UNITED STATES BUREAUCRACY

How it gets done…or not…

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT IT?

Forms, forms, forms

Rules & Regulations

Long lines

Rudeness

Inefficiency

BUREAUCRACY DEFINED

A hierarchical authority structure that uses task specialization, operates on the merit principle, and behaves with impersonality.

Bureaucracies govern modern states.

DEFINITION/PURPOSE

Characteristics: chain of command (hierarchical), specialized (division of labor), rules, merit

and equal treatment of clients

Aim: interpret/enforce laws, an orderly system of providing services to the public.

Governmental response to social concerns.

TERMS TO UNDERSTAND

Spoils system: rewarding party loyalists & friends (Jackson)

Patronage: successful candidates rewarding supporters with jobs & favors

Civil Service: hiring & promotion based on competency (merit)

1883 Pendleton Act

POWERS

Legislative: interpretation & enforcement with minimal oversight or review.

Judicial: settling rule violations (rule adjudication)

OVERSIGHT

Theoretically

In practice

Iron Triangles and

Issue Networks

IRON TRIANGLES

Legislative committees and sub-committees specializing in specific policy areas

Bureaucratic agencies: Federal bodies responsible for interpretation and enforcement of legislation/executive orders

Clientele groups: special interest groups, lobbyists and Political Action Committees (PACs, political arms of clientele groups)

IRON TRIANGLES

Objective: develop policies that are mutually beneficial to the participating parties

Actors

Interest Group Legislative Committee or Subcommittee Bureaucratic Agency

Attributes Autonomous Operate by consensus Limited Membership

THE MIGHTY TRIANGLE

ISSUE NETWORKS

Purpose:

influence

congressional legislation and agency interpretation and enforcement

Come together, act and disband

Similar to “iron triangles” but may include broader, looser, temporary membership (i.e.: media, lawyers, academics, policy experts, members of congress, bureaucrats). It is less structured and fluid or temporary.

THE PROCESS(budget year: Oct. 1-Sept. 30)

Feb-Dec: Agency requests reviewed by Office of Management and Budget and sent to the President for consideration

Dec: Budget finalized Feb: Budget sent to Congress Mar-Sept: Congress reviews and marks up while passing

spending/revenue bills* Sept: President acts on budget proposal Oct: New fiscal year begins Oct-Sept: Bureaucracy executes budget Oct-Nov: Budget expenditures finalized

FOLLOWING THE MONEY...

Pork BustersCitizens Against Government WasteHeritage FoundationThe ExaminerThe Sunlight FoundationAmericans for ProsperityThe Club for Growth

SURPLUS

DEFICIT

$1,000,000,000,000

PROTECTIONS AND INFORMATION

1939 Hatch Act: limits political activity of civil servants on the job (campaigning, soliciting etc.)

1946 Administrative Procedures Act: open hearings on and access to regulations

1966 Freedom of Information Act: access to copies of public records

1974 Privacy Act: access to personal files 1976 Open Meeting Law (Brown Act in CA) Public bodies must meet openly (“Sunshine laws”) Federal Register

REFORM APPROACHES

Reorganization including deregulation

Responsibility transfer from Federal to State county, city (devolution)

Privatization of governmental programs and services

Combo plate

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

THE BUREAUCRACY

Definition Purpose Characteristics In action Budget development