Federal Bureaucracy & Judicial Branch

The Federal Bureaucracy implements federal policy

Federal Bureaucracy

thousands of federal government agencies and institutions that implement and administer federal laws and programs

• unelected positions —> independent from different branches

• work force of the executive branch —> carry out and enforce laws

• the “Fourth” branch of Government —> the Constitution only labels 3, but because the Fed. Bur. is so large, powerful, and influential, they act as a 4th basically

What are the Four parts of the Federal Bureaucracy?

1. Cabinet Departments

   • Department of Education, State Department, etc.

2. Independent Executive Agencies

   • CIA, EPA, NASA, etc.

3. Independent Regulatory Commissions

   • FCC

4. Government Corporations

   • Amtrack, US Postal Service, etc.

Roots of the Bureaucracy

• 3 Executive Department existed under the Articles of Confederation

  • Foreign Affairs —> Department of State

  • War —> Department of Defense —> Department of War

  • Treasury

• Andrew Jackson promoted the postmaster general to Cabinet rank

  • becomes a major source of jobs he coul fulfill through appointment

Office of Attorney General

provides the president with legal advice

• a non-partisan position —> necessary as the law is non-partisan, therefore the Attorney General can’t show bias in the advice they give the President

Spoils System

firing on public office holders of a defeated political party to replace them with loyalists

Patronage

favors given as rewards to friends and allies for their support

Civil War and Growth of Government — Abraham Lincoln

• President authorized the addition of thousands of new employees to existing departments as the nation geared for war

  • Department of Agriculture —> a new agency cteated to deal with poor harvest

  • Pension Office —> pay benefits to veterans

  • Department of Justice —> headed by the Attorney General

Spoils System becomes the Merit System

• A combination of the public’s reaction to James A. Garfield’s assassination and increasing criticism of the Spoils System led to Congress to pass the Civil Service Reform Act (Pendleton Act)

What is the Civil Service Reform Act? (aka the Pendleton Act)

• jobs awarded based on open, competitive exams

• Bipartisan Civil Service Commission

• Covers 90% of federal employees today