Chapter 15: The
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
 A large organization that is structured
hierarchically to carry out specific
functions.
 The bureaucracy is often called the “fourth
branch of government.”
Constitutional Basis for
the Bureaucracy
 Article II, sec. 2 gives president power to
appoint government “officers.”
 Article II, sec. 3 states that the president
shall see that laws are “executed.”
 Constitutional scholars believe the legal
basis for the bureaucracy rests on these
two sections of Article II.
Private Bureaucracies
 Any large corporation or university can
be considered a bureaucratic
organization.
 Complex problems require a division of
labor.
 A private corporation has a single set of
leaders
Public Bureaucracies
 Public bureaucracies have to adhere to
the wishes of:
 the executive branch
 legislative branch
 Citizens
 Therefore public bureaucracies do not have
a single set of leaders.
Three Theories of
Bureaucracies
 These theories help explain the ways in
which bureaucracies function.
 Weberian Model
 Acquisitive Model
 Monopolistic Model
Weberian Model
 Proposed by German sociologist Max Weber
 Sees bureaucracies as rational, hierarchical
organizations
 Power flows from top downward
 Decisions are based on logical reasoning and
data analysis
 Advancement based on merit
 “apolitical”
Acquisitive Model
 Sees top-level bureaucrats as seeking to
constantly expand the size of their budgets and
staffs.
 Goal is to expand power of departments and
agencies.
 Gain power in government
 Bureaucrats try to “sell” their products like
national defense, public housing, agriculture,
etc.
Monopolistic Model
 Some theorists suggest that bureaucratic
organizations may be explained best by
using a model similar to business
monopolies.
 Bureaucracies rarely have competitors
 Lack of competition leads to high costs
and inefficiency.
 No incentive to improve productivity