The Bureaucracy

Chapter 15

What are examples of

bureaucracy in your own life?

What is a Bureaucracy?

• A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials.

• The Bureaucracy puts policy through

• Authority is divided among several managers

ex. of private: McDonald’s, MTV, Mission Hills high School, Catholic Church

Government agencies: The IRS, The DMV, The Post Office, San Marcos City Council

Three Features of a Bureaucracy

• 1) Hierarchical Authority- Pyramid with a chain of command running from the top to the bottom, with the most power at the top

• 2) Job Specialization- Each person, or bureaucrat, has certain defined duties and responsibilities

• 3) Formalized Rules- Set of established regulations and procedures

*Bureaucrats are unelected public policy makers

The Bureaucracy’s Character• Political authority over the bureaucracy is not in

one set of hands- shared among several institutions

• Most bureaucratic agencies share their responsibilities with local/state gov’t– Dep’t of Education gives money to local schools– Dep’t of Housing and Urban Development gives

money to community development/improvement

The Growth of the Bureaucracy• Jefferson created state dept-• Dept heads/secretaries were to be approved by

the senate• The dept head could then chose people to work

for him that were not elected by the people or approved by the senate

• In 1861-1901, new agencies were created to handle policy– Pension office

• Independent regulatory commissions- created by Congress to regulate important aspects of the nation’s economy (SEC, The Fed, FTC)

• Commissioners serve about 5-14 years – can be fired by President

The Federal Bureaucracy Today

• No president wants to admit that he has increased the size of the bureaucracy (will state what they cut, rarely what they created)

• Approx 3 million persons in these positions- but 13 million who work indirectly for these positions– I.e., federal employment has remained the

same, employment among state and federal contractors/consultants has mushroomed

• Growth: population, technology (FCC, FAA), intern’l crisis (War on Terror), responsibility of welfare of nation, agencies fight to survive (constituents)

stop

The Bureaucrats (what do you see?

• Growth in Civilian Government Employees

Civil Service Replaces Patronage • Patronage: Job given for political reasons• Civil Service: System of hiring and promotion based on

merit and nonpartisanship (1883- Pendleton Civil Service Act- assasination of President Garfield)

• Merit Principle: Entrance exams and promotion ratings to find people with talent and skill

• Office of Personnel Management (OPM): The federal office in charge of most of the government’s hiring (since 1979)

What power does it have?

• Discretionary authority: The ability to make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws

• The power of interpretation• The power of the bureaucracy should

be measured by its discretionary power, not its size

• Ex: OHSA work regulations, drafting legislation, advice to White House, settling disputes among agencies

Figure 15.2

The Bureaucrats

• Who They Are and How They Got There– Most demographically representative part of

government– Diversity of jobs mirrors the private sector

Why is everyone so negative about it?

• Slow, can be inefficient– Red tape– Lobbying– Revolving door- who do they really work for (future

employers)– Iron triangle- the relationship between a committee,

interest group, and agency.– Client groups- diary groups and Ag Dept)– Issue network- a network of people in DC that

advocate policy• Think tanks• Interest groups• Universities• Mass media• Congressional staffs

• Very difficult to fire a bureaucrat• Too centralized, excessive regulations

Figure 15.5

Good things about the Bureaucracy

• Needed to enact policy• There are checks on the system

– Congressional oversight, media (whistleblowers), courts, confirmations/nominations

• Multiple minds = multiple ideas• Characteristic of life, not just government

(more representative of American people)• Is controlled (Hatch Act (political activity),

Freedom of Information Act (public scrutiny), hiring guidelines, size and appropriation available

Some thoughts to ponder• Laws of Bureaucracy• “When in doubt, mumble, when in trouble

delegate, when in charge, ponder”• “Never do anything for the first time”• “Expenditures rise to meet income”• “Never blame your policies, blame the person

before you”• “Bureaucracy is the art of making the

possible impossible”• “If it jams, force it. If it breaks it needed

replacement anyway.”

stop

Wrapping it up

• Review the following Pork per Capita sheet

• What does the sheet say about federal spending?

• Why is this important to the states?• How is this spending even allowed?• Explain in as much detail within your

group about what you have just reviewed.

• Website: www.cagw.com