Bureaucracy Chapter 8 2 Executive Branch at Work

Bureaucracy Chapter 8. 2 Executive Branch at Work

Bureaucracy • What is a bureaucracy? – Large, complex organization of appointed, not elected, officials. – “bureau” – French for small desks, • referring to the king’s traveling business men who set up small desks in town squares • Thus, bureaucracy = “government of small desks”

Who are bureaucrats? • 1 out of 100 Americans work for government bureaucracy • Examples • US Postal Service (USPS) • Amtrak (METRO) • Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

What do bureaucrats do? • They assist the President. – Give him advice about their specialties. • Example: AMTRAK – Advise POTUS to get law passed saying you can’t carry a gun on a bus. – Help carry out the rules and regulations in their fields. • Example: Take away your bus pass.

Accountability • Bureaucracy is controlled by the US government • Congress – appropriates money to individual bureaucracies • President – Appoints leaders to head of bureaucracies • Hopefully the best person gets put in place. • What if the POTUS wanted to hire his friend?

How did bureaucracies start? • 1829 POTUS Andrew Jackson’s “Spoils System” – Since you won the election, you get to pick your friends to be head of bureaucracies! • “To the victors go the spoils” • Lasted until 1883 – Pendleton Civil Service Act • Created in response to criticism of spoils system • Must take test to see who is qualified for jobs. – Called the merit system. » Police men » Fire men » Teachers

Modern Bureaucracy • 1932 -1945 – FDR’s New Deal • increased government programs and gov’t work – Established over 25 million government jobs over 12 years! • Closest to socialism we ever came. – Will Obama take us farther?

Why are bureaucracies bad? House and Senate agricultural subcommittees Tobacco farmer interest groups (tobacco lobby) Department of Agriculture Congressional Committee = sympathetic to tobacco, receive campaign funds and support from tobacco interest groups; make weak laws on tobacco. Dept. Of Agriculture executes laws sympathetic to tobacco -COMMON INTEREST – Keep tobacco alive = keep their jobs alive

Criticism of Bureaucracy • “Red tape” inefficiences – maze of rules, regulations, and paperwork that makes bureaucracy overwhelming to citizens • • Bureau of Motor Vehicles Social Security Medicare and Medicaid Financial Aid (FAFSA) • Unchecked growth – agencies expand unnecessarily at high costs • Private Health Care Insurance – Price increase of 300% in last 2 decades! • Lack of accountability – difficult in firing an incompetent bureaucrat – Difficult to close down/change a bad bureaucracy • Private Health Care to Public Health Care