AP GOVERNMENT CHAPTER 12: BUREAUCRACY

Political Appointees

People selected by an elected leader, such as the president, to hold a government position.

Problem of Control

A difficulty faced by elected officials in ensuring that when bureaucrats implement policies, they follow theses officials' intentions but still have enough discretion to use their expertise.

c. a regulation

A government rule that affects the choices that individuals or corporations make is called ____________. a. an initiative b. a referendum c. a regulation d. a procurement e. an appropriation

Police Patrol Oversight

A method of oversight in which members of Congress constantly monitor the bureaucracy to make sure that laws are implemented correctly.

Fire Alarm Oversight

A method of oversight in which members of Congress respond to complaints about the bureaucracy or problems of implementation only as they arise rather than exercising constant vigilance.

Regulation

A rule that allows the government to exercise control over individuals and corporations by restricting certain behaviors.

Regulatory Capture

A situation in which bureaucrats favor the interests of the groups or corporations they are supposed to regulate at the expense of the general public.

Notice and Comment Procedure

A step in the rule-making process in which proposed rules are published in the Federal Register and made available for debate by the general public.

Federal Civil Service

A system created by the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Act in which bureaucrats are hired on the basis of merit rather than political connections.

"Turkey Farms"

Agencies where campaign workers and donors can be appointed to reward them for their service because it is unlikely that their lack of qualifications will lead to bad policy.

Street-level bureaucrats

Agency employees who directly provide services to the public, such as those who provide job-training services.

Office of Management and Budget

An office within the Executive Office of the President that is responsible for creating the president's annual budget proposal to Congress, reviewing proposed rules, and other budget-related tasks.

Define Bureaucracy and explain its major functions.

Bureaucracy is the system of civil servants and political appointees who implement congressional or presidential decisions; also known as the administrative state. Major functions: - Administering government policies

Describe who bureaucrats are and the regulations that govern their employment.

Bureaucrats are a large group of people with a wide range of qualifications. There are so many different kinds of jobs in the federal government because of the many services it provides. Bureaucrats have a strong interest in government service. Some people label bureaucrats as slow and inefficient, but in reality, they are simply following the many complex guidelines set up for them.

Budget Maximizers

Bureaucrats who seek to increase funding for their agency whether or not that additional spending is worthwhile.

b. Just as much

Compared with employees in private business, government employees are motivated ______________ by salary and benefits than/as by the chance to make a difference. a. more b. just as much c. less

Oversight

Congressional efforts to make sure that laws are implemented correctly by the bureaucracy after they have been passed.

Civil Servants

Employees of bureaucratic agencies within the government.

Red tape

Excessive or unnecessarily complex regulations imposed by the bureaucracy.

a. limits; reduces

Giving direct orders to bureaucrats __________ the influence of their policy expertise and ________________ the potential for incrementalism. a. limits; reduces b. increases; reduces c. limits; increases d. increases; increases e. limits; had no effect on

Independent Agencies

Government offices or organizations that provide government services and are not part of an executive department.

e. it increased the government's regulatory activity.

How did the bureaucracy change during the Progressive Era? a. it expanded the delivery of government services directly to individuals. b. the spoils system was first established. c. it created a number of antipoverty and educational programs d. it reduced the government regulatory activity. e. it increased the government's regulatory activity.

d. president; bureaucracy

In the problem of control, the _______ is the principal and the _________ is the agent. a. bureaucracy; president b. bureaucracy; Congress c. president; Congress d. president; bureaucracy e. Congress; president

B. more;can

Independent agencies have ______ freedom from oversight than executive departments; and ___________ be controlled by the president through his appointees. a. more; cannot b. more; can c. less; cannot d. less; can

a. they need congressional support to get larger budgets

One of the reasons bureaucrats take account of pressure from elected officials is because _____________. a. they need congressional support to get larger budgets b. elected officials are experts c. they are all appointed by members of Congress d. their offices are housed in the Congress e. they are required by law to do so

Standard Operating Procedures

Rules that lower-level bureaucrats must follow when implementing policies.

b. ended; decreased

The civil service reforms of the Progressive Era _________ the spoils system and _____________ the power of party organizations. a. ended; increased b. ended; decreased c. instituted; increased d. instituted; decreased e. expanded; increased

a. decrease; decrease

The civil service regulations ______________ the flexibility that managers have in their hiring decisions and _________ the influence of elected officials. a. decrease; decrease b. increase; increase c. increase; decrease d. decrease; increase e. increase; have no effect on

Trace the expansion of the federal bureaucracy over time.

The expansion of the federal bureaucracy was not steady or smooth. Three short periods of important developments: - the late 1890s and early 1900s - the 1930s - the 1960s The driving force was a combination of demands from citizens for enhanced government services and the desire of people in government to either respond to these demands or increase the size and scope of the federal government in line with their policy goals.

d. the public does not support large scale budget cuts

The federal budget is growing in size because _________. a. bureaucrats are budget maximizers b. politicians do not scrutinize budget requests. c. government agencies are never eliminated d. the public does not support the large-scale budget cuts e. a growing percentage of Americans are going into civil service

Neutral Competence

The idea, credited to theorists Max Weber, that suggests bureaucrats should provide expertise without the influence of elected officials, interest groups, or their own political agendas.

Principal-Agent Game

The interaction between a principal (such as the president or Congress), who needs something done, and an agent (such as a bureaucrat), who is responsible for carrying out the principal's orders.

State Capacity

The knowledge, personnel, and institutions that the government requires to effectively implement policies.

Describe the size and structure of the executive branch today.

The size of the federal bureaucracy has to do with the expansion of the federal government in the last 50 years and its increased role in the lives of everyday Americans. The structure reflects the ongoing attempts by presidents, members of Congress, and others to control bureaucratic actions in line with their policy goals.

Bureaucracy

The system of civil servants and political appointees who implement congressional or presidential decisions; also known as the administrative state.

Explain how Congress and the president oversee the executive branch.

There are several strategies that Congress and the President could use to oversee the bureaucracy. First they can take away discretion entirely and give bureaucrats simple, direct orders. The problem with this is that it limits the positive influence of their expertise. This is particularly true when new policy guidelines are being made because that means that the legislators and presidential appointees would have to do it themselves. Basically, elected officials must find ways to reduce of eliminate bureaucratic drift (see definition) while still getting the benefits of the bureaucratic expertise. The goal is to set up the bureaucracy so that bureaucrats can use their expertise, while making sure their actions are consistent with elected officials' wishes.

c. the size of the federal government increased.

What effect did the Reagan Revolution have on bureaucracy? a. The government stopped passing regulatory policies. b. The size of the federal government shrank. c. The size of the federal government increased. d. The civil service reforms were weakened. e. The civil service reforms were strengthened.

b. to prepare the annual budget proposal for the president

What is the job of the Office of Management and Budget? a. to prepare the annual budget proposal for the Congress b. to prepare the annual budget proposal for the president c. to prepare the annual budget proposals for the states d. to monitor government spending for the Supreme Court e. to monitor government spending for the Congress

e. bureaucratic drift

When bureaucrats pursue their own goals rather than their assignments from officeholders, this is called ____. a. an iron triangle b. regulatory capture c. problem of control d. turkey farming e. bureaucratic drift

b. responsive; costly

While police patrol oversight has the advantage of being _________, it has the drawback of being ____________. a. affordable; unresponsive b. responsive; costly c. affordable; generally unnecessary d. responsive; unpopular e. affordable; ineffective

b. regulatory capture

_____________ occurs when bureaucrats cater to a small group of individuals regardless of the impact of these actions on the public welfare. a. bureaucratic drift b. regulatory capture c. the revolving door d. an iron triangle e. neutral competence

Bureaucratic Drift

bureaucrats' tendency to implement policies in a way that favors their own political objectives rather than following the original intentions of the legislation.