1. The Bureaucracy
American Government

2. Bureaucracy A bureaucracy has a hierarchical authority structure
Power flows from the top down and responsibility flows from bottom up
The success of a Bureaucracy is predicated on:
Task specialization
Extensive rules
The merit principle
Impersonality

3. Civil Service
Prior to the use of the civil service, governmental hiring was done through the process of patronage
Patronage (spoils system) is a hiring and promotion system based on political reasons rather than on merit or competence
Patronage may be based on working on a campaign, making large political donations, and having the right connections
Patronage was ushered out with the Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)
This act created the civil service as we know it today
In order to keep the integrity of the Pendleton Civil Service Act, the Hatch Act forbids one from engaging in patrician politics while on duty

4. Civil Service
Our bureaucracies are populated with employees who are part of the civil service program
The civil service is designed to hire and promote members of the bureaucracy on the basis of merit and to create a nonpartisan government service
The merit principle is determined based upon the use of entrance exams and promotion ratings to reward qualified individuals

5. Organization Independent regulatory agencies
These agencies have the responsibility of making and enforcing rules designed to protect the public interest in regards to a particular sector of the economy
I.E. Federal Reserve Board (FRB), National labor Relations Board (NLRB), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
These are powerful groups who have significant power over private industry
The president has very little control over these groups which provides them insulation from presidential administrations

6. Organization Government Corporations Independent executive agencies
Government corporations provide a service that could be handled by the private sector but at cheaper rates than the consumer would pay in the private sector
I.E. The Post Office, Amtrak, Satellite communications
Independent executive agencies
These are all agencies in the government that do not include cabinet departments, regulatory commissions and government corporations
These include agencies like the General Service Administration (GSA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

7. Why Policy Fails Here are some reasons why implementation fails:
Poor program design
Lack of clarity
Lack of resources
Administrative Routine
If there is a lack of standard operating procedures (SOPs) then the implementation of the policy will fail
Administrative discretion
This is the authority of administrative actors to select among various responses to a given problem
Those who use more discretion are sometimes known as street-level bureaucrats
They are termed as such because of their ability to listen to the public
Fragmentation

8. Regulation Regulation Deregulation
is the use of governmental authority to control or change some practice in the private sector
I.E. The SEC regulating the merging of companies, Affirmative Action, the EPA, NHTSA, and the DOT requiring pollution-control, energy-saving, and safety devises
Regulation can be accomplished through command-and control policy, as well as incentive systems
Deregulation
This is the lifting of government restrictions on business, industry and professional activities