AP GOV Unit 2.12 The Federal Bureaucracy

What is the Federal Bureaucracy, and what are they in charge of?

The federal bureaucracy is part of the executive branch. Led by the president, they run the government and are in charge of implementation and enforcement of policy.

What does the Federal Bureaucracy implement or enforce? (3)

Congressional legislation

Court decisions/rulings

Presidential actions/decisions like executive orders

What is the Federal Bureaucracy made up of? (3)

Cabinet Departments

Agencies and Commissions

Government Corporations

Cabinet Departments

They are in charge of running their department, help execute/implement programs; have broad responsibility and advising the president.

(15 total of various size, status, visibility, and function. Examples: State (the most prestigious. The diplomats), Defense: biggest, HHS, Agriculture, Commerce, Homeland Security, Attorney General.)

Who are Cabinet Departments run by?

led by department secretaries

Agencies and commissions

They deal with specific policy areas within government. Some of these agencies serve to regulate a certain sector of the economy

(Ex:Nasa, EPA, CIA)

Government Corporation

are run like a private company

Civil Servant (Bureaucrat)

An employee of the government, (people that work for an agency/department of the federal bureaucracy) not elected or appointed just hired & fired

How did someone become a civil servant? (Older-but still in practice)

Political Patronage

Political Patronage

Used to be that most political appointments were made by the President. Positions are awarded based on political connections or contributions during a president's campaign. Presidents awarded friends and campaign contributors with government positions

What did the Patronage do to the Federal Bureaucracy?

The patronage system made the federal bureaucracy ineffective, since appointments were not based on qualifications and expertise

What was done as a result of Patronage?

In 1883, Congress passed the Pendleton Civil Service Act as a response to presidents awarding government jobs based on political reasons or patronage.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

Passed in 1883, an Act that created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.

Civil Service System

A great majority of Bureaucrats are now hired and promoted based on the merit system→ training, qualifications expertise, and results of civil service exams. (especially the lower level positions)

What did the Civil Service system make it hard to do for the President?

It made it extremely difficult to fire or demote most bureaucrats based on political reasons.

Who could the President appoint in the Fed. Bureau after Civil Service system?

Heads of agencies/departments are still appointed by the president. (Still some limited form of patronage that exists)

What were the major results of the Civil Service System? (4)

Specialization(high degree of expertise gives stronger specialization to policy areas)

Expertise and Professionalism

Neutrality(Bureaucrats are freed from political pressure and are able to make decisions without bias)

Limited the influence of the President (Still has some but not major influence when he hire/fire (s) the bureaucracy's heads/directors)

What are the Federal Bureaucracies formal tasks? (4)

Write and enforce regulations for the industry or policy area are they are in charge of

Issue fines and other punishments for noncompliance

Provide expertise for specific tasks and policy areas

Testify before congress during hearings for a bill

How can Federal agencies/departments implement legislation and other federal policies?

Congress has given them rulemaking authority and discretionary authority (delegated)

Rulemaking Authority

An agency's ability to make rules that affect how programs operate, and to force states and corporations to obey these rules as if they were laws.

Discretionary Authority

An agency's ability to exercise its own expertise and judgement when implementing existing laws/policies.

Why does Congress give the Fed. Bureau Rule-making authority and Discretionary Authority?

Congress and other policymakers usually leave it up to the bureaucracy to implement their policies because they tend to rely on bureaucrats' expertise. Congress DELEGATE responsibility and discretion to the federal bureaucracy.

The more vague legislation/policy is...

the more discretion can be exercised by bureaucrats. When a policy is unclear, bureaucrats are given the opportunity to "fill in" the details.

Because Congress gives authority to Fed. Bureau, how can they work around it if they don't like how things are going?

this could be curtailed by creating more detailed policies that prescribes in detail how it should be executed.