1. THE FEDERAL BUREACRACY
Examining the “Fourth Branch”

2. What is the federal bureaucracy?

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Functions of the Federal Bureaucracy
Implementation - carry out laws of Congress, executive orders of the President
Administration - routine administrative work; provide services (ex: SSA sends social security checks to beneficiaries)
Regulation - issue rules and regulations that impact the public (ex: EPA sets clean air standards)
Munn v. Illinois (1877) – SC upheld that government had the right to regulate business rates and services

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

8. Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy

9. The Cabinet Departments
The 15 cabinet departments are headed by a cabinet secretary appointed by the president and approved by the Senate.
Each department is the “expert” in specific policy area.
Each department has its own budget that is approved by Congress each year.
The Department of Homeland Security (2002) is newest department.

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

11. Independent Executive Agencies
Established by Congress with separate status outside the executive branch
Given a specific mandate and generally perform a service function, not a regulatory one.
Some examples include: Social Security Administration, CIA, NASA, EPA.

12. Independent Regulatory Commissions
IRC’s exist to regulate a specific economic activity or interest such as the Federal Communications Commission or Federal Reserve Board.
IRC’s operate independently from Congress and the President.
Once appointed and seated, members cannot be removed without cause.

13. Government Corporations
Government owned businesses created by Congress.
May or may not be profitable, but serve a public need.
Ex: U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

14. Where do Federal Employees Work?

15. Who supervises the federal bureaucracy?

16. 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.

17. 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, 1st Amendment issues

18. 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

19. The Damages of the Bureaucracy

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

21. 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.

22. Example – Why is tobacco not illegal?
House and Senate agricultural subcommittees
Tobacco lobby
Department of Agriculture
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.