Chapter 11 Bureaucracy Bureaucracy in a Democracy Bureaucracy
Chapter 11 Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy in a Democracy
Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats • Bureaucracy: a complex structure of departments, tasks, rules, and principles of organization used by large public and private institutions to coordinate work. – Includes structure, procedures, workers, services, and other deliverables associated with implementing policies • Example: colleges and universities
Bureaucracy in a Democracy
Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats • The size of the federal service – Federal bureaucracy shrunk over last 35 years – 1968: 3 m civilians, 3. 6 m military – 2008: 2. 7 m civilians, 1. 4 m military
Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats The size of the federal service
Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats Despite population growth, percent GDP spending has remained constant.
Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats • Implementation: department and agency efforts to translate laws into specific bureaucratic rules and actions • Making rules – The rule-making process is highly political. – Agencies must submit rules to the public in advance to obtain feedback during a comments period. • During this period, opponents can wage PR wars to have the proposal withdrawn.
Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats • The civil service – Spoils system: prior to the 1880 s, most federal jobs were given to political supporters of various officials until the next election. • Virtually no central bureaucracy at this time. • Most jobs were with the Post Office or the courts. • Simple jobs, often used to reward political supporters
Organization of the Executive Branch • The executive branch is divided into departments, each headed by a secretary and a wide array of deputies, assistant secretaries, and undersecretaries.
Organization of the Executive Branch • The basic operational unit is the agency. – Sometimes called a bureau, service, or administration – Examples: • Federal Bureau of Investigation (Justice) • Secret Service (Homeland Security) • Food and Drug Administration (Health and Human Services)
Organization of the Executive Branch • Independent agencies – Treated like any other bureaucratic agency, but exist outside the current departmental system – Usually have sweeping mandates • CIA, EPA, NASA
Organization of the Executive Branch • Government corporations – Provide public services and, while chartered by the U. S. government, are highly independent – Examples: • Amtrak • United States Postal Service • Corporation for Public Broadcasting • Tennessee Valley Authority • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Organization of the Executive Branch • Independent regulatory commissions – Highly specialized rule-making bodies that are supposed to be insulated from politics – Typically overseen by a board of commissioners appointed for fixed terms
Promoting the Public Welfare • Many agencies are concerned with the general well-being of Americans, often with a special focus on the most needy. • Examples: – – Housing and Urban Development Health and Human Services Veterans Affairs Interior, Education, Labor, and Agriculture
Organizational Chart of the Department of Agriculture
Promoting the Public Welfare • Monitoring and regulation – EPA works to keep clean air and water. – OSHA works to maintain safe workplaces.
Promoting the Public Welfare • Iron triangles – Beneficiaries who can link into interest groups have a better time of seeing their programs grow. • Elderly, through AARP—Social Security • Veterans, through the VFW—Veterans benefits • Children, via farm groups—WIC & SNAP (food stamps) – The poor generally have no interest group.
Iron Triangles
Iron Triangles
Iron Triangles
Iron Triangles
Maintaining a Strong Economy • Monetary and fiscal agencies • Fiscal policy: the government’s use of taxation, monetary, and spending powers to manipulate the economy.
Maintaining a Strong Economy • The Federal Reserve Bank: “the Fed” – Every night, some banks will have surplus money, and some will need to borrow. – The Fed determines the lending rate between banks, which influences the rates they charge to borrowers. – This helps determine how much money is in the economy by making borrowing easier or more expensive.
Maintaining a Strong Economy
Providing National Security • Agencies for internal security – In 2002, Congress created the Department of Homeland Security, a massive restructuring of the U. S. national security bureaucracy. • Security, immigration services and enforcement, privacy law, transportation, and intelligence elements are linked in different ways within this agency.
Providing National Security • USA PATRIOT Act (2001) – Made it much easier for law enforcement agents to search phone, email, medical, and financial records of terrorism suspects – Easier to detain and deport foreigners
Providing National Security
Providing National Security
Providing National Security • External national security • Department of State – Employs diplomacy to make friends and marginalize enemies abroad • Department of Defense – Unified under the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a civilian secretary
Providing National Security • National security and democracy – How do we balance individual liberty with national security concerns? – How do we balance state secrets with an open society?
Managing the Bureaucracy • The managerial presidency – Presidents have vast authority over budgeting. – Nominate top officials in every department – Have tremendous influence over the policies agencies propose and follow • Difficult to displace agency cultures; civil servants cannot be fired
The President as Chief Executive Can Direct Agencies
Managing the Bureaucracy • Congressional oversight – Committees are expected to oversee the executive branch agencies in their purview. • Often oversight is partisan • Can be effective in bringing issues to the public’s attention • Iron triangles: members of Congress can be too supportive of agencies to be critical of them.
Public Opinion Poll Do you generally approve or disapprove of the way the federal bureaucracy is handling its job? a) Approve b) Disapprove
Public Opinion Poll The U. S. military is a huge and very expensive bureaucracy. As far as you can tell, is it an effective and efficient bureaucracy? a) b) c) d) Yes, it is an effective and efficient bureaucracy. No, the military is neither effective nor efficient. It is effective, but not efficient. It is not effective, but it is efficient.
Public Opinion Poll Do online service options make bureaucracies better at their core business (whether it is driver licenses, class registration, or looking up information from library websites)? a) b) c) Yes, online services make bureaucracy work better. No, online services make bureaucracy worse. It makes no difference.
Public Opinion Poll Why do you think most Americans have a negative view of the federal bureaucracy? a) Negative personal experiences (long lines, poor service, etc. ) b) Opinions that the public costs exceed the benefits c) Both A and B d) Disagree with premise that most Americans have negative views of the bureaucracy
Public Opinion Poll The size of the bureaucracy has consistently shrunk over the last 30 years. Federal jobs have been phased out, or outsourced to private sector contractors. Who should be credited or blamed (whatever your point of view) for the smaller size of government? a) b) c) Presidents Congress Both A and B
Chapter 11: Bureaucracy • Quizzes • Flashcards • Outlines • Exercises wwnorton. com/we-the-people
- Slides: 40