1. Government at Work: The Bureaucracy
“Bureaucracy is not an obstacle to democracy but an inevitable complement to it”
Chapter 15

2. Bureaucracy is a large, complex administration structure that handles the everyday business of an organization.
Bureaucrats once used RED RIBBON or “RED TAPE” in Britain to hold their files together, now used as a phrase to describe the delays and issues with working with a bureaucracy.
Three features of a bureaucracy:
Hierarchical Authority
Job Specialization
Formalized Rules
What is a Bureaucracy?

3. Why Do we Have Bureaucracies?
The Constitution is pretty silent on the organization of the EXECUTIVE BRANCH
The framers understood that no matter how wise the President and the Congress, their decisions had to be acted upon to be active
Without an ADMINISTRATION, even the best policies are just words
Why Do we Have Bureaucracies?

4. Names and Organizations
Department is reserved for agencies of cabinet rank
Common titles include; agency, administration, service, branch, office, bureau, commission, corporation, and authority
STAFF AGENCIES: serve in a support capacity and aid the chief executive by offering advice
LINE AGENCIES: actually perform the tasks for which the organization exists
Names and Organizations

5. The President’s Men (and women)
The Executive Office of the President (EOP), the President’s right arm, closest advisors, and an umbrella agency.
The White House Office, or the West Wing, has foreign policy advisors, defense, homeland security, media relations, economics, etc.
Includes Press Secretary, legal advisor, and President’s physician.
The President’s Men (and women)

6. Office of Management and Budget
Federal Budget: is a very detailed estimate of receipts and expenditures, an anticipation of federal income and outgo, during the Fiscal Year.
Fiscal Year: The 12-month period used by the government and businesses for record keeping (Oct. 1- Sept. 30th)
Office of Management and Budget

7. Other EOP Agencies Council of Economic Advisors
Domestic Affairs (The Office of Policy Development)
EOP created by Congress in 1939, at the request of President Roosevelt
Other EOP Agencies

8. The Executive Departments
Executive Departments: Do most of the work, 15 called cabinet departments.
Traditional units of federal administration
First Congress created 3 in 1789: Department of State, Treasury, and War
The Executive Departments

9. Chief Officers and Staff
Secretary: head of each department, except Department of Justice
Attorney General: head of the Department of Justice
The cabinet is a group of these secretaries, who meet with the President. An informal advisory board
Constitution does not include a cabinet
President appoints executives to the 15 executive department, confirmed by the Senate
Chief Officers and Staff

10. How to Choose? Party Loyalty Experience Women and Minorities
Senate Approval
How to Choose?

12. Congress has created a large number of additional agencies, THE INDEPENDENT AGENCIES, located outside the departments.
Nearly 150 “independent government agencies”
Examples; FED, EPA, NASA, FCC, CIA, FBI, FEC, Peace Corps, Postal Service, Social Security…
Reasons: 1. don’t fit into box, 2. keep them bipartisan or non- partisan
Independent from cabinet, NOT independent of President and/or Executive Branch
Independent Agencies

13. Executive & Regulatory
Independent Executive Agencies, most important, only different than cabinet, is they do not have cabinet status. (E.g. GSA, NASA, EPA)
Independent regulatory commissions stand out among the independent agencies because they are largely beyond the reach of the President and control. (E.g. the FED, FTC, SEC, FCC, NLRB, NRC, CFTC, FERC, FMC, CPSC)
Unlike other independent agencies, the regulatory commissions are also quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial.
Executive & Regulatory

14. Government Corporations
Several of the independent agencies are government corporations.
They were set up by Congress to carry out certain business like activities. (E.g. FDIC, Eximbank, U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, TVA)
Similar to public sector, but President picks the heads, Senate confirms, Congress picks purpose, money put back into business, Federal Government owns stock, board of directors are public officials.
All types of independent agencies have varying degrees of independence.
Government Corporations

16. The Civil Service is composed of those civilian employees who perform the administrative work of government.
Around 2.7 million people work for the federal government, only about 300,000 live in Washington D.C.
Patronage- practice of giving jobs to supporters and friends. (Spoils system - Andrew Jackson)
The Pendleton Act- set up classified and unclassified services, all hiring for classified would be based on merit
Today, hired through a very competitive process
The Civil Service

17. Office of Personal Management (OPM)
Federal government Personnel department
Central clearinghouse for federal recruiting, examining, and hiring
Registers lists of employees who have passed exams and are qualified for employment
OPM sends lists of top 3 names to heads of departments
Office of Personal Management (OPM)

18. Pay and Benefits Fair pay is still an issue
Women make up more than 50% of white collar federal jobs, but less than 10% of the high paying jobs
Congress sets pay for all federal employees, except Postal Service
Very competitive for low jobs, but cannot compete for high jobs
Hatch Act and other partisan protection acts…
Pay and Benefits