The Bureaucracy

What is the relationship between regulatory agencies and the industries they regulate?

Agency employees are often recruited from the regulated industry, they rely on industry support in making budget requests before Congress, the relationship may change with a new president, and agency employees sometimes find jobs (often lucrative) with the regulated industry once they leave their positions.

Takes care of the majority of issues and research as related to farmers.

Agricultue

Deals with our country's trade balance and business-related policy.

Commerce

The Agricultural Research Service tells farmers how to grow crops more efficiently, while the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service tell farmers to grow fewer crops. What bureaucratic problem does this illustrate?

Conflict

The department over which the President resides as Commander-in-Chief.

Defense

Produces national standards for schools to strive for.

Education

Monitors oil imports and consumption, green technology, and nuclear research.

Energy

. The problem of waste in government is:

Exaggerated and overblown

. What was the civil service merit system supposed to reduce?

Excessive patronage (spoils system).

. Protects your bank account:

FDIC

Monitors the flow of currency into the economy and manages interest rates.

Federal Reserve Board (The FED)

How do bureaucratic shortcomings impact public perception of bureaucracy ?

General perception is negative. However, those citizens that actually deal with bureaucrats have positive experiences. On a related note, the point of red tape is to insure accountability to the taxpayer. Red tape and accountability DO inherently cost $$, thus the perception of 'waste' taxpayers whine about.

. The old Spoils System was reformed and Civil Service put into practice by these two key legislative acts:

Hatch Act and Pendleton Act

Take care of people, focusing on the needs of the impoverished.

Health and Human Services

TSA, Border Patrol, and other groups securing our country from terrorist threat.

Homeland Security

This federal department monitors all low-income housing projects and programs.

Housing & Urban Development

Furthest from the president's influence within the Executive Branch would be

Independent Agencie

The 16th amendment helped the growth of the federal bureaucracy. Why?

Influx of revenue to spend

Some Cabinet secretaries, such as the Secretary of State, see the president more frequently than others. This small group of more important Secretaries are sometimes referred to as the:

Inner Cabinet

Dept. that helps to keep track of and care for all federally owned land:

Interior

Stable relationships and patterns of interaction that occur between agency , interest group, and Congressional committee are called:

Iron Triangles

How has the placement of federal bureaucrats changed over time?

It is a combination of merit and political appointment with most jobs in the bureaucracy based on an exam or specific job qualifications.

. Enforces and prosecutes the majority of federal criminal law.

Justice

Dept. that keeps companies up-to-date on safety standards and monitors worker conditions:

Labor

An 'independent' that investigates every aviation accident and some others.

NTSB

Part of the EOP......advises the President with serious crises here and abroad.

National Security Council

Helps to pull together the details of the annual budget of our U.S. government.

Office of Management & Budget

HUD says to fill out Form 77-B and send to HHS. HHS returns the form and requests that you also fill out Forms 2045-D and 345-B and then send them back with 77-B, along with a $10.00 check made out to Treasury for processing. If approved by the Assistant to the Assistant, notification will be made within 4-6 weeks. What bureaucratic problem does this illustrate?

Red tape

The complex bureaucratic rules and procedures are sometimes referred to as:

Red tape

. Federal agencies perform their regulatory task of enforcing industry standards by:

Sending out inspectors.

Can the President influence / control the federal bureaucracy?

Somewhat thru appointments, budget, goal setting, and executive orders.

What do we call the old-time practice of filling government jobs with political allies or cronies?

Spoils system

Dept. that helps with all foreign correspondence, negotiations, and policy (diplomacy):

State

. Dept. that oversees federal highway, air, railroad, and maritime regulations:

Transportation

Dept. that manages the production of US currency:

Treasury

For many years, this independent was by far the largest part of the executive branch.

US Post Office

Deals with returning soldiers who need medical help, job training, housing, etc.

Veterans Affairs

What is an accurate description of the size of the federal bureaucracy?

Whereas the majority of early bureaucrats were part of the US Postal system, today the federal bureaucracy is much larger and multi-faceted. And most live outside of Washington.

Main role is to manage presidential mobility (trips).

White House Advance Team

Can Congress influences / controls the federal bureaucracy?

Yes, via legislation, budget approval, appointment confirmation and Iron Triangles.

Policy implementation (making a new law/program actually work) is sometimes a matter of trial and error and may fail. Why?

administrators may make poor judgments, bureaus often are short-staffed or lack resources, miscommunication among departments that share responsibility for a program, and legislation may not clearly convey Congress's policy goals.

A president tries to control a bureaucratic agency in the following ways

appointing the right people to head the agency, issuing executive orders to counteract agency polices, recommending to the OMB a reduction of the agency's budget for the following year, and using his office to influence agency direction.

The main responsibility of the National Security Agency (NSA) is:

communication intelligence

What do we call the large units of the executive branch, whose heads are the members of the President's cabinet?

departments

What is the main function of the federal bureaucracy?

develop and enforce procedures for implementing policy.

The Department of Labor and the Department of Interior both monitor coal mines for safety. This bureaucratic problem is called:

duplication

A citizen would best express his or her concern about airport safety in which way?

filing a complaint with the National Transportation Safety Board

Devolution has led to:

government by proxy

. Bureaucratic agencies and departments tend to grow or expand in an attempt to draw more 'importance' and , as a result, more appropriations ($):

imperialism

Loose and informal relationships that exist among the large number of actors who work in broad policy areas are called:

issue networks

From the standpoint of a federal agency, what is the advantage of an iron triangle?

it gives the agency allies in Congress, as well as in the private sector.

Red Tape can actually be considered in a positive light because:

it insures accountability

Which of the following has been a criticism of the process for firing a bureaucrat?

it is too difficult to fire bureaucrats. The process is elaborate and time-consuming.

The relationship between career bureaucrats and the appointees would best be described as:

like a visionary controlled and grounded by reality, common sense, and expertise.

Description of the average bureaucrat?

live and work outside of Washington, DC, hired after competing for their jobs through a process administered by the Office of Personnel Management (Civil Service), likely work for Defense or Post Office, and job security (again, thanks to Civil Service).

. In comparison with western European democracies, US government spending amounts to

lower percent of GNP and receive fewer benefits and services (we are not Socialist)

Devolution is associated with what changes in the delivery of government services?

more government programs at the state and local level.

The basis of appointments to the bureaucracy during most of the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century was:

patronage

. How can Congress control the bureaucracy?

rewriting laws, budgets (appropriations), and holding hearings (oversight)

Robert Reich refers to 'the bubble'. This describes:

the distance and isolation that surrounds department heads, creating a 'wall' between them and the regular bureaucrats that run the departments.

Often referred to as the Fourth Branch of Government:

the federal bureaucracy

An advantage that bureaucrats in the federal government have over the policymaking process:

thru their years of experience, bureaucrats have a knowledge and understanding that Presidents (and congress) lack.

The Pentagon paid $91 for screws that cost 3 cents at a hardware store. This is an example of which problem inherent in bureaucracies?

waste

In general, what is the opinion of the American public regarding the bureaucracy?

when people have personal dealings with bureaucrats, they generally have positive experiences, although they have a less favorable attitude about the federal government as a whole.