1. Chapter 12 The Bureaucracy

2. WHO GOVERNS? TO WHAT ENDS?
What happened to make the bureaucracy a “fourth branch” of American national government?
What are the actual size and scope of the federal bureaucracy?
TO WHAT ENDS?
What should be done to improve bureaucratic performance?
Is “red tape” all bad?
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3. Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy I:A-D
Political authority is shared among several institutions.
Federal government agencies share functions with state and local governments.
“Adversary culture” leads to close public scrutiny.
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4. Bureaucracy (VIDEO 1)
Large, complex organization of appointed, not elected, officials.
“bureau” – French for small desks, referring to the king’s traveling business men who set up small desks in town squares
Bureaucracy = “government of small desks”

5. Max Weber Famous early 20th century economist, German
Bureaucracy – well organized, complex machine that is a “rational” way for society to organize its business

6. Weber Characteristics
Hierarchical authority structure – chain of command
Task specialization – individuals have unique jobs, division of labor
Extensive rules – clear policies for the organization to follow
Clear goals – clearly defined mission

7. Weber
Merit principle – hiring and promotion based on qualities, no jobs for favors
Impersonality – performance judged on productivity
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

8. Proxy Government I:E Social Security Medicare Environmental protection
Income tax collection
Many military duties
Ric Feld/AP Photo
When the floodwaters of Hurricane Rita hit Lake Charles, LA, they created a crisis for the federal and state bureaucracies. p. 403
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9. The Growth of the Bureaucracy II:A-D
The Appointment of Officials
A Service Role
A Change in Role
Great Depression
World War II
Bettmann/Corbis
In the 19th century, railroads were so important to the nation that the Interstate Commerce Commission was created to regulate their rates. p. 404
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10. The Federal Bureaucracy Today III:A-B
Direct and indirect Growth
Growth in discretionary authority
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11. Who are bureaucrats?
1 out of 100 Americans work for government bureaucracy
Examples
US Postal Service
Amtrak
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Interstate Commerce Commission
Federal Trade Commisson
Securities and Exchange Commission
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

12. Sources: Federal Bureau of Prisons Weekly Population Report and Quick Facts (available at and
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13. The Federal Bureaucracy Today III:C-D
Factors Explaining the behavior of officials
Recruitment and Retention
Competitive service
Excepted service
Buddy system
Firing a bureaucrat
Agency’s point of view.
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15. The Federal Bureaucracy Today III:D-I
Personal Attributes
Do Bureaucrats Sabotage their Political Bosses?
Culture and Careers
Constraints – Why so many?
Agency Allies - Iron Triangles
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16. Figure 15.1 Characteristics of Federal Civilian Employees, 1960 and 2005
Sources: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1961, 392–394; Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2009, table 482.
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17. What do bureaucrats do?
Discretionary action – have the power to execute laws and policies passed down by the president or congress.
Implementation – develop procedures and rules for reaching the goal of a new policy
Regulation – check private business activity
Munn v. Illinois (1877) – SC upheld that government had the right to regulate business rates and services

18. Federal employees aren’t just paper shufflers; many, such as this
biologist, perform skilled professional
tasks. p. 409
Pedro Ramirez Jr./NCTC Image Library/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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20. The Federal Bureaucracy Today
Tribune Media Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed by permission.
One barrier to improving presidential control of the federal bureaucracy is that even the White House has become a large bureaucracy. p. 411
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21. Iron Triangles III:C:7
CONGRESS
INTEREST GROUPS
BUREAUCRACY
Iron Triangle - three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests

22. Iron Triangles

23. How it works? Everyone in the triangle has a similar interest
Legislators get funding from interest groups and make laws reality with the help of the bureaucracy
Interest groups provide valued information to bureaucrats and money to legislators
Bureau chiefs implement legislator policy and interest group goals.

24. Why are they “iron”?
Strong – bond can’t be broken by President or Congress
Referred to as “sub governments,” all the real decisions are made among these 3 groups
Might maintain interests that might not be publicly popular… like what?

25. Example – Why is tobacco not illegal?
House and Senate agricultural subcommittees
Tobacco farmer interest groups (tobacco lobby)
Department of Agriculture
House and Senate representatives, sympathetic to tobacco, receive campaign funds and support from tobacco by interest groups, and the representatives make sure that tobacco farmers are defended through legislation. DOA agency executes the legislation while relying on the Congressional budget. The interest groups provide the DOA with valuable information to effectively execute laws.
-COMMON INTEREST – Keep tobacco alive = keep their jobs alive

26. Other Iron Triangle Example

27. Issue Network (Video 2) More complicated connection exists
Iron triangle too simple – there are IGs from opposite sides of an issue who compete
Issue Network – complex group (includes media) that debates an issue and slows policy-making
Policy-making is not as smooth with competing demands from IGs
President can appoint an agency head who steers policy, but can never smoothly control policy

28. Modern Bureaucracy
– New Deal, WWII, increase in programs and gov’t work
1950’s – 1970’s – 90% of all federal employees were chosen on merit
Salaries also chosen on merit

29. Congressional Oversight IV:A-D
Authorization legislation
Appropriation
The Appropriations Committee and Legislative Committees (Video 3)
Trust funds
Committee Clearance
The Legislative Veto
Congressional Investigations
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30. Bureaucratic Pathologies V:A-D
Red Tape
Conflict
Duplication
Imperialism
Waste
(VIDEO 4,5)
David McNew/Getty Images
At the world’s busiest border crossing, cars line up to enter the United States in Tijuana, Mexico. p. 420
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31. Replace with jpeg, p. 422
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32. Reforming the Bureaucracy VI:A-B
The Brownlow Commission
The First Hoover Commission
The Ash Council
National Performance Review
Government Performance and Results Act
Performance Assessment Rating Tool
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33. Accountability
Bureaucracy is constrained and controlled by the US government
Congress
appropriates money, authorizes the spending of money, oversees agency activity
President
Job appointments, executive orders, budget control, reorganize agencies

34. Pop Quiz 2
1. During the nineteenth century the largest executive department was: a) Treasury. b) War. c) Post Office. d) Human Resources. 2. Which of the following statements is incorrect? a) Conservatives have always feared government bureaucracy. b) Many socialists have suspected a public bureaucracy may be as immune to democratic control as a private one. c) Liberals have always unequivocally supported government bureaucracies. d) Max Weber warned that bureaucracy was likely to acquire an overpowering. power position in both capitalist and socialist societies. 3. An examination of American bureaucracy makes it clear that many administrative departments and agencies are: a) client-oriented. b) controlled by special interests. c) closely allied with Congress. d) all of the above

35. Rise of the Bureaucratic State
What is the “Bureaucracy Problem”?
Red tape
Delays
Inefficiency
Administrative despotism
Conservatives have always feared bureaucracy except for?
The police
Liberals stance?
Equivocated (been evasive) on stating if there is a problem.
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36. Rise of the Bureaucratic State
What are ways in which political power “may be gathered undesirably into bureaucracy hands”?
By the growth of an administrative apparatus so large it is immune from popular control
By placing power over a governmental bureaucracy of any size in private rather than public hands
By vesting discretionary authority in the hands of a public agency so that the exercise of that power is not responsive to the public good.
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37. Rise of the Bureaucratic State
One of the most frequently mentioned attributes of bureaucracy is size. A large and unwieldy administrative branch makes problems of democratic responsiveness and efficient government operation difficult to solve. Is a large bureaucracy, per se, a threat to the constitutional foundations of our government?
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38. Rise of the Bureaucratic State
Is a large bureaucracy, per se, a threat to the constitutional foundations of our government?
Author says no
Post office grew by more than 50% after Civil War.
Author says yes
“Bureaucracies serve special interests and is subject to no central direction, this is due to our legislature often servicing special interests and is also subject to no central leadership.
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39. Pop Quiz 2
1. During the nineteenth century the largest executive department was: a) Treasury. b) War. c) Post Office. d) Human Resources. 2. Which of the following statements is incorrect? a) Conservatives have always feared government bureaucracy. b) Many socialists have suspected a public bureaucracy may be as immune to democratic control as a private one. c) Liberals have always unequivocally supported government bureaucracies. d) Max Weber warned that bureaucracy was likely to acquire an overpowering. power position in both capitalist and socialist societies. 3. An examination of American bureaucracy makes it clear that many administrative departments and agencies are: a) client-oriented. b) controlled by special interests. c) closely allied with Congress. d) all of the above

40. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
MEMORANDUM To: Dr. Robert Smith, president of Cybersystems Engineering From: James Logan, secretary of defense Subject: Becoming an assistant secretary of defense As both secretary and a dear old college buddy of yours, I write again to express my hope that you will accept the president’s call to service. We all desperately want you aboard. Yes, conflict-of-interest laws will require you to sell your stock in your present company and drop out of its generous pension plan. No, the government won’t even pay moving costs. And once you leave office, you will be barred for life from lobbying the executive branch on matters in which you were directly involved while in office, and you will be barred for two years from lobbying on matters that were under your general official authority. Your other concerns have teeth, too, but let me help you weigh your options.
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41. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Arguments for: 1. I hate to preach, but it is one’s duty to serve one’s country when called. Your sacrifice would honor your family and benefit your fellow Americans for years to come. 2. As an accomplished professional and the head of a company that has done business with the government, you could help the president succeed in reforming the department so that it works better and costs less. 3. Despite the restrictions, you could resume your career once your public service was complete.
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42. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Arguments against: 1. Since you will have to be confirmed by the Senate, your life will be put under a microscope, and everything (even some of our old college mischief together) will be fair game for congressional staffers and reporters. 2. You will face hundreds of rules telling you what you can’t do and scores of congressmen telling you what you should do. Old friends will get mad at you for not doing them favors. The president will demand loyalty. The press will pounce on your every mistake, real or imagined. 3. Given the federal limits on whom in the government you can deal with after you leave office, your job at Cybersystems may well suffer.
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43. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Your decision: Accept position? Reject position?
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