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federal bureaucracy
the departments and agencies within the executive branch that carry out the laws of the nation.
bureaucrat
an official employed within a government bureaucracy
political patronage
filling administrative positions as a reward for support, rather than solely on merit.
Pendelton Act
an act of Congress that created the first United States Civil Service Commission to draw up and enforce rules on hiring, promotion, and tenure of office within the civil service (aka Civil Service Reform Act of 1883).
federal civil service
the merit-based bureaucracy, excluding the armed forces and political appointments.
merit system
a system of hiring and promotion based on competitive testing results, education, and other qualifications rather than politics and personal connections.
iron triangle
coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals.
issue network
webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates.
implementation
the bureaucracy’s role in putting into action the laws that Congress has passed.
bureaucratic discretion
the power to decide how a law is implemented and at times, what Congress actually meant when it passed a given law.
regulation
the process through which the federal bureaucracy makes rules that have the force of law, to carry out the laws passed by Congress.
bureaucratic adjudication
when the federal bureaucracy settles disputes between parties that arise over implementation of federal laws or determines which individuals or groups are covered under a regulation or program.
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