1. Government at Work: The Bureaucracy
Chapter 15

2. The Federal Bureaucracy
Section 1
The Federal Bureaucracy

3. What is a Bureaucracy?
Complex administrative structure that handles the everyday business of an organization.
Three Characteristics
Hierarchical authority
Job Specialization
Formalized Rules
Benefits of Bureaucracy
Effective way to accomplish tasks
Hierarchy, Rules, and Job Specialization make it so that people know their responsibilities and authority and operate according to established rules

4. The Federal Bureaucracy
Agencies, people, and procedures through which government operates.
Constitution barely mentions bureaucracy
suggests that there be at least 2 executive departments.
Founders expected the creation of an executive administration
Departments of State and War

5. The Federal Bureaucracy cont…
Three Broad Categories
Executive Office of the President
National Security Council, White House Office, etc…
15 Cabinet Departments
Department of State, Department of Defense, etc…
Independent Agencies
CIA, FCC, FDIC, Federal Reserve, etc…

6. Staff v. Line Agencies Staff Agencies Line Agencies
Primary purpose is to advise and plan out the administration of the federal government.
Line Agencies
Primary purpose is to carry out the day to day operations of government.