1. The Federal Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is a system of organization and control that is based on three principles:
Hierarchical authority
Job specialization
Formalized rules

2. Max Weber (German sociologist)
Concluded bureaucratic efficiency is achieved at a high price.
It forces employees to behave as rational actors. In the process, they become insensitive to circumstance. “Specialist without spirit.”

3. 1. Bureaucracy is an inevitable consequence of complexity and scale
2. Bureaucrats naturally take an “agency point of view”, seeking to promote their agency’s program and power. WHY?
3. Although agencies are subject to oversight by the president, Congress, and the judiciary, bureaucrats exercise considerable power in their own right.

4. Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy
ART 2- The President shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States
1800: small 3,000 employees. Government’s role confined to defense and foreign affairs, currency and interstate commerce and delivery of mail.
Grew because of economic growth new demands.
1889 Department of Agriculture
1903: Business and labor interests: Dept. of Commerce and Labor, FDA, National Parks, etc
Biggest growth 1930’s FDR New Deal
Federal employment has not changed much since 1960’s and the Great Society Programs of LBJ

6. Cabinet (15 departments )
State oldest, Smallest 25,000 employees--PASSPORTS
Dept. of Defense Largest workforce 600,000 civilian employees, 1.4 million service members—ARMY
Dept. of Health and Human Services. Largest budget accounts for ¼ of all federal spending on Soc Sec and Medicaid/care
Dept. of Homeland Security-newest SAFETY

7. have narrow area of responsibility CIA, NASA, EPA
Independent Agencies
have narrow area of responsibility
CIA, NASA, EPA
Heads of these agencies are appointed by and report directly to president (not part of a cabinet dept=less red tape)

8. Regulatory agencies
Responsible for monitoring and regulation of ongoing economic activities.
SEC Securities and Exchange Commission
FTC- Federal Trade Commission
FED-Federal Reserve Board
They also have a legislative function and a judicial function. Develop law-like regulations and then judge whether individuals or organizations are complying with them (ex. banks, stockbrokers)

9. . Government Corporations
similar to private corporation in that they charge for services but receive federal funding to help defray expenses.
Independent of presidential control

10. Presidential commissions
appointed by and provide advice to the president, aka (TASK FORCES)
Created as needed, may be disbanded or not
Exs. 9/11 Commission, Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (2010)-did this lead to Iran deal?

11. Federal Employment SPOILS SYSTEM- President Jackson led to….
1883 Pendleton Act: established a merit system to fill certain federal govt. positions.
% of positions, Progressives championed this, by % of positions were filled by merit
Today 90% of jobs are filled by Civil Service competitive examinations
2.5 million full-time civilian employees
Office of Personnel Management and Merit Service protection Board oversees hiring, firing etc.
Objective : Neutral competence

12. Large majority of federal employees have a GS ( Graded Service)
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WGI 1
18343
18956
19566
20173
20783
21140
21743
22351
22375
22941
VARIES 2
20623
21114
21797
22629
23295
23961
24627
25293
25959 3
22502
23252
24002
24752
25502
26252
27002
27752
28502
29252
750 4
25261
26103
26945
27787
28629
29471
30313
31155
31997
32839
842 5
28262
29204
30146
31088
32030
32972
33914
34856
35798
36740
942 6
31504
32554
33604
34654
35704
36754
37804
38854
39904
40954
1050 7
35009
36176
37343
38510
39677
40844
42011
43178
44345
45512
1167 8
38771
40063
41355
42647
43939
45231
46523
47815
49107
50399
1292 9
42823
44250
45677
47104
48531
49958
51385
52812
54239
55666
1427 10
47158
48730
50302
51874
53446
55018
56590
58162
59734
61306
1572 11
51811
53538
55265
56992
58719
60446
62173
63900
65627
67354
1727 12
62101
64171
66241
68311
70381
72451
74521
76591
78661
80731
2070 13
73846
76308
78770
81232
83694
86156
88618
91080
93542
96004
2462 14
87263
90172
93081
95990
98899
101808
104717
107626
110535
113444
2909 15
102646
106068
109490
112912
116334
119756
123178
126600
130022
133444
3422

13. The Hatch Act of 1939 prohibits civil servants from holding key jobs/extending influence in election campaigns including: 
The use of official authority or influence to interfere with an election
soliciting or discouraging political activity of anyone with business before their agency
soliciting or receiving political contributions
being candidates for public office in partisan elections
engaging in political activity while on duty, in a government office, wearing an official uniform or using a government vehicle
Wearing partisan political buttons on duty

14. Power of Federal Bureaucracy
Legislative: Agencies create the rules and regulations needed to perform their duties
Executive: Agencies enforce their rules, often after they have had the duty to create the rules
Judicial : Agencies rule on regulatory issues and can impose penalties and fines.

15. Public Control over Bureaucracy
Lobby Congress or agency directly or through interest group (strength in numbers)
Challenge agency in Court
Media-”power of the press” to promote issues and more oversight ex. Tailhook Navy Scandal

16. How Branches Control the Bureaucracy
Executive: Orders and direct agencies to follow presidential directives in enforcing laws
Legislative: Controls the purse strings. Through the budgets and enacts new laws that can eliminate an agency/funding
Judicial: An agency’s actions can be challenged in court and reduced, overturned and/or eliminated (EPA)