13.5 The Organization of the Executive Branch
Help President wears a lot of “hats” 4 main groups to help
White House Staff 400 people Personal lawyer Press secretary Speechwriters Assistants Chief of Staff = most loyal aide & “gatekeeper”
EOP Executive Office of the President 1939 Support staff 1800 employees
Agencies in the EOP Council of Economic Advisors CEA National Security Council NSC Presidents can add new agencies (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)
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Executive Departments 1/3 of organizations in the Executive Branch Carry out work of government Public policy Agriculture Commerce Labor
Including Departments that exists within other departments FBI is part of the Justice Department
Grown Washington = 3 departments Today = 15 departments Newest = Homeland Security 2003 All have Department heads
Independent Agencies Help implement federal policy Answer to President but not “Part” of the executive Branch NASA CIA FCC FDA USPS
Check 10.5 Name 3 executive departments Name 2 independent agencies
10.6 Local, State & Federal Bureaucracies Carries out public policy Public thinks: Too large Too impersonal Doesn't accomplish much
Civil Servants Bureaucracies run run by civil servants Employees working in the agencies Providing government services
Example Nursing Engineering Teachers Park rangers Firefighters Police officers Health inspectors
Source of Power Bureaucracy needs to be effective Must have power
sources Legislative & budgetary support Interest group support Expertise Longevity Leadership Citizen demand
Power is not unlimited Someone is in charge Elected or appointed Congress has investigated the work of federal agencies Passed laws to protect employees who expose wrongdoing (whistle-blower)
Meaning? Rules in the workplace OSHA = ensures workplace safety
?? Has bureaucracy gotten too big? Government provides many services More services = larger government
shrink Government is same size as in 1960 How did it shrink? Privatization Contracting private companies to complete work once done by civil servants 13 million now work indirectly for the government
Public Services We use daily but don’t think about them Page 248 We are much better off today than in the past
Check 10.6 List 6 public services