Chapter 15: Vocabulary & Notes – Federal bureaucracy American Government Chapter 15: Vocabulary & Notes – Federal bureaucracy

Bureaucracy – a large, complex administrative structure that handles the everyday business of the organization Bureaucrat – a person who works for the organization Staff Agencies – support personnel Line Agencies – actually perform the tasks for which the organization exists Federal Budget – detailed estimate of receipts and expenditures for the coming fiscal year Fiscal Year – 12-month period used for bookkeeping

Cabinet Departments – they are traditional units of federal administration, and each of them is built around some broad field of activity – there are 15 executive cabinet departments Independent Agencies – agencies created by Congress outside of the traditional cabinet departments Government Corporations – set up by Congress to carry out certain business-like activities (FDIC, U.S. Postal Service, Tennessee Valley Authority – TVA)

Civil Service – composed of those civilian employees who perform the administrative work of the government Spoils System – the practice of giving offices and other favors of government to political supporters and friends – also called patronage Bipartisan – includes members of both parties

NOTES Bureaucracies are built upon 3 main principles: Hierarchical Authority – chain of command runs from the top of the pyramid to the bottom Job Specialization – each person working for the bureaucracy has certain defined duties and responsibilities – there is a precise division of labor Formalized Rules – the bureaucracy does its work according to a set of established regulations and procedures

White House Staff The White House Staff serves as the ‘nerve center’ of the executive office – comprised of the president’s key personal and political staff The Chief of Staff directs all White House operations and is the most influential of all presidential aides Other White House staff jobs: press secretary, speech writers, housekeepers, tour guides, legal advisor to the president – there are over 400 White House staff members

Executive (Cabinet) Department The cabinet includes 16 people – the heads of 15 cabinet departments plus the Vice President Each cabinet is headed by a Secretary: Secretary of State Secretary of Defense Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Education Secretary of Treasury + more

The Cabinet The president appoints the head of each of the 15 cabinet departments – each appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate Party is always an important factor in presidential appointments his cabinet Professional qualifications and practical experience are important Cabinet members have 2 major jobs: Each is the administrative head to one of the executive/cabinet departments Advisor to the president

The Civil Service The Pendleton Act was passed in 1883 (Civil Service Act of 1883) The Pendleton Act laid the foundation of the present federal civil service system It’s main purpose was to make merit – the quality of one’s work – the basis for hiring, promotion, and other personnel actions in the federal work force There are over $2.8 million Americans in the American Civil Service – approximately 1% of the workforce Ex: defense jobs, postal workers, EPA, state department, ambassadors