1. The federal bureaucracy
“the fourth branch”

2. Structure of the Bureaucracy

3. Structure of the Bureaucracy
Definition: the agencies, departments, commissions, etc. within the executive branch
Myths of the Bureaucracy
Include Exec. Office of the President, the Cabinet (already covered)

4. Independent regulatory agencies
Created by Congress to regulate important aspects of the nations economy
Generally, decisions of these are beyond presidential control
Quasi-legislative power. Policy implementation
Quasi-judicial power

5. Important regulatory commissions
Federal Reserve Board
FCC
FEC
NLRB
SEC
FTC
FAA

6. Government corporations
Created by Congress to carry out various business operations
Postal Service
FDIC
TVA
Amtrak

7. Independent agencies Organized like Cabinet depts., but lack status
NASA
SBA

8. Growth of the Bureaucracy

9. Background Development of the civil service system Size
Pendleton Act (1881)
Hatch Act (1993)
Size
Roughly 3 million (2.7 million currently)
Power of the bureaucracy
Discretionary authority—when Congress writes broadly-worded laws it allows for bureaucratic interpretation

11. Reasons for growth of the bureaucracy
National growth
Technology
International crises
Citizen demands
Persistent nature of agencies

12. Government Employment at Federal, State, and Local Levels
© 2004 Wadsworth Publishing / Thomson Learning™

13. Federal Government: Money, People, and Regulations
just the bottom chart.

14. Federal Government: Money, People, and Regulations
just the bottom chart.

15. Influences on Bureaucratic Behavior

16. Influences on the Bureaucracy
Recruitment & retention policies
“buddy system” or a “good ol’ boys network”
Very difficult to fire civil servants
Effects: continuity, expertise in policies
Personal attributes of bureaucrats
More representative of the American people
Legal constraints
Organizational constraints

18. Controlling the Bureaucracy

19. Presidential influences
Powers
Appointment/firing
Propose budgets
Reorganization—although difficult, it is possible
Checks on presidential influence
All the above must go through Congress

20. Congressional influences
Powers
Appropriations of agency budgets $$$
Standing oversight committees
GAO
Appointment confirmations
Limits on congressional influence
Congress may not want to interfere in bureaucracy

21. Interest group influence
Lobbying
Revolving door
Iron triangles

22. Other influences
Media
Courts
Privatization