Bureaucracy

What is it? What is bureaucracy? –Hierarchical authority –Job specialization –Formal rules

Structure 2.5 million employees Cabinet departments –Vary greatly –Responsibility for general policy area –Appointed by and report to president—confirmed Independent Agency –Narrower responsibility –CIA –NASA –Appointed by and report to president—confirmed Regulatory Agency –Created when Congress sees need for regulation –SEC –EPA –Commission of members—nominated and confirmed –Independent Government Corporations –Charge and are governed by board –Postal Service, FDIC, Amtrak Presidential Commissions –Civil rights, fine arts

Being a Bureaucrat 90% hired by merit criteria Underpaid GS-1 through GS-15 –GS-5 for college grads…$27k What other benefits, though? Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 Hatch Act of 1939

Implementation It’s their job! Rulemaking Street-level bureaucrats

What Makes It Tough? We need to respond to partisan demands and still be fair and competent Federal bureaucracy started small (George Washington example) –Supposed to be distinguished med Andrew Jackson –Ordinary people of good sense –Patronage/Spoils System

Growth Late 1800s, economic pressures call for more government As it grows, we need more skilled and experienced workers Then Guiteau shoots Garfield Pendleton Act (1883) moves us toward merit system –Now it’s always at least 80% Neutral competence

And Keeps Growing… Problems with merit system emerge Then we move toward executive leadership –Coordinate for bureaucracy to increase efficiency and responsiveness –1939 OMB and the budget

The Connection The bureaucracy is expected to carry out programs fairly and competently (merit), but it is also expected to respond to political forces (patronage) and to operate efficiently (executive leadership). Table 13-2

Power Agency point of view –Role of professionalism Sources of power –Expertise –Clientele groups (Sesame Street!) –Friends in High Places

Accountability We like our interactions…but we don’t like bureaucracy… Is it more efficient than private business? Bureaucracy is the antithesis to democracy

Through the Presidency They can’t eliminate an agency on their own Reorganization Appointments –Revolving door Budget

Through Congress Depend on Congress to exist –They authorize and fund Oversight GAO—are policies being implemented as Congress intended Sunset laws

Through Courts Tend to support administrators if their actions seem consistent with laws

Within Itself Whistle-blowing –Protection Act –Why is it so difficult? Demographic Representativeness –What do we mean? –Will it work?

The Push to Fix It Reinventing Government –Osborne and Gaebler –Leaner and more responsive –Focus on outputs more than inputs –National Performance Review Gore’s baby

For Tuesday… Be ready to discuss street-level bureaucracy Do you think bureaucracy is good? Why or why not? Be prepared to discuss the two CR articles Strengths/weaknesses of patronage, merit, and executive leadership