies are
structured as a pyramid, with a chain of command
running from the top of the pyramid down to the
bottom
2. Job Specialization: Each bureaucrat has certain
defined duties & responsibilities. Precise division of
labor based on specialties
3. Formalized Rules: The Bureaucracy works according
to a number of established regulations &
procedures that are written out so ALL bureaucrats
know them
Benefits of the Bureaucracy
1. The Hierarchy: Can speed action by reducing
conflicts over who has the power/authority to
make decisions
2. Job Specialization: Promotes efficiency because
each person in the organization is required to
focus on one particular job
3. Formalized rules: Mean that workers can act
with some speed & precision because decisions
are based on a set of known rules
Remember… Bureaucrats hold APPOINTIVE offices.
This means that they are UNELECTED makers &
implementers of public policy
The Federal Bureaucracy
Federal Bureaucracy: All of the agencies, people, &
procedures through which the Federal Government operates
• The means by which the government makes & administers
ALL public policy
• Nearly all of the Federal Bureaucracy is located in the
Executive Branch
The Constitution: Makes the PRESIDENT the chief
administrator of the Federal Government
• Yet it hardly mentions bureaucracies (Commander in Chief
& Appointment Power)
Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy
The main organizational feature
of the federal bureaucracy is its
division into areas of
specialization
Three Broad Groups of
Agencies:
1. The Executive Office of the
President (EOP)
2. The 15 Cabinet Departments
3. A large number of
Independent Agencies
Staff v. Line Agencies
The units that make up any
administrative organization
(governments administrators &
agencies) can be classified as either
staff or line agencies
Staff Agencies: Serve in a SUPPORT
& ADVISORY capacity
• Aid the President & other
administrators by offering advice
& assistance in the management
of the organization
Line Agencies: Actually PERFORM
the tasks of the organizations
Staff Agencies
The staff agencies help the line agencies meet goals (set by the
President & Congress) as effectively as possible through advising
Examples: Agencies of the Executive Office of the President (EOP)
• The White House
• The National Security Council
• The Office of Management & Budget & more…
These agencies exist as STAFF support to the President
• Primary mission is to ASSIST the President & the management
of the executive branch
Line Agencies
The general public is much more
aware of line agencies because
they actually CARRY OUT public
policies….
Example: The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Is
responsilbe for the day-to-day
enforcement of the many
antipollution laws passed by
Congress
• EPA operates “on the line”
where the action is!
The Executive Branch:
Government at Work: The
Bureaucracy
Section II: Executive Office of the
President
The Executive Office of the President
Every officer, employee, & agency in the executive branch is
legally subordinate to the President
However…the President’s “right arm” is the...
Executive Office of the President (EOP): An umbrella agency
& complex organization of several separate agencies staffed
by about 1,800 of the Presidents key advisors & assisstants
• EOP was established by F.D.R in 1939
• EOP is reorganized during each administration
The White House
The White House is the NERVE CENTER of the EOP
• Most of the President’s key personal & political aides work
here (450 people work in the White House)
• Staff is located on the two wings of the White House
West Wing: Holds most staff, Oval Office, & Cabinet room
White House Chief of Staff: Directs all of the operations of
the EOP & is one of the most influential presidential aides
Other Important Staff:
• Press Secretary
• Appointments & scheduling
• President’s physician
• First lady’s chief of staff
National Security Council
National Security Council (NSC): Advises (staff agency)
the President in all domestic, foreign, & military
matters that relate to the nation’s security
• Most steps taken in foreign affairs are taken after
consulting the NSC
• The President often calls the council on short notice
Members:
• President (chairman)
• Vice President
• Secretaries of State, Treasury, & Defense
• Director of National Intelligence
• Joint Chiefs of Staff
Office of Management & Budget
Office of Management & Budget
(OMB): The largest & (after the
White House) most influential unit
in the Executive Office
• Major task is the preparation of
the federal budget (The President
must submit to Congress every
year)
Federal Budget: Carefully drawn &
detailed plan for the conduct &
finances of government during the
fiscal year (October 1-September
30)
• Statement of public policies
expressed in dollar terms
Other EOP Agencies
Office of National Drug Control Policy: (1988) Prepares
an annual national drug control strategy & coordinates
efforts of over 50 agencies that participate in the war
on drugs
Council of Economic Advisors: Lead by 3 of the nations
leading economics, the council is the President’s major
source of information & advice on the state of the
nation's economy
• Creates the annual Economic Report
Other EOP Units
•
•
•
•
Domestic Policy Council
Council on Environmental Quality
Office of the Vice President
Office of the United States Trade
Representative
• Office of Science & Technology
• Office of Administration
The Executive Branch:
Government at Work: The
Bureaucracy
Section III: The Cabinet
Departments
Executive Departments
Much of the work of the Federal Government is done by the….
15 Executive Departments (Cabinet Departments): Employ
nearly 2/3rd of the Federal Governments civilian (non-military)
workforce.
• Traditional units of federal administration built around some
broad field of activity
• The first 3 were the Departments of State, Treasury, & War
• The rest of the departments were added over time
Chief Officers & Staff
Each of the 15 departments is headed by a SECRETARY,
excluding the Department of Justice, whose work is directed
by the Attorney General
• Department heads serve in the President’s Cabinet due to
Custom & Usage
• They are the primary link between presidential policy &
their departments
• The heads of the cabinet departments are named by the
President & confirmed by the Senate
Subunits
Each of the Cabinet departments is made up of a
number of subunits, both staff & line
• The subunits are further divided into smaller working
units
Roughly 80% of the men & women who head the
bureaus & other major units are career people, NOT
politically appointed
• Many agencies are located is district offices outside of
the Capital
The Cabinet
The Cabinet: An informal body
brought together by the President
to serve his needs
• Made up of the heads of the 15
Cabinet departments
• NOT in the Constitution
• Exists because of custom &
tradition
• Recently, Presidents have
added a number of other top
officials to the group for
meetings
The Cabinet: Whitehouse.gov
Choosing Cabinet Members
Remember…The President appoints the heads of the
cabinet departments (with Senate approval)
• Senate rejections are rare though
• Out of 600 only 12 have been rejected
Factors of Choice:
• Party affiliation
• Geography
• Interest Groups
• Racial, ethnic, & gender balance
The Cabinets Role
2 Major Responsibilities of Cabinet
Members:
1. Individually: Administrative
head of an executive
department
2. Collectively: Advisors to the
President
However the overall importance of
the Cabinet has declined in recent
years…
• The growth of other presidential
resources-particularly the vast
amount of staff assisstance , has
eclipsed the Cabinet’s role
JFK: “Cabinet meetings are a waste
of time”
Is the Cabinet Still Important?
President’s do call Cabinet meetings, not nearly as frequently
however
Sessions are usually help to show the administrations unified
support for a particular Presidential policy
Taft: “The Cabinet is a mere creation of the President’s will…It
exists only by custom. If the President desired to dispense
with it, he could do so.”
• However no President has ever suggested that
The Executive Branch:
Government at Work: The
Bureaucracy
Section IV: Independent Agencies
Independent Agencies
Independent Agencies: Additional
agencies created by Congress that
are located OUTSIDE of the
Departments
• There are over 150 Independent
agencies today
Examples:
• National Aeronautics & Space
Administration (NASA
• Department of Defense (DOD)
• Social Security Administration
(SSA)
• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Why Independent Agencies?
There are MANY reasons Independent agencies exist
however…. However there are a few major ones
1. Because that agency does not fit in well with any of
the departments
2. To protect them from partisan & pressure politics
3. Some were born by accident
4. Some are independent due to their peculiar &
sensitive nature
Just becuase they are independent does not mean they
are completely separated from to executive branch
The Independent Executive Agencies
Independent Executive Agencies: Include most of
the non-Cabinet agencies.
• Some are much larger & more significant than
others (NASA & EPA)
• However most independent agencies operate far
from the limelight
The scope & importance of these agencies can NOT
be overstated!!!
CIA
NASA
EPA
NASA
National Aeronautics & Space Administration
• Created by Congress in 1958
• Today NASA handles a MASSIVE amount of
responsibilities
• The military importance of NASA
Independent Regulatory
Commissions
Independent Regulatory
Commissions: Are unique
amongst the independent
agencies because they are largely
beyond the reach of Presidential
direction & control
• 12 exist today
• Each exists to regulate,
monitor, & police important
aspects of the nation’s
economy
Government Corporations
Government Corporations: Government agencies set
up like a business to carry out business activities
• Located within the executive branch
• Created in 1791 but were NOT widely used until
WWI & the Great Depression
• More than 50 exist today
Example:
• The United States Postal Service (USPS)