This document outlines a lecture on bureaucracy in the American government. It covers the basics of bureaucracy, including the evolution from spoils systems to merit-based civil service. It then discusses the structure and functions of the US federal bureaucracy, including cabinet departments, agencies, and regulatory bodies. The lecture addresses problems with bureaucracy like lack of accountability and solutions attempted like privatization. It also covers relationships between the bureaucracy and other branches of government.

1. WEEK #14 LECTURE #23
BUREAUCRACY
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
PROFESSOR SHASTRI
FALL 2015

2. OUTLINE OF THE BUREAUCRACY
PART A) BASICS OF THE BUREAUCRACY
PART B) THE AMERICAN BUREAUCRACY
PART C) MAKING THE BUREAUCRACY FUNCTION BETTER
PART D) BUREAUCRACY & INTRA/INTER-GOV’T RELATIONSHIPS

3. PART A) BASICS OF THE
BUREAUCRACY

4. BUREAUCRACY: DEFINITION & COMPONENTS
DEFINED: AN ORGANIZATION SET UP IN A LOGICAL & RATIONAL
MANNER FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACCOMPLISHING SPECIFIC
FUNCTIONS
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY: 1)
HIERARCHY; 2) SPECIALIZATION; 3) EXPERTISE; 4) TRANSPARENCY;
5) PROFESSIONALISM; 6) MERIT-BASED

5. SPOILS SYSTEM TO CIVIL SERVICE
SPOILS SYSTEM (PG. 328)
PATRONAGE (PG. 328)
CIVIL SERVICE (PG. 328) & SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION
1) 1883 PENDLETON ACT
2) 1939 HATCH ACT

6. PART B) THE AMERICAN
BUREAUCRACY

7. AMERICAN BUREAUCRACY & FUNCTIONS
• KEY FACT IS THAT ORGANIZATIONS WERE OFTEN CREATED &
DEVELOPED INDEPENDENTLY, NOT ON PLAN
WHAT IT DOES
• SERVING ESSENTIAL GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS
• RESPONDING TO CHANGING NATIONAL NEEDS
• RESPONDING TO THE DEMANDS OF CLIENTAL GROUPS

8. TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS
• CABINET-LEVEL DEPARTMENTS (PG. 332)
• INDEPENDENT AGENCIES (PG. 334)
• INDEPENDENT REGULATORY BOARDS & COMMISSIONS (PG. 334)
• REGULATIONS (PG. 334)
• GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS (PG. 335)

9. ROLES OF THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY
ADMINISTRATOR
RULE-MAKER
(BUREAUCRATIC DISCRETION PG. 338)
JUDGE
NOTE: IT’S THE WIDE SCOPE OF BUREAUCRATIC POWER
THAT CREATES PROBLEMS RELATED TO ACCOUNTABILITY

10. DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE BUREAUCRATS
• RESEMBLES THE OVERALL WORKFORCE WELL
• CLOSE TO PARITY ON GENDER
• SLIGHTLY HIGHER MINORITY %-AGE (ESPECIALLY AFRICAN-
AMERICAN PERCENTAGE, BUT LOW HISPANIC %-AGE)
• SENIOR LEVEL DOMINATED WELL-EDUCATED WHITE MALES

11. PART C) MAKING THE
BUREAUCRACY FUNCTION
BETTER

12. PROBLEMS OF/SOLUTIONS TO THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY
PROBLEMS OF
1) LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY
2) WORKS TOO SLOWLY
3) FINANCIALLY EXPENSIVE
4) TOO MUCH RED TAPE (PG. 328)
SOLUTIONS TO
1) PRIVATIZATION
2) DEREGULATION
3) DEVOLUTION
4) “REINVENTING GOVERNMENT”

13. PROBLEMS THAT U.S. DEMOCRACY’S FRAMEWORK CAUSES
• SYSTEM OF CHECKS & BALANCES SLOWS GOV’T
• SEPARATION OF POWERS, FILIBUSTER, BICAMERALISM
• BILL OF RIGHTS MAKES GOV’T JUSTICE SLOW
• ELECTIONS: STAGGERED & DIFFERENT LEVELS

14. PROBLEMS U.S.’S ECONOMICS IN POLITICS CAUSES
• LOBBYISTS CAN STALL GOVERNMENT ACTIONS
• SO MUCH $$ COMING FROM DIFFERENT SIDES
• BUSINESS MOVING FASTER MEANS GOV’T CAN’T REGULATE
• AMERICAN VALUES OF LIMITED GOVERNMENT

15. PART D) BUREAUCRACY &
INTRA/INTER–GOV’T
RELATIONSHIPS

16. INTRA #1: BUREAUCRATIC CULTURE
DEFINED (PG. 340)
• POLICY COMMITMENT
• ADOPTION OF BUREAUCRATIC BEHAVIOR (BUREAUCRATSE PG.
340)
• SPECIALIZATION & EXPERTISE
• IDENTIFICATION WITH THE AGENCY

17. INTRA #2: SHORT-TERM APPOINTEES VS. LONG
TERM CIVIL SERVANTS
• CONFLICTING AGENDAS
• CONFLICTING TIME FRAMES
• PSYCHOLOGICAL CLASH OF EGOS
• PRESIDENTIAL STRATEGIES

18. INTER-GOV’T: AGENCIES, BUREAUCRACY & COURTS
INTERAGENCY
1) CONSTITUENCY BUILDING
2) GUARDING THE TURF
BUREAUCRACY AND THE COURT
1) AGENCIES CAN BE SUED
2) COURTS & BUREAUCRACY LIMITED INTERACTION

19. BUREAUCRACY AND THE PRESIDENT
• APPOINTMENT POWER
• THE BUDGET PROPOSAL
• THE PRESIDENTIAL VETO
• GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION
• POWERS OF PERSUASION

20. BUREAUCRACY & THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
• IRON TRIANGLES (PG. 350)
• ISSUE NETWORKS (PG. 351)
• CONGRESS CONTROLS THE PURSE OVER BUREAUCRACIES
• BUREAUCRACIES CONTROL ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS MADE BY
CONGRESS, & HOW THEIR FUNDS ARE USED
• CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT (PG. 351)