American Government

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American Government

• Chapter 15 Notes
• Government at Work The Bureaucracy

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Section 1

• The Federal Bureaucracy

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What is a Bureaucracy

• A large, complex administrative structure that
  handles the everyday business of an organization
• It is an efficient and an effective way to
  organize people to do work most of the time
• Three Features of a Bureaucracy
• Hierarchical authority
• Chain of command
• Job Specialization
• Each Bureaucrat has a certain defined duty and
  responsibility
• Formalized Rules
• The Benefits of a Bureaucracy
• Generally the most effective way to work together
  on a large and complex task

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Major Elements of the Federal Bureaucracy

• All the agencies, people, and procedures through
  which the Federal Government operates
• Not spelled out specifically in the U.S.
  Constitution
• Must have an effective administration
• The governments many administrators and agencies

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The Name Game

• Sometimes names refer to level of importance that
  the unit of the Executive branch has
• However, there is little standardized use of
  titles

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Staff and Line Agencies

• The several units that make up any administrative
  organization can be classified as either staff or
  line agencies
• Staff agencies
• They aid the chief executive and other
  administrators by offering advice and other
  assistance in the management of the organization
• Line agencies
• Actually perform the tasks for which
  organizations exists

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Section 2

• The Executive Office of the President

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The Executive Office of the President (EOP)

• Is an umbrella agency, including all the separate
  agencies with the job of helping the President
  enforce the laws

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The White House Office

• The nerve center of the Executive Office is the
  White House Office
• Most of the work is done in the Historic West
  Wing
• Chief of Staff to the President directs all of
  the operations of the White House Office
• Including Press Secretary, The counsel, and the
  Presidents physician

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• The National Security Council
• Most foreign policy issues are taken care of by
  the National Security Council (NSC)
• Includes Vice President, secretaries of state and
  defense, Head of CIA and chairman of the Joint
  Chiefs of Staff
• Office of Homeland Security
• Newest EOP, created in response to September 11
• Work to protect this country against any and all
  acts of terrorism

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Other EOP Agencies

• Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
• 2nd most influential unit in the EOP
• Main task is preparation of the federal budget
• A very detailed estimate of receipts and
  expenditures, an anticipation of federal income
  and outgo, during the next fiscal year
• Fiscal year is the 12-month period used by
  government and business for record keeping
• Lasts from October 1 through September 30
• Expression of public policy in money terms
• Manages much of the actions of other agencies, to
  verify that they are spending according to the
  Presidents policy positions

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Other EOP Agencies (Cont)

• Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
• Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Council of Economic Advisers
• Gives the President advice on the state of the
  U.S. economy
• Other Units in the EOP
• Includes agencies that take care of the domestic
  affairs
• All matters not directly connected to the realm
  of foreign affairs

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Section 3

• The Executive Departments

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Executive Departments

• Often called the Cabinet departments, they are
  the traditional units of federal administration,
  and each of them is built around some broad field
  of activity
• Chief Officers and Staff
• Each department is headed by a secretary
• An official in charge of a department of
  government
• Except Department of Justice
• Directed by the Attorney General
• These positions must be approved by the Senate

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Executive Departments (Cont)

• Subunits
• Allow the department to meet different specific
  needs
• The Departments Today
• Department of State is the oldest and most
  prestigious
• Department of Defense is the largest
• There is a total of 15 Departments
• Including Department of Labor

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The Cabinet

• An informal advisory body brought together by the
  President to serve their needs
• The Cabinet is generally formed by the 15
  Executive Departments
• Appointees to the Departments must be approved by
  the Senate
• Women and Minorities
• Has gradually played a greater role in the
  Cabinet, since FDR
• The Cabinets Role
• Mainly to be advisers to the President, however
  it is not called for in the Constitution
• A tradition Presidents have carried on