Chapter 15 Government at Work: The Bureaucracy

Section 1: The Federal Bureaucracy Bureaucracy is an efficient and effective way to organize people to do work Many people see the word as having a negative connotation and see bureaucracies as being too large or inefficient.

Section 1: The Federal Bureaucracy Three Features of a Bureaucracy 1.Hierarchical authority: The organization is built like a pyramid with the chain of command running from top to bottom. 2.Job Specialization: Each bureaucrat has certain defined duties and responsibilities. 3.Formalized Rules: There is an established set of guidelines and procedures.

Section 1: The Federal Bureaucracy The Executive Branch is composed of three broad groups of agencies. 1.The Executive Office of the President 2.15 Cabinet Departments 3.A large number of independent agencies Without administration (the many agencies) even the best policies in the world would be meaningless. See page 417 in your book for a more detailed diagram.

Section 2: The Executive Office of the President Executive office of the President – This is a complex umbrella agency that includes several separate agencies staffed by most of the President’s closest advisors and assistants. Examples: – White House Office: The President’s key personal and political staff. – National Security Council: Advises the President on foreign affairs. – Office of Homeland Security: This is the newest agency, and it was created by President Bush. It keeps the President fully aware of all efforts to protect the country from acts of terrorism.

Section 2: The Executive Office of the President Other EOP Agencies: – Office of Management & Budget – Office of faith-Based & Community Initiatives – Office of National Drug Control Policy – Council of Economic Advisors

Section 3: The Executive Departments There are 15 executive departments that are each headed by a member of the President’s Cabinet. The Cabinet is an informal advisory body brought together by the President to serve his needs. – It is not mentioned in the Constitution, and it was not created by Congress. It is the products of custom and usage. – The President appoints the head of each department, but his decision is subject to confirmation from the Senate.

Section 3: The Executive Departments The Departments (page 426) – State (1789) – Treasury (1789) – Defense (1789) – Justice (1870) – Interior (1849) – Agriculture (1889) – Commerce (1903) – Labor (1913) – Health & Human Services (1953) – Housing & Urban Development (1965) – Transportation (1967) – Energy (1977) – Education (1979) – Veterans Affairs (1988) – Homeland Security (2002)

Section 4: Independent Agencies There are also independent agencies that exist outside of the cabinet departments. There are many reasons that agencies can be independent, but one of the main ones is to keep them free from the pressure of partisan politics. Some independent agencies are government corporations which carry out certain business-like functions. Independent regulatory commissions exist largely beyond presidential control.

Section 5: The Civil Service Civil Service is composed of employees who do the work of the Federal Government. 2.7 Million men and women work for the Federal Government all across the country. The “spoils system” or patronage is the historic practice of giving offices and other political favors to supporters and friends.

Section 5: The Civil Service The spoils system has been largely eliminated in the last century. Today most Federal employees are hired & promoted through a competitive process similar to private sector jobs.

Section 5: The Civil Service Hatch Act of 1939: – Allowed federal workers to vote, but it forbade them to take part in partisan political activities. Federal Employees Political Activities Act of 1993 – This relaxed many of the older restrictions from the Hatch Act