American Bureaucracy

8/12/2019 American Bureaucracy

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If the federal government should go

out of existence, the common run

of people would not detect the difference in the affairs of their daily life for a considerable length of time.

Calvin Coolidge



UNDERSTANDING THE BUREAUCRACY

• Definition: A Complex Tiered Organization*

• The Bureaucracy & The Constitution

• Questions: Evolution, Function, Problems

• Distinctiveness of American Bureaucracy:

(1) Separation of Powers; (2) Federalism

(3) Adversarial Culture”; (4) Reg. v. Ownership







A CHANGING ROLE

• Expansion: War, Depression,Green + CRM

• Growth in : 2m & 13m

• Growth in iscretionary Power

• TV; Auto Safety; Drugs; ScientificResearch; Forests; Mergers;

Subsidies



MAJOR BUREAUCRACIES

State: Foreign Policy--Ambassadors, etc.

Defense (Pentagon): Military Policy

Justice Department: Nation s Lawyers

Interior: Federal Lands

Treasury: Fiscal Recommendations; Foreign Trade

Negotiations

Congressional Budget Office:

Non-partisan program $ evaluation



RECRUITMENT RETENTION

• Patronage/Spoils v. Competence

Civil Service Reform--Pendleton Act (1883)

" Garfield Assassination

" Progressive Era

• Competitive Service & Exemptions" Buddy System/Name Request

" The “firing” problem

• (S)enior (E)xecutive (S)ervice--more$, less security



THE AGENCY S POINT OF VIEW

Culture: + (solidarity/morale) & -(insularity, inertia)

Continuity:+ (Experts) &

- (Public interest = agency interest)

Personal attributes" Racial + Economic" Political

Employees & Bosses" Sabotage?" Whistleblower

Protection



EXECUTIVE APPOINTEES

• Executive Agency Heads employed at will”

• No firing heads of Independent Agencies (ex: CIA; FEC) orjudges except for cause” • Acting & Recess Appointments (Avoids Approval)

• Pool: Private business; think tanks; universities;

members of government; constituencies





BUREAUCRACY CONGRESS

Iron Triangle --> Issue Networks

Oversight" Approval

" Authorization (Amount &Frequency)

" Appropriations

" Direct Contact/Personal Influence

" Committee clearance/LegislativeVeto

" Investigations*





BUREAUCRATIC CONSTRAINTS

Hiring & Firing; Operating

New Rules & Policy

Freedom of Information

Environmental Impact Statements

Privacy Act

Cause

Effects:

Cooperation; speed; effectiveness;

inconsistent action; blocking >taking; minimizes initiative



BUREAUCRATIC PATHOLOGIES (PROBLEMS)

• Incompetence (Corps./Milton)*• Red Tape: Rules (Passports/Bkfst)

• Conflict: Opposite Aims (Farming/State&Defense)

• Duplication/Overlap (DEA/BP/CoastGuard)

• Imperialism (Growth-EPA/Endangered Species)

• Waste (Ash Tray/Nat l

Car Fleet)





REFORMING THE BUREAUCRACY

• National Performance Review (NPR)

+ efficiency, - radical reform

• Privatization

+

-

• Private Charity

• Smaller Gov t?

• General – Great

• Specific (Mines, Beef, Levees, Bridges,Water, Schools?)

Documents

American Bureaucracy