Organization Matters Organization in executive branch affects outcome of policies Coordination depends on how internal organization distributes power Coordination depends on department relationships to others

Executive Branch Components Most nations, including the U.S., passed through four stages in their administrative development: – 1st stage: managing money, including revenues, spending, and borrowing – 2nd stage: maintaining internal law and order – 3rd stage: keeping the country safe – 4th stage: managing foreign affairs

Components of the Executive Branch Cabinet departments Independent agencies Bureaus Field offices White House – Executive Office of the President

Cabinet Department Cabinet: from 16th century, when English king began meeting with closest advisers in a cabinet, or small room Fifteen cabinet departments, including Department of Homeland Security (created 2002) Accounts for 90 percent of executive branch’s civilian employees and 80 percent of all federal spending – Defense has largest number of employees – Health and Human Services (HHS) spends the most

Independent Agencies Independent agencies: outside cabinet departments, account for one-tenth of federal government’s employees and one-fifth of its spending – Largest: Social Security Administration became independent agency – Created by Congress to insulate from presidential control

Independent Agencies (continued) Regulatory commissions: one method of power in which agencies can monitor major features of transportation, communications, power production and distribution, banking, etc. Service-based independent agencies: special historical condition for particular mission Government corporations: type of independent agency engaged in lending, insurance, and other business-type operations – e.g., Corporation for Public Broadcasting, FDIC

Bureaus Bureaus: principal operating organizations of the government; cover many organizations within larger departments – e.g., Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Internal Revenue Service Bureaucracy is government by bureaus – Many at state and local levels

Field Offices Most government operations, including bulk of federal operations, done in the field Thousands of field offices in states and overseas Types of Field Administration Offices

Field Offices (continued) Organized by function: departments specialized by function and bureaus can choose geographical and authority patterns they deem appropriate for their particular responsibilities – e.g., United States Areal, or prefectoral system: country divided into single set of administrative regions, in each of which a single national official represents the whole executive branch and is meant to exercise directive authority over all national field agents in the area, regardless of departmental and bureau affiliations – e.g., Other nations

Problems Managing Components Presidents often weak at managing these components of executive branch Presidents not chosen for managerial ability, unconcerned with administration Presidents often disappointed when they count on cabinet members to ensure administrative effectiveness Interdepartmental friction points have multiplied Burden of top-level coordination falls on aides and staff agencies

The Executive Office and White House Executive Office in 1939 had 570 employees Brownlow Committee: 1937, associated with expansion of White House staff under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, proposed six new presidential assistants The Executive Office in 2010 had about 1,900 employees White House staff now large, multi-tiered, and hard to coordinate

Executive Office of the President (EOP) White House Office Executive Residence staff Office of Vice President Office of Management and Budget (largest) Office of Policy Development National Security Council Others: Trade, Drug

Office of Management and Budget Bureau of Budget established in 1921 in Treasury Department; became part of EOP in 1939 Office of Management and Budget (OMB): renamed by President Nixon in 1970; largest unit of EOP; annually reviews all agencies’ spending proposals Analyzes proposals, makes recommendations to president, and compiles requests into budget for Congress

National Security Council National Security Council (NSC): established by statute in 1947 to advise president with respect to the integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to national security Has become the focus of presidential foreign policymaking NSC head is Assistant to the President; very powerful

Office of Policy Development Office of Policy Development (OPD): to coordinate policy formation in domestic area, domestic counterpart to the NSC Weak role; rapid turnover of directors; other players in this role

Rise of E-government New approach to government organization via computers IRS encourages taxpayers to file electronically – 2012, more than half of all sending in returns, 100 million, filed online Positive: potential to improve government services, citizens connect more easily to government Negative: questions of access and equity, organizational issues (altering existing patterns of bureaucratic behavior, authority, and power), security, and privacy

Conclusion Coordination and complexity – Potential for overlaps and gaps – Organization tool for solving coordination problem but creates its own challenges Two other problems (discussed in Chapter 6) – Interconnectedness means problems need to be broken down into manageable parts – Distinction between “line” officials (carry out gov’s work) and “staff” officials (provide advice)