The Administrative State and Policymaking

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the administrative state and policymaking.

Administrative State

A government structure where executive agencies create, adjudicate, and enforce their own rules, combining legislative, judicial, and executive functions.

Pendleton Act

Legislation that established a career civil service, aimed at professionalizing government positions.

Nondelegation Doctrine

The principle stating that legislative authority shouldn’t be delegated to agencies, though this is frequently violated.

Judicial Deference

The tendency of courts to defer to agencies' interpretations of laws, potentially undermining judicial authority.

Public Policy

A set of deliberate government actions aimed at addressing societal issues, which can be broad or narrowly focused.

Distributive Policy

A type of public policy that allocates benefits for specific purposes, impacting fewer people with concentrated benefits.

Regulatory Policy

Policy that uses incentives and sanctions to influence behaviors, often regulating practices such as workplace safety.

Redistributive Policy

Policies that aim to equalize outcomes, often concentrating both benefits and costs.

Agenda Setting

The process of determining which issues gain public and political attention, significantly influenced by media.

Bureaucratic Discretion

The flexibility agencies have in interpreting and implementing laws and policies, sometimes leading to varied enforcement.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

An executive office that oversees the federal budget process and fiscal policies, playing a key role in policy coordination.

Executive Orders

Directives issued by the President that manage the operations of the federal government and have the force of law.

Statements of Administration Policy (SAPs)

Communications from the President to Congress about administration positions on pending legislation.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

A law ensuring public access to government documents, promoting transparency in government decision-making.

Cognitive Bias

A tendency for people's perceptions to be influenced by their prior beliefs, affecting interpretation of information.

Motivated Bias

The inclination to seek information that confirms existing beliefs, influencing decision-making and opinions.