Ch 13
Pg 40-41
25 million employees
1800(3,000)
Top Agency employees
Earn less money than they would for the same job
in the private sector
Have limited Union powers
Have limits on political involvement
Why do they work for the Agency?
History
Elitist system(1788- )
Positions were given educated elite who retained those
jobs year after year
Patronage/Spoils system(1828- )
Jackson(the people’s president) moved ‘ordinary’
people into those positions
Changed leaders often to get ‘fresh ideas’ in the departments
Merit System (l1883)
Causes: growth of government & assassination of
Garfield
Hired on bases of competitive exams & qualifications
Focus is to create a Neutral Competence
Non partisan choices
Where does their power come from?
President
Make
Appointments,
Create Agencies
Congress
Approves the
budget,
Approves
appointments,
Creates
Agencies
What does this combination create????
Bureau
Power of the Bureaucracy
Experts in their area
Clientele Groups
Friends
Lobbyist/Clientele
Groups
THE IRON
TRIANGLE
Bureaucracy
Congress
What environment does this make for
the Agencies?
1. They MUST play the political game
2. They must look out for themselves