1. The Bureaucracy: The “Fourth” Branch of Government

2. Warm up
Read the article defending the work of government employees- why did he write this article? Do you agree/disagree?
Take a look at the bureaucracy of pizza on the back. Take note of how many agencies are involved.

3. A Few Facts…..
Bureaucracies developed as a result of custom, tradition, and precedent
Constitutional basis found in Article II in reference to the creation of executive departments
They are linkage institutions- who implement the policies of the branches of government
There are about 2 million government workers today, only 10% of which actually work in D.C.
There are also a lot of government contractors, which has grown tremendously in recent years

4. American Bureaucracy
Political authority is shared among many institutions, so Congress and the president exercise authority over the bureaucracy and bureaucrats often play on off of the other
Most agencies share functions with agencies at the state and local level (think about the Department of Education)
Government agencies operate under constant public scrutiny

5. What do Bureaucracies do?
They administer policy
They have a division of labor with specialized workers to increase productivity
Tasks are assigned and defined
Responsibilities are tightly defined and can’t be changed by the worker (but can by the supervisor)
There is hierarchical organization
Control of full-time employment
Workers make careers synonymous with the organization

6. There are Four Types of Agencies Type 1= The Cabinet
15 department cabinets headed by a secretary (except the Justice Department which is headed by the Attorney General)
Manage specific policy areas (economy, diplomacy, etc.)
Have their own staffs and budgets

7. Type 2= Regulatory Agencies
They are quasi legislative by issuing regulations (i.e. Clean Air Act by the EPA)
They are quasi judicial by enforcing penalties for failure to comply with standards
Examples include:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

8. Type 3= Government Corporations
Corporations created to take over a failed industry or bail out an essential private industry

9. Type 4= Independent Executive Agencies
General Services Administration (GSA)- handles purchasing
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

10. History of the Bureaucracy
Like everything else it began small with only the Treasury Department and the Post Office providing significant service
Because Congress was the dominant branch it controlled most of the appointments in the 19th and 20th centuries
Civil War led to new demands on gov. and calls for reform (basically state govs. Couldn’t act alone anymore)
Agencies that were created were there to serve, not regulate
Debate ensued over ability to regulate because Constitution expressly gave Congress only the power to regulate and not independent agencies (up until 1935 Supreme Court also supported this interpretation of the Constitution)
During war bureaucracy increased
Depression and WWII changed this perception because now the government was expected to play more active role in dealing with economic and social problems
Income tax also allowed for ability to expand

11. Power of the Bureaucracy
Power of bureaucracy depends on its discretionary authority- its ability to choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out by laws
Congress has delegated a lot of responsibility to the bureaucracy in 3 areas:
Paying subsidies
Grant in-aid programs
Devising and enforcing regulations

12. Who Works for the Fed. Bureaucracy?
Competitive service through OPM (Office of Personnel Management)
Earlier in history hiring operated on the spoils system- where presidents rewarded supporters with jobs and they were not given on merit
Pendleton Act (1833) transferred jobs from patronage to merit system
Buddy system- there is still some politics in hiring- a name request job is for someone they already plan on hiring but still must go through the process for
Firing a bureaucrat is very difficult
Civil Service Reform Act gave the president more authority in hiring and firing high-level positions- this created the Senior Executive Service (SES)

13. Limits on Service Hatch Act
Designed to prevent corruption in national elections
Prohibits federal employees from taking an active role in politics
Clinton administration made Hatch Act less restrictive
Bureaucrats can’t: run for public office, fund raise for politicians during work, discourage political activities

14. Your Left (and 1 right) Pages
Page 129 Draw a history of the bureaucracy using boxes, key words, pictures, etc.
Page 131 Response to Natural Disasters
Page 132 Critical Questions

15. Natural Disasters Page
In what ways is the bureaucracy criticized?
How else should the federal government handle natural disasters?

16. Critical Questions
Why is the federal bureaucracy often referred to as “the fourth branch” of government?
Some believe that the real power in the federal government lies with the federal bureaucracy. To what extent do you believe this is true?