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

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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