U.S. Government Bureaucracy Buzzwords

Regulation

a government rule that guides the operation of a government program; another definition in a different context is when the government intervenes in the economy to promote policy; example: the federal government might raise taxes on steel coming from China to discourage American companies from bury Chinese steel

Fine

monetary (money) penalty a wrongdoer must pay

Iron triangle

an alliance among an administrative agency, an interest group, and a congressional committee. Each member of the iron triangle provides key services, information, or policy for the others.

Issue network

a network that includes policy experts, media pundits, congressional staff members, and interest groups who regularly debate an issue

Civil service/competitive service

employees of the government are selected and advanced based on merit not on connections

Merit System

being hired or promoted based on your abilities, not based on your political connections

Political Patronage

is a situation in which a person is rewarded for supporting a particular politician, such as campaigning or voting for them. _________ can sometimes include the exchange of money for political support. For example, if Mr. Corgan was running for President of the United States and told you he would give you $1,000 if you publicly endorse him, he would be engaging in_____________

Administrative discretion/discretionary authority

congress has given agencies decision-making power in expanding rules to carry out the laws congress has already enacted; Congress does not have the time or expertise to make sure every law is being followed

Rule-making

the process agencies go through to make regulations/rules that are legally binding

Policy Implementation

putting the plan into action

oversight

the process by which congress reviews the operations of an agency to determine if the agency is carrying out the policies congress intended

Bureaucracy

a large, complex organization of appointed officials; it includes all of the agencies, people, and procedures through which the federal government operates

Bureaucrat

someone who works in the bureaucracy

Cabinet department

one of 15 high level executive branch organizations that help the president run the country; example: department of defense

Independent agencies

an executive agency that is not part of a cabinet department; in most cases the president appoints the head of the agency and can remove the head at any time.

Regulatory commissions

an agency of the executive branch that controls some part of the economy

Government corporations

a government agency that performs services that a private company probably would not provide; Example: Tennessee Valley Authority provides electricity to Appalacia (a poor, mountainous region of the east)

Government by proxy

federal services are not actually performed by federal employees but by private contractors or state and local employees

Incrementalism

the slow but steady increase in costs of programs over time because of inflation and increases in wages of bureaucrats; another definition is the slow, gradual change in policy rather than sudden sharp change

Deregulation

decreasing the amount of regulation; generally favored more by the Republicans