1 Copyright, 2000 © Prentice Hall Magruder’s American Government C H A P T E R 15 Government at Work: The Bureaucracy

2 CH 15 Government at Work: The Bureaucracy SECTION 1The Federal Bureaucracy SECTION 2The Executive Office of the President SECTION 3The Executive Departments SECTION 4Independent Agencies SECTION 5The Civil Service Chapter 15

3 CH The Federal Bureaucracy The Federal bureaucracy is all the agencies, people, and procedures through which the Federal Government operates. The Federal bureaucracy is founded on 3 basic principles: 1.It has a hierarchical structure (top officials, managers, & workers), headed by the President. 2.Each bureaucrat (person who works for the organization) has a specific job. 3.It operates under specific, formalized rules The structure of the federal bureaucracy is like a pyramid, with many more people at the bottom than at the top. The bureaucracy consists of numerous administrative agencies that fall into one of three groups: (1) the Executive Office of the President (2) the 15 Cabinet Departments (3) a large number of independent agencies The lack of a uniform system for naming agencies creates confusion for the general public.

The Federal Bureaucracy 2 The President’s administration consists of the government’s many agencies and administrator. Departments are units of Cabinet rank. Agencies & Administrations have near-Cabinet rank, and are overseen by an Administrator. Commissions regulate business activities and may advise on or investigate other concerns. Authorities and Corporations conduct business-like activities under a Manager. There are 2 kinds of “Agencies:” 1.Staff agencies provide support for other workers 2. Line agencies carry out an organization’s task CH 15.1

The Executive Office of the President The Executive Office of the President (EOP) is a complex organization of agencies staffed by most of the President’s closest advisors and assistants. The White House Office is the “nerve center” of the EOP. It includes the President’s Chief-of-Staff, who directs White House operations, and other key members of the Presidents inner circle. The National Security Council advises the President in all matters related to the nation’s safety. The Office of Management and Budget (the largest unit of the EOP) prepares the annual Federal Budget for the coming fiscal year (which begins on 1 October of each year). The Office of Drug Control Policy oversees federal efforts to fight drugs. The Council of Economic Advisors (three of the nation’s leading economic experts) advise the President on economic policy. Still other agencies exist to deal directly with domestic affairs, which are those matters confined within the United States. CH 15.2

The Executive Departments Cabinet departments are the traditional units of federal administration. There are currently 15 cabinet departments. Each Cabinet head is called a Secretary, except for the Department of Justice, whose head is called the Attorney General. Cabinet secretaries direct the efforts of their departments in keeping with the policies of the President and also promote its programs with Congress, the public, the bureaucracy, and the President. The executive departments vary in terms of visibility, importance, and size.  The State Department is the oldest and most prestigious.  The Defense Department is the largest.  The Department of Health & Human Services has the largest budget. Each department has a number of staff and line units, and most departments have regional offices outside of Washington. CH 15.3

The Independent Agencies Since the 1880s, Congress has created many independent agencies to perform a variety of administrative functions. Each Independent Agency falls into one of three categories: INDEPENDENT EXECUTIVE AGENCIES INDEPENDENT REGULATORY COMMISSIONS GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS Organized like executive departments Regulate parts of the Economy Carry out business- like activities Do not have cabinet status Have legislative-like and judicial-like powers Example: U.S. Postal Service Exist outside of Presidential control Legislatively, Regulatory Commissions may make rules detailing laws that Congress asks them to enforce. These rules then carry the force of law. Judicially, they may decide disputes in the fields they oversee & police. CH 15.4

8 CH The Civil Service The federal bureaucracy includes about three million employees, yet the Constitution says little about how these jobs are filled. The Civil Service is the group of public employees who perform government service outside of the military. Early in U.S. history, the jobs were filled by patronage, under the old spoils system, which resulted in much inefficiency & corruption. After President Garfield’s assassination (1881) the government began reforming civil service. In 1883, the Pendleton Act laid the foundation for the civil service, the system by which much of federal bureaucracy is staffed today. The Office of Personnel Management tests & hires most federal workers. It keeps registers (lists) of qualified applicants. The bipartisan Merit Systems Protection Agency enforces the merit principle in the federal bureaucracy. Federal employees (civil servants) cannot go on strike, and although they can belong to and support political parties, they cannot take an activist role in party politics or run in elections.

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