The federal bureaucracy has grown dramatically since its initial small size of 3,000 employees in 1800. It saw significant expansion in the late 1800s with the establishment of departments like Agriculture and Commerce, and its largest growth spurt occurred in the 1930s during the Great Depression with agencies such as the SEC, SSA, FDIC, and TVA. There are various types of federal agencies including cabinet departments, independent agencies, regulatory agencies, and government corporations. While most federal employees are hired based on merit, agencies still seek to maintain influence through expertise, cultivating clientele groups, and maintaining connections to elected officials. Agencies are accountable to the presidency, Congress, courts, and through internal mechanisms.

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Chapter 13

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Origin and Structure of
the Federal Bureaucracy
Initially small: 3,000 employees in 1800
Federal government’s role confined
Defense
Foreign affairs
Currency
Interstate commerce
Delivery of mail

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Origin and Structure of
the Federal Bureaucracy
Dramatic growth in latter part of 1800s in response to
economic growth
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce and Labor
Biggest growth spurt in the 1930s in response to the Great
Depression
SEC, SSA, FDIC, TVA

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Origin and Structure of
the Federal Bureaucracy
Types of federal agencies
Cabinet departments
 Fifteen departments: State, Defense, Justice, etc.
Independent agencies
 Narrower area of responsibility: CIA, NASA, etc.
Regulatory agencies
 SEC, EPA, etc.

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Origin and Structure of
the Federal Bureaucracy
Types of federal agencies
Government corporations
 USPS, FDIC, Amtrak, etc.
Presidential commissions
 Permanent commissions: Civil Rights, Fine Arts
 Temporary: Bush’s Commission to Strengthen Social
Security

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Origin and Structure of
the Federal Bureaucracy
Federal employment
2,500,000 civilian employees
Most hired by merit criteria
Patronage system—designed to improve link between
administration and the people
 Abuses—spoils system
Merit system
 Neutral competence

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The Budgetary Process
Year and a half long; begins with presidential guidelines
Agencies develop detailed budget; president finalizes with
OMB
Congress alters through budget and appropriations
committees; full House and Senate vote
President signs or vetoes

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Policy and Power
in the Bureaucracy
Administrative agencies’ chief task: policy
implementation
Wide discretion in some areas
Rulemaking
Originating policy ideas

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Policy and Power
in the Bureaucracy
The agency point of view
Comes naturally to high-ranking civil servants
Cemented by professionalism
Distorts government priorities
Agency must seek support wherever it can find it
 President; Congress; political parties
 Agencies are forced to play politics

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Policy and Power
in the Bureaucracy
Sources of bureaucratic power
1. Expertise
2. Clientele groups
 Reciprocal relationship
1. Friends in high places
 Agency goals may conflict with president or Congress,
but they still need agency expertise and competency.

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Democracy and
Bureaucratic Accountability
Accountability through the presidency
Reorganization
Presidential appointments
OMB: budgets, regulations, and legislative proposals

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Democracy and
Bureaucratic Accountability
Accountability through Congress
The “power of the purse”
Oversight function; increased use of GAO
Ways to constrain the bureaucracy before it acts
 Drafting laws with specific instructions for
implementation
 Sunset provisions

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Democracy and
Bureaucratic Accountability
Accountability through the courts
An injured party can bring suit against an agency
Accountability within the bureaucracy itself
Senior Executive Service (SES)
Administrative law judges
Whistleblowing
Demographic representativeness

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