The Federal Bureaucracy The Federal Bureaucracy and Policy Makingand Policy Making

Overriding Questions…Overriding Questions…

How has the bureaucracy become How has the bureaucracy become the fourth branch of policymaking?the fourth branch of policymaking?

How has the role of the bureaucracy How has the role of the bureaucracy changed over time?changed over time?

How does the President influence How does the President influence the bureaucracy?the bureaucracy?

How does creating policy differ from How does creating policy differ from implementing policy?implementing policy?

Characteristics of the Characteristics of the Bureauc…Bureauc…

Authority is shared with President, Authority is shared with President, Congress and Judicial BranchCongress and Judicial Branch

Pres.-appoints head of bureauc, and Pres.-appoints head of bureauc, and has removal powerhas removal power

Congress-appropriates $ and shapes Congress-appropriates $ and shapes guiding laws, investigatesguiding laws, investigates

Judicial-authorized the enlargement Judicial-authorized the enlargement of the bureauc.of the bureauc.

The Name GameThe Name GameThe name department is reserved for

agencies of the Cabinet rank. Outside of department, there is little

standardization of names throughout the agencies.

Common titles include agency, administration, commission, corporation, and authority.

Federalism and the Bureauc.Federalism and the Bureauc.

Allows agencies to share their Allows agencies to share their function with state and local function with state and local gov’tsgov’ts

Department of Ed.Department of Ed. Housing and Urban Housing and Urban

DevelopmentDevelopment

AppointmentsAppointments

Appointee has capacity to Appointee has capacity to interpret laws, strengthen interpret laws, strengthen political partiespolitical parties

Ideology, character and party Ideology, character and party affiliation matteraffiliation matter

Patronage to merit systemPatronage to merit system

Evolution of Bureaucracy-Evolution of Bureaucracy-service to regulationservice to regulation

1861-1901-new service 1861-1901-new service agencies, Department of Ag. agencies, Department of Ag. And Dept of LaborAnd Dept of Labor

Growth of regulatory agencies Growth of regulatory agencies (Depression and WWII)(Depression and WWII)

The Impact of 9/11The Impact of 9/11

9/11 attacks could also affect 9/11 attacks could also affect the bureaucracy as profoundly the bureaucracy as profoundly as WWII and the Depressionas WWII and the Depression

A new cabinet agency A new cabinet agency (Department of Homeland (Department of Homeland Security) was createdSecurity) was created

Intelligence-gathering activities Intelligence-gathering activities were consolidated under a were consolidated under a National Intelligence DirectorNational Intelligence Director

Merit vs. PatronageMerit vs. Patronage

Apply after they pass a test Apply after they pass a test given by OPM (Office of given by OPM (Office of Personnel and Management)Personnel and Management)

Constraints of the Constraints of the BureaucracyBureaucracy

Statutes or laws Statutes or laws Admin Procedure Act (1946)-hearing has Admin Procedure Act (1946)-hearing has

to be held before new rule or policyto be held before new rule or policy Freedom of Info Act-(1966)-documents Freedom of Info Act-(1966)-documents

open to the publicopen to the public National Environmental Policy-(1966) issue National Environmental Policy-(1966) issue

impact statement before new standardsimpact statement before new standards Privacy Act (1974)-gov’t files on individuals Privacy Act (1974)-gov’t files on individuals

must be confidentialmust be confidential Congress disperses single duties among Congress disperses single duties among

various agenciesvarious agencies

Pathologies…Pathologies…

Gov’t acts Gov’t acts slowslowlyly InconsistencyInconsistency due to conflicting due to conflicting

constraints (privacy vs. freedom of info.)constraints (privacy vs. freedom of info.) Easier to blockEasier to block than approve actions than approve actions Red tape-Red tape-more constraints, more forms, more constraints, more forms,

more timemore time DuplicationDuplication WasteWaste as the agencies expand as the agencies expand ImperialismImperialism: tendency of agencies to : tendency of agencies to

grow, irrespective of programs’ benefits grow, irrespective of programs’ benefits and costsand costs

Iron Triangles vs. Issue Iron Triangles vs. Issue NetworksNetworks

Relationship between an Relationship between an agency, congressional agency, congressional committee, and an interest committee, and an interest groupgroup

Veterans Affairs-House & Veterans Affairs-House & Senate Committee on veterans Senate Committee on veterans affairs-veteran’s interest group affairs-veteran’s interest group (American Legion)(American Legion)

Movement to Issue NetworksMovement to Issue Networks

Decreased in time Decreased in time (subcommittees, growth of (subcommittees, growth of interest groups)interest groups)

Rise of Issue Networks-consist Rise of Issue Networks-consist of Washington based IGs, of Washington based IGs, congressional staff, mediacongressional staff, media

More complex than triangleMore complex than triangle

Congressional OversightCongressional Oversight

Approve all new agenciesApprove all new agencies AppropriationsAppropriations

Reforming the BureaucracyReforming the Bureaucracy

National Performance Review National Performance Review (NPR) in 1993 designed to (NPR) in 1993 designed to reinvent government calling for reinvent government calling for less centralized management, less centralized management, more employee initiatives, fewer more employee initiatives, fewer detailed rules, and more detailed rules, and more customer satisfactioncustomer satisfaction

Setting the AgendaSetting the Agenda

The political agendaThe political agenda: deciding : deciding what to make policy aboutwhat to make policy about

The current political agenda The current political agenda includes taxes, energy, welfare, includes taxes, energy, welfare, and civil rightsand civil rights

Shared beliefs determine what Shared beliefs determine what is legitimate for the government is legitimate for the government to doto do

Majoritarian PoliticsMajoritarian Politics

Example: Antitrust legislation in Example: Antitrust legislation in 1890s was vague with no specific 1890s was vague with no specific enforcement agencyenforcement agency

During the reform era, politicians During the reform era, politicians and business leaders committed and business leaders committed to a strong antitrust policyto a strong antitrust policy

Enforcement was determined Enforcement was determined primarily by the ideology and primarily by the ideology and personal convictions of the personal convictions of the current presidential administrationcurrent presidential administration

Interest Group PoliticsInterest Group Politics

Organized interest groups are Organized interest groups are powerful when regulatory powerful when regulatory policies confer benefits on one policies confer benefits on one organized group and costs on organized group and costs on another equally organized groupanother equally organized group

Example: In 1935 labor unions Example: In 1935 labor unions sought government protection sought government protection for their rights; business firms for their rights; business firms were in oppositionwere in opposition

Client PoliticsClient Politics

““Agency capture” is likely when Agency capture” is likely when benefits are focused and costs benefits are focused and costs are dispersed—an agency is are dispersed—an agency is created to serve a group’s needscreated to serve a group’s needs

Example: National regulation of Example: National regulation of milk industry, sugar production, milk industry, sugar production, merchant shippingmerchant shipping

The struggle to sustain benefits The struggle to sustain benefits depends on insider politicsdepends on insider politics

Entrepreneurial PoliticsEntrepreneurial Politics

Relies on entrepreneurs to Relies on entrepreneurs to galvanize public opinion and galvanize public opinion and mobilize congressional supportmobilize congressional support

Example: In the 1960s and Example: In the 1960s and 1970s a large number of 1970s a large number of consumer and environmental consumer and environmental protection statutes passed (e.g., protection statutes passed (e.g., Clean Air Act, Toxic Substance Clean Air Act, Toxic Substance Control Act)Control Act)

A Way of Classifying and A Way of Classifying and Explaining the Politics of Explaining the Politics of Different Policy IssuesDifferent Policy Issues

Kinds of PoliticsKinds of Politics

Majoritarian politicsMajoritarian politics: distributed : distributed benefits, distributed costsbenefits, distributed costs

Interest group politicsInterest group politics: : concentrated benefits, concentrated benefits, concentrated costsconcentrated costs

Client politicsClient politics: concentrated : concentrated benefits, distributed costsbenefits, distributed costs

Entrepreneurial politicsEntrepreneurial politics: : distributed benefits, concentrated distributed benefits, concentrated costscosts