The Bureaucracy

The Bureaucracy

• Responsible for implementing federal government policy on a day-to-day basis.

• 

  The study of bureaucracy began with German sociologist Max Weber in the late 19th century.

  • Hierarchical organization.

  • Use of specialization and division of labor.

  • Decisionmaking guided by explicit rules.

  • Merit-based hiring and promotion.

• Goal: neutral competence.

Hierarchy and Specialization

History of the Federal Bureaucracy

• Early United States (through 1820s) — few government jobs.

• 

  Jacksonian era (1830s–50s) — the height of patronage and the spoils system.

• Many appointees were unqualified; their main “qualification” was supporting the president's party.

Ending the Spoils System

• Pressure for reform after the Civil War:

  • 

    Assassination of Pres. Garfield by a disgruntled office-seeker in 1881.

  • Pendleton Act (1883) — established civil service system, gradually.

  • Hatch Act (1939) — limits political activity by civil service employees.

• Most senior positions still political appointees.

Cabinet Departments

• 15 cabinet departments

  

  • Headed by cabinet secretaries (except attorney general, who heads Department of Justice).

  • Some serve a particular clientele group; e.g. Agriculture, Education, Veterans Affairs.

  • Most recent reorganization created the Department of Homeland Security in 2002.

Independent Agencies

Government agencies that are established outside of cabinet departments:

• 

  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• Social Security Administration (SSA)

Independent Regulatory Commissions/Boards

Federal government agencies that are more independent of presidential control and are responsible for regulating particular economic activities.

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

Government Corporations

Around two dozen government corporations, including:

• 

  Corporation for National and Community Service (Americorps)

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

• National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

The “Shadow Bureaucracy”

Many non-federal employees work on behalf of the federal government, but don't show up in the employee counts.

• State and local government employees often responsible for federal government programs

• Outsourcing

  • Nonprofit organizations

  • Private contractors

Managing the Bureaucracy

• Who's the boss? The challenge of accountability.

  • The president and appointed executive branch officials

  • Congress

  • Citizens

The Bureaucratic “Glass Ceiling”

• 

  Appointed officials: often are inexperienced, non-experts, particularly those in less visible positions.

• Civil service employees: low prestige jobs; limited opportunities for advancement.

Problems of the Bureaucracy

• Changes in internal procedures tend to be slow.

• Expansionary tendencies.

• Difficult to measure performance.

• Open-ended tasks and mandates.

• “Red tape” — emphasis on fairness and equal treatment often leads to unresponsiveness.

• Agency cautiousness; few incentives for innovation.

Agency Capture

Government agencies often regulate in the interest of the regulated, rather than the broader public interest.

• 

  Formation of iron triangles.

• More modern concept: issue networks involving many actors.

• Example: the Materials Management Service (MMS) and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

Congress and the Bureaucracy

• Senior appointed officials require Senate confirmation.

• Agency organization is set by law.

• Structure and functions determined politically or ad hoc (e.g. DHS).

• Law limits agency discretion.

• Appropriations process limits agency spending.

• Oversight by congressional committees.

Other influences

• Judicial review of agency actions.

• Public opinion and electoral politics.

• Interest groups: alliances with organized interests in shared policy areas.

The Bureaucracy and the Public

Bureaucrats are required to be responsive to the public interest in a number of ways.

• Use of citizen advisory councils.

• Sunshine laws require policymakers to hold public meetings.

• The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

• The Privacy Act of 1974.

Implementing Policy

The breaucracy is responsible for carrying out laws and making/enforcing regulations with the force of law.

• Regulatory power subject to the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946.

• Proposed regulations are subject to public comment — www.regulations.gov.

• Congress can block regulations or agency decisions by withholding funding.

• Also subject to judicial review.