Chapter 13 THE BUREAUCRACY DEFINITION A systematic way

Chapter 13 THE BUREAUCRACY

DEFINITION �A systematic way of organizing a complex and large administrative structure � Responsible for carrying out the day-to-day tasks of the organization � The federal bureaucracy is the largest in the US Approximately 3. 2 million civilian employees � Approximately 1. 8 million military �

� Max Weber (GER – early 20 th) created the concept � Said it was a “rational” way for modern society to organize business � Said it has several characteristics: � Hierarchical structure � Task specialization � Clearly defined goals � Merit principle � Impersonality (performance judged by productivity)

� American bureaucracy has several characteristics that distinguish it from others: � 1) divided supervision � Congress has power to create and destroy � Most under control of president � Both Congress and the prez have authority over the bureaucracy � To make it more complicated, many agencies have counterparts at the state and local level

� 2) close public scrutiny � US agencies open to more scrutiny than in other countries � This means that people challenge these agencies in court often. � 3) regulation rather than private ownership � US gov’t agencies regulate privately owned enterprises � Does not operate publicly owned ones like many other countries

GROWTH OF THE BUREAUCRACY Constitution does not mention department or bureaus � Began when Congress created a Department of State (1789) to assist Thomas Jefferson � Until 1829, bureaucrats came from upper-class, white males � 1829 – Andrew Jackson began the “spoils system” to reward supporters with gov’t jobs. �

� This meant they were loyal to him � Also meant there would be a turnover of jobs with each new president. � 1881 – Pendleton Act � Spoils system began to be criticized � People were being hired with no experience � Presidents accused of “selling” positions � After Garfield was killed by a disappointed office seeker, the act was passed � It set up a merit system for appointing federal offices

Office of Personnel Management � Federal service was put under the Civil Service Commission � Supervised the testing of candidates � Only covered about 10% of employees to begin with � By 1950’s – 90% � 1978 � 1) – CSC was split into two new agencies: Office of Personnel Management � Administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations � Administers written exams for the competitive service

� In charge of hiring for most agencies � When a position opens, the OPM sends three eligible names to the agency, they must hire one � The person is assigned a GS Rating (General Schedule ranging from 1 to 18 which determines pay � At the top is the Senior Executive Service (highest salaries) who may be moved from one agency to another � 2) Merit Systems Protection Board � Protects the integrity of the system and rights of employees � Hears charges of wrongdoing � Orders disciplinary action

� Bureaucracy IRS building in DC grew greatly because of the New Deal and WWII � Number of bureaucrats had remained pretty stable since then � State and local bureaucracies have grown greatly however � Due FBI building in DC to the fact that many federal programs are now administered at the lower levels of gov’t

STATS ON THE CRATS � Bureaucrats are part of the executive branch in one of the 15 cabinet departments and over 50 independent agencies � Including about 2, 000 bureaus, offices, services, etc. � Five largest employers: � 1) Army � 2) Navy � 3) Air Force � 4) Veterans Affairs � 5) USPS Pentagon

� It is a good cross-section of America: 57% male, 43% female � 73% white, 27% minorities � Only 10% work in DC � Average is 42 � Most are white-collar workers: secretaries, clerks, lawyers, inspectors and engineers � Almost 20, 000 work in US territories � Another 100, 000 work in foreign nations � CIA Headquarters Census Bureau

ORGANIZATION OF THE BUREAUCRACY � Cabinet Departments 15 � Each headed by Secretary (except Justice) � Chosen by prez – approved by Senate � Each have undersecretaries and assistant secretaries who manage the various agencies � Real work is done by the bureaus (aka services, offices, administrations) �

� Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (2004) � Reorganized the intelligence gathering agencies � Created the Director of National Intelligence � Put 15 agencies under his control � Including the CIA and FBI � Created � It the National Counterterrorism Center processes all terrorism-related intelligence National Counterterrorism Center US Secret Service Headquarters

� Independent Regulatory Agencies � Makes rules for large industries and businesses � Called “watchdog” agencies � Not part of a department � Not directly controlled by the President � Agencies are governed by small commissions � 5 -10 people apptd by prez – confirmed by Senate � Cannot be removed during their term � ICC, FTC, NLRB, FRB, SEC Headquarters

� Government Corporations � Blend of private corporations and gov’t agency � More freedom and flexibility � More control over their budget � Have right to decide how to use their profit/earnings � PBS, TVA, USPS, AMTRAK USPS Headquarter s AMTRAK Headquarter s

� Independent Executive Agencies � Resemble cabinet departments � But smaller and less complex � Narrower areas of responsibility � Subject to presidential control � Examples: � GSA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX – General Services Admin. – operates and maintains federal properties, supplies, purchasing � NSA - National Science Foundation – scientific research � NASA – US space program, financing ventures into space since 1958. National Science Foundation

IMPLEMENTATION � The power of the bureaucracy depends on how much discretionary authority they have � Congress passes the laws, the bureaucracy makes all the little decision that have to be made as those laws are translated into action � They “execute” the policies and laws made by the three branches Food and Drug Administration

� They create the rules and procedures � Like delivering the mail or collecting taxes � Often the laws and policies passed by Congress don’t go into great detail � So it is up to the agency & bureaucrats to put in the detail � Given a lot of power to do so DEA Headquarters

REGULATION � Regulation of the private sector began in the late 19 th century � 1877 – Munn v. Ohio – SC upheld the right of gov’t to regulate business � New Deal created more regulatory agencies as did WWII � Many business activities are regulated: � Automobile production � Buying & selling stock � Distribution of meat Census Bureau

ACCOUNTABILITY �A gov’t agency cannot hire, fire, build or sell without going through procedures set by Congress � Congress oversees the bureaucracy in several ways: � 1) Duplication � Congress rarely gives any one job to a single agency � Ex: drug trafficking (Customs Services, FBI, DEA, Border Patrol, & Defense Dept. � Pro: keeps any one agency from being too powerful � Con: often they don’t know what the other is doing

� 2) Authorization � No agency can spend money unless it has been authorized by Congress. � Congress authorizes and appropriates the maximum amount that may be spent on any program � Money authorized is usually greater than money appropriated

� 3) Hearings � Congressional committees may hold hearings as part of their oversight responsibilities � Agency abuses may be questioned publicly � 4) Rewriting legislation � Congress may rewrite legislation to restrict the power of an agency or make it more detailed

� The president oversees the bureaucracy in several ways: � 1) Appointments � Power to appt senior bureaucrats, including agency heads and subheads � 2) Executive orders � May issue an order that an agency must obey � Typically, aides pass the word to the agency about what the president wants � They may resist, but usually don’t

� 3) Economic powers � May exercise his power through the OMB by cutting or adding to the agency budget � 4) Reorganization � May reorganize or combine agencies to reward or punish them � This power is limited – agency may be too powerful, Congress could prevent it.

THE BUREAUCRACY & INTEREST GROUPS � Interest groups have no formal control over agencies � But they have a lot of influence with some � Can provide them with valuable info � May pressure agencies to interpret policies in ways that are favorable to them � Iron Triangles = an alliance between an agency, interest group and Congressional subcommittee � Can be very powerful in getting legislation passed

� Issue Network = people in interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and the mass media who regularly debate an issue � Networks are contentious – arguments occur along partisan, ideological and economic lines

REFORMING THE BUREAUCRACY � Throughout history, attempts have been made to make it work better and cost less � Hatch Act = forbids employees from engaging in many party activities � Like running for office, campaigning, raising money, being a delegate to a convention

� 1970’s – some bureaucrats complained that it violated their 1 st amendment rights � The � 1993 Supreme Court decided that it did not – Congress lessened the restrictions but still cannot run for office

CRITICISMS OF THE BUREAUCRACY � 1) Red tape – too many gov’t rules, regulations and paperwork make the gov’t overwhelming to citizens � 2) Conflict – agencies often work at cross purposes with each other � 3) Duplication – two agencies appear to be doing the same thing

� 4) Unchecked growth – tendency of agencies to grow unnecessarily and for costs to rise � 5) Waste – spending more on products or services than is necessary � 6) Lack of accountability – the difficulty in firing or demoting an incompetent bureaucrat