pearson education, inc., longman © 2006 chapter 11 the federal bureaucracy american government:...

Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2006

Chapter 11

The Federal Bureaucracy

American Government:

Policy & Politics, Eighth Edition

TANNAHILL


In This Chapter We Will Cover:

• Organization of the bureaucracy

• Personnel

• Rulemaking

• Politics and administration

• Subgovernments and issue networks


Organization of the Bureaucracy

• Cabinet Department

– Major administrative units of the federal government that have responsibility for the conduct of a wide range of government operations. With the addition of The Department of Homeland Security there are now 15 cabinet departments.


Cabinet Departments

• Homeland Security

• State• Defense• Treasury• Justice• Interior• Agriculture• Commerce

• Labor• Housing and Urban

Development• Transportation• Energy• Health and Human

Services• Education• Veterans’ Affairs



• Independent Executive Agencies

– These agencies are not part of any of cabinet-level departments. Examples include the Peace Corps, NASA, the CIA, the EPA, the Social Security Administration, and the FCC.



• Government Corporations

– These are organizationally similar to private corporations but they are owned by government. Examples include the Postal Service, AMTRAK, FDIC, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.



• Foundations and Institutes

– They administer grant programs to local governments, universities, nonprofit institutions, and individuals for research in the natural and social sciences or to promote the arts. Examples include the NSF and the NEA.



• Independent Regulatory Commissions

– This is an agency outside the major executive departments that is charged with the regulation of important aspects of the economy. Examples include the FTC, the FCC, the SEC, and the EEOC.


Personnel

• Size

– Today the federal bureaucracy is the largest civilian workforce in the western world, with 2.7 million employees.


Federal Civilian Employment, 1991-2002


Personnel

• Employment Practices

– Spoils system• Hiring from friends, relatives, and

supporters

– Hatch Act• Intended to limit the political activities of

federal employees


Rulemaking

• The regulatory process used by government agencies to enact legally binding regulations– A rule is a legally binding regulation.– Regulatory negotiation is a structured

process for those affected by a proposed regulation to negotiate the terms of the rule.


Politics and Administration

• The President– Presidents face a continuous struggle to have a

major impact on bureaucratic policymaking. The federal bureaucracy is too large and spread out for easy oversight.

• Congress– Congress has legal authority to oversee the

federal bureaucracy. Congress can abolish or reorganize agencies, increase or decrease their funding.


Politics and Administration

• Interest Groups– Every agency has interest groups concerned with

the programs it administers. Department heads devote considerable time dealing with interest group concerns.

• Bureaucrats– Federal employees are primarily concerned with

their own jobs in their own departments in their own agencies.


Subgovernments and Issue Networks

• A Subgovernment or Iron Triangle is a cozy, three-sided relationship among government agencies, interest groups, and key members of Congress in which all parties benefit.


Subgovernments and Issue Networks

• Issue Networks are groups of political actors that are actively involved with policy-making in a particular issue area. They can include technical specialists, members of Congress, journalists, the president, interest groups, bureaucrats, academic experts, and individual political activists.


Concluding Review Questions

• What are the major types of units in the executive branch of the federal government?

• What are the major types of units in the executive branch of the federal government?

• What criteria do presidents use in selecting the heads of cabinet departments?


Concluding Review Questions

• What is the policymaking role of the cabinet?

• How do independent regulatory commissions differ from other government agencies?

• How large is the federal bureaucracy? Why is that somewhat difficult to answer?

pearson education, inc., longman © 2006 chapter 11 the federal bureaucracy american government:...

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