***BUREAUCRACY***A large, complex organization of appointed officials and which should behave apolitically and impersonally.

ELEMENTS OF THE BUREAUCRACY***CABINET DEPARTMENTS (Partisan)***15 major executive departments that manage specific policy areasEX: State, Defense, Agriculture, Treasury

• Headed by secretaries appointed by POTUS and confirmed by the Senate

• Secretaries often receive appointments due to expertise and reward for political loyalty

• Subdivided into bureaus that oversee specialized areas

***INDEPENDENT REGULATORY COMMISSIONS***Government agency responsible for making and enforcing rules over various sectors of the economy and judging disputes over those rules.

EXAMPLES: • Federal Reserve (Banks, money supply,

interest rates)• Federal Trade Commission (Credit, loans,

mergers)• Securities and Exchange Commission

(Stock Market)

Intended to be insulated from politics

Governed by commissioners appointed by POTUS, who serve for fixed terms and cannot be fired by him.

***GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS***Business-like organizations created by Congress to perform a service and charges for that service.

EX: USPS, Amtrak, FDIC

***INDEPENDENT EXECUTIVE AGENCIES*** Agencies not accounted for by cabinet departments

Heads appointed by/removed by POTUSEX: CIA, NASA, FEC

***EXECUTIVE OFFICE (Partisan)***-Agencies of the ExBr that report directly to POTUS

• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) • National Security Council• Council of Economic Advisors

***RULE OF PROPINQUITY***Whomever is in the room when the decision is made has the most power.

The closer your office is to the Oval Office, the more influence you have over POTUS

BUREAUCRATIC POWER***DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY: The ability of bureaucrats to shape how laws are enforced.EX: IRS/Tea Party Controversy

SHARED POWERSThe executive and legislative branches share control over the

bureaucracy.PRESIDENTIAL CONTROL Appointment: POTUS appoints agency heads and subheads

-Appointments are often political/partisan

Executive orders-POTUS can order an agency to carry out the law, expand or limit their powers within the law, and influence priorities

Alter an agency’s budget-OMB can cut or supplement an agency’s budget pending congressional approval

POTUS can try to eliminate an agency, but those agencies often have support in Congress and among special interest groups

CONGRESSIONAL CONTROL***OVERSIGHT***: Power to investigate the actions of the

bureaucracy via congressional committee

Influence the appointment of agency heads/Senate confirmation

Alter agency’s budget (Power of the Purse)

Congressional committees hold oversight hearings in order to parade abuses before the press and highlight successes

Congress can overturn agency rules (***Legislative Veto***) or limit the agency’s authority to make them

BUREAUCRATIC ALLIANCES"IRON TRIANGLES"ISSUE NETWORKS

***IRON TRIANGLES (aka: Sub-Governments)A three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats and special interests to make or preserve policies that protect their respective interests.

IRON TRINGLES: HOW DO THEY WORK?Special Interest Groups• Persuade decision-makers to adopt their preferences• Provide information to lawmakers• Write legislation/Insert language that favors their cause into

legislationMembers of Congress

Pass bills that are favorable to the interest group; often ***PORK BARREL SPENDING: Programs that only benefit a small group of people.Provide funding to the bureaucracy to carry them out.

BureaucratsMake regulations and award contracts that benefit the SIG.Use ***discretionary authority*** to fund projects in the districts and states of friendly legislators

***ISSUE NETWORKSAn alliance of various interest groups, elected officials and bureaucrats who debate a single issue in government policy.

Additional layers added to an iron triangle: Lawyers, consultants, academics

Often split along partisan lines.

OBSTACLES TO IMPLEMENTATION

Program Design: A program fails to take into account potential difficulties.

Lack of Clarity: Congress leaves implementation up to the bureaucracy which often results in unclear or contradictory orders.

EX: The INS being ordered to detain illegals but facilitate entry to agricultural workers

Lack of ResourcesEX: ICE lacks personnel to track millions of illegals

Lack of AuthorityEX: CIA & FBI could not properly communicate or investigate the 9-11 hijackers due to FISA restrictions

Administrator Dispositions: The degree to which a bureaucrat will use bureaucratic discretion or demonstrate reluctance to implement policy.EX: Melvin Laird claimed “bad weather” prevented the bombing of a PLO hideaway

POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

STEPS Legislation is passed by Congress, an executive order is issued, or

a judicial decision is handed down

A new agency is created or new responsibilities are assigned to an old agency

Agency takes policy goals and establishes guidelines and/or regulations

Resources and personnel are coordinated and dispatched to achieve the goals

BECOMING A BUREAUCRAT

***SPOILS SYSTEM***Politicalparty awards civil service positions to supporters following an election.

(AKA: Patronage; Cronyism)

-Popular calls for reforms during the 1860s led to the…

***MERIT SYSTEM:*** Civil service employees are hired based upon qualifications or testing.

WHY IS THE BUREAUCRACY SO POWERFUL?

GROWTHFederal bureaucracy has grown as demands on the federalgovernment have increased.

The Washington Administration only had three cabinet departments: State, War & Treasury

The post-Civil War period saw industrialization, the emergence of a national economy and greater need for control over interstate commerce.