THE FEDERAL BUREACRACY Examining the “Fourth Branch”

Bureaucracy Bureau is French for “small desk”. Bureaucracy literally means “government of small desks”. Large, complex organization of appointed, not elected, officials. Max Weber (20 th century German economist) ~ bureaucracy is the rational way to run a government.

Who are bureaucrats? 1 out of 100 Americans work for the government bureaucracy 4 million employees; 2.8 million are civilians or “civil servants” President only appoints 3% (patronage or political appointments) 15 cabinet level departments 97% are career government employees, 30% work for the D.O.D. Most are white collar workers: secretaries, clerks, lawyers, inspectors & engineers 200+ independent agencies with 2,000+ bureaus, divisions, branches, etc. Biggest - Dept. of Defense, U.S. Postal Service, Veterans Administration Examples  Amtrak  Interstate Commerce Commission  Federal Trade Commission  Securities and Exchange Commission  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Characteristics of a Bureaucracy Hierarchical authority structure – chain of command Task specialization – individuals have unique jobs, division of labor Extensive rules – clear policies for the organization to follow Clear goals – clearly defined mission Hierarchical authority structure – chain of command Task specialization – individuals have unique jobs, division of labor Extensive rules – clear policies for the organization to follow Clear goals – clearly defined mission

Functions of the Federal Bureaucracy 1. Implementation - carry out laws of Congress, executive orders of the President 2. Administration - routine administrative work; provide services (ex: SSA sends social security checks to beneficiaries) 3. Regulation - issue rules and regulations that impact the public (ex: EPA sets clean air standards) 1. Implementation - carry out laws of Congress, executive orders of the President 2. Administration - routine administrative work; provide services (ex: SSA sends social security checks to beneficiaries) 3. Regulation - issue rules and regulations that impact the public (ex: EPA sets clean air standards)

President Congress Executive Office of the President (Ex: OMB) Government Corporations (Ex: Amtrack, Postal Service) Independent Regulatory Commissions (Ex: FCC, SEC) Independent Executive Agencies (Ex: CIA, NASA) Cabinet Departments (Ex: State, Defense)

Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy

Secretary Deputy Secretary Under Secretary Science and Technology Under Secretary Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Under Secretary Border & Transportation Security Under Secretary Emergency Preparedness and Response Under Secretary Management Inspector General Director of the Secret Service (1) Commandant of Coast Guard (1) Director, Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (1) General Counsel State and Local Coordination Special Assistant to the Secretary (private sector) National Capital Region Coordination Shared Services Citizenship & Immigration Service Ombudsman (1) Legislative Affairs Public Affairs Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff Privacy Officer Executive Secretary International Affairs Counter Narcotics Small & Disadvantaged Business

Where do Federal Employees Work?

Accountability Bureaucracy is constrained and controlled by the US government Congress –Appropriates money, authorizes the spending of money, oversees agency activity, create/abolish agencies. President –Job appointments, executive orders, budget control, reorganize agencies. Supreme Court –Judicial review of bureaucracies actions, due process.

Controlling the Bureaucracy  Patronage - Rewarding supporters with jobs  Pendleton Act (1883) –Created in response to criticism of patronage, more jobs will be selected based on merit  Hatch Act (1939) –Agency employees can’t participate in political activities (elections, campaigns, fund raisers, etc.) –Softened in recent decades, 1 st Amendment issues

Public Perceptions and Criticism of Bureaucracies “Red tape” – maze of government rules, regulations, and paperwork that makes government overwhelming to citizens Conflict – agencies that often work toward opposite goals Duplication – agencies appear to do the same thing Unchecked growth – agencies expand unnecessarily at high costs Waste – spending more than necessary Lack of accountability – difficult in firing an incompetent bureaucrat

The Damages of the Bureaucracy

Iron Triangles CONGRESS A three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests.

How does it work? Everyone in the triangle has a similar interest. Legislators get funding from interest groups and make laws reality with the help of the bureaucracy Interest groups provide valued information to bureaucrats and money to legislators Bureau chiefs implement legislator policy and interest group goals.

Example – Why is tobacco not illegal? Tobacco lobby Department of Agriculture House and Senate agricultural subcommittees House and Senate representatives, sympathetic to tobacco, receive campaign funds and support from tobacco by interest groups, and the representatives make sure that tobacco farmers are defended through legislation. DOA agency executes the legislation while relying on the Congressional budget. The interest groups provide the DOA with valuable information to effectively execute laws.