Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy A hierarchical authority structure that uses task specialization, operates on the merit principle, and behaves with impersonality American bureaucracy is unique in that it is controlled by both the president and Congress

Bureaucracy Bureaucrats shape policy as administrators, implementers, and as regulators They serve to do two things: 1. Policy implementers, translating legislative policy goals into programs 2. Regulators, Congress gives them much power (discretionary authority) to develop rules and regulation Munn v. Illinois (1877) – SC upheld that government had the right to regulate business rates and services

Evolution of Bureaucracy Spoils System Andrew Jackson Patronage: hiring and promotion system based on political reasons rather than on merit or competence Pendleton Act 1883 Created the civil service and a merit system for appointing federal offices Hatch Act 1939 Federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics Revised in 1993 to be less restrictive

Cont. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Office in charge of hiring for most agencies of the federal govt. General Schedule Rating (GS) A schedule for federal employees, ranging from GS1 to GS18, by which salaries can be keyed to rating and experience Plum Book Book that lists top federal jobs available for direct presidential appointment, with Senate confirmation

4 Types Cabinet Departments Independent regulatory commissions Government corporations Independent executive agencies

Departments 15 Departments headed by secretary (except the Dept. of Justice which is headed by the attorney general) Inner Circle Chosen by pres. and confirmed by Senate Each dept. manages specific policy areas and has its own budget and staff Each dept. further broken down into smaller units known as bureaus, offices, or services FBI (Dept. of Justice), IRS (Dept. of Treasury), INS (Dept. of Homeland Security)

Independent Regulatory Commissions Agency responsible for some sector of the economy, making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest (watchdogs) Governed by a small commission that are appointed by president and confirmed by Senate More insulated (independent) from politics and thus less responsive to the president and Congress Presidents cannot fire these people without “just cause” as he can with cabinet and/or WHO

Independent Regulatory Commissions FRB (Federal Reserve Board): governing banks and regulating the supply of money and interest rates EPA FCC FTC (Federal Trade Commission): regulating business practices and controlling monopolistic behavior SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission): polices the stock market

Government Corporations Hybrid organization that is a cross btwn govt. agency and private business Provide a service that could be provided by the private sector and typically charges for its services Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, PBS

Independent Executive Agencies All the rest of govt. Administrators are appointed by the president and serve at his will NASA, General Services Administration (GSA), CIA

Presidential Control of Bureaucracy Appointment process Issue executive orders These carry the force of law and are used to implement statutes, treaties, and provisions of the Constitution Alter an agencies budget OMB threatens to cut or add to agencies, although Congress does the appropriating Reorganize an agency

Congressional Control of Bureaucracy (Legislative Oversight) No agency can exist without congressional approval Influence of the appointment process Alter an agency’s budget Power of the purse—Congressional authorization and appropriation Hold hearings/investigations Bring attention to agency abuses Rewrite legislation or make it more detailed Limits bureaucratic discretion

Iron Triangles A mutually dependent relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees A subgovernment that dominates some areas of domestic policy

Iron Triangles

How it works? 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.

Why are they “iron”? Strong – bond can’t be broken by President or Congress Referred to as “sub governments,” all the real decisions are made among these 3 groups Might maintain interests that might not be publicly popular… like what?

Example – Why is tobacco not illegal? House and Senate agricultural subcommittees Tobacco farmer interest groups (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. -COMMON INTEREST – Keep tobacco alive = keep their jobs alive

Issue Network More complicated connection exists Iron triangle too simple – there are IGs from opposite sides of an issue who compete Issue Network – complex group (includes media) that debates an issue and slows policy-making Policy-making is not as smooth with competing demands from IGs President can appoint an agency head who steers policy, but can never smoothly control policy

Criticisms of Bureaucracy Red tape: Too many complex rules and procedures must be followed to get something done Conflict: Some agencies seem to be working at cross-purposes with other agencies Duplication: Two govt. agencies seem to be doing the same thing Imperialism: Agencies tend to grow without regard to the benefits that their program confer or the costs that they entail Waste: Agencies spend more than is necessary to buy some products and services Lack of Accountability: difficult to fire or demote an incompetent bureaucrat