The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy Chapter

The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy Chapter 9

The Bureaucracy Many Definitions - body of officials and administrators Key Factors Hierarchical chain of command Division of labor and specialization Clear lines of authority Impersonal rules and merit-based decision making

Roots and Development of Executive Branch 1789, George Washington headed a federal bureaucracy of three departments: State, War, and Treasury Government grew as needs arose. In general the government grew most during national crisis and times of war Civil War National Efforts to Regulate the Economy

Civil War and growth Department of Agriculture (1862) Pension Office (1866) (Veterans Affairs) Spoils system to Merit system

World Wars and Growth of Government Events leading to Growth of Government WWI Great Depression WWII The Great Society Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (1965) Civil Rights Act (1964) Housing and Urban Development (1964) Transportation (1965)

How it works Max Weber and model bureaucracies Chain of command, division of specialized labor, clear authority lines, goal orientation, treatment based upon merit, evaluation according to established rules Iron Triangles Issue networks Interagency councils Masking policy

Modern Bureaucracy Civil Servants approximately 2. 7 million 1/3 are postal workers Appointive policy-making positions Independent regulatory commissioners Low-level non-policy patronage positions Private contractors

Figure 9. 1: Where do federal employees work?

Figure 9. 2: What are the characteristics of federal civilian employees?

Modern Bureaucracy - public vs. private Governments exist for the public good, not for profit Government leaders are driven by the goals of reelection(accountability) while business people are out to increase their stock prices on Wall Street. Businesses get money from customers, government gets it from taxpayers To whom are bureaucrats responsible? To the president? To Congress? To the people? Fishbowl (public bureaucrats more subject to scrutiny and accountability)

Formal Organization Cabinet Department Major administrative units with responsibility for a broad area of government operation Indicates a permanent national interest Government Corporations Businesses established by Congress that perform functions that could be provided by private businesses - Amtrak, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Independent Agencies Governmental units that closely resemble a Cabinet department but have a narrower area of responsibility and are not part of any Cabinet Department CIA Independent Regulatory Commissions Agencies created by Congress to exist outside the major departments to regulate a specific economic activity or interest - Federal Reserve Board

Cabinet Departments 15 Cabinet departments are the major administrative units that have responsibility for conducting broad areas of government operation These positions account for 60% of the federal workforce Departments vary in prestige, power, size and access to the president. Each is headed by a secretary (except Justice, which is headed by the Attorney General)

Table 9. 1: What does the Federal Employees Political Activities Act of 1993 stipulate?

Figure 9. 5: How is a regulation made?

Figure 9. 4: What is an iron triangle?

Table 9. 2: How are agencies made accountable?