Bureaucracy What is a Bureaucracy?

Presidential (Executive) Power comes from: Article 2 of the Constitution: Clause 1: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. By the way…How is the president impeached?

Growth Growth of the Federal Bureaucracy • 1789 – 50 federal government employees • 2000 – 2.8 million (excluding military, subcontractors, and consultants who also work for federal government) • Growth mainly at state and local level since 1970 • Total federal, state, local employees – roughly 21 million people

Elements Major Elements of the Federal Bureaucracy: The federal bureaucracy is all of the agencies, people, and procedures through which the Federal government operates. It is the means by which the government makes and administers public policy.

Three features of Bureaucracies Hierarchical authority. All bureaucracies have a chain of command. Job specialization. Each bureaucrat has certain defined duties and responsibilities. Formalized rules. Bureaucracy works according to a set of established regulations and procedures.

Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy Cabinet Independent Executive Agencies Independent Regulatory Agencies Government Corporations 15 cabinet departments Headed by a cabinet secretary Expert in their specific policy areas Agencies that perform a service function, not a regulatory one. Agencies that exist to regulate a specific economic activity or interest Government owned businesses created by Congress. CABINET DEPARTMENTS GENERALLY ALIGN WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL LINE OF SUCCESSION

What might be some benefits of a bureaucracy?

Benefits 1. Faster because people know their one specific job 2. Power lines are clear (easy for decision making) 3. Rules make it easier to replace a worker when one leaves

Criticisms of the Federal Bureaucracy/Political Cartoons 1. Find 3 details 2. Find 2 Symbols 3. What criticism of the Federal Bureaucracy is the cartoonist highlighting?

Bureaucracy

Criticisms of the Bureaucracy It is inefficient There is a lot of red tape: “maze of government rules, regulations and paperwork” It is wasteful because it usually fails to address the problem at hand.

Red Tape The term “red tape” comes from red ribbon used by British bureaucrats to hold their paperwork together.

Review 1. All of the following are characteristics of bureaucracies EXCEPT (a) hierarchical authority. (b) formalized rules. (c) lack of formal organization. (d) job specialization. 2. Staff agencies are created to (a) act as congressional watchdogs on executive agencies. (b) aid other agencies in completing their goals. (c) serve as a check on the Supreme Court. (d) fulfill a specific task or function.