The Federal Bureaucracy
Bureaucratic Organization


The federal bureaucracy is organized into
departments, agencies, boards, commissions,
corporations, and advisory committees.
The Founders anticipated (in Article II of the
Constitution) the need for creating federal
agencies that would carry on the day-to-day
business of government.


The 15 executive departments, headed by
cabinet-rank officers, are a major part of the
federal bureaucracy.
These departments are headed by secretaries
and staffed with assistant secretaries, deputy
secretaries, and directors of major units.

The Department of State and the Department
of the Treasury were created by Congress in
1789 and are still among the most important.
◦ The Department of State is responsible for the
overall foreign policy of the United States and staffs
the embassies located in foreign countries.
◦ The Department of the Treasury is responsible for
managing the monetary resources of the United
States. It also includes the Internal Revenue Service
or IRS.

Department of the Interior
◦ Charged with protecting public lands and natural
resources.

Department of Agriculture
◦ Created to help farmers improve their incomes and
expand their markets.

Department of Justice
◦ Includes the FBI, US Marshals Service, and the Drug
Enforcement Administration.

Department of Commerce
◦ Designed to promote and protect the industrial and
commercial segments of the American economy.

Department of Labor
◦ Charged with protecting American workers by
ensuring safe working conditions, enforcing
minimum wages, and protecting pension rights.

Department of Defense
◦ Through the joint chiefs of staff- the leaders of the
Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force- it oversees the
armed forces.

Department of Health and Human Services

◦ Manages Medicare and Medicaid programs and
helps senior citizens and less fortunate Americans
through the Social Security Administration.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
◦ Preserves the nation's communities and ensures Americans
of equal housing opportunities.

Department of Transportation
◦ Divided into separate agencies to help it regulate all
aspects of American transportation needs, policy
development, and planning.

Department of Energy
◦ Plans energy policy and researches and develops
energy technology.

Department of Education
◦ Coordinates federal assistance programs for public
and private schools.

Department of Veteran Affairs
◦ Administers several hospitals as well as educational
and other programs designed to bandit veterans
and their families.

Department of Homeland Security
◦ Controls the Coast Guard, the Border Patrol, the
Immigration and Naturalization Service, the
Customs Service, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and many other agencies.


The federal bureaucracy includes over 100
independent organizations whose heads are
appointed by the president.
The services of several independent agencies,
such as NASA, are widely publicized and are
as large and well known as cabinet
departments.

Assisting the Executive Branch
◦ General Service Administration
 Responsible for constructing and maintaining
government buildings.
◦ Central Intelligence Agency
 Gathers information about what is going on is other
countries, evaluates it, and passes it on the president
and other foreign-policy decision makers.

Government Corporations
◦ Many major agencies are government corporations,
or businesses the federal government runs.
◦ The Executive Branch has at least 60 government
corporations.
 The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures
bank account up to a certain amount so customers do
not lose money if a bank fails.
 The US Postal Service is a government owned entity
charged with delivering mail.

Purpose of Commissions
◦ Makes rules for businesses and industries that
affect the public interest.
◦ Can investigate a business for breaking one the
commission’s rules.

Problems with Commissions
◦ They are often under intense pressures from the
groups they regulate and their lobbyists.

Deregulation
◦ Have become more limited in their powers because
critics have complained that they over-regulate the
economy.

Cutting the Federal Workforce
◦ Cost was cut in federal agencies by reducing the
number of workers in those agencies.

Promoting Competition
◦ Congress passed legislation streamlining regulation
of the securities industry.
The Civil Service System


Only 11% of all federal employees work in
Washington, D. C.
Many federal emplyees work in offices
throughout the United States and the world.

The Spoils System
◦ Spoils System: the practice of victorious politicians
rewarding their followers with government jobs
◦ Government jobs became a spoils system under
President Andrew Jackson.
◦ Spoils system led to inefficiency and corruption in
government.

Calls for Reform
◦ Calls for reform started in the 1850s.
◦ Inefficiency grew because government jobs became
more complex and required expert staff members.
◦ Corruption developed as people used their jobs for
political gain.

The Pendleton Act
◦ The assassination of President Garfield by a
disappointed office seeker led to the Pendleton Act
of 1883, establishing the present civil service
system based on competitive examinations and
merit.

Getting a Job
◦ There is significant competition for federal jobs
with an average of 76 people applying for each job.
◦ Applicants for jobs are evaluated on the basis of
their experience and training.
◦ The Office of Personal Management is responsible
for filling federal jobs.
◦ Veterans are often given preference.

Benefits and Problems
◦ Government jobs are attractive because they offer many
benefits including competitive pay, vacation time, and
retirement.
◦ Government workers have job security and are difficult
to fire which can sometimes assist incompetent
employees.

The Hatch Act
◦ The Hatch Act of 1939 was intended to prevent political
parties from using federal workers to aid in election
campaigns.
◦ In recent years, critics have argued for and against this
law with workers now allowed some involvement in
politics.



Nearly 10% of executive branch employees
are appointed by the president.
Many choice jobs are appointed by the
president which allows for loyal supporters to
be placed in key offices
These political appointees are outside civil
service and are first and foremost the
president’s political supporter.



Political appointees are not experts in the
work of their agencies and when the
president leaves office many of them return
to private sector jobs.
Many political appointees hold their positions
for short tenures making it hard to learn
about their jobs.
Much of the real power over daily operations
remain in the hands of career officials.
The Bureaucracy at Work



Policy consists of all the actions taken or not
taken by the government.
Federal bureaucrats carry out policy decisions
made by the president and Congress.
The bureaucracy often determines what the
law means through the rules and regulations
it issues.


In 1995 Congress set paperwork reduction
goals for future years.
Bureaucrats aid in shaping policy by helping
Congress draft its new laws or by providing
ideas for legislation.


Workers in federal agencies shape policy by
their decisions about the application of rules
and regulations and by hearing disputes.
Bureaucrats also supply advice and
information to top decision makers,
influencing whether an agency supports or
opposes certain politics.

National Growth and Technology
◦ The growth of the bureaucracy mirrors the growth
of the nation’s population and rapid changes in
technology.

International Crises
◦ The Cold War and international crises since World
War II spurred the growth of the bureaucracy.

Economic Problems
◦ The New Deal doubled the size of the federal
government.
◦ The federal government has a special responsibility
both to stimulate the nation’s economy and to
regulate unfair business practices.

Citizen Demands
◦ Citizen special-interest groups demanded various
services and programs.
◦ The Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and
Labor were created to meet the increased demands
of farmers, businesspeople, and workers.

The Nature of Bureaucracy
◦ Once created, government agencies almost never
go away.

Influence of Congress
◦ Congress has an important influence over
bureaucrats.
◦ Congress can influence decision making in federal
agencies.
◦ Congress’s main power over the bureaucracy in its
control of agencies’ budgets.

Influence of the Courts
◦ Citizens may challenge agencies’ actions in courts.
◦ Federal courts can issue an injunction.
 Injunction: federal order that will stop a particular
action or enforce a rule or regulation.

Success in Court Cases
◦ Citizens have not had much success in court cases
against the bureaucracy.

Federal agencies have client groups that try
to influence decisions.
◦ Client Group: individual and groups who work with
a government agency and are most affected by its
decisions

The close cooperation between congressional
committees, client groups, and a federal
agency or department is referred to as an
iron triangle.
◦ Iron triangles allow interest groups influence
outside the control of the executive branch.