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Transcript of The Federal Bureaucracy. What is a bureaucracy? Organization by which things get done in government...
The Federal Bureaucracy
What is a bureaucracy?
Organization by which things get done in government
Bureaucracies: Have a hierarchical authority structure Use task specialization Develop extensive rules Operate on the merit of the people Behave with impersonality
Myths and Realities
Americans hate B. (Myth) They grow bigger each year (Half ‘n
Half) Most work in D.C. (Myth) Ineffective, inefficient, and mired in
red tape (Half ‘n Half)
Who They Are and How They Got There
Patronage Hiring and promotion based upon
knowing the right people “It’s not what you know, it’s who you
know”-Hayman’s mom
Pendleton Civil Service Act Created the federal civil service
System based on merit and desire to create a non-partisan gov’t service
More…
Merit Principal Uses entrance exams and promotional
ratings to reward qualified applicants Hatch Act
Prohibits civil service employees from active participation in partisan politics while on duty
OPM
Office of Personnel Management In charge of hiring for most federal
agencies Each civil service job is assigned a
GS (General Schedule) rating Very top of the c.s. is the Senior
Executive Service
Plum Book
Lists top federal jobs available for direct presidential appointment
Organization of B. Cabinet Departments (Manage specific
policy areas) Independent Regulatory Commissions(Federal Reserve Board, Federal
Communications Commission, Social Security Admin.) Each I.R.C. is responsible for some sector
of the economy Interest groups are closely involved with
I.R.C.s
More Organization
Government Corporations(Amtrak, Post Office, T.V.A.)
Provide a service that could be provided by the private sector
Charge for a service
Still More Organization
Independent Executive Agencies(NASA, General Service Admin.,
National Science Foundation) Make up the rest
B.’s as Implementers
Policy implementation Stage of policymaking between
establishment of policy and its consequences
Some policies fail. Why?
Program Design Some tasks are impossible
Lack of Clarity Congress states broad goals while
leaving the specifics up to the B.’s Lack of Resources
Lack of body armor in Iraq EPA has low staff and cannot enforce
laws
Making it Fair
SOP’s help make b.’s everyday decisions
May become “red tape” and obstacles to action
Privatization
Private contractors used to do the work of the gov’t
Fourth Branch of the Gov’t Leads to less scrutiny
Regulation
Use of gov’t authority to control or change some practice in the private sector FDA, CPSC, OSHA
Gov’t tells businesses how to reach certain goals, checks on progress, and punishes offenders
Trend Towards Deregulation
Regulation: Raises prices Hurts America’s competitive position
abroad Doesn’t always work well
Understanding B.’s
Presidents try to control B.’s Appoint heads of agencies Issue executive orders Alter agency’s budget Reorganize the agency
More understanding
Congress tries to control B.’s Influence appointments Alter budgets Hold hearings Rewrite legislation for more detail and
clarity
The Iron Triangle
Iron Triangles and Issue Networks Iron Triangles: a mutually dependent
relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees
Exist independently of each other They are tough, but not impossible, to get
rid of Some argue they are being replaced by
wider issue networks that focus on more than one policy.
Figure 15.5
Understanding Bureaucracies
Summary
Bureaucrats shape policy as administrators, implementers, and regulators.
Bureaucracy’s primary responsibility is the implementation of public policy.
Federal bureaucracy has not grown but has in fact shrunk of late.