Objectives:

1. Discuss the unique features of the American federal bureaucracy

   1. One prominent feature of the American federal bureaucracy is the fact that no one branch of government controls the bureaucracy, instead political authority is shared by many institutions. Independent agencies are also free from executive control, meaning they are not under the direct control of the President or other executive branch officials. They are instead led by experts in their respective fields who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, which allows them to operate independently of the executive branch, and to make decisions based on their expertise and knowledge.

2. Explain the evolution of the federal bureaucracy

   1. Overtime, the size and power of the bureaucracy has grown tremendously. Many times in history we see bureaucracy getting larger in times of crisis, for example during the Civil War, the Great Depression, and World War II, because people turn towards the government for more assistance.

3. Summarize how the federal bureaucracy functions today

   1. Today, the number of civilians working for the bureaucracy hasn’t increased, but the number of people who work indirectly has. Because of this, instead of measuring bureaucracy power by the number of people who work, it is measured through discretionary authority, which is the ability to choose courses of action not spelled out in the laws. Today civil servants are hired based on merit, instead of political patronage. They must pass a written exam or meet certain criteria, and this process of hiring has become more decentralized. There are also five factors which explain how an official may act: the manner in which they are recruited and rewarded, personal attributes (socioeconomic background and political attitude), nature of their jobs, and constraints that outside forces impose on the agencies.

4. Discuss checks on and problems with the federal bureaucracy, and possibilities for reform.

   1. Today there are five main issues with the bureaucracy: red tape (complex rules that must be followed), conflict (when agencies work at cross purposes), duplication (when agencies are doing the same thing), imperialism (the tendency for agencies to grow without regards to the cost), and waste (spending more money than necessary). Many of these issues exist because of the nature of government; for example with red tape, some rules and procedures will be necessary to ensure one part of the organization does not overstep their boundaries. And conflict + duplication take place because Congress, which is very large and varied, has different intentions. Reforms have taken place, such as Al Gore’s NPR which tried increasing central control of agencies, and tried to emphasize customer satisfaction. The Bush admin abolished NPR and had PART, which tried to link management reform to the budget process. However, reforming the bureaucracy is easier said than done because there are so many moving parts and stakeholders involved.

American Constitutionalism and the Federal Bureaucracy:

• Political authority is shared among several institutions

• Constitution gives both Congress and president authority over the bureaucracy

• Federal agencies share functions with related agencies in state and local government

Proxy Government:

• Bureaucrats pay others to do the work, instead of being elected

• Critics argue it doesn’t keep track of how money we send to agencies is used

• Defenders say the system produces more flexibility and defends the principle of federalism

Evolution of the Federal Bureaucracy:

• Since Congress represented local interests, appointments used to be made with an eye in rewarding local supporters of congress members.

• Number of federal employees increased eightfold from 1816 to 1861.

  • Result of increased demands

• The Civil War led to lots of bureaucratic development.

• New agencies were created from 1861 to 1901.

  • These agencies had one thing in common: roles was to serve, not regulate

• Supreme Court ruled that agencies couldn’t make rules on its own, but only apply standards enacted by Congress

• Today’s bureaucracy is a result of the Great Depression and World War II.

  • Government expected to play a bigger role.

Federal Bureaucracy Today:

• Number of civilians working for the bureaucracy hasn’t increased, but the number of people who work indirectly has.

• Power of the bureaucracy depends on how much discretionary authority appointed officials have.

  • Power has grown enormously over time.

• Congress can pay subsidies to particular groups, transfer money from the federal government to state and local governments, and encourage regulations for various sectors.

• Factors that explain the behavior of the officials:

  • Manner in which they are recruited and rewarded

  • Personal attributes (socioeconomic background and political attitude)

  • Nature of their jobs

  • Constraints that outside forces impose on the agencies.

• Federal civil service system was designed to recruit people based on merit

  • Replaced the spoils system, which was a system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends

Bureaucratic Pathologies:

• Five issues with bureaucracies:

  • Red tape: complex rules they must follow

  • Conflict: Agencies working at cross purposes with other agencies

  • Duplication: two government agencies are doing the same thing

  • Imperialism: tendency for agencies to grow with regard to the costs that entails

  • Waste: spending more than necessary for a product or service