Bureaucracies and Regulatory Agencies Shaping Public Policy Bureaucracies and Regulatory Agencies

Bureaucracies Main function is to organize and operate the federal government Bureaucracies must respond to: The Constitution Federal laws The Three Branches Public interest groups

Types of Bureaucracies The Cabinet Manage specific policy areas: defense, labor, state, etc. Regulatory Agencies Legislative power: issuing regulations Judicial power: enforcing penalties for violations Known as “alphabet agencies”

Types of Regulatory Agencies Interstate Commerce Commission Federal Trade Commission Food and Drug Administration Environmental Protection Agency Occupational Safety and Health Administration Consumer Product Safety Commission

Relations with Other Branches President can: Appoint heads of agencies Issue executive orders Reorganize federal departments Congress can: Control the budget for regulatory agencies Exercise oversight through reviews and hearings (usually through the committee process)

The “Iron Triangle” Describes the interrelationship among bureaucracies, the government (congressional committees), and interest groups

Bureaucracies & Public Policy Cable television – Federal Communications Commission Food labeling – Federal Trade Commission Pollution control – Environmental Protection Agency Airline safety – National Transportation Safety Board The public, interest groups, and the media can all impact the regulatory and policy making process