Is Congress Effective in Exercising Legislative Oversight of the Federal Bureaucracy?
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Transcript of Is Congress Effective in Exercising Legislative Oversight of the Federal Bureaucracy?
Is Congress Effective in Exercising Legislative Oversight of the Federal Bureaucracy?
Nick GaineyJosh Michael
Nick Fazio
Two Specific Methods Congress uses to Exercise Effective Oversight of the Federal Bureaucracy
• Oversight through Committees
• Oversight through Congressional Offices
Oversight through Committees
Authorization Committee
Appropriations Committee
Government Operations Committee
Authorization Committee
• http://video.foxnews.com/v/4401027/how-will-new-congress-tackle-war-on-terror/
Originally establishes and authorizes
government programs and agencies.
Example : The House Armed Services Committee is in
charge of all military programs in the House
of Representatives.
Appropriations CommitteeCheck and Approve Agencies’
Budgets for the Federal
Government Budget Each
Year
Government Operations CommitteesCoordinate
Congressional Concern over Governmental
Operations
Examples : Senate Committee on
Governmental Affairs, House Committee on
Governmental Reform.
Oversight through Congressional Offices
General Accounting
Office
Congressional Research Service
Congressional Budget Office
General Accounting Office
Performs the Task of Program
Evaluation by Auditing and
Judging Administration of a
Program
Congressional Research Service
Gathers information on activities and
performance of various agencies
to assist members in Congress
Congressional Budget Office
Gathers information on
budgets of various agencies for their
report to the (OMB) Office of
Management and Budget
Two Specific Examples of Congress Failing to Exercise Effective Oversight of the Federal Bureaucracy
• Partisan Politics • Overload of Congressional Work
Partisan Politics
• MSNBC video Obama GOP needs to put partisan politics aside.mht
The political party affiliation gets in the way of congressional
oversight in the United States government
Example : A Democratic Congressman will be
hesitant to bring fault to the president, if the president is also a
Democrat
Overload of Congressional WorkMembers of Congress are overloaded with
work and do not have time and resources to effective oversee the federal bureaucracy
Example : Congressman is too concentrated
about needs of constituents instead of congressional oversight
The End
Approved by the “Iced Tea Party”