Topic 2.13 Discretionary and Rule-Making Authority (PMI-2) & Topic 2.14 Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable (PMI-2)

bureaucracy

An administrative group of non elected officials charged with implementing policies created by the other branches of government.

discretionary authority

An agency's ability to decide whether or not to take certain courses of action when implementing existing laws.

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.

committee hearings

Used by congressional committees to collect and assess information to guide their decisions and actions. Hearings usually involve oral testimony from, and questioning of, witnesses and bureaucratic officials.

power of the purse

Congress's ability to set the budget of a bureaucratic agency, and by extension influence its behavior.

Department of Education

Administering educational policies to the states and promoting research on education.

Department of Homeland Security

Protecting the United States from terrorist attacks, controlling borders, and minimizing damage from natural disasters.

Department of Transportation

Managing highways, rails, and air travel.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Promoting the welfare of armed services veterans and managing VA hospitals.

Environmental Protection Agency

Protecting human health and the environment by developing and enforcing regulations.

Federal Elections Commission

Administering and enforcing the federal campaign finance law.

Securities and Exchange Commission

Regulating the stock market and protecting investors from fraud.

Powers of the federal bureaucracy to implement policy

After the president signs a bill into law or issues an executive order, the federal bureaucracy is responsible for implementing that policy. Laws may lack clear, concrete details on how they should be enacted, so the federal bureaucracy has discretionary authority to make decisions on what actions to take—or not take—when implementing laws, as well as rulemaking authority to create regulations about how government programs should operate. This authority enhances the power of the federal bureaucracy, giving it considerable jurisdiction over the implementation of government policies.

Holding the bureaucracy accountable

Congress uses its oversight powers to ensure that legislation is implemented as intended; it uses committee hearings to question agency staff and hold them accountable to their actions and decisions. Congress can also influence the behavior of a bureaucratic agency by cutting or increasing its budget; this is also known as "power of the purse."