Bureaucracy Notes PDF

BUREAUCRACY (Structure of the Executive Branch) guided notes Objectives: 1. Assess the roles of the Cabinet and the heads of the executive departments. 2. Explain the relationship between the President and his Cabinet. 3. Identify key roles in the White House Staff....

BUREAUCRACY (Structure of the Executive Branch) guided notes Objectives: 1. Assess the roles of the Cabinet and the heads of the executive departments. 2. Explain the relationship between the President and his Cabinet. 3. Identify key roles in the White House Staff. 4. Describe the organization of the bureaucracy Explain how the executive branch is like an iceberg. BUREAUCRACY- The government organizations, usually staffed with officials selected on the basis of experience and expertise, that implement public policy Literally means “rule by desk” Hierarchical organization into specialized staffs Free of political ACCOUNTABILITY (non-partisan) – Still affected by Congressional budget and oversight HIRED ON “MERIT SYSTEM”-Hiring based on testing and qualifications! This reduces PATRONAGE and ensures EXPERTISE Criticisms of the MERIT SYSTEM: Civil service rules that are meant to protect workers from partisan politics have made it difficult to fire anyone for poor performance. Once a person is employed there are no requirements that he or she be held accountable for their work. Since they no longer lose their jobs when a new President takes office, some criticize that they become complacent and inflexible. What does the bureaucracy do? – From protecting the environment to collecting revenue to regulating the economy – American bureaucracies implement a $3 trillion budget – Vague lines of authority allow some areas of the bureaucracy to operate with a significant amount of autonomy. Very complex for complex public policy problems! Functions of the Federal Bureaucracy 1. Maintain order and safety - protects the US from foreign and domestic violence, as well as disasters at home (ex: DoD, Dept of Homeland Security, Secret Service, FEMA) Implementation of laws 2. Enforcement- carry out laws of Congress, executive orders of the President 3. Regulation - issue rules and regulations that impact the public (ex: EPA sets clean air standards) a. MAIN SOURCE OF POWER!! b. Called BUREAUCRATIC RULE-MAKING- guidelines issued by government agencies, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented. i. Why might Congress give federal agencies policy-making discretion (BUREAUCRATIC RULE MAKING) in executing federal law? 1. Congress lacks expertise/agencies have expertise. 2. Congress does not want to be blamed for bad policy. 3. Time-consuming. 4. Easier to come to agreement. 5. More efficient. c. Concerns with doing so: i. Separation of powers ii. LEGISLATIVE INTENT- the intent on how a law should be implemented. 1. Sometimes, this might not be clear, and the bureaucratic agency may implement the law differently than Congress wants.  Watch the video: What are two ways Congress can ensure “legislative intent?” ORGANIZATION OF THE BUREAUCRACY CLOSEST TO THE PRESIDENT President and White House Staff Work directly with the President and his closest advisors. ○ Very loyal and main goal is to carry out President’s agenda. ○ DO NOT require Senate approval The Federal Bureaucracy organization Consists of 1. Cabinet Departments 2. Independent Executive Agencies 3. Independent Regulatory Commissions 4. Government Corporations Based on the chart above, what checks and balances do you notice? Cabinet level departments Created by CONGRESS. Oldest: Departments of State, Treasury, and War (changed to Defense) Most recent: Department of Homeland Security after 9/11. 2. Independent Executive Agencies 🞥 Established by Congress with separate status outside the executive branch. Have a SINGLE FUNCTION!!! 🞥 Not located within any cabinet department, but report directly to the PRESIDENT 🞥 This gives it some INDEPENDENCE from a department that may be hostile to the creation of the agency 🞥 Secretary of the Interior vs. Environmental Protection Agency 🞥 Some examples include: Social Security Administration, CIA, NASA, EPA. 3. Independent Regulatory Commissions IRCs exist to regulate a specific economic activity or interest such as the Federal Communications Commission (public air waves) or Federal Reserve Board (banking system, money supply) Make and implement rules and regulations in a particular sector of the economy to protect the public interest – Congress unable to handle complexities and technicalities required to carry out specific laws Are they truly independent? – Suppose to work for public interest, but industries can “capture” them (ICC)  Leads to pro-business, rather than pro-consumer, behavior Examples: Federal Reserve Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission 4. Government Corporations 🞥 Government owned businesses created by Congress 🞥 May or may not be profitable, but serve a public need 🞥 Ex: U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, Tennessee Valley Authority, Corporation for Public Broadcasting