1. Thursday March 6, 2014
OBJ: SWBAT demonstrate their understanding of the Federal Bureaucracy and how it is funded by role playing a budget committee.
Drill: What problems can you see with allowing the FB to continue?
HW: Bureaucracy vocab, definition and importance. You may work with a partner. Due Monday

2. Review Quiz Define/explain political socialization
The process by which people develop their political beliefs, ideology, and party affiliation
List the four elements/beliefs of American political culture
Liberty, equality, equal opportunity, democracy, civic duty, individual responsibility
List the five factors that influence a person’s political socialization (That we studied, not the four from the review book)
Family, media, major events, peers, education
Name any four cross-cutting cleavages
Race, gender, region, age, religion

3. How Bureaucracy Works Authority mostly from Congress
Congressional intent
Delegation of details; often ambiguous
Administrative discretion
Report to President & OMB
Executive orders (Affirmative Action)
OMB and regulatory oversight
Congressional oversight & budget
Court orders (e.g. ADA & Supreme Court)
Responsiveness to the public
Too many masters?

4. Civil servants in the federal bureaucracy may sometimes successfully resist presidential initiatives because A. They can go directly to Congress with their budget requests B. They have more opportunities to influence public opinion than the president does C. They are directly responsible to Congress, but not to the President D. They may not be removed from office for political reasons E. They have influence over the president through campaign contributions

5. Which of the following is true of independent regulatory commissions? A. They exercise quasi-legislative, quasi-judicial, and executive functions. B. They each form part of one of the 14 cabinet-level executive departments. C. They regulate certain parts of the federal bureaucracy. D. They are directly responsible to the President. E. They were created by the executive branch to help execute federal law.

6. Congress oversees the agencies in the executive branch in all of the following ways except: A. Giving any one job to more than one agency, keeping any single agency from becoming all powerful B. Influencing the appointment of agency heads. C. Authorizing money that may be spent on a given program by an agency D. Holding hearings to question possible agency abuses E. Firing agency heads, cabinet secretaries, and White House staff

7. The president may exercise authority over the executive branch agencies in all of the following ways except: A. Appointing people who support his point of view to senior executive levels B. Issuing executive orders to agencies C. Exercising authority through the Office of Management and the Budget D. Appointing federal court justices to investigate alleged wrongdoing of an agency E. Reorganizing or combining agencies to reward or punish them

8. Congressional oversight is primarily carried out by: A
Congressional oversight is primarily carried out by: A. Committee staff dealing with the staff of a bureaucratic agency B. Committee hearings on budget and performance issues C. Committee chairs contacting agency heads via memo D. The White House congressional liaison speaking with committee members E. The committee chair contacting the president

9. Bureaucratic characteristics include all of the following except: a
Bureaucratic characteristics include all of the following except: a. Hierarchy b. Extensive rules c. A division of labor d. Specialized tasks e. Patronage system for promotion

10. What criticisms and compliments do the cartoonists have for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its programs?

11. What criticisms and compliments does the cartoonist have for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its programs?

19. Congress can control the bureaucracy through its oversight powers
Congress can control the bureaucracy through its oversight powers. Legislative oversight by Congressional committees and subcommittees could include:
Creating or abolishing a department
Spreading out responsibility for a job to several agencies
Authorization of the maximum amount of money an agency may spend on a program
Appropriation of funds, usually less than is authorized, but is the amount the agency gets for that fiscal year.
Setting the statutory authority (laws/rules) for an agency
Rejecting Presidential appointments to lead agencies
Requesting a government audit by the GAO
Conducting hearings to investigate actions taken or not taken

20. II. The President can control the bureaucracy by:
Appointing agency heads and sub-heads---contingent on Congressional approval
Issuing Executive Orders
Using the “bully pulpit” and “going public” to gain public support for changes
Calling for a special commission to review an issue
Using staff to pressure bureaucrats
Allowing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to cut or increases funding---contingent on Congressional approval
Reorganizing or combining agencies---contingent on Congressional approval their boss. Created an office of special counsel where federal workers can "tattle" on their bosses and have their job protected.
III. The courts can control the bureaucracy by:
Ruling on actions taken by agencies (Using the power of Judicial Review, more on this soon!)
Protecting due process rights of those impacted by a bureaucratic decision

21. IV. The people can control the bureaucracy through:
Enforcing the Administrative Procedures Act (1946): Requires the public to be notified of any new rule change, allow comments to be provided, and hearings to be held.
Complying with the Freedom of Information Act (1966): Allows citizens the right to inspect all government records except those containing classified military intelligence.
Enforcing the Open Meeting Law (1976): Requires that part of every meeting must be open to the public unless military secrets are being discussed.
Enforcing the Hatch Act: Prohibits federal employees from taking an active role in politics. Bureaucrats can't:
run for public office
fund raise for politicians during work
discourage political activity
Bureaucrats can
vote and assist in voter registration
contribute money to campaigns
campaign off duty
hold elected office in political parties
V. Bureaucrats can regulate themselves by:
Invoking the Whistleblower Protection Act (1989): Made it easy for a bureaucrat to report wrong doing on the part of

22. One person speaks at a time
Congresspersons may ask questions and follow up questions
All Congresspersons must ask a question before someone else can ask a second question
The more narrow the question, the better the response
All NASA members must answer a question before someone else can answer a second question
NASA people may only answer questions, they may not ask them
A second NASA person may assist with an answer only if they are recognized by the chair of the committee
NASA officials cannot take the 5th, this is not a criminal investigation
The oversight hearing should last 30 minutes. Go through the issues methodically. Ending early means that you did not read the information or you want a bad grade.

23. Congress
NASA

28. II. The President can control the bureaucracy by:
Appointing agency heads and sub-heads---contingent on Congressional approval
Issuing Executive Orders
Using the “bully pulpit” and “going public” to gain public support for changes
Calling for a special commission to review an issue
Using staff to pressure bureaucrats
Allowing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to cut or increases funding---contingent on Congressional approval
Reorganizing or combining agencies---contingent on Congressional approval
III. The courts can control the bureaucracy by:
Ruling on actions taken by agencies (Using the power of Judicial Review, more on this soon!)
Protecting due process rights of those impacted by a bureaucratic decision

29. IV. The people can control the bureaucracy through:
Enforcing the Administrative Procedures Act (1946): Requires the public to be notified of any new rule change, allow comments to be provided, and hearings to be held.
Complying with the Freedom of Information Act (1966): Allows citizens the right to inspect all government records except those containing classified military intelligence.
Enforcing the Open Meeting Law (1976): Requires that part of every meeting must be open to the public unless military secrets are being discussed.
Enforcing the Hatch Act: Prohibits federal employees from taking an active role in politics. Bureaucrats can't:
run for public office
fund raise for politicians during work
discourage political activity
Bureaucrats can
vote and assist in voter registration
contribute money to campaigns
campaign off duty
hold elected office in political parties
V. Bureaucrats can regulate themselves by:
Invoking the Whistleblower Protection Act (1989): Made it easy for a bureaucrat to report wrong doing on the part of

32. Is Congress effective in exercising legislative oversight of the federal bureaucracy? Support your answer by doing one of the following:
Explain two specific methods Congress uses to exercise effective oversight of the federal bureaucracy OR
Give two specific explanations for the failure of Congress to exercise effective oversight of the federal bureaucracy.

58. Budget Committee
Half of you are Congressmen working on the budget committee, the other half work for NASA and are trying to fight for your budget.
Read your scenario.
Look over the documents, create your questions/arguments.
We will have a mock budget hearing.

59. Wrap Up What was your main argument?
Why do you think government agencies have trouble keeping or increasing their operating budget?
How do decide which agencies deserve funding?