The Federal Bureaucracy: Administering the Government Chapter 13

Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy Initially small: 3,000 employees in 1800 Federal government’s role confined Defense Foreign affairs Currency Interstate commerce Delivery of mail

Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy Dramatic growth in latter part of 1800s in response to economic growth Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce and Labor Biggest growth spurt in the 1930s in response to the Great Depression SEC, SSA, FDIC, TVA

412 fig 13-1

Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy Types of federal agencies Cabinet departments Fifteen departments: State, Defense, Justice, etc. Independent agencies Narrower area of responsibility: CIA, NASA, etc. Regulatory agencies SEC, EPA, etc.

413 fig 13-2

Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy Types of federal agencies Government corporations USPS, FDIC, Amtrak, etc. Presidential commissions Permanent commissions: Civil Rights, Fine Arts Temporary: Bush’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security

Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy Federal employment 2,500,000 civilian employees Most hired by merit criteria Patronage system—designed to improve link between administration and the people Abuses—spoils system Merit system Neutral competence

415

The Budgetary Process Year and a half long; begins with presidential guidelines Agencies develop detailed budget; president finalizes with OMB Congress alters through budget and appropriations committees; full House and Senate vote President signs or vetoes

419 fig 13-3

Policy and Power in the Bureaucracy Administrative agencies’ chief task: policy implementation Wide discretion in some areas Rulemaking Originating policy ideas

Policy and Power in the Bureaucracy The agency point of view Comes naturally to high-ranking civil servants Cemented by professionalism Distorts government priorities Agency must seek support wherever it can find it President; Congress; political parties Agencies are forced to play politics

Policy and Power in the Bureaucracy Sources of bureaucratic power Expertise Clientele groups Reciprocal relationship Friends in high places Agency goals may conflict with president or Congress, but they still need agency expertise and competency.

Educational Backgrounds of Bureaucrats 425

Democracy and Bureaucratic Accountability Accountability through the presidency Reorganization Presidential appointments OMB: budgets, regulations, and legislative proposals

Democracy and Bureaucratic Accountability Accountability through Congress The “power of the purse” Oversight function; increased use of GAO Ways to constrain the bureaucracy before it acts Drafting laws with specific instructions for implementation Sunset provisions

Democracy and Bureaucratic Accountability Accountability through the courts An injured party can bring suit against an agency Accountability within the bureaucracy itself Senior Executive Service (SES) Administrative law judges Whistleblowing Demographic representativeness

437 table 13-1