Chapter 14

Introduction  A. administrative agencies that run the “day-to-day” operations of government  B. from the French – “bureau” (meaning a desk of a government worker) and Greek – “-ocracy” (meaning a form of government) and came into general use about 100 years ago  C. definition: a large, complex organization of appointed, not elected, officials.

Characteristics  A. reflect hierarchical authority  B. job specialization  C. rule and regulations are cornerstones of bureaucracy 

Functions  A. recognizable division of labor where skilled workers have a specialized function so that productivity is increased  B. allocation of functions where each task is assigned and defined  C. allocation of responsibilities where each task is understood by the worker and cannot be changed without supervisor’s approval

Functions, contin…  D. direct and indirect supervision, including line authority and staff authority  E. workers make their careers synonymous with the organization because the bureaucracy provides benefits

Functions contin…  F. there is control over the full time employment of the worker so s/he can be kept on task or held responsible  G. major functions are implementation and regulation of policy

The Weberian Model of Bureaucracy  A. hierarchical authority structure: power flows from the top down and responsibility from the bottom up  B. task specialization: labor is divided so that “experts” efficiently perform specific jobs

Weberian model, contin…  C. extensive rules: rules are needed to keep authority and responsibility lines consistent, and similar rules are applied to similar situations  D. merit principle: jobs and promotions are granted on the basis of demonstrated abilities rather than by patronage (granting jobs to friends and political allies)  E. impersonality: clients and supervisees are treated impartially and equally

Formal Model of Bureaucratic Administration  A. Unity of command (everyone has a superior to whom they report)  B. Chain of command (line of authority from top to bottom)  C. Line and staff (staff advises the executive but gives no commands, whereas the line has operating duties)  D. Span of control (hierarchy)  E. Decentralization (delegation of responsibilities

History of the American Bureaucracy  A. The Constitution makes little mention of the bureaucracy other than to say the President is empowered to appoint various officials  B. Bureaucracy was created in 1789 when Congress created the State Department to assist newly appointed Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson; consisted of the political and social elite

History, contin…  C. The Spoils System  1. used by President Andrew Jackson in 1829  2. rewarded party loyalists with key federal jobs  3. encouraged participation of middle and lower classes

D. The Pendleton Act (1881)  1. passed by Congress after President James A. Garfield was assassinated by a disappointed office seeker  2. it set up a limited merit system for appointing officials

Pendleton, conin…  3. established Civil Service Commission – supervised a testing program to evaluate job candidates  – Civil Service Commission split into 2 new agencies  a. The Office of Personnel Management – administers civil service laws, regulations, rules and the written exam for competitive service  b. The Merit System Protection Board – protects integrity of the merit system & the rights of federal employees

. Who are the bureaucrats?  A. work in the 15 cabinet departments & 50+ federal agencies (including 2000 bureaus, offices, services, and other governmental subdivisions)  B. largest employers are the Dept. of Defense (33%), Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Postal Service (26%)

Who are bureaucrats, contin…  C. the executive branch employs over 3 million civilians and nearly 2 million military personnel  D. Make-up of the bureaucracy (2000 stats)  1. approximately 57% male, 43% female  2. 72% white, 28% minority  3. 11% work in WDC area, 89% work in other parts of the US  4. average age is 42 years  5. most positions would be classified as “white collar” jobs (secretaries, clerks, lawyers, inspectors, engineers)  6. nearly 20,000 civilians work in US territories; 100,000 civilians work in foreign nations 

Reform  A. National Performance Review (1993) – VP Al Gore’s plan to re-invent government  1. bureaucracy too centralized, too rule-bound, too little concerned with making programs work (red tape)  recommendations: close offices, reduce programs, eliminate federal support payments, money for creative innovation, reduce time required to fire incompetent employees