1. US Government AP Chapter 15
The Bureaucracy
US Government AP
Chapter 15

2. What is it? All of the offices in the branches working together
Works in DC, Columbus, Lake County, Madison
Many governments use them

3. The US Federal Bureaucracy
3 distinct parts
Responsibility is shared by the 3 branches
Responsibility is shared by federalism w/states
Individuals play a role as well

4. 1790-2008 A steady increase in growth of offices and responsibilities
partisanship
IR-new agencies
Depression, New Deal
WWII Cold War Terrorism

5. Recently 5 million employees (17) Increase in discretionary authority
Ability to make policy to run agency/office
Quasi-legislative, Quasi-judicial

6. Leadership Power Today’s leaders have acquired more authority:
How they get jobs/pay
Personal traits (non-civil service)
Nature of the job today
Outside forces give them power

7. 2 Characteristics of the Modern US Bureaucracy
Power comes from 2 areas
How they get/keep their jobs
Their attitudes about government are different than the average American

8. Getting/Keeping a job Passing the test (Competitive service)
Finding a qualified person/ recruiting (Excepted service)
3. Name -request
Most are still non-partisan

9. Getting a job The President can pick some (political appointments)
High posts—Cabinet, S. Court
Top Secret (Schedule “C”)
Non-career executive assignments (NEA’s)

10. Patronage vs. Merit Jacksonian’s (again!) Pendleton Act 1883-merit
Today appointees by the President—loyalists, policy people

11. You’re fired… Takes a lot to get fired Usually reassigned to Alaska
or denied a promotion
Because it is so hard to be fired, most employees are loyal to the Agency-Agency point of view

12. The Agency Worker Is loyal to the Agency
Is/Thinks different than average American
Create the “agency culture”

13. Limits on an Agency Laws by Congress
Multiple Agencies with the same general job (overlap) Red tape
Act/React slower than private business
Can have inconsistencies
People will not make decisions

14. Help for Agencies
Iron Triangles Agencies
Issue Networks
IG’s Congress

15. Commissions Police areas of the country/economy for the government
Have quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial powers
Examples: SEC FCC FTC

16. Independent Agencies Independent from partisan politics
Usually experts in their fields-- name request or excepted service
Examples– NASA, CIA

17. Cabinet/ Executive Agencies
15 Cabinet departments
Headed by a Secretary
Tradition started by Washington
Usually partisan
Examples-- EPA, Department of Education

18. Show me the Money… Congress funds the Agencies/ Departments
Can only exist with Congressional approval
Congress can investigate an agency-department

19. 5 Problems
Red tape
Conflict
Duplication
Imperialism
Waste

20. Reforms
National Performance Review Board -decentralize the departments
NPR saved some $$, duplication and streamlined the hiring process a bit
Still a slow process (many bosses that make many decisions)