1. Bureaucracy
A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials in which authority is divided among several managers
Term comes from French word “bureau” meaning a government worker’s desk and “cracy” meaning a form of government
Approximately 4 million government workers in federal bureaucracy, about 1/3 of whom work in armed forces or defense agencies

2. The Bureaucracy
Constitutional basis found in Article II of the Constitution in reference to the creation of executive departments
Bureaucracies developed as a result of custom, traditions, and precedents

3. Primary Functions of a Bureaucracy
Recognizable division of labor where skilled workers each have a specialized function so that productivity is increased
Allocation of function where each task is assigned and defined
Allocation of responsibility where each task is understood by the worker and cannot be changed without approval of the supervisor
Direct and indirect supervision including time authority and staff authority
Control of the full time employment of the worker so workers can be held on task
Workers make their careers synonymous with the organization because the bureaucracy provides for benefits

4. Organization
Federal government organized be departments (called that to distinguish them from the cabinet)
Agencies/administrations = government bodies headed by a single administrator, have similar status to the cabinet
Commissions = agencies that regulate certain aspects of the private sector
Corporations = agencies headed by a board of directors, chairman

5. Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy
Political authority over the bureaucracy is shared by the president and Congress
Federal agencies share functions with related state and local government agencies
Adversary culture leads to closer scrutiny and makes court challenges more likely

6. Factors that Influence Bureaucratic Conduct
Recruitment and reward
Personal attributes
Nature of the job
External forces

7. The Growth of the Bureaucracy
1789 Congress gave president power to remove officials without Congressional assent
Civil War showed administrative weakness of federal government, increased demands for civil service reform
Led to enormous amounts of bureaucratic growth
Post-Civil War period saw industrialization, emergence of a national economy
agencies served primarily service roles
Wars led to increase in executive branch personnel
Bureaucracy’s role has changed with Depression, WWII, and 9/11
Public believes in continuing military preparedness and various social programs