Chapter 9 The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy

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Chapter 9The Executive Branch and the Federal
Bureaucracy
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To Accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, and Texas
Editions American Government Roots and Reform,
10th edition Karen OConnor and Larry J. Sabato ?
Pearson Education, 2009
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The Roots of Bureaucracy

• Foreign Affairs, War, Treasury first
  departments.
• Growth in early 1800s with Post Office.
• Andrew Jackson greatly expanded appointments
• Patronage and the spoils system become common.
• Payback to political supporters is the norm
• Civil War spawns another expansion.
• New agencies were needed during and after the war

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The Roots of Bureaucracy

• Assassination of President Garfield meant
  changes
• Assassin was expecting an appointment
• Pendleton Act is beginning of civil service
  system.
• Also known as merit system, based on
  qualifications
• Creation of independent regulatory commissions
  after problems with railroad expansion
• Appointed by president, but not subject to his
  will

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Twentieth-Century Bureaucracy

• Growing number of cabinet departments.
• Labor and Commerce were split
• Need for a larger government to support wars.
• Expansion after income tax enacted
• New Deal and Great Society were major expansions
• Government is used to handle additional growth
  and changes in economy and society

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AV- Growth of Government
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Modern Bureaucracy

• More than 2.7 million employees.
• Most are selected based on merit.
• These continue despite party in power
• Also have high-level political appointees.
• Mostly at the top management level
• Wide variety of skills are represented.

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Modern Bureaucracy

• Less diverse than America.
• 56 male in 2004, 68.6 white
• More low level jobs held by females, higher
  level by males
• Scattered throughout D.C. and regional offices.
• Growth of outside contractors in recent years.
• Pay in private sector is higher than public
  sector.

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Figure 9.1- Civilian Employment
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Figure 9.2- Employee Characteristics
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Figure 9.3- Agency Regions
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Formal Organization

• Cabinet departments handle broad, lasting
  issues.
• Headed by secretaries.
• Government corporations act like businesses.
• Independent executive agencies handle services.
• Narrower than Cabinet department, independent.
• Independent regulatory commissions watch
  industry.
• Designed to be free from partisan pressure.

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Figure 9.4- The Executive Branch
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Government Workers and Politics

• Hatch Act sets first boundaries.
• People wanted to make sure public employees did
  not assist in election activities
• Federal Employees Political Act is current
  standard.
• Liberalized many provisions in Hatch Act.
• Employees may now run for non-partisan offices,
  contribute and campaign on own time.

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Table 9.1- FEPA
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Characteristics of Bureaucracy

• Chain of command from top to bottom.
• Division of labor.
• Clear lines of authority.
• Goal orientation.
• Merit system.
• Productivity.

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How the Bureaucracy Works

• Congress creates agencies.
• Main job is implementation of laws.
• Policy made in iron triangles or issue networks.
• Involve Agencies, Interest Groups and Congress
• Increasing use of interagency councils.

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Figure 9.5- An Iron Triangle
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Making Policy

• Administrative discretion allows a lot of
  latitude.
• Rule-making is a quasi-legislative process.
• Formal procedure for making regulations.
• Administrative adjudication is quasi-judicial
  process.
• Used to settle disputes between two parties.

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Figure 9.6- Rulemaking
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Agency Accountability

• Unclear who agencies should be accountable to.
• Presidents try to make the right appointments.
• Can also shape policy through executive orders.
• Congress can use oversight powers and funding.
• Police patrol v. fire alarm oversight.
• Judiciary can review regulations.

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Table 9.2- Agency Accountability
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