1. The Federal Bureaucracy
Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy
Fourteenth Edition
Chapter 15
The Federal Bureaucracy
11/18/2018
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman.

2. Defintion
Classic conception of bureaucracy (Max Weber)—a hierarchical authority structure that use task specialization, operates on the merit principle, and behaves with impersonality
Bureaucracies govern modern states.
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3. Modern Bureaucracy More than 2.7 million employees.
Most are selected based on merit.
Also have high-level appointees.
Wide variety of skills represented.
Less diverse than America.
Scattered throughout D.C. and regional offices.
Growth of outside contractors.
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5. The Bureaucrats Some Bureaucratic Myths Americans dislike bureaucrats
Americans are generally satisfied with bureaucrats
Bureaucracies are growing bigger each year.
Not in the federal bureaucracy.
Most fed. bureaucrats work in Washington, D.C.
Only about percent do.
Bureaucracies are ineffective, inefficient
(Mired in red tape.)
No more so than private businesses.
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8. Growth of Government
Back
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9. THE SIZE & POWER OF THE BUREAUCRACY
THE NUMBER OF FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES IS LESS THAN 1945.
THE INCREASE IN FEDERAL REGULATIONS, FEDERAL EXPENDITURES, AND DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY HAS MADE THE BUREAUCRACY MORE POWERFUL IN THE LAST 30 YEARS.
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11. Civilian Employment
Back
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13. Who Are The Bureaucrats
Most demographically representative part of government
Diversity of jobs mirrors the private sector
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14. FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DEMOGRAPHICS 1994 2003
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15. Employee Characteristics
Back
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20. THE UNIQUENESS OF THE AMERICAN BUREAUCRACY
1-POLITICAL AUTHORITY IS SHARED AMONG SEVERAL FEDERAL INST’TIONS
2-FEDERAL AGENCIES SHARE FUNCTIONS WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
3-AMERICA’S ADVERSARIAL CULTURE
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21. THE SIZE & POWER OF THE BUREAUCRACY
BUREAUCRACY INCREASED WITH
THE NEW DEAL (1930’s)
GREAT SOCIETY (1960’s)
AGENCIES BECAME MORE ACTIVIST (60’s)
DEREGULATION (80’S)
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22. The Bureaucrats Patronage: job given for political reasons
Civil Service: system of hiring and promotion based on merit and nonpartisanship, created by the Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)
Merit Principle: entrance exams and promotion ratings to find people with talent and skill
Hatch Act: prohibits government employees prohibited from active participation in partisan politics
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23. Organization of the Personnel
Office of Personnel Management: the federal office in charge of most of the government’s hiring
General Schedule (GS) rating: a schedule for federal employees ranging from GS 1 to 18, by which salaries can be keyed to rating and experience
Senior Executive Service: an elite cadre of about 9,000 federal government managers established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978; mostly career officials
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24. The Plum Book
Lists the very top jobs available for Presidential appointment
Presidents work to find capable people to fill the positions.
Some plum jobs (ambassadorships) are patronage.
Their most important trait is transience.
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26. Characteristics of Bureaucracy
Chain of command from top to bottom.
Division of labor.
Clear lines of authority.
Goal orientation.
Merit system.
Productivity.
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27. How Bureaucracies Are Organized
The Cabinet Departments
Fourteen Cabinet departments
Headed by a secretary
and Department of Justice
Headed by Attorney General
Each has its own budget, staff, & policy areas
Status as a cabinet department=controversial
Republicans have tried to disband…
(Depts of Education, Energy, & Commerce)
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28. How Bureaucracies Are Organized
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29. The Executive Branch 
Back
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32. Independent Regulatory Agencies
Independent Regulatory Agency: responsible for some sector of the economy making rules and judging disputes to protect the public interest
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
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34. Independent Regulatory Agencies
Headed by a commission of 5-10 people
Rule making an important function Watched by interest groups, media, and citizens
Concern over “capture” of the agencies
Agencies act on behalf of the industry they are supposed to regulate, not the public interest
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35. The Government Corporations
Business-like–provide services like private companies and typically charge for them
Postal Service and Amtrak
Independent Executive Agencies
The agencies that don’t fit in anywhere else
General Services Administration (GSA)
NASA
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36. Bureaucracies as Implementers
What Implementation Means
Translating the goals and objectives of a policy into an operating, ongoing program
Implementation includes:
Creating and assigning an agency the policy
Translating policy into rules, regulations, forms
Coordinating resources to achieve the goals
Stage of policymaking that takes place between establishment and consequences of a policy
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37. Why Bureaucracies Flunk the Implementation Test
Lack of Clarity
Congressional laws are ambiguous/imprecise.
Laws can conflict with each other.
Lack of Resources
Agencies may be big, but may not have staff to carry out policy goals.
Many different types of resources are needed: personnel, training, supplies, equipment
May also lack the authority to act
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38. Why Bureaucracies Flunk the Implementation Test
Administrative Routine
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) bring uniformity to complex organizations.
Often difficult to change the routines.
Fragmentation
Policies are spread among several agencies.
Agencies have different rules for same policy
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40. Bureaucracies as Implementers
A Case Study: The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Generally considered a success
Had a clear, concise goal
The implementation was clear
Those carrying out the law had obvious authority and vigor to do so.
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41. Bureaucracies as Regulators
Regulation in the Economy
and in Everyday Life
Regulation: use of governmental authority to control or change some practice in the private sector.
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42. 
Back
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43. All Regulations contain 3 elements
1=A grant of power and set of directions from Congress
2=A set of rules and guidelines by the regulatory agency itself
3=Some means of enforcing compliance with congressional goals and agency regulations
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44. Regulatory Strategies
Command-and-Control Policy: The government tells business how to reach certain goals, checks the progress, and punishes offenders.
Incentive System: market-like strategies used to manage public policy
Some agencies are proactive.
Some are reactive.
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45. Movement Towards Deregulation
Deregulation: the lifting of restrictions on business, industry, and professional activities
Problems with Regulations:
Raises prices
Hurts U.S.’s competitive position abroad
Does not always work well
But some argue regulation is needed
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46. Understanding Bureaucracies & Democracy
Presidents Try to Control the Bureaucracy
Appoint the right people
Issue executive orders
Carry force of law for agency
Used to implement policies
Alter an agency’s budget
Create / Reorganize an agency
Department of Homeland Security
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47. Understanding Bureaucracies & Democracy
Congress Tries to Control the Bureaucracy
Influence appointment of agency heads
Senate confirms pres. nominees
Alter an agency’s budget
Hold oversight hearings
Rewrite legislation
Approve Budget
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48. STOP
NOTES
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49. Understanding Bureaucracies & Democracy
Iron Triangles: a mutually dependent relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees
Some argue they are being replaced by wider issue networks that focus on more than one policy.
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51. Understanding Bureaucracy and the Scope of Government
The size of federal bureaucracy is an example of a government out of control.
Even though the size of the bureaucracy has shrunk.
Some agencies don’t have enough resources to do what they are expected to do.
Bureaucracy only carries out policies;
Congress and the president decide what needs to be done.
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52. Agency Accountability (Limits on the Bureaucracy)
Back
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53. Summary
Bureaucracy’s primary responsibility is the implementation of public policy.
Bureaucrats shape policy as administrators, implementers, and regulators.
Federal bureaucracy has not grown but has in fact shrunk of late.
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54. WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY OBJECTIVES
1-DESCRIBE THE AMERICAN MODEL OF GOVERNMENTAL BUREAUCRACY.
2-SKETCH THE HISTORY OF THE GROWTH OF BUREAUCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY.
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55. WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY OBJECTIVES
3. SHOW HOW THE ROLES AND MISSIONS OF THE AGENCIES ARE AFFECTED BY BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS.
4-LIST SOME PAST ATTEMPTS OF CONGRESS TO REFORM THE BUREAUCRACY. THEN EXPLAIN WY IT IS SO HARD TO REFORM THE BUREAUCRACY.
5-LIST THE “PATHOLOGIES” THAT MAY AFFECT BUREAUCRACIES.
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56. WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY IMPORTANT TERMS - SET 1
ANNUAL AUTHORIZATION
APPROPRIATION
AUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION
BUREAUCRACY
COMMITTEE CLEARANCE
COMPETITIVE SERVICE
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57. WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY IMPORTANT TERMS - SET 1
DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY
EXPECTED SERVICE
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
IRON TRIANGLE
ISSUE NETWORK
LAISSEZ-FAIRE
LEGISLATIVE VETO
NAME-REQUEST JOB
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58. WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY IMPORTANT TERMS - SET 1
PATRONAGE
PENDLETON ACT
RED TAPE
SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE
SPOILS SYSTEM
TRUST FUNDS
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59. WILSON CH 13-THE BUREAUCRACY IMPORTANT TERMS
LEGISLATIVE VETO
NAME-REQUEST JOB
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
NONCAREER EXECUTIVE ASSIGNMENTS
OPEN MEETING LAW
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT
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60. WILSON CH 13-THE BUREAUCRACY IMPORTANT TERMS
OVERSIGHT
PATRONAGE
PENDLETON ACT
PRIVACY ACT
RED TAPE
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61. WILSON CH 13-THE BUREAUCRACY IMPORTANT TERMS
SCHEDULE C JOB
SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE
SPOILS SYSTEM
TRUST FUND
WASTE
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT
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62. WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY QUESTIONS
1-WHAT IS AN ACTUAL WORKING DEFINITION OF BUREAUCRATIC POWER?
2-WHAT ARE THE WAYS IN WHICH THE U.S. BUREAUCRACY CONTRASTS WITH THOSE OF OTHER NATIONS?
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63. WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY QUESTIONS
3-SHOULD MORE MEMBERS OF THE BUREAUCRACY BE ELECTED? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER
4-WHAT FACTORS ACCOUNT FOR THE BEHAVIOR OF BUREAUCRATS? RANK THESE IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE.
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64. WILSON CH 13 - THE BUREAUCRACY QUESTIONS
5-DEFINE THE BUDDY SYSTEM AS IT APPLIES TO FEDERAL HIRING. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SUCH A SYSTEM?
6-ARE BUREAUCRATS MOTIVATED TO KEEP COSTS DOWN? WHY OR WHY NOT.
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