1. FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY: “Fourth Branch” Ch. 9

2. What is a Bureaucracy?
Large, complex organizations in which employees have very specific job responsibilities and work within a hierarchy of authority
The job of a bureaucrat is to implement government policy, to take the laws and decisions made by elected officials and put them into practice. Some bureaucrats implement policy by writing rules and regulations, whereas others administer policies directly to people

3. CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS
Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution gives the president the power to appoint “all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for.”
Article II, Section 3, states that the president “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.”

4. BUREAUCRATS Americans hate bureaucracy but like bureaucrats
Federal bureaucracy decreasing (3% of all civilian jobs
There are roughly 2.7 million civilians directly employed by the federal government.
This includes more than 600,000 United States Postal workers.
In addition, there are currently an additional 1.4 million serving in the armed forces.
Largest budget: Social Security Admin. (1/3)
Only 12% work in DC
Number of gov’t jobs expanding at state level (9%)
PO, social security, air traffic controllers, IRS, FBI – in the field
Test milk, clean streets, run parks, issue student loans, transport

5. GROWTH OVER TIME Spoils system Pendleton Civil Service Act 1883
Hatch Act
Progressive Era
World Wars
New Deal
Great Society
Deregulation/Devolution

6. GROWTH OVER TIME
The federal bureaucracy was small throughout much of American history. But the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society programs greatly expanded the role of the federal government. George W. Bush’s War on Terror has also expanded and redefined the role of the federal government and has necessitated the creation of new organizations, such as the Department of Homeland Security.

7. GROWTH OVER TIME
In 1789, the new government’s bureaucracy was minuscule. There were three departments – State (with 9 employees), War (with 2 employees), and Treasury (with 39 employees)
Excluding the military, approximately 2.8 million government employees constitute the federal bureaucracy.
Since 1970, this growth has been mainly at the state and local levels. If all government employees are counted, then more than 15% of all civilian employment is accounted for by government.

8. BUREAUCRACY
Public agencies that translate the intent of democratic institutions into action
Embody ALL 3 branches of gov’t
Bureaucrats:
Execute laws (E)
Rule-making/Interpretation (L)
Establish consequences (J)

9. BUREAUCRATIC INDEPENDENCE
Why do work when someone else can do it for you?
Size of federal bureaucracy
Specialization
Lack of detail in legislation

10. Intergovernmental Relations
Although the president is the chief administrator of the federal system, all bureaucratic agencies are subject to the desires of Congress for their funding, staffing, and their continued existence. Tug-of-war over control:
Executive control (dad)
Appointment
Instruction for execution
Budget authority
Legislative control (mom)
Create agencies
Set up legislation to implement policy
Oversight power

11. BUREAUCRATIC INDEPENDENCE
Administrative Discretion
This refers to the degree of autonomy enjoyed by agency officials to establish policies or take actions independent of congressional or presidential directive.

12. IRON TRIANGLE
An iron triangle is an alliance of people from three groups: a congressional subcommittee that deals with an issue, the executive agency that enforces laws on that issue, and private interest groups. Often, the members of the triangle know each other well, and people frequently move from one corner of the triangle to another. The members of the iron triangle work together to create policy that serves their interests.

14. Example: An iron triangle might form around a particular weapons system. The Defense Department may want a new weapons system, members of congressional Armed Services Committees may want to look tough on defense by voting for a new system, and military suppliers want to make money by selling weapons systems. Therefore, it is in the interests of all three parties to push Congress to authorize the new weapons system.

16. ISSUE NETWORKS
Today, policymaking typically involves a complex attempt to balance many conflicting demands. Many scholars now use the term “issue network” to describe the policymaking process instead of “iron triangles.”
An issue network consists of a group of individuals or organizations that support a particular policy position on the environment, taxation, consumer safety, or some other issue.
Typically, an issue network includes legislators and or their staff members, interest groups, bureaucrats, scholars, and other experts, and representatives from the media.
Members of a particular issue network work together to influence the president, members of Congress, administrative agencies, and the courts to change public policy on a specific issue.

17. BREAKDOWN Congress writes a law, President signs
Implementation responsibility of bureaucratic agency or new agency
Congress determines preliminary BUDGET
President APPOINTS top of agency; SENATE CONSENT
Rest hired based on civil service exam
Bureaucrats determine best way to implement law, spend money, and judge punishment

18. TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS
There are five types of organizations in the federal bureaucracy:
Cabinet departments
Independent executive agencies
Independent regulatory agencies
Government corporations
Presidential commissions

20. 1. Negotiates treaties; develops foreign policy; protects citizens abroad
2. Supervises federally owned lands and parks; supervises Native American affairs
3. Pays all federal bills; borrows money; collects federal taxes
4. Furnishes legal advice to the president; enforces federal criminal laws
5. Deals with the nation’s housing needs
6. Finances improvements in mass transit
7. Involved in conservation of energy and resources
8. Manages the armed forces; operates military bases
9. Provides assistance to farmers and ranchers; works to protect forests from fire and disease
10. Grants patents and trademarks; conducts the census
11. Administers federal labor laws
12. Promotes the welfare of veterans
13. Prevent terrorist attacks within the US
14. Coordinates federal programs and policies for education
15. Administers the Social Security and Medicare programs

21. TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS
Independent Executive Agencies
Lie outside the jurisdiction of the cabinet departments
Perform service, do NOT regulate
Heads serve at Presidents will
Independent Regulatory Commission/Agency
Responsible for some sector of the economy, making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest
Serve for fixed terms
Government Corporations
Gov’t-owned enterprises that provide some service for a fee or engage in commercial activity

22. WHY INDEPENDENT?
Some "independent agencies" just don't fit under one of the large executive departments. But others were made independent because Congress wanted to protect them from political manipulation. In particular, Congress wanted to make sure that future presidents could not administer an agency in ways contrary to Congress's intentions in creating the agency.

23. GOVERNMENT CORPORATION

24. Independent REGULATORY

25. Independent EXECUTIVE
National Science Foundation NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) …that’s all I have to say about that.

26. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION: GOOD OR BAD?
CONSERVATIVES
Gov’t regulation stifles economic development
Costly, forces businesses to raise prices = less competitive in world market
Inhibits innovation
Solution: DEREGULATION
LIBERALS
Regulation needed to maintain economic, social, environmental health
Consequences of deregulation: exploitation of workers and consumers
Businesses will NOT self-regulate

27. Privatization occurs when private companies perform services that were formerly handled by a government agency. For example, the government may abolish public housing and instead give rental vouchers to residents to use in privately owned apartments. Supporters of privatization argue that private profit-driven organizations are more efficient than government bureaucracies because companies have strong incentives to be as efficient as possible. Privatization has been somewhat successful, particularly for services provided by local governments (such as trash collection). Some services do not translate well from public to private, however, and some—such as national defense—cannot be transferred to private firms at all.