The Federal Bureaucracies Questions

Question 1) What does the bureaucracy look like in terms of structure? How is the bureaucracy different from private business? question 2) The federal government is one of the largest employers in the country, employing millions of people both directly and indirectly. For what reasons has the bureaucracy grown over time? How do we attempt to control this growth (or do we)? Question 3) Take a look at the section of the textbook that discusses the merit system. What are the problems with this system and how can we make it better? If we eliminated the merit system all together do you think hiring practices would be fair or do we need it in order to assure qualified individuals actually get hired? Question 4) choose any current news article and give a brief description of the article ( be sure to attach the link to the news article) Question 5) define the following terms (in reference to american government & politics)

Civil Service CommissionFOIAHatch Actneutral competenceprivatizingSunshine Actwhistleblowers

Chapter 12:
The Federal Bureaucracy
Bureaucracies
★ Bureaucracies are often handy political targets
to blame for society’s ills.
★ Yet, the same bureaucrats who are blamed for
red tape have also accomplished some
remarkable tasks:
• NASA
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Bureaucracies (cont.)
★ Americans tend to be against “Big
Government” in the abstract, but they also
demand all kinds of government services.
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© 2003 AP/Wide World Photos
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2002 AP/ Wide World Photos
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Nature of Bureaucracies
★ Hierarchical- non-democratic
★ Set Goals- defined by elected officials
★ Set Performance Standards- cost effective,
efficient, waste
★ Openness- FOIA laws, APA, Sunshine Acts
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The Veterans Affairs “Triangle”
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The Size of the
Bureaucracy
Today there are about
2.7 million civilian
employees of the
federal government.
Post office is largest
with 800k; DOD is next
with 650k civilian staff
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(UPI Photo/Bill Greenblatt/Landov)
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A Profile of Bureaucracy:
Government
Employment—Federal, State, and
Local
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© Bob Daemmrich /Stock, Boston /PictureQuest
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Federal Agencies
and Their Employees
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Government
Employment at
the Federal,
State, and
Local Levels
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The Organization of the
Federal Bureaucracy
★ Cabinet Departments
• All top positions (some 350) are held by presidential
appointees
★ Independent Executive Agencies
• FBI, NASA, CIA, EPA, SSA, Peace Corps
★ Independent Regulatory Agencies
• The Purpose and Nature of Regulatory Agencies
• Agency Capture
• Deregulation and Reregulation
★ Government Corporations
• TVA (electrical); Amtrak; Terrorism Insurance
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Major Regulatory Agencies
★ The Federal Trade Commission (1914)- 5members, 7
year terms, regulates industry, prevents price fixing
★ The Federal Communications Commission (1934)- 5
members; 5 year terms; licenses and regulates TV and
Radio
★ The Securities and Exchange Commission (1934)- 5
members; 5 year terms; protects public from investing
in securities based on false info; regulates companies
★ The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (1978)- 5
members; 5 year terms; sits in Department of Energy
but is independent; regulates natural gas companies,
electric companies and oil pipelines
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Deregulation
★ The government regulation of industry, which
increased during the New Deal administration
of FDR, had by the 1970s, become a target of
criticism.
★ In the 1970s, President Carter called for
deregulation of airlines, banking, trucking,
railroads, and telecommunications.
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The Growth of Social
Regulation
★ Although considerable deregulation of
transportation, communications, and financial
industries took place, social regulation
increased during the 1970s and 1980s.
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Modern Attempts at
Bureaucratic Reform
★ Sunshine Laws
• The 1966 Freedom of Information Act
• Changes after 9/11
★ Sunset Laws require congressional review of
existing programs to determine their
effectiveness. If Congress does not explicitly
reauthorize a program, it expires.
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Staffing the Bureaucracy
★ Political Appointees
• The aristocracy of the federal government
• The difficulty of firing civil servants
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The Civil Service
★ The Spoils System
★ The Road to Reform
• 1850s
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The Carter Reforms
★ The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
★ Whistle-blowers
★ The Senior Executive Service
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“I’m sorry, dear, but you knew I was a
bureaucrat when you married me.”
The New Yorker Collection 1980. Robert Weber from cartoonbank.com. All rights reserved.
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Modern Attempts at
Bureaucratic Reform (cont.)
★ Privatization
★ Incentives for Efficiency and Productivity
• The Government Performance and Results Act
of 1997
• Saving Costs through E-Government
★ Helping Out the Whistle Blowers
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Bureaucrats as Politicians
and Policy-Makers
★ The Rulemaking
Environment
• Waiting periods and
court challenges
• Negotiated
Rulemaking
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Congressional Control of
the Bureaucracy
★ The ultimate control is in the hands of
Congress because Congress controls the
purse strings.
★ Congressional control of the bureaucracy
includes the establishment of agencies and
departments, the budget process, and
oversight conducted through investigations,
hearings, and review.
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The Politics of Bureaucracy
★ Bureaucracy and Public Opinion
★ Bureaucracy and the President
★ Bureaucracy and Policymaking
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