Bureaucracy

What is red tape?

Government rules and regulations that make it overwhelming for citizens

Department of Housing and Urban Development

1965, administers federal laws on fair housing practices ad subsidizes housing for low income Americans

Department of Transportation

1966, oversees and administers federal policy in areas such as highway development and construction, rail and air travel and commerce, and the safety and operation of ports and pipelines

What does policy implementation require?

1. Creation of a new agency or the assigning of a new responsibility to an old one 2. Translation of policy goals into operational rules and guidelines - how to follow standard operating procedures(sops) 3. Coordination of resources to achieve the intended result

How many departments make up the cabinet?

15

Department of State

1789, executes foreign policy, maintains diplomacy, relations with other nations, and advises the president on matters of diplomacy

Department of Treasury

1789, mints currency, collect taxes, devices the president on financial, trade, and tax policy

Department of War/Defense

1789-1947, oversees national defense, through the army, navy, Air Force, as well as intelligence-gathering agencies and civilian personnel

Department of Interior

1849, executes policy covering federally controlled natural resources, oversees national parks, monuments, and wildlife refugees, conducts the federal policy with indigenous people

Department of Agriculture

1862, develops and executes policy to promote farming, including subsidizing agricultural practices, promoting US agriculture in international trade, and inspecting products for safety

Department of Justice

1870, advices the president and the cabinet on legal matters, supervises federal prisons, investigates possible violations of federal law

Department of Labor

1913, oversees relationships between firms and their employees, the federal minimum wage, and workplace safety

Department of Commerce

1913, promotes economic activity and job creation and issues patents and commercial trademarks

Department of Health and Human Services

1953, administers social security, Medicaid, and Medicare and a large number of programs to promote public health, assist individuals with disabilities, and conduct and fun research on infectious diseases

Department of Energy

1977, supports and oversees research and implementation of energy production as well as efforts in conservation

Department of Education

1980, funds and oversees federal effort to improve educational outcomes for students, distributes funds for students from low income families and student with disabilities as well as loans for college students

Department of Veterans Affairs

1989, administers federal benefits for veterans and their departments, including healthcare, rehabilitation, and employment

Department of Homeland Security

2002, acts to protect the nation from terrorism and respond to natural disasters

What is the bureaucracy sometimes called?

4th branch of government

A defining characteristic of executive political appointees is that they: A. do not typically remain in office after the president who appointed them leaves office. B. form the majority of the Senior Executive Service. C. receive promotions based upon the merit system. D. are typically treated more like business presidents than political figures.

A

How can the federal judiciary impact bureaucratic behavior? A. Judicial decisions can constrain the scope of accepted bureaucratic action. B. It can conduct oversight investigations. C. The Supreme Court can use judicial review to terminate agencies. D. It has the authority to replace agency heads.

A

If Congress believes that a particular bureaucratic agency is misappropriating congressionally allocated funds, what means does it have at its disposal to address that concern? A. oversight B. evaluation C. regulation D. termination

A

In her position with the federal government, Diksha routinely advises the president on legal matters. In this capacity, Diksha is fulfilling one of her primary duties as: A. the Attorney General. B. Secretary of State. C. a member of the Senior Executive Service. D. head of the federal bureaucracy.

A

Irenka is employed by the federal government. Part of her job is to confirm presidential nominees for various executive-level cabinet positions. What is Irenka's job? A. Senator B. congresswoman C. president D. executive political appointee

A

It is the duty of which commission to enforce reporting requirements by publicly held companies? A. the Securities and Exchange Commission B. the Federal Communications Commission C. the Federal Trade Commission D. the Interstate Commerce Commission

A

Overseeing air commerce and the operation of America's pipelines are examples of the type of work performed by which government agency? A. Department of Transportation B. Department of Energy C. Department of Commerce D. Department of the Interior

A

The Pendleton Act, also known as the Civil Service Reform Act, was passed in 1883 to: A. address concerns about the corruption of the spoils system. B. legalize the practice of political patronage. C. standardize bureaucratic procedures. D. replace the merit-based system of promotion with political patronage.

A

The power of bureaucrats to exercise partial authority over how a policy is implemented is known as: A. discretion. B. adjudication. C. implementation. D. regulation.

A

What is an example of presidential authority as it relates to the federal bureaucracy? A. He or she advises agencies regarding how laws should be put into effect. B. He or she is responsible for confirming cabinet secretaries after their nomination. C. He or she is responsible for appointing members of the Senior Executive Service. D. He or she cannot remove top-level bureaucrats once they have been appointed.

A

What is the role of Congress in an iron triangle? A. determining funding levels for bureaucratic agencies B. lobbying to secure bureaucratic policy goals C. creating regulations favorable to bureaucratic agencies D. implementing new bureaucratic policies

A

Which duty is NOT a responsibility of the Department of the Interior? A. supervising federal prisons B. overseeing national parks C. conducting federal policy with indigenous peoples D. executing policy related to natural resources

A

Which factor has historically produced the most dramatic expansions in the size of the federal bureaucracy? A. responses to economic, social, and military crises B. growing demands by citizens for services C. increasing complexity of tasks performed by the government D. expanding population and boundaries

A

Which group is NOT typically part of the policy evaluation process? A. local courts B. Congress C. academic institutions D. policy entrepreneurs

A

Which statement regarding the role of congress as it relates to the defeat bureaucracy is true? A. It is responsible for funding cabinet-level departments. B. It has primary responsibility for overseeing the faithful execution of the nation's laws. C. It is responsible for nominating candidates to lead bureaucratic departments. D. It can create but cannot terminate bureaucratic departments.

A

Which two bodies have the authority to terminate a federal policy? A. Congress and the Supreme Court B. the president and Congress C. Congress and the Senior Executive Service D. the Supreme Court and the Government Accountability Office

A

What is the definition of a bureaucracy?

A professional group of elected officials, organized in a pyramid hierarchy, that run the government.

What was the spoils system and who used it?

Andrew Jackson in 1820-1830 used the spoil system to give government jobs to loyal followers

What are some executive checks on the bureaucracy?

Appoint and remove agency heads, recognize the Bureaucracy, issue executive orders that the Bureaucracy has to follow, propose altering on agencies budget

As a bureaucrat Hayato is often called upon to determine which individuals or groups may be covered under a particular program. What bureaucratic responsibility is Hayato exercising in this capacity? A. discretion B. adjudication C. regulation D. implementation

B

As someone who aspires to work on Wall Street, Xavier, who works for the Securities and Exchange Commission, is sometimes tempted to "look the other way" when certain SEC regulations are violated. This problematic situation is known as: A. bureaucratic discretion B. agency capture C. bureaucratic adjudication D. political patronage

B

The process of addressing the critical details of a law is known as: A. implementation. B. regulation. C. adjudication. D. evaluating.

B

What is the role of bureaucratic agencies in an iron triangle? A. They provide electoral support to members of Congress. B. They implement laws as desired by Congress. C. They advise Congress regarding bureaucratic funding. D. They lobby on behalf of interest groups.

B

Which executive branch department is responsible for maintaining America's relationship with foreign nations? A. the Department of War B. the Department of State C. the Treasury Department D. the Justice Department

B

Which is NOT a way the president can shape bureaucratic priorities? A. through reorganizing agencies B. through the discretionary process C. through the appointment or removal of agency heads D. through the power of executive order

B

Which scenario is an example of the merit-based system of hiring and promotion?A. Maria was awarded a job in the president's administration after contributing a large sum of money to the president's election campaign. B. Sally works in the Department of Health and Human Services where she just received a promotion based on her performance on a competitive test. C. Hargrove is Senator Ethan Thurman's grandson. Hargrove was awarded a position as head of the Department of Health and Human Services based on his personal connection with the Senator. D. Dorek has worked for the Department of Education for twenty years, far longer than anyone else in his department. He was given a promotion based solely on his tenure.

B

Which statement is accurate about the policymaking process? A. Forming a policy is vital for anyone who wishes to influence the process. B. Defining the problem is considered the most significant part of the process. C. How the public views an issue is crucial to how a related policy is implemented. D. Termination is always the final step of the process.

B

Why is the implementation of a new policy typically not a straightforward process? A. Federal bureaucrats often do not possess the technical expertise for successful implementation. B. It is introduced into a body of existing policies, sometimes with competing demands. C. High-level executive branch officials often wish to participate in the process at the same level as technical experts. D. The implementation goals set by Congress are typically too restrictive.

B

Bristol is a federal employee whose job is to oversee public funding of presidential campaigns. For which agency does Bristol work? A. the Securities and Exchange Commission B. the Department of the Interior C. the Federal Election Commission D. the Department of State

C

Which is an example of the regulations set forth by the Hatch Act? A. Federal employees were forbidden from holding any elective office. B. Federal employees were allowed to participate in fund-raising for political campaigns. C. Federal employees were forbidden from running in political campaigns. D. Federal employees were allowed to use their authority to influence others to participate in political campaigns.

C

Which phrase BEST defines the federal civil service? A. patronage-based bureaucracy B. adjudicated bureaucracy C. merit-based bureaucracy D. discretionary bureaucracy

C

Which statement BEST describes the role of interest groups within an iron triangle? A. They advocate for legislation that is favorable to the bureaucracy. B. They work with the bureaucracy to create regulations that are favorable to themselves. C. They provide electoral support to members of Congress. D. They advise the bureaucracy on the implementation of new policies.

C

Which statement is correct about control of the federal bureaucracy? A. The executive and legislative branches share formal control over the bureaucracy. B. The judicial branch exercises significant control through the adjudication process. C. All three branches of government exercise some measure of control over the federal bureaucracy. D. The executive and legislative branches alone have the power to create and terminate agencies.

C

Which statement regarding an iron triangle is NOT accurate? A. An iron triangle consists of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups. B. Each component of an iron triangle receives benefits from its relationship to the others. C. Iron triangles are designed to address a specific policy problem. D. The goals of an iron triangle may sometimes run counter to the general interests of society.

C

What is implementation

Carrying out laws of congress and executive orders of the president

Describe Regulatory Agencies.

Controls and handles nation's economic activityo (Deal with economy when Congress recognizes the importance of close scrutiny of the economy) Beyond Congress' abilities as it requires more time and expertise Each agency has power over a different economic activity and acts in public interest Every regulatory commission has a commission - 5-10 commissioners nominated by prez. and confirmed by Senate that prez. cannot remove The agencies are allowed to 1. create regulations - legislative authority 2. implement regulations - legislative authority 3. Punish those that do not follow regulations - executive, judicial authority

What are some legislative checks on the Bureaucracy?

Create or abolish agencies and departments, cit or reduce funding, investigate agency activities through committee hearings, pass legislation, conform or deny presidential appointments

Dalia is a police officer. In this capacity, what role does she serve within the bureaucracy? A. She is a career civil servant. B. She is a member of the Senior Executive Service. C. She is an executive branch official. D. She is a front-line bureaucrat.

D

Evelin is employed within the federal bureaucracy. Her position places her near the bottom of the bureaucratic power structure. She enjoys strong job security and will likely maintain her position far longer than any single president. Evelin is a(an): A. executive political appointee B. member of the Senior Executive Service C. deputy cabinet secretary D. career civil servant

D

How did the political patronage system, as practiced during Andrew Jackson's administration, lay the foundation for the modern federal bureaucracy? A. It frustrated many people, which led Congress to pass the Pendleton Act under which the merit- based system originated. B. Under Jackson's patronage system, Congress made it illegal to hire or promote bureaucrats based on political favoritism. C. President Jackson and Congress worked together to pass the Civil Service Reform Act under which the United States Civil Service Commission was formed. D. Patronage resulted in the continual shuffling of people in and out of administrative positions, which necessitated the standardization of bureaucratic procedures.

D

Thomas, a federal employee, regularly participates in political campaigns. His actions are allowed under the: A. Hatch Act. B. Pendleton Act. C. Civil Service Reform Act. D. Federal Employees Political Activities Act.

D

When hurricanes flood the low-lying coastal areas of the United States, to which government agency can citizens turn for assistance? A. Department of the Interior B. Department of Health and Human Services C. Department of Housing and Urban Development D. Department of Homeland Security

D

Which statement BEST defines an issue network? A. coordinated activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups B. the process through which rules are created in order to execute congressional laws C. the process of determining which individuals or groups are covered under a specific program D. webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates

D

Which statement is correct regarding members of the Senior Executive Service? A. They occupy the bottom level of the bureaucratic power structure. B. Their term of employment typically ends when a new president assumes office. C. They can be removed from office by the president. D. Most are drawn from the lower ranks of the federal bureaucracy.

D

Which statement is correct regarding the perception of the bureaucracy among most Americans? A. People often feel overwhelmed by the amount of coverage the bureaucracy receives in the media. B. Public perception has a major impact on most bureaucratic behavior. C. A large percentage of people keep up with the day-to-day operations of the bureaucracy. D. Most Americans are not well informed about the federal bureaucracy.

D

What is regulation?

Issue rules and regulations that impact the public

What is the iron triangle?

Mutually dependent relationship between the Bureaucracy, interest groups, and congressional committees

Describe Independent Executive Agencies.

Resemble cabinet department but with a smaller scope and scale Heads appointed by prez. without Senate approval Serve at the president's will These organizations cannot be in the cabinet because then their purpose becomes cloudy

What is administration?

Routine administration work

What is discretionary authority?

Power to make policy and choose actions that are not specified in laws

Describe Government Corporations.

Similar to but different from private corporations Provide same services that private corporations do but at a cheaper rate since they receive federal funding to offset operating costs Each group has director appointed by prez with advise and consent of Senate

What is civil service?

Tested and evaluated candidates based on merit, not loyalty to party

What are some judicial checks on the Bureaucracy?

Through judicial review declare actions by the Bureaucracy Unconstitutional, provide due process for individuals affected by bureaucratic actions

What was the Pendleton Act?

limited patronage jobs and used merit system for about 10% of federal jobs