Executive Branch Bureaucracy PDF

Bureaucracy Bureaucracy ▫ A systematic structure that handles the everyday business of an organization ▫ The United States’ federal government is the largest organization in the country. ▫ Organized into… ▪ Departments ▪ Agencies ▪ Boards ▪ Commissions ▪ Corporations ▪ Advisor...

Bureaucracy Bureaucracy ▫ A systematic structure that handles the everyday business of an organization ▫ The United States’ federal government is the largest organization in the country. ▫ Organized into… ▪ Departments ▪ Agencies ▪ Boards ▪ Commissions ▪ Corporations ▪ Advisory committees Bureaucracy Why have a bureaucracy? ▫ Efficient: ▪ clear chain of command, one person is boss with final decision ▫ Effective: ▪ set procedures and rules, specific functions, defined responsibilities Bureaucracy ▫ In 2022, around 19.23 million were working for state and local governments in the United States. ▫ Federal government (civilian) employees: 2.87 million Civil Service ▫ The civil service primarily uses a merit system that prioritizes hiring and promotion based on professionalism, specialization, and neutrality, as opposed to political patronage, whereby bureaucratic jobs are politically appointed. Responsibilities ▫ Writing and enforcing regulations ▪ Regulations are based on laws passed by Congress. ▪ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets clean air standards, labels on food, emissions of cars, etc. ▫ Issuing fines ▪ Result of non-compliance with regulations or laws. Serve as a deterrent and a means of enforcing compliance. Responsibilities ▫ Testifying before Congress ▪ Bureaucrats often testify before Congress to provide information on the implementation of laws and regulations. ▪ This testimony can influence future legislation and policy decisions. Iron Triangles ▫ alliances of congressiona l committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that are prominent in specific Issue Networks ▫ temporary coalitions that form to promote a common issue or agenda The Cabinet ▫ An informal advisory committee consisting of the heads of the 15 cabinet departments. ▫ The President appoints the heads of the 15 cabinet departments, and the Senate approves the nominations ▫ Cabinet members have two main duties: ▪ 1) function as the administrative head of one of the executive cabinet departments ▪ 2) together they serve as the primary advisors to the President. The Cabinet Department of State (1789) ▫ Secretary of State ▪ Implements foreign policy ▪ Staffs embassies (offices of ambassadors in foreign countries) ▪ Represents the U.S. at United Nations The Cabinet Department of Treasury (1789) ▫ Secretary of Treasury ▪ Manages the nation’s money ▪ Collect and oversee taxes ▪ Borrow and print money The Cabinet Department of Interior (1849) ▫ Protect public parks and land ▫ DNR (Department of Natural Resources) ▫ Native American Programs The Cabinet Department of Agriculture (1862) ▫ Help farmers (subsidies) ▫ Food stamps/EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) ▫ School lunch program The Cabinet Department of Justice (1870) ▫ Attorney General ▪ Attorney for U.S. ▪ Run FBI, maintain federal prisons ▪ Investigate federal law violations The Cabinet Department of Commerce (1903) ▫ Business in U.S. and abroad ▫ Census ▫ Weather service, patents, weights, measures ▫ Tide and current report The Cabinet Department of Labor (1913) ▫ Protect American workers ▪ Minimum wage ▪ Unemployment ▪ Job training The Cabinet Department of Defense (1947) ▫ Secretary of Defense ▪ Manage armed forces ▪ Maintain forts, bases, harbors ▪ Conduct military intelligence The Cabinet Department of Health and Human Services (1953) ▫ Implements national health policy ▫ Social Security and Medicare ▫ Food, drug and Cosmetics laws (works with FDA) The Cabinet Department of Housing and Urban Development (1965) ▫ Public housing ▫ Ensures equal housing ▫ Improves roads, sewers The Cabinet Department of Transportation (1967) ▫ Interstates ▫ Railroads ▫ Airports ▫ Mass transit regulation ▫ Safety standards The Cabinet Department of Energy (1977) ▫ Plans energy policy ▪ Gas and electric sales ▪ Conservation programs The Cabinet Department of Education (1979) ▫ Federal assistance programs for schools ▫ College grants and loans ▫ NCLB and Race to the Top The Cabinet Department of Veteran Affairs (1989) ▫ Benefits ▫ Hospital care ▫ Education for veterans and their families The Cabinet Department of Homeland Security (2002) ▫ Controls border patrol (immigration) ▫ Coast Guard ▫ Disaster Relief (FEMA) ▫ Secret Service ▫ Works with FBI and CIA President’s difficulty in controlling the cabinet ▫ Although appointed by the president, Cabinet members loyalists become divided: the President and their executive departments ▫ The President’s goals could conflict with agency goals dampening cabinet member’s influence on the president President’s difficulty in controlling the cabinet ▫ Agencies often have political support from interest groups ▫ Agency staff often have information and technical expertise that the President and presidential advisers lack ▫ Civil servants who remain in their jobs through changes of administration develop loyalties to their agencies ▫ Congress is a competitor for influence over the bureaucracy Independent Regulatory Agencies/Commissions ▫ Federal organizations created by Congress ▫ These agencies are created to… ▪ regulate certain aspects of the nation’s economy ▪ exercise authority over certain aspects of activity to protect consumers. ▪ regulating certain industries to protect the public interest ▫ These agencies act as ‘watchdogs’. Independent Regulatory Agencies/Commissions Different From the Cabinet: ▫ Independent from the three branches of government ▫ Tend to be freer from presidential control than cabinet departments. ▫ The President can dismiss cabinet officers, but not commissioners of independent regulatory agencies. Independent Regulatory Agencies Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ▫ Protects people and the environment from significant health risks, ▫ sponsors and conducts research, and ▫ develops and enforces environmental regulations. Independent Regulatory Agencies Federal Elections Commission (FEC) ▫ Enforces federal campaign finance laws, including ▪ monitoring donation prohibitions, and ▪ limits and oversees public funding for presidential Independent Regulatory Agencies Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ▫ oversees … ▪ securities exchanges, ▪ securities brokers and dealers, ▪ investment advisors, and ▪ mutual funds ▫ Promote fair dealing, ▫ Disclosure of important market information, and to ▫ Prevent fraud.  Bureaucracy: Independent regulatory agencies ▫ Army Corps of Engineers ▫ Federal Deposit Insurance Commission ▫ Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (FDIC) (ATF) ▫ Federal Election Commission (FEC) ▫ Commodity Futures Trading Commission ▫ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (CFTC) (FERC) ▫ Consumer Product Safety Commission ▫ Federal Highway Administration (FHA) ▫ Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ▫ Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) ▫ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ▫ Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) ▫ Employment and Training Administration ▫ Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (ETA) ▫ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ▫ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ▫ Office of Energy & Renewable Energy ▫ Equal Employment Opportunity ▫ United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (EEOC) Commission (NRC) ▫ Farm Credit Administration (FCA) ▫ United States Securities & Exchange ▫ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Commission (SEC) ▫ Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Bureaucratic Rule Making ▫ The policy-making process for Executive and Independent agencies ▫ Develop regulations ▫ Example: ▪ The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) writing a regulation to support a clean water bill Regulatory Policy ▫ Restrictions governments impose on businesses to help create a fair and efficient market ▫ Example: ▪ A policy that sets emission standards for automobiles Bureaucrats’ Advantage ▫ An advantage that bureaucrats in federal government have over the President in the policymaking process is that bureaucrats usually have a continuity of service in the executive branch that the President lacks ▫ The more knowledgeable in the topic = they can defend with facts = increased potential of bill passage. Bureaucracy Government Corporations ▫ Created by Congress ▫ Perform the business of the federal government ▪ operate much like a regular corporation operates. ▫ They charge fees and compete with private businesses. ▫ Government corporations are run by a board of directors and have a general manager who directs the day-to-day operations, as directed by the board of directors. ▫ Congress decides the purpose for each and the functions that the government corporation can Bureaucracy: Government Corporations Independent Executive Agencies ▫ Organized much like the Cabinet departments but are not part of the President’s Cabinet. ▫ They are given extremely important public tasks to perform, such as NASA. ▫ They range in size; some of the smaller executive agencies include: The Civil Rights Commission and The National Transportation and Congressional Oversight ▫ The power of Congress to exercise some control over executive agencies ▫ Check of executive authorization and appropriation (overstepping power) ▪ Review, monitoring, and supervision of bureaucratic agencies ▪ Investigation and committee hearings of bureaucratic activity ▪ Power of the purse ▪ Controls and reviews the annual budgets Compliance Monitoring ▫ Continuously assessing whether an organization is adhering to regulatory requirements, including internal policies and specific industry standards. ▪ Funds are being used properly ▪ Regulations are being followed ▫ Can pose a challenge to policy implementation.