Modern Bureaucracy Part 1 PDF

General Types of Agencies (1) Cabinet departments (2) government corporations (3) independent agencies (4) regulatory commissions. intro It is estimated that there are 1,149 civilian agencies (these includes separate governmental a...

General Types of Agencies (1) Cabinet departments (2) government corporations (3) independent agencies (4) regulatory commissions. intro It is estimated that there are 1,149 civilian agencies (these includes separate governmental agencies, commissions, and departments) A distinctive feature of the executive bureaucracy is its traditional division into areas of specialization after: A distinctive feature of the executive bureaucracy is its traditional division into areas of specialization. It is not unusual, however, for more than one agency to be involved in a particular issue or for one agency to be involved in myriad issues G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 1 of 10  The Cabinet Departments The fifteen Cabinet departments are major administrative units that have responsibility for conducting a broad area of government operations intro after: Departmental status usually indicates a permanent national interest in a particular governmental function, such as defense, commerce, or agriculture. Cabinet departments account for about 60 percent of the federal workforce G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 2 of 10  The Cabinet Departments The secretaries are responsible for establishing their department’s general policy and overseeing its operations. intro The executive branch departments are headed by Cabinet members called secretaries (except the Department of Justice, which is headed by the attorney general) after: ,Cabinet secretaries are responsible directly to the president but are often viewed as having two masters—the president and those affected by their department. Cabinet secretaries also are tied to Congress, from which they get their appropriations and the discretion to implement legislation and make rules and policy G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 3 of 10  The Cabinet Departments Each secretary is assisted by one or more deputies or undersecretaries,as well as by several assistant secretaries. In addition, each secretary, like the president, has numerous assistants. intro Although departments vary considerably in size, prestige, and power, they share certain features. Each department covers a broad area of responsibility generally reflected by its name. after: deputies or undersecretaries - who take part of the administrative burden off the secretary’s shoulders several assistant secretaries - who direct major programs within the department assistants - who help with planning, budgeting, personnel, legal services, public relations, and their key staff functions G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 4 of 10  The Cabinet Departments Most departments are subdivided into bureaus, divisions, sections, or other smaller units, and it is at this level that the real work of each agency is done intro after: Most departments are subdivided along functional lines, but the basis for division may be geography, work processes G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 5 of 10  The Cabinet Departments Some departments are organized to foster and promote the interests of a given clientele—that is, a specific social or economic group. Such departments are called clientele agencies. intro Departmental status generally signifies a strong permanent national interest to promote a particular function after: The Departments of Agriculture, Education, Energy, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior, are examples of clientele agencies or bureaus. The Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau is another good example of a clientele agency G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 6 of 10  Government Corporations Businesses established by Congress that perform functions that could be provided by private businesses (such as the U.S. Postal Service). intro Government corporations are the most recent addition to the bureaucracy after: The corporations are formed when the government chooses to engage in activities that primarily are commercial in nature, produce revenue, and require greater flexibility than Congress generally allows regular departments G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 7 of 10  U.S. Postal Service For example, the largest government corporation, the U.S. Postal Service—whose functions could be handled by a private corporation, such as the United Parcel Service (UPS) intro Unlike other governmental agencies, government corporations charge for their services. after: exists today to ensure delivery of mail throughout the United States at cheaper rates than those a private business might charge. G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 8 of 10  Tennessee Valley Authority It provides electricity at reduced rates to millions of Americans in the Appalachian region of the Southeast. intro after: It is generally a low-income area that had failed to attract private utility companies to provide service there. That's why it is the government that set up a corporation that would handle the electricity of that region. In cases such as the TVA, where the financial incentives for private industry to provide services are minimal, Congress often believes that it must act. G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 9 of 10  Government Corporations For example, when passenger rail service in the United States became unprofitable, Congress stepped in to create Amtrak, intro In other cases, it steps in to salvage valuable public assets. after: nationalizing the passenger-train industry to keep passenger trains running. G11 U4 L3 S2 Modern Bureaucracy Page 10 of 10