Ch 10 Sec 3 Questions

What are federal agencies responsible for?

They are responsible for making key decisions about policy issues.

What does administering these programs require?

Requires bureaucrats to write rules, create regulations, and set standards to carry out the laws Congress passes.

What has the Social Security Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services done?

Has developed detailed rules and regulations describing disability.

How do bureaucrats also shape public policy?

They shape policy by drafting bills, testifying on legislation, and giving lawmakers technical information.

What are the five reasons why the federal bureaucracy has grown?

Nation’s growth, international crises, economic problems, citizen demands, and national emergencies.

In addition, what has made life more complex?

Rapid advances in technology.

Why did George W. Bush build up the Defense Department again?

He expanded it as part of the war on terrorism after the 9/11 attacks.

Why did President Franklin Delano Roosevelt greatly expand the size of the federal bureaucracy?

He expanded it to combat the Great Depression in the 1930s.

What do client groups often do?

They lobby both Congress and agencies for more programs and services.

What targets government waste?

Clinton’s “Reinventing Government” plan and the Republican “Contract with America.”

What does the Government Performance and Results Act require?

Agencies must write strategic plans, set annual performance goals, and collect data to measure how well goals are met.

What is Congress’s major power over the bureaucracy?

The power of the purse.

What may lobbyists do?

They may testify at hearings, write letters, track agency decisions, and support their group’s interests.

What do many critics believe?

They believe iron triangles let interest groups gain influence outside the executive branch’s control.

What may key decision makers in each agency attempt?

They may try to influence others to support their programs or rules.