1. The Federal Bureaucracy
Chapter 10
The Federal Bureaucracy

2. Bureaucratic Organization
Chapter 10, Section 1
Bureaucratic Organization

3. I. The Cabinet Departments (pages 276–279)
A. The Founders anticipated the need for federal agencies to carry on the daily business of government; currently nearly 3 million civilians work in the federal government.
B. The fourteen executive departments, headed by cabinet-rank officers, are a major part of the federal bureaucracy.
C. These departments are headed by secretaries and staffed with assistant secretaries, deputy secretaries, and directors of major units.

4. I. The Cabinet Departments (pages 276–279, continued)
D. Two of the four departments created by Congress in 1789 are still among the most important: the Departments of State and of the Treasury.
E. The other twelve departments are the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Justice, Commerce, Labor, Defense, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, Education, and Veterans Affairs.

5. II. Independent Agencies (pages 279–280)
A. The federal bureaucracy includes over 100 independent agencies, boards, and commissions, whose heads are appointed by the president.
B. The services of several independent agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, are widely publicized.

6. II. Independent Agencies (pages 279–280, continued)
C. Some agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the General Services Administration, provide services directly for the executive branch.
D. Government corporations are independent agencies that directly serve the public, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States Postal Service.

7. III. Regulatory Commissions (pages 281–283)
A. are independent of all three branches of government;
B. make rules for businesses and industries that affect the public interest;
C. are often under intense pressures from the groups they regulate and their lobbyists;
D. have become more limited in their powers because critics have complained that they overregulate the economy;
E. were the subject of regulatory reform in the Republican Congress in the mid-1990s.

8. The Civil Service System
Chapter 10, Section 2
The Civil Service System

9. I. Civil Service System (page 284)
A. Only 11 percent of all federal government employees work in Washington, D.C.
B. Many federal employees work in offices throughout the United States and the world.

10. II. Origins (pages 285–286)
A. Government jobs became a spoils system under President Andrew Jackson.
B. The spoils system led to inefficiency and corruption in government.
C. Calls for reform started in the 1850s.
D. The assassination of President Garfield by a disappointed office seeker led to the Pendleton Act of 1883, establishing the present civil service system based on competitive examinations and merit.

11. III. The Civil Service System Today (pages 286–288)
A. Applicants for federal jobs are evaluated on the basis of their experience and training.
B. Government jobs are attractive because they offer many benefits.
C. Government workers, unlike most private sector workers, have job security and are difficult to fire.
D. The Hatch Act of 1939 was intended to prevent political parties from using federal workers to aid in election campaigns; in recent years, critics have argued for and against this law, with workers now permitted some involvement in politics.

12. IV. Political Appointees in Government (pages 288–289)
A. Nearly 10 percent of executive branch employees are appointed by the president, including many choice jobs; this allows the president to place loyal supporters in key offices.
B. These political appointees are outside civil service and are first and foremost the president’s political supporters.

13. IV. Political Appointees in Government (pages 288–289, continued)
C. Political appointees are not experts in the work of their agencies, and when the president leaves office many of them return to private sector jobs.
D. Many political appointees hold their positions for short tenures, making it hard for them to learn about their jobs. As a result, much of the real power over daily operations remains in the hands of career officials.

14. The Bureaucracy at work
Chapter 10, Section 3
The Bureaucracy at work

15. I. Influencing Policy (pages 291–293)
A. Policy is the actions and decisions taken or not taken by the government.
B. Federal bureaucrats carry out policy decisions made by the president and Congress.
C. The bureaucracy often determines what the law means by the rules and regulations it issues.
D. In 1995 Congress set paperwork reduction goals for future years.

16. I. Influencing Policy (pages 291–293, continued)
E. Bureaucrats aid in shaping policy by helping Congress draft its new laws or by providing ideas for legislation.
F. Workers in federal agencies shape policy by their decisions about the application of rules and regulations and by hearing disputes.
G. Bureaucrats also supply advice and information to top decision makers, influencing whether an agency supports or opposes certain policies.

17. II. Why the Bureaucracy Makes Policy (pages 293–295)
A. The growth of the bureaucracy mirrors the growth of the nation’s population and rapid changes in technology.
B. The Cold War and international crises since World War II spurred the growth of the bureaucracy.
C. The New Deal doubled the size of the federal government.
D. Citizen special-interest groups demanded various services and programs.
E. Once created, government agencies almost never die.

18. III. Influencing Bureaucratic Decisions (pages 295–297)
A. Congress has an important influence over bureaucrats.
B. Congress can influence decision-making in federal agencies.
C. Congress’ main power over the bureaucracy is its control of agencies’ budgets.
D. Citizens may challenge agencies’ actions in courts.

19. IV. The Influence of Client Groups (pages 297–298)
A. Federal agencies have client groups that try to influence decisions.
B. The close cooperation between congressional committees, client groups, and a federal agency or department is referred to as the iron triangle.