Chapter 13 Study Guide – The Federal Administrative System
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Understanding the Federal Administrative System
o What is the federal administration responsible for?
o The Undefined Branch
 What powers regarding the federal departments and agencies of
government does Congress have?
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What role does the president play in this “undefined branch”?
o Federal Administration Today
 What does the federal administrative system now include?
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How many Americans work for the federal administrative system?
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What are the federal departments and agencies traditionally referred to as?
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What is the definition of bureaucracy?

What is the definition of bureaucrat?
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Why have these terms earned a negative connotation?
o How the Federal Administrative System is Organized
 Departments
 What is the definition of department?
o Why are these so important?
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What are the largest departments?
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What are the inner circle departments that are closest to the
president? Why is this?
Independent Regulatory Commissions
 What is the definition of independent regulatory commission?
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What makes these unique?
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What are a few examples of independent regulatory commissions?

Describe the composition and structure of independent regulatory
commissions:

Why are these commissions not completely free from all political
pressures?
Independent Agencies
 What is the definition of independent agency?
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What is the structure of these agencies?
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What are some examples of this type of agency?
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What effect does independence have on these agencies?
Government Corporations
 What is the definition of government corporation?

What makes these different from traditional government agencies?
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Examples?
o Federal Administrative Leaders
 Who heads every federal department and agency?

How long do these people generally serve? Why?

What does “serving at the pleasure of the president” mean?

What qualifications do all presidential appointees generally have in
common?
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What is the definition of Senior Executive Service?

How many members are there?
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How long do career senior executives tend to serve? How are they
usually chosen?
o How the Federal Workforce Evolved
 Explain how the federal workforce originally evolved:
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What is the definition of spoils system?
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What is this also known as?
What is the definition of merit system?

What percentage of federal employees are now selected on the
basis of merit?
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How are the rest selected?
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What is the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)?
www.usajobs.opm.gov – sampling of current federal job offerings
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o Public Opinion toward Federal Employees
 How do Americans tend to feel about government and its employees?
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Working for Government
o The Hiring Process
 How are the vast majority of federal employees recruited?

How was the civil service system designed to reduce political corruption?
o Regulating the Civil Service
 What is the Hatch Act (1939)?
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What role does the revised Hatch Act play in the modern federal
system?
The Job of the Federal Administrative System
o What job do all federal organizations share?

What is the definition of implementation?

What is an example of this?
o What is the definition of administrative discretion?
o Making Regulations
 What is the definition of regulations?

What are these designed to do?
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What are some examples of regulations in practice?
What is the definition of the rule-making process?
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What governs this?
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Where must all proposed rules be published?
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Why are these rules so important?
o Spending Money
 What is another way the federal bureaucracy implements laws?
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What is an example of this?
What is the definition of uncontrollable spending?

one type is entitlement programs –
o What is an example of such programs?
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What is the other type of uncontrollable spending?

In 2007, uncontrollable spending accounted for how much money?

What is the definition of indexing?
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Holding the Federal Administrative System Accountable
o Accountability to the President
 How is the federal administrative system held accountable to the
president?
o Accountability to Congress
 How is the federal administrative system held accountable to Congress?
o The Role of Oversight
 What is the definition of oversight?

What is the definition of central clearance?

If the president objects to any communication from a department
or agency, what can the OMB do?
o The Problem of Self-Regulation
 What criticisms do many Americans make of the federal administrative
system and the people that work for it?
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What is the definition of iron triangles?

What effect do iron triangles have on the people involved in them?
Government’s Greatest Achievements
o On the back, list some of government’s greatest achievements:
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