+

CH. 15 Fed. Bureaucracy

+What is a bureaucracy?

What exactly is a bureaucracy? An organization that operates with individuals specialized in

various tasks and works with impersonality.

Example: The BMV Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Impersonality? Regardless of thoughts or feelings, all individuals are

treated the same. Focus more on procedures.

+Misconceptions

Americans dislike bureaucrats: Americans generally are satisfied with bureaucrats, not bureaucracies

Bureaucracies are growing bigger each year: Number of employees is growing, but not in the federal gov’t Mainly in local

Most federal bureaucrats are in D.C: Fewer than 1 in 5 are in D.C.

Bureaucracies are ineffective and inefficient: When they work, people love them. When they don’t, people make a scene.

+Want to become a Bureaucrat?!

Patronage: Hiring and promotions based on political affiliation. Friends with a Senator of the majority, here, have a job.

Pendleton Civil Service Act: Made hiring based on merit Evidence of your good work/ability

Hatch Act: Prohibits gov’t employees from active participation in politics while on duty.

+More Important terms

Office of Personnel: Office in charge of hiring for most agencies of the fed. Government

GS (General Schedule) rating: System of rating for salaries and experience GS 1 – GS 18

Senior Executive Service: Top 9000 federal gov’t managers at the top of the system

*Organizational Charts on Pgs. 440-441

+Important Groups

Independent Regulatory Commission: A gov’t eagency with responsibility for making/enforcing rules to protect public interest. Works within sectors of the economy and judging disputes

Ex: FRB(Federal Reserve Board): Governs banks, regulates

currency supply NLRB(National Labor Relations Board): Labor-management

disputes FCC: Licensing radio and television stations for the public

interest FTC(Fed. Trade Commission): Prevents against unfair

business practices and monopolies

+Government Corporations

Two important facts: Provide a service that could be handled by the private

sector. Typically charge for a service

Cheaper than the private sector

Example: Shipping a package through the U.S. Postal Service.

+Independent Agencies

Independent Executive Agency: Gov’t agencies that are not a part of cabinet departments

Administrators are appointed by the President Examples:

NASA National Science Foundation

+Rest Slide

+Policy Implementation

The stage between between the creation of a policy and the establishment of consequences for violating that policy

3 steps. 1. Creation of a new agency/assignment of a new

responsibility 2. Translation of policy goals into operational rules 3. Coordination of resources and employees to reach goal.

Walk through the Steps. Colorado and recreation Marijuana

+Why do programs break?

Program design: theory not made into practice Lack of clarity: too broad of a goal

Title IX pg. 444

Lack of resources: lacking staff, materials and funding Ex: lacking of funding limits Head Start’s ability to teach all

eligible children

Administrative routine: routine can help to streamline but leads to “red-tape” issues 9/11 plane hijackings

+More reasons Administrator’s disposition: use discretion to administer

a variety of responses to a single problem Street-level bureaucrats: Welfare workers, lower-court

judges.

Fragmentation: The ability to handle a problem is distributed to many organizations

+The Voting Rights of 1965

Outlawed literacy tests and other tests used to discriminate against African American registrants

Dispatched registrars to the 6 most notorious southern states to register voters. Protected by U.S. Marshalls

African American voting increased from 43% in 1965 to 66% by 1970

Example of successful policy: Clear goal(register voters), clear implementation(registrars)

and clear support(Justice Department)