Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Chapter 11 The Federal Bureaucracy American Government: Policy & Politics, Eighth Edition TANNAHILL

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 In This Chapter We Will Cover: Organization of the bureaucracy Personnel Rulemaking Politics and administration Subgovernments and issue networks

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Organization of the Bureaucracy Cabinet Department –Major administrative units of the federal government that have responsibility for the conduct of a wide range of government operations. With the addition of The Department of Homeland Security there are now 15 cabinet departments.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Cabinet Departments Homeland Security State Defense Treasury Justice Interior Agriculture Commerce Labor Housing and Urban Development Transportation Energy Health and Human Services Education Veterans’ Affairs

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Organization of the Bureaucracy Independent Executive Agencies –These agencies are not part of any of cabinet-level departments. Examples include the Peace Corps, NASA, the CIA, the EPA, the Social Security Administration, and the FCC.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Organization of the Bureaucracy Government Corporations –These are organizationally similar to private corporations but they are owned by government. Examples include the Postal Service, AMTRAK, FDIC, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Organization of the Bureaucracy Foundations and Institutes –They administer grant programs to local governments, universities, nonprofit institutions, and individuals for research in the natural and social sciences or to promote the arts. Examples include the NSF and the NEA.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Organization of the Bureaucracy Independent Regulatory Commissions –This is an agency outside the major executive departments that is charged with the regulation of important aspects of the economy. Examples include the FTC, the FCC, the SEC, and the EEOC.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Personnel Size –Today the federal bureaucracy is the largest civilian workforce in the western world, with 2.7 million employees.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Federal Civilian Employment,

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Personnel Employment Practices –Spoils system Hiring from friends, relatives, and supporters –Hatch Act Intended to limit the political activities of federal employees

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Rulemaking The regulatory process used by government agencies to enact legally binding regulations –A rule is a legally binding regulation. –Regulatory negotiation is a structured process for those affected by a proposed regulation to negotiate the terms of the rule.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Politics and Administration The President –Presidents face a continuous struggle to have a major impact on bureaucratic policymaking. The federal bureaucracy is too large and spread out for easy oversight. Congress –Congress has legal authority to oversee the federal bureaucracy. Congress can abolish or reorganize agencies, increase or decrease their funding.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Politics and Administration Interest Groups –Every agency has interest groups concerned with the programs it administers. Department heads devote considerable time dealing with interest group concerns. Bureaucrats –Federal employees are primarily concerned with their own jobs in their own departments in their own agencies.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Subgovernments and Issue Networks A Subgovernment or Iron Triangle is a cozy, three-sided relationship among government agencies, interest groups, and key members of Congress in which all parties benefit.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Subgovernments and Issue Networks Issue Networks are groups of political actors that are actively involved with policy-making in a particular issue area. They can include technical specialists, members of Congress, journalists, the president, interest groups, bureaucrats, academic experts, and individual political activists.

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Concluding Review Questions What are the major types of units in the executive branch of the federal government? What criteria do presidents use in selecting the heads of cabinet departments?

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006 Concluding Review Questions What is the policymaking role of the cabinet? How do independent regulatory commissions differ from other government agencies? How large is the federal bureaucracy? Why is that somewhat difficult to answer?