The Federal Bureaucracy AKA “the 4th branch”

SOOOOOOO……..Hire ppl to help you do the work!!!! Executive Branch only has Prez. & VP to carry out ALL the laws passed by Congress SOOOOOOO……..Hire ppl to help you do the work!!!!

Federal Bureaucracy Complex org. in which NON-ELECTED ppl work for gov’t, have specific responsibility, hire to serve long careers that overlap many presidencies

Why do we need Fed. Bur.? Responsible for enacting policies of the President & Congress Includes more than 500 agencies, depts and others Employs over 3 million ppl Way tooooooo much work that has to be done…someone has too: Collected taxes Inspect the meat Run the national parks Deliver the mail So much going on need effective organization and efficiency

Weberian Model German political scientist Put forth idea of organization of Fed. Bur. 1. needs to be hierarchical Decisions made from the top down (ppl follow the orders) 2. staffed by ppl w/great expertise in the field & job in which they are working

3. decision-making processes are shaped by detailed technical rules 4. advancement supposed to be based on merit rather political connections 5. specialization!!!!!!!!! Ppl have A LOT of expertise on a specific topic Use this expertise to create rules (code of federal regulations) that further clarify laws

Is it in the Constitution?? Kind of… Article 1 section 8 clause 18 “To make all laws which shall be necessary & proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, & all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Dept. or Officer thereof.” Article 2 section 3 “……he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed…” Framers of the Const. gave Congress the authority to create the depts. necessary to carry out the day to day responsibilities of governing BUT its jurisdiction falls under the EXECUTIVE branch (who can implement and administer the decisions) BUT Congress has power of oversight

Organization of Fed. Bur. Cabinet Independent regulatory agencies Independent executive agencies Government corporations

Independent regulatory agencies Agencies today that are beyond the reach of Prez. direction and control Responsible for a specific type of public policy Make & implement rules & regulations to protect the public interest Congress has given them the power to administer their programs Combine some functions of all 3 branches: Leg in that they make rules that have force of law (quasi-legislative) Executive in that they enforce those laws Judicial in that they decide disputes involving rules they made (quasi-judicial) Each is headed by a board/commission made up of 5 to 7 members appointed by the Prez w/Senate consent

1st: 1887 ICC (report abuses of RR) FCC: regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states SEC: primary responsibility for enforcing the federal securities laws, regulating the nation’s stock exchange, investments and brokers EEOC: Enforces laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, disability or age in employment

Independent executive agencies Federal agency that specializes in one area that is not part of a cabinet dept. but reports directly to the Prez Have rule making authority Run by a Chief official appt. by Prez and confirmed by Senate EXP: NASA Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Social Security Administration (SSA) Social security checks & checks CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) 1947 Gathers and analyzes political & military info about foreign countries & conducts covert operations outside USA

Government corporations Mini private companies but w/ public employees & receive funding from Congress even though may generate their own revenue Have a Board of Directors and mangers like private corporations but differ: Subject to the President’s direction and control But no stockholders, no pay taxes on profit, no buy shares of stock Congress decides their purpose, function, and get funds appropriated by Congress Best 2 examples US Post Office 2nd largest employer to Wal-Mart Right now breaking even (considering ways to cut cost) AMTRAK Created after many RR companies went under Receives subsidies from gov’t Many critics hate it (costs more to run than ppl using)