The Bureaucracy

What is the key to policy success?

Bureaucrats that run the govs day to day

What is pluralist theory?

Policy making is a competition among many diverse interest groups

What is elite theory?

A ruling class of wealthy, educated individuals control most political power

What is bureaucratic theory?

That bureaucrats are the ones with the true power

What is the bureaucracy?

The term used for one executive branch unit

Who are the bureaucrats?

Government employees that citizens interact with regularly

What branch of Government does the federal bureaucracy work out of?

The executive branch

Why would bureaucrats call themselves public servants?

It captures how they see themselves

Why is the bureaucracy sometimes called the permanent government?

Even as presidents come and go and politics change, bureaucrats still run the day to day

What is the patronage system?

Personnel system where the CEO appoints whoever they want to top bureaucratic positions

There are over 4,000 positions that the President can appoint, but 1,200 must be approved. Who approves them?

The Senate

What is merit-based civil service

Personnel system where bureaucrats are hired on the basis of skill, competence, and equal opportunity

Who are Civil Servants?

Bureaucrats hired through the merit based personnel system

What are departments?

One of the 15 branch units responsible for a broadly defined policy area

What are secreataries?

Heads of the departments appointed by the President

What are independent administrative agencies?

Responsible for a narrowly defined function of national gov

How do independent administrative agencies differ from departments?

They do not need to report to a cabinet secretary, non partisan, heads serve fixed term

What are government corporations?

Executive branch unit that sells a service and is expected to be financially self sufficient

What is an example of a government corporation?

USPS

What is the politics-administration dichotomy?

Elected gov officials create and approve public policy, while neutral bureaucrats implements the public policy

What are sunshine laws?

Legislation that opens up gov functions and docs to the public

What is the federal register?

Where bureaucracies are required to put their proposed rules in.

What are sunset clauses?

A clause in legislation that sets an expiration date for programs or policies unless congress reauthorizes it

What are whistleblowers?

People who disclose gov misconduct, waste, mismanagement, abuse of authority, or threats to public health or safety

What is an inspector general?

Political appointees that work within gov agencies to ensure the integrity of public service

What is a deep state?

A coordinated effort by a group of bureaucrats to prevent the president from accomplishing what the people want