1. Bureaucracy

2. Bureaucracy literally means “rule by desks or offices”
What is a bureaucracy?
Bureaucracy literally means “rule by desks or offices”

4. Who runs the Bureaucracy?
The Federal Bureaucracy is part of the executive branch, which means it is headed by the president; however, the bureaucracy is too large to manage that the Executive Office of the President was created to help oversee all of the departments.

5. Bureaucrats
Before being granted tenure, a federal bureaucrat normally will serve a one year trial period
Once tenured, a bureaucrat is hard to fire
Average termination timeline being two years
Because of this difficult process, almost no one is fired and the top dogs have strategies for handling incompetent employees
The bureaucrats at the middle and upper levels of our government tend to be highly educated, middle aged white males.
Surveys have found that the higher up bureaucrats are slightly more liberal than the average voter

6. Organization of the Bureaucracy
Congress
Has power to create, organize, and disband federal agencies
Cabinet Departments
15 Departments with specific areas of policies
President
Most under his control
Government Corporations
Stand on own
Ex. USPS and Amtrak
Regulatory Commissions
“watchdogs”
Regulate parts of economy by creating rules for large industries and businesses that affect the public
Independent Agencies
Resemble cabinet departments, but smaller and less complex

7. What are the Core Functions of the Bureaucracy?
“Quasi legislative” function
The bureaucracy exercises powers that are “quasi legislative” when administrative agencies exercise their rule-making
“Quasi judicial” function
Limited to issues that concern only a particular agency

8. How does Congress oversee the bureaucracy?
Most agencies can only exist wit congress’s approval
Money can only be spent with Congress’s authorization
Funds can only be spent when they are appropriated
Congress has lessened appropriations committees’ power three ways
Created trust funds
Changed authorization from permanent or multiyear to annual
Cuts
Make use of legislative veto
Investigations
Criticisms
Appropriation is often less than authorized amount
Congress may be in conflict
Cuts can be made without regard to merit
Needs law that clearly states what agency can and cannot do

9. Kick start of the Bureaucracy in America
The greatest increase of bureaucracy in America was seen from
This was a result of WWII and the New Deal
Under the New Deal programs, the government got bigger, because it needed people to run the new agencies
Ex. in response to 9/11 the Department of Homeland Security was created

10. Four Types of Agencies Cabinet
Power is delegated to the cabinet officials, who then oversee departments and agencies
These people oversee bureaucratic operations and advise the president

11. Four Types of Agencies Staff
Made up of the heads of the 15 cabinet departments and all of the people employed by the cabinet

12. Four Types of Agencies Independent Agencies
Resemble Cabinet departments, but smaller and less complex
Free only in sense that they are not a part of a department
Ex. NASA

13. Four Types of Agencies Government Corporations Stand on their own
Ex. USPS and Amtrak
Businesses created by Congress that charge fees for their services

15. Bureaucratic Agencies
National Institutes of Health
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Armed forces
Coast Guard
Central Intelligence
Federal Reserve Bank
Export-Import Bank
Securities and Exchange Commission
FDA
Department of Justice
And HUNDREDS more

16. Efforts to Curtail the Bureaucracy
Pendleton Act
Response to abuse of spoils system
Assassination of Garfield highlighted it
Led to merit system
Merit system
Hire based on skill, not party politics
Try to limit hiring of people by political favoritism

17. Iron Triangle Iron Triangle aka sub government aka power elite
Made up of interest groups, agency bureaucrats, and members of congressional subcommittees
Unites a particular government bureau, its relevant interest group, and congressional supporters
Ultimate goal is to have power in own sphere
Ex. AARP, the House Subcommittee on Aging, and the Social Security Administration working to set government policy on Social Security

18. Iron Triangle Benefits Can get important and relevant laws introduced
All parties benefit from arrangement
Consequences
Can become corrupt
Can monopolize the policy-making process of the government
Focuses only on group interests, not larger population of the country

19. Hatch Act
Passed 1939
Federal employees cannot be involved in party activities once hired
Ex. Cannot run, raise funds for party/candidate, or become officers in political organizations or a delegate to a party convention
Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993
Still cannot run in partisan elections, but can work off duty on campaigns of candidate of choice
Definition: severely limited political activities of federal bureaucrats. Revised in 1993 to allow them to do most political activities.

20. Words to know
Spoils system- system of public employment based on rewarding party supporters and friends
Merit system- system of public employment based where selection and promotion depend on performance rather than political support
Privatization- transferring ownership of a business from public sector (government) to private sector