This document discusses the bureaucracy in the United States government. It begins by defining bureaucracy and explaining the growth of the bureaucratic state due to increasing societal complexity and changing public attitudes. It describes the organization of the executive branch and civil service. The document then examines administrative policymaking, implementation challenges, and reform efforts like deregulation, outsourcing, and performance standards to increase bureaucratic effectiveness and accountability.

1. Chapter 13Chapter 13
THETHE
BUREAUCRACYBUREAUCRACY

2. Learning Outcomes
13.1 Define the concept of bureaucracy, explain
the role of organizations on the administration of
the nation’s laws, examine the reasons for the
growth of the bureaucratic state, and assess
arguments for and against its continued
expansion.
13.2 Describe the organization of the executive
branch, the role of the civil service, and the
bureaucracy’s responsiveness to presidential
control.
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3. Learning Outcomes
13.3 Describe the roles of administrative discretion
and rule-making authority in the execution of
administrative policymaking.
13.4 Analyze how incrementalism and bureaucratic
culture affect policymaking.
13.5 Identify obstacles to effective policy
implementation.
13.6 Compare the strengths and weaknesses of
reform efforts aimed at increasing the
effectiveness of the bureaucracy’s performance.
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4. Organization Matters
 Bureaucracies play central role in
governments of modern society
 Reflects need to survive
 Environment filled with conflicting political demands
and hostility
 Organized based on political demands and needs of
its clients; organization affects how well it can
accomplish tasks
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5. Organization Matters
 The Development of the Bureaucratic State
 American Government: enormous growth at all levels
during 20th
century
 Principal causes: increasing complexity of society,
public’s attitude toward business and social welfare
changed
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6. Organization Matters
 Can We Reduce the Size of Government?
 Many Americans lack confidence in government
 Ideological differences between parties and national
budget deficit have shaped debate
 Reagan – modestly successful at reducing government
 Bush – worked to enlarge government: 9/11, drugs for
seniors
 Obama – expanded government: health care, financial
services oversight
 Budget cuts require reductions in programs
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7. Bureaus and Bureaucrats
 The Organization of Government
 Bureaucracy in Washington: disjointed collection of
smaller bureaucracies
 Departments
 Independent agencies
 Regulatory commissions
 Government corporations
 U.S. Postal Service
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8. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning 8
Figure 13.1 Bureaucrats at Work

9. Bureaus and Bureaucrats
 The Civil Service
 National bureaucracy
 2.8 million civilian employees
 Account for less than 2 percent of U.S. work force
 Pendleton Act (1883) designed to reduce patronage
with hiring based on merit
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10. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning 10
Figure 13.2: Good Jobs, Good Benefits

11. Bureaus and Bureaucrats
 Presidential Control over the Bureaucracy
 Civil service and other reforms insulate government
workers from party politics
 President appoints only 3,000 people, 1 percent of all
executive branch employees
 Pluralism can pull agencies in directions contrary to
president’s wishes
 Presidents still have considerable influence over agency
policymaking
 Appoint administrators sympathetic to their policy goals
 Review policymaking to ensure in line with preferences
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12. Administrative Policymaking:
The Formal Processes
 Administrative Discretion
 The latitude that Congress gives agencies to make
policy in the spirit of their legislative mandate
 Broadest discretion is in domestic and global security
 Rule Making
 Guides the issuance of regulations, which are
authorized by congressional statutes
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13. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning 13
Tarmac Hell

14. Administrative Policymaking:
Informal Policies
 The Science of Muddling Through
 Way policy might be made in ideal world vs. way it is
formulated in the real world
 Rational-comprehensive model unrealistic
 Real-world decision making parts company with ideal
 Policymaking can never be based on truly
comprehensive analyses
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15. Administrative Policymaking:
Informal Policies
 The Culture of Bureaucracy
 Bureaucrats – inflexible and lack authority to get things
done
 Norms guide individual behavior
 Influenced by prevailing customs, attitudes and
expectations of people working with them
 Sense of mission affects decisions about agency
objectives
 Flexibility limited by legal requirements and need to treat
everyone equally
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16. Problems in
Implementing Policy
 Implementation may be difficult
 Policy not clearly stated
 Directives lack clarity, leave too much discretion
 Complexity of public policy problems
 Incremental process – trial and error
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Pollution in Los
Angeles

17. Reforming the Bureaucracy:
More Control or Less?
 Deregulation
 Popular with conservatives
 Difficult with health and safety issues
 Industry claim regulations burdensome and reduce profits
 FDA: Drug licensing procedures illustrate dangers
 Some agencies allow companies flexibility in how to
meet standards
 EPA: Pollution cap
 Increased transparency and accountability
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18. Bureaucratic Heroine
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19. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning 19
Figure 13.3 It Makes a Difference

20. Reforming the Bureaucracy:
More Control or Less?
 Competition and Outsourcing
 Conservatives want government to act like businesses
 Emulate private sector practices
 Recent reformers advocate privatization
 Movement towards competition and outsourcing
continues to grow
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21. Reforming the Bureaucracy:
More Control or Less?
 Performance Standards
 Holding agencies accountable for reaching quantifiable
goals each year or budget cycle
 Government Performance and Results Act
 No Child Left Behind
 States allowed to implement their way
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22. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning 22
Figure 13.4:
Meeting
Performance
Standards a
Problem?
Just Lower
Them