The Federal Bureaucracy: Administering the Government Chapter 13

Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy Types of federal agencies Types of federal agencies Cabinet departments Cabinet departments Independent agencies Independent agencies Regulatory agencies Regulatory agencies Government corporations Government corporations Presidential commissions Presidential commissions © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.2

Number of Full-Time Federal Employees © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.3

Cabinet (Executive) Departments © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.4

Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy Federal employment Federal employment 2,500,000 civilian employees 2,500,000 civilian employees Most hired by merit criteria Most hired by merit criteria Patronage system—designed to improve link between administration and the people Patronage system—designed to improve link between administration and the people Abuses—spoils system Abuses—spoils system Merit system Merit system Neutral competence Neutral competence © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.5

The Budgetary Process Year and a half long; begins with presidential guidelines Year and a half long; begins with presidential guidelines Agencies develop detailed budget; president finalizes with OMB Agencies develop detailed budget; president finalizes with OMB Congress alters through budget and appropriations committees; full House and Senate vote Congress alters through budget and appropriations committees; full House and Senate vote President signs or vetoes President signs or vetoes © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.6

Federal Budgetary Process © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.7

Policy and Power in the Bureaucracy Administrative agencies’ chief task: policy implementation Administrative agencies’ chief task: policy implementation Wide discretion in some areas Wide discretion in some areas Rulemaking Rulemaking Originating policy ideas Originating policy ideas The agency point of view The agency point of view Comes naturally to high-ranking civil servants Comes naturally to high-ranking civil servants Cemented by professionalism Cemented by professionalism © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.8

Policy and Power in the Bureaucracy Sources of bureaucratic power Sources of bureaucratic power Expertise Expertise Clientele groups Clientele groups Reciprocal relationship Reciprocal relationship Friends in high places Friends in high places Agency goals may conflict with president or Congress, but they still need agency expertise and competency Agency goals may conflict with president or Congress, but they still need agency expertise and competency © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.9

Democracy and Bureaucratic Accountability Accountability through the presidency Accountability through the presidency Reorganization Reorganization Presidential appointments Presidential appointments OMB: budgets, regulations, and legislative proposals OMB: budgets, regulations, and legislative proposals Accountability through Congress Accountability through Congress The “power of the purse” The “power of the purse” Oversight function; increased use of GAO and CBO Oversight function; increased use of GAO and CBO © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.10

Democracy and Bureaucratic Accountability Accountability through the courts Accountability through the courts Accountability within the bureaucracy itself Accountability within the bureaucracy itself Senior Executive Service (SES) Senior Executive Service (SES) Administrative law judges Administrative law judges Whistleblowing Whistleblowing Demographic representativeness Demographic representativeness © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.11

Federal Job Rankings (GS) of Various Demographic Groups © 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.12