AP Gov chapter 7

Federal Bureaucracy

The departments and agencies within the executive branch that carry out the laws of the nation.

Bureaucrats

An official employed within a government entity.

Political Patronage

Filling of Administrative positions as a reward for support rather than merit.

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

A mutually beneficial association of congressional committees bureaucratic agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups in specific policy areas.

Issue Network

A temporary coalition formed to address a specific policy.

Implementation

The bureaucracy’s role in putting into action the laws that congress has passed.

Bureaucratic Discretion

The power to create and enforce policies and decide what congress meant when it passed a law.

Regulation

The process through which the federal bureaucracy makes rules that have the force of law, in order to carry out the laws passed by congress.

Compliance Monitoring

The process of ensuring that the bureaucracy is following regulations and using funds wisely.