A Comparative View of the American Bureaucracy 1.Public’s hostile feelings towards ‘big government’ & ‘bureaucracies’. 2.Decentralized: more representational, but less accountable 3.Relatively small compared to other countries (except our regulations; Justice)

Incoherent organization — the American bureaucracy has few clear lines of control, responsibility, and accountability Divided control — bureaucratic agencies have two bosses, the President and Congress, who are constantly battling for control Accessibility — individuals and groups can get a hearing and a response from bureaucrats without necessarily starting at the top (Street level)

Transformation of the Bureaucracy Administrative history: expansion in the size and responsibilities of the executive branch –The corporation and the progressives –The Great Depression –World War II and its aftermath –The regulatory state –Devolution and rollback –The war on terrorism

What Do Bureaucrats Do? Execute the law –Implementing legislative directives Regulate (rule making) –Vague directives need filling in Adjudicate –e.g. National Labor Relations Board

What Influences Bureaucratic Behavior? The Public The President –Tools of the President (Chief budget officer; Appointments; media) Congress –Legislating agency organization and mission –Confirming Presidential appointments –Controlling the agency budget –Holding oversight hearings (Fire-alarm/Police Patrol) Interest groups

POLICY IMPLICATION? 1. Division of Labor/Development of expertise: more efficient 2. Principle/Agent problems: preventing shirking 3. Rent Seeking: special interest influence 4. Delegation vs. Abdication:

Why we give bureaucrats discretion? Limiting agency discretion by specifying precise policy details in legislation is costly to legislators. It takes time and skill to write careful legislation. Lack of discretion may also mean less results – a slow and ineffective agency Rational Legislators under uncertainty

Controlling the Bureaucracy: Preventing Policy Shirking Congressional oversight –Committees: Committees have created separate oversight or investigative subcommittees. Increased # of hearings. BUT – Much of the information that subcommittees get on bureaus comes from the agency themselves. Monitoring : –Congressional Research Service –Congressional Budget Office –General Accounting Office Carefully Written Laws –overlapping jurisdictions, etc.

Reforming the Federal Bureaucracy Scaling back the size of the bureaucracy –Privatizing –Cutting the Red Tape “Reinventing government” –Introducing business principles Protecting against bureaucratic abuses of power Increasing Presidential control –Reform civil service – more appointees?

Cutting the Red Tape Where do we start? –NSF –FCC –Funding Student Loans –National Parks Service –National Weather Service –CDC –FDA –FEC

Extra Credit: Forum Lecture - The Scientific Case for Global Warming: Problems and Prospects Thursday, Oct. 14th, 7:30pm Barrick Museum Auditorium Sign in with Graduate Assistant Jason Mitchell at the Event