Federal Bureaucracy

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Chapter 9

• Federal Bureaucracy

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The US Bureaucracy

• Definition- collection of appointed and mostly
  non-appointed officials that carry out laws that
  are passed.
• Political authority over the bureaucracy is
  shared by the president and congress.
• Federal agencies share functions with state and
  local agencies.

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The growth of the bureaucracy

• The Supreme Court ruled that only the president
  has the power to remove administrators in the
  bureaucracy.
• Congress funds and investigates the agencies, and
  shapes the laws they administer (oversight).

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Appointment of officials

• Officials affect how laws are interpreted,
• They set the tone for the party and the current
  administration.
• Patronage used to play a HUGE part in the 19th
  and early 20th century.

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Spoils System

• Andrew Jackson abused his power of patronage.
• 1883 Pendleton Act- created the civil service.
  Anyone can apply for a job in the bureaucracy.
  Jobs given based on merit.

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Size of the bureaucracy

• Two events have caused an explosive growth in the
  bureaucracy
• 1) The great Depression
• 2) World War II

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Government Activism

• These two events caused
• 1) S Court to uphold laws granting administrative
  discretion to agencies.
• 2) Heavier income taxes to support a larger
  bureaucracy.
• 3) public support of military preparedness and
  various social programs.

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Federal Bureaucracy Today

• Modest increase in government employees.
• Large increase in number of indirect employees-
  those contracted through private contractors,
  local and state governments.

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Federal Bureaucracy Today

• Discretionary authority- the ability to choose
  courses of action and to make policies not set
  out by law.
• Congress has allowed agencies to have a lot of
  discretionary authority in recent years.

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Getting Employed

• Recruitment retention
• The competitive service bureaucrats compete for
  jobs through OPM.
• 1) appointment by merit based on written exam.
• 2) Merit Systems Protection Board- protects
  current employees.
• 3) OPM is non-partisan

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Firing a Bureaucrat

• Most cannot be fired easily.
• Most agencies are dominated by lifetime
  bureaucrats who have worked for no other agency.
• Assures continuity and expertise.
• But can give subordinates power over new bosses.

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Constraints on government agencies

• Hiring, firing, and other procedures are
  established by law, not the market.
• Constraints
• Administrative Procedures Act, Freedom of
  Information Act, Natl Environmental Policy Act,
  Open Meeting Law

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Effects of Constraints

• Government moves slowly.
• Government acts inconsistently.
• Reluctant decision making by employees.
• Red tape.

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Agency Allies

• Iron Triangle- agency works with interest groups
  and congressional committees.
• Not as common today due to the number of
  competing interest groups.
• Issue networks- groups that regularly debate
  government policy on specific issues. Recruited
  by presidents.

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Congressional Oversight

• Congress creates agencies and authorizes their
  programs.
• Appropriations allows the agency to spend money
  on the programs.

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Appropriations Committee

• Most powerful of all committees.
• Most expenditure recommendations are approved by
  the House.
• Tends to be a lower amount than the agency
  requested.
• Can mark-up agencies budget.

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Legislative Veto

• A requirement that an executive decision must lie
  before Congress before it takes effect.
• Declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court in
  INS v Chadha (1983)

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Oversight

• Congress can investigate agencies.
• 1) power inferred from power to legislate.
• 2) can bring members of an agency in to question
  their decisions and their use of administrative
  discretion.

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5 Major Complaints of the Bureaucracy

• 1) red tape- Rules
• 2)Conflict- agencies work at cross-purposes
• 3) Duplication- two or more agencies doing the
  same thing.
• 4) Imperialism- agencies growing too big
• 5) Waste- spending more than is necessary