Chapter 8 - The Bureaucracy

Both FEMA Administrator Brock Long and Major General Donald Jackson cited the _______ to explain how their agencies were constrained in their efforts to respond to Hurricane Maria.

constraints of the Rogers Act

unwillingness of Congress to act

failure of President Trump to lead

limitations of the Stafford Act

limitations of the Stafford Act

• Both Long and Jackson cite the Stafford Act, formally the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, which defines how much the government can do to reconstruct areas after a natural disaster.

Senator John Tester was so disturbed by the FEMA board he criticized near the end of this hearing because the board ______.

did not award a contract to a business based in the state he represents, Montana

failed to meet until six weeks after Hurricane Maria hit

gave a no−bid contract to an inexperienced and unqualified business

did not properly conform to federal regulations for such boards

gave a no−bid contract to an inexperienced and unqualified business

• Though Tester admits he should be “tickled pink” that the company who received the contract is based in Montana, he worried that the company had only two employees and was in business for only two years without any experience in disaster relief yet received a no−bid contract.

Which type of Congressional oversight, according to Mathew McCubbins and Thomas Schwartz is evident in this video?

intermittent

police patrol

fire alarm

ad hoc

fire alarm

• This committee hearing typifies McCubbins and Schwartz’s concept of fire alarm oversight, which takes place when something has gone wrong.
  

Explain how Sen. John Tester’s questions and concerns could bring about political or legislative change.

Tester may support legislation to reform FEMA based on his questions. His questions may also serve to discourage bureaucrats in the future. They may also serve to embarrass the president and help elect Democrats in the next election cycle

During the Federalist years, what was the primary factor that determined fitness for federal bureaucratic service?

Multiple Choice Question

financial support during elections

standardized testing

character and honesty

campaign labors

character and honesty

Why did the Framers not want to delegate too much bureaucratic power to the executive branch?

They were unsure who would be elected first president.

The colonial experience with the king’s governors and other royal officials was too fresh.

They risked losing the support of state legislatures, needed to ratify the Constitution.

They recognized that the new federal government was going to be large.

The colonial experience with the king’s governors and other royal officials was too fresh.

How did President James Garfield’s assassination help to bring about civil service reform?

Multiple Choice Question

It was carried out by a disaffected job seeker angry about losing a patronage appointment.

It was done in front of the U.S. Civil Service Commission building.

It demonstrated that federal bureaucrats were no longer men of character.

It ended the term of Garfield, who strongly opposed civil service reform.

It was carried out by a disaffected job seeker angry about losing a patronage appointment.

The rotation in office policy, meant to democratize the civil service and reward political supporters, is most associated with which U.S. president?

Grover Cleveland

James Garfield

George Washington

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson (also known as the spoils system)

From a bureaucratic perspective, why does the federal government use state governments, private contractors, or grant recipients to administer federal programs?

It allows federal policymakers to enact the same policies with a smaller federal workforce.

These actors work together to solve the delegation problem in a variety of contexts.

It allows federal policymakers to enact policies that avoid the prisoner’s dilemma.

These actors enact policy more efficiently and effectively than does the federal government.

It allows federal policymakers to enact the same policies with a smaller federal workforce.

______ produced a dramatic surge in the size of the federal workforce that was only partially reversed afterward.

World War II

The American Revolution

The Civil War

The Vietnam War

WWII

T/F: The federal government publishes all new administrative rules that have the force of law in the Congressional Globe.

False. The federal government publishes all new administrative rules that have the force of law in the Federal Register.

Why do political entrepreneurs fight to make the agencies that administer policies into entities with department status?

for political survival should an unfavorable presidential administration be elected

to ensure their staff members receive greater financial compensation in their paychecks

for a leg up in the competition for scarce resources and symbolic recognition of their concerns

to provide their administrators a seat in the president’s cabinet

for a leg up in the competition for scarce resources and symbolic recognition of their concerns

Why were the directorate of national intelligence, the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and the Selective Service System all created as independent executive agencies?

Multiple Choice Question

to allow them to be run by a CEO

to keep with the president’s role as commander in chief

to permit them to buy and sell property

to provide them with the ability to regulate without political interference

to keep with the president’s role as commander in chief

Why do members of Congress need bureaucrats?

to provide information

to fund programs

to restrain the president

to authorize policies

To provide information. Bureaucrats provide information and information is a scarce and therefore valuable commodity. A regular exchange of intelligence helps both sides anticipate consequences and reduces the incidence of unpleasant surprises.

Political scientist James Q. Wilson defines an organization’s ______ as its “persistent, patterned way of thinking about the central tasks of and human relationships within [the] organization.”

indirect administration

bureaucratic culture

iron triangle

red tape

bureaucratic culture

One area in which members of the U.S. federal bureaucracy differ from the general population in the U.S. is that American bureaucrats ______.

are overwhelmingly male

are overwhelmingly female

are more dedicated to their jobs

place a higher value on civic participation

place a higher value on civic participation

Which term describes a complex structure of offices, tasks, and rules organized within a hierarchy of authority?

business

political party

bureaucracy

interest group

bureaucracy

What is the result of neutral competence?

Those with merit do not get promoted

Presidents can reward some supporters with high level jobs

Political debts can get paid by elected officials

Government keeps running even as officeholders change

Government keeps running even as officeholders change. Neutral competence represents the effort to depoliticize the bureaucracy by appointing officials based on merit, not politics. Thus, governments function even as officeholders change.

Which of the following strengthens the president’s control over the bureaucracy?

the constitutionally guaranteed role of commander in chief

the duration of service of career bureaucrats

the advice and consent clause of the Constitution

the loyalty of patronage appointees in high−level positions

the loyalty of patronage appointees in high−level positions

Why is the federal bureaucracy one of the most essential aspects of the American political system, and which branch(es) of government does it fall under?

Without a federal bureaucracy, most government actions could not be carried out and specific issues would likely not be addressed. From administering unemployment benefits to maintaining roadways, these functions affect the everyday lives of the citizens of the United States in more concrete and visible ways, which also gives the bureaucracy a symbolic role as the “face” of the federal government. The executive branch has traditionally had authority over the bureaucracy, but the legislative and judicial branches also have some responsibility in overseeing its activities.

Why was President Trump’s firing inspector generals in 2020 so controversial?

The firings threatened the independence of governmental watchdogs.

The inspectors general fired were just cited for their fine work.

The act was done with Congressional approval.

President Trump announced the firings on Friday evenings.

The firings threatened the independence of governmental watchdogs. It means that inspector generals are supposed to act like “watchdogs” for the government—they check that agencies are following the rules, using money properly, and not abusing power. When a president fires them for doing their job, it can make it seem like these watchdogs can’t operate independently anymore. Basically, it risks turning them into people who only say what political leaders want to hear, rather than what the law or evidence shows.

The strategy of ______ oversight is used when Congress works hard to directly monitor whether agencies are implementing laws faithfully and efficiently.

ambulance

police patrol

critical

fire alarm

Police patrol. This statement describes McCubbins and Schwartz’s concept of police patrol oversight.

Why does Congress sometimes attach limitation riders to appropriations bills?

Multiple Choice Question

They instruct agencies regarding how Congress expects them to act.

They require executive agencies to provide regular reports.

They specifically forbid spending on certain activities.

They act as poison pills, killing an agency if certain conditions are unmet.

They specifically forbid spending on certain activities.

The _____, charged by the Constitution with seeing that the laws are faithfully executed, sits officially atop the bureaucratic hierarchies of the executive branch.

Multiple Choice Question

Chief Justice

Government Accountability Office

inspectors general

president

president

The mutually beneficial alliances formed by agency staff, members of Congress, and organized interest groups to manage policy in their areas of specialization are known as _____.

Multiple Choice Question

captured agencies

iron triangles

limitation riders

spoils systems

iron triangles

Why do bureaucrats favor red tape?

It appeals to their enjoyment of the mundane.

It frustrates the principals who seek to oversee their activities.

It allows for fire alarm oversight to members of Congress.

It provides measurable outputs on which to evaluate their performance.

It provides measurable outputs on which to evaluate their performance.

Reforming the federal bureaucracy has been a goal of ______ in recent years.

Multiple Choice Question

Democrats only, not Republicans

neither Republicans nor Democrats

Republicans only, not Democrats

both Republicans and Democrats

both Republicans and Democrats

The problem of bureaucracy is not bureaucracy but instead ______.

Multiple Choice Question

lack of accountability

politics

apathy

personnel

politics

How did politicians in the three major periods (the Federalist period, the Jacksonian period, and the modern civil−service period) attempt to counteract the principal−agent problem in the federal bureaucracy?

During the Federalist period, presidents hired people based on character and honesty, but they also incentivized bureaucratic agents to act as their principals desired through, for instance, allowing them to take a share of the sale of smuggled goods and disincentivized them through heavy fines. The Jacksonian period attempted to reign in independent agents through tying their employment to political success and party loyalty and easy replaceability by another party loyalist. The modern period aims to establish a professional civil service but in doing so creates institutions and procedures that often undermine principals.

John F. Kennedy created the independent executive agency known as the Peace Corps, which many consider his pet project, and he named his brother−in−law, Sargent Shriver, as director. Given the context of the Peace Corps as an independent executive agency, what should the president have done in this situation regarding leadership of a federal agency?

Independent executive agencies give greater control from bureaucracies to presidents to implement policies and thus they are preferred for pet projects like Kennedy’s Peace Corps. That said, they also require loyal leadership, which may explain why Shriver was chosen.

How would you justify the argument that Congress needs bureaucrats just as much as bureaucrats need Congress?

The relationship can (and should) be mutually between Congress and bureaucrats. Congress gets information for it to make laws while getting people to execute the policies it enacts. Bureaucrats also need Congress to survive, in the form of legal justification and especially funding. Thus, federal bureaucrats prosper by convincing Congress they are good faith agents and by articulating their mission in politically popular ways.

Compare and contrast Mathew McCubbins and Thomas Schwartz’s concepts of fire alarm oversight with police patrol oversight. How do they aim to alleviate the problem of delegation?

Both are means by which Congress uses its oversight power to ensure that its desires, as principles, are being carried out by its agents in the bureaucracy by publicizing malfeasance and failure and thus holding the bureaucracy publicly and congressionally accountable. They differ in the severity and regularity of the oversight. Police patrol oversight is more regular and designed to prevent bureaucratic malfeasance. Fire alarm oversight responds to emergencies created by bureaucratic wrongdoing or errors.

In the context of collective action problems, why is red tape useful and logical in a political system?

Red tape is important because it helps principals control agents, helping solve the principal-agent problem. Policies, procedures, and forms provide a figurative paper trail through which bureaucrats (agents) can be held accountable by principals, be they members of the public, members of Congress, or their bureaucratic superiors. Red tape can be used to help evaluate the effectiveness of programs and agents while also providing a roadmap for how these programs developed.

Why does bureaucratic infighting occur?

Courts limit bureaucratic power.

The president lacks oversight capability.

Congress often leaves agencies’ mandates vague.

Agencies compete for resources, authority, and control.

Agencies compete for resources, authority, and control.

According to modern legal interpretation, who or what can remove higher−level political appointees in the United States?

Congress, with the Supreme Court’s consent

the president alone

the president, with Congress’s consent

Congress alone

the president alone

Given recent trends in the growth of the federal government, should a president state publicly on television that he or she was responsible for the thinning of the federal workforce, what is he or she most likely really telling you?

“I have removed many outdated laws and eliminated a thousand unnecessary government employees.”

“I have shifted much federal policy implementation to the states, federal contractors, and grantees.”

“I have made the government more efficient by requiring each bureaucrat to work in two agencies.”

“I have scaled back the federal government’s power and fired thousands of bureaucrats!”

“I have shifted much federal policy implementation to the states, federal contractors, and grantees.”

The president has several tools at their disposal to maintain control over certain aspects of the federal bureaucracy. One such tool is firing an official. How did Donald Trump’s firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions differ from his firing of his ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and his move against Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman?

Trump was much more hesitant regarding Sessions.

Trump forced Sondland and Vindman formally to resign.

Trump did not really want to rid himself of Sessions.

Trump’s firing of Sessions was controversial.

Trump was much more hesitant regarding Sessions. Compared with Sondland and Vindman, Trump was much more hesitant with Sessions. Sessions had been a former member of Congress which meant that the president would face more political opposition to his firing than that of Sondland and Vindman.

T/F: The very nature of the federal bureaucracy prevents implementing entrepreneurial reforms within it because the merit system rewards conscientious, long−term service, not risk taking.

True. Part of the difficulty in implementing entrepreneurial reforms is that the risks are not worth the rewards in a bureaucratic system, as they are in the private business world.

As secretary of defense, you wish to build a new missile program at a new Air Force base in Arizona, where there is plenty of space but also year−round suitable weather. What facet of your argument should you prioritize to members of Congress in committee to achieve this end most successfully?

the year−round suitable weather

the jobs a new missile base will bring

the military potency of the missiles to be developed

the availability of space

the jobs a new missile base will bring

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education share a commonality in that both were created ______.

during Ronald Reagan’s administration

to appeal to specific political constituencies

from existing cabinet departments

during Jimmy Carter’s administration

to appeal to specific political constituencies

What is a captured agency?

An agency whose existence is indebted to a lawmaker who acts as their shadow director

Bureaucrats who work as extensions of their party leaders and not independently.

An agency that has its budget tied up in negotiations between the president and congress.

A federal agency that is created to regulate an industry but caters to that industry instead.

A federal agency that is created to regulate an industry but caters to that industry instead.

Why are there are no standardized bureaucratic procedures and cultural uniformity across the federal bureaucracy?

different political circumstances under which the various agencies and departments were established

recent emergence of the spoils system

distinct cultures established between the states and the national government in a federal system

democratization of the federal bureaucracy during and after the Andrew Jackson presidency

different political circumstances under which the various agencies and departments were established

The 1994 ______ simplified some bureaucratic rules, especially for relatively small purchases.

Administrative Procedure Act

Government Bureaucracy Act

Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act

revisions to the Federal Register

Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act

Which of the following statements is more likely to be true of a bureaucrat than a member of the general public?

Bureaucrats place a higher value on civic participation and commitment to democratic values.

Bureaucrats are more likely to be from minority populations than workers in the private sector.

Bureaucrats have a broader range of skills matched to workers in the private sector.

Bureaucrats are more likely to be dedicated to their jobs.

Bureaucrats place a higher value on civic participation and commitment to democratic values.

T/F: In general, cabinet departments’ budgets correlate with their personnel numbers.

False. 

Why were the earliest federal government departments Treasury, Foreign Affairs (later State), and War created?

These were the only ones for which secretaries could be found.

These were demanded by President Washington.

These performed the enumerated powers of Congress.

These existed under the Articles of Confederation.

These existed under the Articles of Confederation.

An issue network differs from an iron triangle in that an issue network ______.

is more static and includes fewer actors

is subject to judicial oversight

is subject to Congressional oversight

is more fluid and includes more actors

is more fluid and includes more actors

One reason that bureaucrats like red tape is that it provides ______.

a means to hold them accountable

opportunities for creative bureaucratic expression

a sense of community with other bureaucrats

measurable outputs of their performance

measurable outputs of their performance