Chapter 5 (The Executive Branch)
What percentage of the government's civilian employees work in Washington?
12%
How many cabinet departments are there including the Department of Homeland Security?
15
What is the older outer cabinet department?
Department of Interior and Agriculture
EOP
Executive Office of the President
Most government operations, including the bulk of federal operations are performed where?
Field offices
What departments were added to the outer cabinet post 1950?
HHS, Housing and Urban Development, and Education
Which cabinet department accounts for the most spending?
Health and Human Services
NSC
National Security Council
OMB
Office of Management and Budget
Which agency accounts for most of the independent agency spending?
Social Security Administration
What were the 3 original executive departments?
State, Defense, and Treasury (Justice was established as a separate office and not department until 80 years later)
Which cabinet department has the largest number of employees?
The Department of Defense
This often includes the most trusted advisors to the president.
The inner cabinet
Who are the statutory members of the National Security Council (NSC)?
The president, the vice president, the secretary of state, and the secretary of defense
WHO
White House Office
What does the National Security Council do?
advise the president with respect to integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to national security
What is OMB legislative clearance?
agencies must submit proposals for legislation/amendments to the OMB before they go to congress to ensure that agencies proposals are "in accord with the president's program"
What is the second stage of administrative development?
agriculture and trade, create catch all departments
Field offices are organized how in Europe?
areal or prefectoral system (generalized by coordinated)
What are the main operating organizations (typically withing an agency) that exist at all levels of government?
bureaus
What are government corporations?
business-type operations established by the government but run mostly independently (Postal Service, Amtrack)
What are the components of the Executive Branch?
cabinet departments, independent agencies, bureaus, field offices, executive office and white house
Are OMB positions filled by career civil servants or elections?
career civil servants
What is a tension stemming from field offices being organized by function?
coordination vs. specialization
Coordination in an agency depends on what?
distribution of power within the organization and interdepartmental relations
What is OMB management review?
efforts to improve administrative organization, management, and coordination in the executive branch
What does the OMB do?
examines spending and analyzes proposals
Field offices are organized by what in the U.S. A?
function (specialization)
def. Regulatory Commissions
government organizations, typically independent agencies, whose function is to write and enforce rules governing private-sector behavior and whose policies are set by a multi-member board
def. Independent Agencies
governmental organizations that exist separately from the cabinet departments
What type of agencies account for 1/10th of the federal government's employees and 1/5th of its spending?
independent agencies
What is OMB intelligence about executive branch operations?
informing the president about what is going on in all levels of policy generation and program management
What are the 4 functions at the core of organization by function?
managing money, maintaining internal law and order, keeping the country safe, and managing the country's foreign affairs
What is the function of regulatory commissions?
monitor major industry and sectors (economy, oil, education etc.)
What is the third stage of administrative development?
old functions receive new departments, human welfare
def. Government Corporations
organizations that perform public functions but that are organized— and operate— like private companies, with a profit-and-loss bottom line (including Amtrak and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
What are the positives of e-government?
potential to improve government services and performance, flexibility in approaches, enhance citizens connection to government
What are service-based independent agencies?
quasi-governmental agency with specific mission to deliver goods
What are the negatives of e-government?
questions of access and equity
What is the first stage of administrative development?
revenue collection, expenditures, debt management, maintenence of internal law and order, defense and foreign affairs
What is the fourth stage of administrative development?
science and technology, energy, the environment, economic planning
def. Bureaus
the basic building blocks of governmental organizations.
This accounts for 90% of the executive branch's civilian employees and 80% of its spending.
the cabinet department
Who are the statutory advisors of the National Security Council (NSC)?
the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the director of the CIA
def. cabinet
the collection of administrative departments as well as those additional offices that the chief executive raises to that rank
What does the inner cabinet comprise of?
the heads of State, Defense, Treasury, and Justice
The director of the NSC staff is also know as...
the national security advisor
What is OMB review of legislation passed by congress?
to quickly canvas the views of all concerned agencies about the appropriate action (approval or veto) and ensure that the president is aware of these views before making a decision