GOPO UNIT AHHH Bureaucracy

Issue Network

Temporary coalition of experts and interest groups around one issue

Continuity of Service

Bureaucrats stay in jobs across administrations

Why is Bureaucracy called the fourth branch of government?

Makes rules, enforces laws, interprets policy, gives lots of influence

Bureaucracy evolution

Started small, grew during industrialization, expanded in new deal/great society, recent privatization

3 parts of iron triangle

Interest groups, congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies

How iron triangle works

each group supports/benefits the others

What agency staffs the bureaucracy?

OPM

how does the opm hire?

merit, exams, qualifications

Historical roots of bureaucracy

spoils system, Pendleton Act, merit system

Public view of bureaucracy

Slow and full of red tape but appreciate services

Bureaucracy and legislative branch

Congress creates, funds, and overseas agencies

Main duty of OPM

Hiring and managing federal workers

Changes since first president

Much larger, more specialized, more complex

Parts of an iron triangle

Congressional committee, bureaucratic agency, interest group

Freedom of information act

Allows public access to government records

How do iron triangles function?

Agencies enforce policies that help interest groups, interest groups support committees, committees fund and oversee agencies

Privatization definition

Government tasks to private companies

Deregulation

Reducing government rules

Implementation

Process where agencies put laws into action

Merit system

Hiring based on exams and qualifications

Government Corporation

Government run business

Spoils System

Hiring based on political loyalty

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Handles federal hiring and HR

Whistleblower protection

Protects workers who report wrongdoing

Office of Management and Budget

Helps pres. create budget and reviews agency spending

Pendleton Civil Service Act

Created merit system, ended spoils system

Oversight

Congress supervises agencies

Red Tape

Complex rules that slow government processes

Rule or regulation

Legally binding agency instruction

Bureaucracy and executive branch

President directs, appoints leaders, issues orders

Has bureaucracy grown population?

no

Current reforms

Reduce red tape, modernize tech, increase accountability

Demographics vs. US population

Slightly older, more educated, more veterans

How president’s party affects bureaucracy?

Democrats: expand programs

Republicans: reduce regulations and privatize

How do iron triangles show client politics?

Small organized groups gain benefits while the public pays dispersed costs.

Devolution

Shifting power from national to states

Client politics

Small group benefits, public pays costs

Central clearance

OMB approval before agencies speak to Congress

Discretionary spending

Spending Congress approves yearly (ex. defense)

Hatch Act

limits political activities of federal workers

Independent Executive Agency

agencies outside Cabinet with specific tasks (NASA, EPA)

Independent regulatory commission

Agency that makes/enforces rules; leaders have fixed terms (Ex: FTC)

Lobbyist

Person who tries to influence government decisions

Bureaucracy organization

Cabinet departments, independent agencies, regulatory commissions, government corporations

Formal v. informal organization

Formal: hierarchy rules

Informal: networks and relationships

Privatization examples

contractors for defense, tech, transportation, welfare services