B UREAUCRACY U3, C15

W HAT IS A B UREAUCRACY ? W HAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A B UREAUCRACY ? Large, complex administrative structure that handles the everyday business of an organization Features and benefits: Hierarchical authority Chain of command Speed action, reduce conflicts Job specialization Each bureaucrat has certain defined duties and responsibilities; division of labor Efficiency: each person focus on particular job; special skills and knowledge Formalized rules Established regulations and procedures Workers act with some speed and precision, decisions based on set of known standards; allow for efficient turnover

W HAT ’ S IN A NAME ? Department: reserved for agencies of Cabinet rank (Department of Education) Agency and Administration: any government body (EPA and NASA) Commission: Agencies charged with regulation of business activities (FCC) and investigative, advisory, and reporting bodies (FEC) Corporation or Authority: Agencies that conduct business-like activities (TVA) Staff agencies: serve in support capacity; aid chief executive and other administrators (Executive Office of the President) Line agencies: perform the tasks for which organization exists (EPA)

E XECUTIVE O FFICE OF THE P RESIDENT President’s right arm; advisors and assistants Includes several major agencies: The White House Office: “nerve center”, key personal and political staff National Security Council: offer advice on domestic, foreign, and military matters that relate to nation’s security Office of Homeland Security: protect country against all acts of terrorism Other EOP agencies: Office of Management and Budget Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Office of National Drug Control Policy Council of Economic Advisors Other units

E XECUTIVE D EPARTMENTS Traditional units of federal administration; Cabinet departments (15) Department head (secretary) primary link between presidential policy and his or her own department Subunits (staff and line); structured geographically 80% of men and women who head bureaus, divisions, and other major units of executive departments are career people See chart on page for list of these departments and their duties

T HE C ABINET Informal advisory body brought together by President to serve his needs Cabinet members appointed by president and confirmed by Senate Factors that influence President’s Cabinet choices Party Professional qualifications and political experience Geography Interest groups Gender Race Role Each Cabinet member is an administrative head of one of the executive departments Together they are advisors to the President

I NDEPENDENT A GENCIES Administer programs similar to those of the Cabinet departments but are located outside of them Do not fit well within any department Protect from influence of partisan and political pressures Accident Peculiar and sensitive nature (independent regulatory commissions) Executive Agencies Do not have Cabinet status but organized much like them Few employees, small budgets, little attention Regulatory Commissions Beyond the reach of presidential direction and control Board of commission Quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial Government Corporations Business-like activities

C IVIL S ERVICE Civilian employees who perform administrative work in government Beginnings Washington: party and qualified Jefferson: political acceptability Spoils system Andrew Jackson Patronage

C IVIL S ERVICE – M OVEMENT TO R EFORM AND T ODAY Pendleton Act – the Civil Service Act 1883 Make merit (quality of one’s work) the basis for hiring Measured by independent agency – Civil Service Commission Recruiting and keeping best available people in the federal work force Office of Personnel Management Pay and Benefits Political Activities The Hatch Act 1939 and Employees Political Activities Act 1993