By Loren Miller
“The only thing that
saves us from the
bureaucracy is its
inefficiency.”
Eugene McCarthy
U.S. Senator, 1959-1971
BUREAUCRACY
& BUREAUCRATS
A political science professor was once
asked: “How many bureaucrats does it
take to screw in a light bulb? She
replied, “Seventeen: 3 to authorize
purchase of the light bulb (at twice the
price), 5 to inspect the light bulb, and 8
to turn the chair while I hold the bulb in
place.”
“When something is run by the government,
it is usually inefficient and wasteful.”
(%)
BUREAUCRACY
& BUREAUCRATS
What is a bureaucracy?
-- a form of organization
What is a bureaucrat?
-- an employee of an organization
WHAT DO
BUREAUCRATS DO?
•
they communicate with each other
•
they keep copies of all those
communications to maintain a
paper trail
WHAT DO
BUREAUCRATS DO?
•
Implementation
–
implement the objectives of the
organization as laid down by its board of
directors (if a private company) or by
law (if a public agency)
WHAT DO
BUREAUCRATS DO?
•
Interpretation
•
•
when Congress is clear in their
instructions to bureaucrats,
implementation is a fairly straight-forward
process
when there is disagreement as to what the
instructions ought to be, then bureaucrats
perform another job, interpretation
WHAT DO
BUREAUCRATS DO?
•
Lawmaking
•
when bureaucrats have to interpret a law
before implementing it, they are, in effect,
engaged in lawmaking
•
Congress often deliberately delegates to
an administrative agency the
responsibility of lawmaking
The Federal Bureaucracy
“LAWS” OF BUREAUCRATIC BEHAVIOR






Acheson’s Rule: A memorandum is written not to
inform the reader but to protect the writer
Boren’s Laws: When in doubt, mumble. When in
trouble, delegate. When in charge, ponder
Meskimen’s Law: There’s never time to do it right, but
always time to do it over
Murphy’s Law: If anything can go wrong, it will
O’Toole’s Corollary to Murphy’s Law: Murphy was an
optimist
Peter Principle: In every hierarchy, each employee
tends to rise to his level of incompetence; thus, every
post tends to be filled by an incompetent employee
HOW TO BECOME
A BUREAUCRAT
•
Pre 1883
•
Post 1883
The Pendleton Act
•
•
to the victor go the
spoils (partisan)
•
people who supported
the winning party
obtained government
jobs
a system of
competitive exams
would be used as the
basis for employment
•
the merit system or
civil service system
HOW TO FIRE A BUREAUCRAT





30 days written notice that must contain a statement of
reasons—including specific examples—of
unacceptable performance
Employee has the right to an attorney and to reply to
the charges
Employee has the right to appeal any adverse action to
the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB)
The MSPB must grant the employee a hearing, at
which the employee has the right to have an attorney
present
The employee has the right to appeal the MSPB
decision to a U.S. court of appeals, which can hold
new hearings
Civilian Employment
•
Total Number of Employees:
•
•
•
2,800,000
124,000 in Texas (only California has
more)
Total Number of Merit System
Employees:
•
2,797,000
2011
THE GROWING FEDERAL
BUREAUCRACY?
CAN THE BUREAUCRACY BE
REDUCED?

Termination
–

Devolution
–

The only certain way to reduce the size of the bureaucracy is
to eliminate programs.
Downsize the size of the bureaucracy by delegating the
implementation of programs to state and local governments.
Privatization
–
A formerly public activity is picked up under contract by a
private company or companies. They are still government
programs as they are paid for by government and supervised
by government.
BUREAUCRATS AT WORK
Education
4,300
Housing and Urban
Development
9,200
Energy
15,900
Labor
17,500
33,200
State
43,000
Commerce
57,600
Transportation
Health & Human Services
72,600
Interior
69,800
Civilians
90,000
Agriculture
Treasury
112,700
Justice
117,700
191,000
Homeland Security
319,300
Veterans Affairs
765,000
Defense
0
200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000
Civilian Employees, 2014
GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES
AS PERCENTAGE OF GROSS
DOMESTIC PRODUCT
United States
41
Japan
42
Germany
48
United Kingdom
53
Sweden
55
Finland
58
0
10
20
30
40
50
2012
60
PERCENTAGE EMPLOYED BY
GOVERNMENT
2011
OVERTAXED??
Tax Burden as % of GDP
Sweden
France
Italy
UK
Canada
Turkey
USA
0
10
20
30
40
50
Includes federal, state and local taxes
2013
OVERTAXED??
Income Tax Rates Imposed
on Their Citizens
Germany
29.3
Italy
27.8
France
25.6
UK
24.7
USA
23.4
Canada
20.3
Japan
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2012
OVERTAXED??
State Taxation
1. TX 3.51
11. NV 4.88
21. IN 5.66
31. CT 6.05
41. ID 6.79
2. SD 3.57
12. VA 4.94
22. WA 5.70
32. WI 6.20
42. NM 6.92
3. NH 3.76
13. OR 4.89
23. MD 5.71
33. ND 6.25
43. MN 7.04
4. CO 3.90
14. IA 4.98
24. NY 5.72
34. MI 6.28
44. MS 7.30
5. TN 4.63
15. AZ 5.04
25. SC 5.73
35. NJ 6.31
45. ME 7.46
6. MO 4.67
16. NE 5.07
26. PA 5.78
36. CA 6.37
46. AK 7.67
7. DE 4.72
17. LA 5.24
27. NC 5.79
37. WY 6.42
47. AR 7.77
8. GA 4.76
18. OH 5.36
28. MA 5.87
38. KY 6.51
48. WV 8.04
9. IL 4.78
19. AL 5.39
29. KS 5.89
39. OK 6.53
49. HI 8.21
10. FL 4.82
20. UT 5.58
30. RI 5.92
40. MT 6.77
50. VT 10.39
2010
INCOME INEQUALITY
Share of National Income Received by Each Fifth of
Families (%)
Year
Poorest 5th Second 5th
Third 5th
Fourth 5th
Wealthiest
5th
1980
5.3
11.6
17.6
24.4
41.4
1985
4.8
11.0
16.9
24.3
43.1
1990
4.6
10.8
16.6
23.8
44.3
1995
4.4
10.1
15.6
23.2
46.5
2000
4.3
9.8
15.5
22.8
47.4
2009
3.4
8.6
14.6
23.2
50.3
2010
Share of National Income Going to
The Richest One Percent
GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE
CARE OF THE POOR
(% Agree)
67
Spain
64
France
62
Germany
55
UK
35
USA
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2013
WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?
(%)
2013
DEBT??
Debt as a percentage of
that country’s Gross
Domestic Product
185
Japan
120
Italy
118
Greece
77
France
75
Germany
73
UK
50
USA
0
50
100
150
200
2010
NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTS
Federal Government
1
State Governments
50
Local Governments
Counties
3,031
Municipalities & Townships
35,879
Special Districts
38,266
School Districts
12,880
TOTAL
90,106
2013
EMPLOYMENT
13.7
14
12
Federal
10
State
8
5.6
6
4
Local
2.8
2
0
Employment in Texas
Number in Millions
2012
State Employment
Per 10,000 population
2007
Texas Prison Population
2009
FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYMENT
Total Employed: 2,738,589
2007
2012
Characteristics of Federal Civilian Employees
2012
Characteristics of Federal Civilian Employees
(%)
2012
% WOMEN & MINORITIES
APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT TO
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Bush
36
Clinton
45
Bush
20
Reagan
12
Carter
17
Ford
6
Nixon
4
Johnson
4
0
10
20
30
40
50
THE CORPORATE WORLD
Chief Executive Officer
The President
THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF
THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF
Chief of Staff – supervises other staff members and
organizing much of what the president does (the
president’s gatekeeper)
National Security Advisor – head of the National
Security Council; meets with the president every
day to brief him on events that might affect
national security
The exact shape of the White House Staff changes
greatly from president to president
THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF
Domestic Policy Council
National Economic Council
Office of Cabinet Affairs
Office of Communications
Office of Digital Strategy
Office of the First Lady
Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of Management and Administration
Office of Presidential Personnel
Office of Scheduling and Advance
Office of the Staff Secretary
Office of the White House Council
Oval Office Administration
Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs
2013
ORGANIZING THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF
Assignment
Staff
Member #1
Staff
Member #2
Staff
Member #3
The Competitive Model -- FDR
ORGANIZING THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF
President
Chief of
Staff
Advisors
Staffers
The Hierarchical Model – Eisenhower, Nixon, Bush
Clinton, Bush and Obama
ORGANIZING THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF
Advisor
Advisor
Advisor
President
Advisor
Advisor
Advisor
The Collegial Model – Ford and Carter
THE EOP
President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed a
committee on administrative management
which then recommended a major
reorganization of the executive branch.
-- Congress created the Executive Office of
the President to provide staff assistance
The EOP
Established in 1939
Council of
Economic Advisors
Office of Science
And
Technology Policy
Council on
Environmental
Quality
Office of the
Vice President
The President
Office of National
Drug Control Policy
Office of
Administration
White House
Office
Office of
Management
And Budget
National Security
Staff
2013
THE EOP
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) – advises
the president on how much the administration
should propose to spend for each government
program and where the money will come from
Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) – advises the
president on economic policy
National Security Staff – a body of leading officials
from the Departments of State and Defense, the
Central Intelligence Agency, and the military who
advise the president on foreign affairs
THE CABINET
Because neither the Constitution nor law
requires the president to consult with the
cabinet, its use is purely discretionary.
-- Eisenhower used the team approach solving
problems from his experience in World War II,
so he frequently turned to his cabinet for advice
-- Lincoln, after a cabinet meeting in which a vote
was seven nays (all members of his cabinet) and
one aye (Lincoln), he supposedly said “seven
nays, and one aye, the ayes have it”.
THE CABINET
The Original Departments (1789)
Defense Treasury Justice State
Nineteenth Century Additions
Interior (1849)
Agriculture (1889)
Progressive Era Additions
Commerce (1903)
Labor (1913)
THE CABINET
Eisenhower Era Addition
Health and Human Services (1953)
Great Society Additions
Housing & Urban Development (1965)
Transportation (1966)
Carter and Bush Era Additions
Energy (1977)
Education (1979)
Veterans Affairs (1989)
THE CABINET
Public Safety Addition (G.W. Bush)
Homeland Security (2002)
The TSA is a part of the Department of Homeland Security
INDEPENDENT REGULATORY
AGENCIES
•
Created by Congress and given broad
authority to regulate a particular area of
the nation’s economy
• Commissioners are nominated by the
president with advice and consent of the
Senate
• Perform legislative, executive and judicial
functions
INDEPENDENT REGULATORY
AGENCIES
•
•
•
•
•
Federal Reserve System – determine policy on interest rates,
credit availability, and the money supply
Security and Exchange Commission – regulates the nation’s
stock exchanges
Federal Communications Commission – regulates
communication by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – works to
eliminate discrimination and examines claims of discrimination
Nuclear Regulatory Commission – regularly inspects nuclear
reactors for safety
CLIENTELE AGENCIES
•
They are directed by law to foster and
promote the interests of a particular group
or segment of American society
•
•
Veterans Administration
The “Iron Triangle” recognizes the role of
the bureaucracy in shaping legislation.
THE IRON TRIANGLE
Bureaucracy
Department of
Veterans Affairs
Congressional
Committees
House Committee on
Veterans Affairs
Campaign Contributions
Interest Groups
Info about veteran’s needs
American Legion, Veterans
of Foreign War
Legislation affecting veteran’s
benefits
GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS
•
Useful when the government is providing
a service that can best be run by a
corporation that is free from excessive
interference by the President and
Congress but still subject to general
policies established by Congress
•
usually formed because corporations
cannot make a profit
GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS
•
Tennessee Valley Authority
•
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
•
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
•
U.S. Postal Service