Untitled Flashcards Set

Here are flashcards with definitions for the 19 terms related to U.S. government bureaucracy:

1. Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

Definition: The executive agency responsible for preparing the federal budget, overseeing spending, and evaluating the effectiveness of government programs.

2. Pendleton Act

Definition: A 1883 law that established a merit-based system for federal employment, reducing the influence of patronage and political favoritism.

3. Merit System

Definition: A system of hiring and promotion based on competitive exams and qualifications rather than political connections.

4. Iron Triangle

Definition: The policy-making relationship between a bureaucratic agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group, which work together to influence government decisions.

5. Issue Networks

Definition: A loose and informal network of policymakers, including government officials, interest groups, academics, and media members, who work on a specific policy issue.

6. Bureaucracy

Definition: A complex system of departments, agencies, and offices that implement government policies and programs.

7. Hatch Act

Definition: A 1939 law that restricts government employees from engaging in partisan political activities to ensure a nonpartisan bureaucracy.

8. The Spoils System

Definition: A practice where government jobs are given as political rewards to supporters of the winning party, rather than based on merit.

9. Government Corporations

Definition: Businesses owned by the federal government that provide services that could be offered by the private sector, such as Amtrak or the U.S. Postal Service.

10. Bureaucratic Discretion

Definition: The ability of bureaucrats to interpret and implement laws as they see fit, within the scope of their authority.

11. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Definition: The federal agency that manages the civil service system, overseeing hiring, promotions, and benefits for government employees.

12. Independent Agencies

Definition: Agencies that operate outside the executive departments but are still part of the government, such as NASA and the CIA.

13. Administrative Procedures Act (APA)

Definition: A 1946 law that establishes procedures for federal agencies to make regulations, ensuring transparency and public participation.

14. Chevron Case

Definition: A 1984 Supreme Court decision (Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council) that established the principle of judicial deference to administrative agency interpretations of laws they administer.

15. Civil Service Reform Act (1978)

Definition: A law that restructured the federal civil service system, creating the OPM and the Merit Systems Protection Board to ensure fairness in hiring and firing.

16. Independent Regulatory Agencies

Definition: Agencies that regulate specific industries or economic practices, such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

17. Whistleblower Protection Act

Definition: A law designed to protect government employees who report misconduct, corruption, or illegal activities within federal agencies.

18. Bureaucratic Adjudication

Definition: The process by which bureaucratic agencies settle disputes between parties, functioning like courts in specific policy areas.

19. Implementation

Definition: The process by which government agencies enforce and execute laws passed by Congress, often through regulations and administrative actions.

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