AP GOV Chapter 8

federal bureaucracy

the thousand of federal government agencies and institutions that implement and administer federal laws and programs

spoils system

the firing of public-office holders of a defeated political party to replace them with loyalists of newly elected party

patronage

jobs, grants, or other special favors that are given as rewards to friends and political allies for their support

merit system

a system of employment based on qualifications test scores, and ability, rather than party loyalty

Pendleton Act

Reform measure that established the principle of federal employment on the basis of open, competitive exams and created the civil service commission.

Civil Service System

the merit system by which many federal bureaucrats are selected

independent regulatory commission

an entity created by Congress outside a major executive department

departments

major administrative units with responsibility for a broad area of government operations. Departmental status usually indicates a permanent national interest in a particular governmental fun such as defense, commerce, or agricultural

Independent Executive Agencies

governmental units that closely resemble a Cabinet department but have narrower areas of responsibility and perform services rather than regulatory functions

Government Corportations

established by Congress to perform functions that private businesses could provide

Hatch Act

1939 act to prohibit civil servants from taking activist roles in partisan campaigns. This act prohibited federal employees from making political contributions, working for a particular party, or campaign for a particular candidate

implenmentation

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

iron triangles

the relatively ironclad relationships and patterns of interaction that occur among agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees.

issue networks

the loose and in formal relationships that exists among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas

intergency councils

working groups created of facilitate coderination of policy making and implementation across a host of governmental agencies

policy cooperation committees (PCCs)

Subcabinet-level committees created to facilitate interactions between agencies and departments to handle complex policy problem

administrative discretion

the ability to make choices concerning the best way to implement congressional or executive intentions

rule making

a quasi-legislative process resulting in regulation that have the characteristics of legislative act

regulations

rules governing the operations of all government programs that leave the force of laws

administrative adjusication

a quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties in a marmer similar to the way courts resolve disputes