Chapter 8 The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy

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Chapter 8 The Executive Branch and the Federal
Bureaucracy

• A. Intent of Chapter This Chapter
  attempts to show you the connection between the
  various
• branches of government.
• B. Bureaucracy The agencies,
  institutions and the hundreds of workers within
  those entities
• that implement federal law and
  policies. For example Cabinet positions and
  those
• agencies that enforce regulation
  and work under the various department(s) within
  the
• public sector of government. (This
  is not just applicable at the national level).
• C. Spoils System (patronage) granting
  supporters that provided work or loyalty
• and grant positions based on the
  premise of support and removing those out of
  positions
• in order to place those close to the
  government official in a government jobs.
• D. As a result of this, the Pendleton Act
  was enacted which developed the Civil Service
• Commission to administer a merit
  system based structure of employment which
  relies
• on competitive examination. The
  Act also made it illegal for federal employees to
  
• contribute to a particular
  political party. (merit system-service jobs
  are classified

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Chapter 8 The Executive Branch and the Federal
Bureaucracy

• E. The Economy and Government
  Intervention
• -When the economic stability of the
  country fluctuates, there are governmental
  programs put in
• place to relieve downturns in the
  marketplace.
• -For example stock market
  crash-led to the Great Depression, WWII, todays
  recession
• (agency
  creation)
  (GI Bill) (Stimulus Plan)
• F. Therefore, if the Bureaucracy is the
  umbrella term that is defines all of the
• jobs within the federal government
  that regulate and establish enforcementwhat we
  call
• those individuals working in these
  positions created by government? Bureaucrats
• G. There are 2.7 million people working
  in agencies, Cabinet positions..government
  appointed
• H. Those non-government appointed
  positions are civilian jobs that are in place
  that support
• -Cabinet Departments-legal, public
  relations, administrative assistants
• -Government Corporations FDIC,
  Post Office
• -Independent Executive
  Agencies-NASA, EPA
• -Independent Regulatory
  Agencies-FCC, SEC, OSHA

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Chapter 8 The Executive Branch and the Federal
Bureaucracy

• I. Conflict of interest Issues between
  government workers and the political system as
• a result, the Hatch Act was created
  to prohibit employees to take a stance,
  contribute
• monies or campaign for a specific
  political candidates.
• J. The Hatch Act was overturned (Federal
  Employees Political Activities Act) that
• allowed federal employees to run for
  office, make political contributions, etc
• K. Max Weber (German Sociologist)
  believed bureaucracies were a rational way for
• government to organize itself. He
  believed all bureaucracies have the following
• characteristics
• 1. A chain of command which
  authority comes from the top to the bottom.
• 2. A division of labor where work is
  given to those with a specialty in turn created
  efficiency.
• 3. Clear lines of authority between
  workers and superiors.
• 4. A goal orientation the provides
  structure, authority and rules.
• 5. Impartiality, where all employees
  are treated the same, without discrimination ,
  are served work evenly in accordance with
  established rules.
• 6. Productivity, whereby all work
  and actions are evaluated according to the
  established rules

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Chapter 8 The Executive Branch and the Federal
Bureaucracy

• L. Interaction of Bureaucratic
  Agencies
• -Iron triangles
• -Issue networks
• -Interagency Councils
• M. Ultimately, the point of
  bureaucracies is to make policy via
• -administrative discretion-making
  choices that best implement political intentions
• -rule making-quasi-legislative
  administrative process that has the
  characteristics of a
• legislative act.
• -regulations-rules that govern the
  operation of a particular government program that
  has the
• force of law. (1-public notice,
  2-interested parties provide input 3-statutory
  authority)
• -administrative adjudication-proces
  s in which is used to resolve conflict between
  two
• agencies.
• N. Who has control over Bureaucracy?
• -Executive Branch-reorganize
  organization, executive order