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The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy
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The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

May 13, 2018

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Page 1: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy

Page 2: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

What is the federal bureaucracy?

"Fourth branch of government"* Thousands of agencies * Administers federal laws/programs

Determines who gets what, when, and how ...

Page 3: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy?

Started small - Jackson increased through "spoils system" - a form of patronage.

Civil War - Agriculture - well fed troops, and Pension (later Veterans Affairs).

Merit System - created as a the result of the Pendleton Act, which was passed as a result of Garfield's/Hayes's wishes. Open, competitive exams now ruled who became federal employees. 90% of them are covered now! (10% initially)

Regulating commerce through the Gilded Age ...

Page 4: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

Every time the government decides it would like to do something new, you must understand the implications on the size of the government ...

Some examples ...

Interstate Commerce Commission, ICC - created to regulate unfair RR practices in G.A.

*Shifted the focus of bureaucracy from service to regulation!

T.R. - Progressivism

16th Amendment - income taxes, someone has to do the collecting ... IRS created.

FDR ... NEW DEAL + WW2

Page 5: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships
Page 6: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

The Modern Bureaucracy

Business Government

Exist to make $

Exist for public good

Motivated by $

Motivated by re-election

Taking risks good

Fairness at all costs

Page 7: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

Who are bureaucrats?

Career employees

2,000 bureaus

2.7 million workers

Positions not covered under CS exam ...1. Appointive policy- making positions2. Independent regulatory commissioners3. Low-level, nonpolicy patronage positions

The jobs are as diverse as in the public sector ...

Page 8: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

Because most of the federal bureaucratic jobs are outside of Washington D.C, decentralizing into 10 regions makes access to offices more realistic.

Examples, Social Security and FBI offices ...

Page 9: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

Lingering concerns ...

* Aging of bureaucrats* Outsourcing bureaucrats

* Inability to find quality for $* Private contractors in Iraq

= $538 Billion in 2008!!

Private Security Contractors

Black Water, U.S.A - now known as Academi

Page 10: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

Formal Organization of the Bureaucracy

Agencies fall into four general types:

1. Cabinet Departments (15): Major administrative units that are of permanent national interest. Here, 60% of federal work is done. State/Treasury.

2. Independent Executive Agencies: Like Cabinet Depts., but narrower responsibility. Perform services rather than regulation. NASA/EPA.

3. Independent Regulatory Commissions: Created by Congress to exist outside the major depts. to regulate a specific economic activity or interest. National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC.

4. Government Corporations: Businesses established by Congress that could be provided by private businesses. Charge fee for service. Amtrak/FDIC.

Page 11: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

Federal Workers involved in politics - conflict of interest?

Hatch Act (1939): Prohibited federal workers from becoming directly involved in campaigns, i.e., political donations, working for a party or candidate.

What problems do you see with this?

Federal Employees Political Activities Act of 1993: Eased Hatch Act, allowing federal employees to run for office in nonpartisan elections and contribute money to campaigns in partisan elections.

Page 12: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

What does the FEPAA of 1993 stipulate?

Page 13: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

How does the bureaucracy work?

Max Weber - German sociologist, believe bureaucracies to be rational way for complex societies to organize themselves - based on:

1. A chain of command, top to bottom.

2. Division of labor, specialization.

3. Clear lines of authority b/w workers/bosses.

4. Goal orientation: structure, authority, rules.

5. Impersonality - no discrimination.

6. Productivity - everything governed by rules.

Ideal ... our fed bureaucracy not there yet.

Page 14: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

Implementation: the process by which a law or policy is put into operation.

Iron Triangles: stable relationships and patterns of interaction that occur among agencies, interest groups, and congressional (sub)committees.

Issue Networks: Loose and informal relationships that exist among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas (lawyers, consultants, and anyone interested in issue as well as Iron Triangle)

Interagency Councils: Working groups created to facilitate the coordination of policy making and implementation across a host of agencies. Post 9/11, Homeland Security Policy Coordinating Comm.

Page 15: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

The point of all this is to make policy ...

Low-level bureaucrats have power ...Administrative discretion: bureaucrats can make choices on how to implement decisions.

They exercise this in two ways:

1. Rule Making: Quasi-legislative process that results in regulations that have the characteristics of a legislative act. Regulations are the rules that govern the operation of all government programs and have the force of law.2. Administrative Adjudication: Quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes b/w two parties in a manner similar to the way courts resolve disputes.

Page 16: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

How is a regulation made?

Page 17: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships

Accountablity

Checks and Balances/Separation of Powers

Page 18: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy · What are the roots of the federal bureaucracy? ... National Labor Board/Federal Reserve Board/FCC. 4. ... Loose and informal relationships