In a country the size of the United States, the bureaucracy plays a pivotal role in making sure federal policy is implemented nationwide.
In a country the size of the United States, the bureaucracy plays a pivotal role in making sure federal policy is implemented nationwide. In today’s episode we look at what a bureaucracy is. (1:00) We then go on to look at its history, who is in it, and what exactly the bureaucracy does. (1:30) Finally, we look at the role of oversight (4:00) and the relationship that the president has with the organization the office is tasked with managing.(5:00)
Today’s question of the day is (5:58): True or false...If your dream is to grow up and be part of this bureaucracy, you have to pass a test in order to be eligible.
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Hi and welcome to the APsolute Recap: US Gov Edition. Today’s episode will recap the bureaucracy
Lets Zoom out:
Unit 2 - Interactions among branches of government
Topic- 2.12-2.14
Big idea - Competing policy making interests
Bureaucracy, a word that we have probably all heard, can’t define, and definitely can’t spell. Yet, in a country the size of the United States, the bureaucracy plays a pivotal role in making sure federal policy is implemented nationwide. It has a budget of over 4 trillion dollars and employs over 2 million people annually.
Lets Zoom in:
The word bureaucracy could be defined as an administrative body made up of non elected officials. Basically, they are the people doing all the work behind the scenes, and also the reason why some things can take forever to happen. It is hierarchical in nature, and the power comes from the top. Therefore, certain actions sometimes need to be “run up the chain of command” taking time and producing what some refer to as bureaucratic red tape.
Still, in countries that are large or practice federalism, both of which are true in the case of the US, the bureaucracy plays an important role in the day to day running of the country. It deals with everything from defense to education, agriculture to veterans affairs. There are 15 cabinet level departments and over 2,000 independent agencies helping run this country. People who work for the bureaucracy are called civil servants. Until the last century or so, these jobs were given out based on patronage, or a reward for political support. This changed in the late 19th century with the Pendleton Civil Service Act, which encouraged a merit based system, rather than one built on loyalty.
Bureaucrats are professional, politically neutral, and often highly specialized. Some of the bureaucratic agencies have a large amount of discretion when it comes to managing the affairs of the country. Discretion refers to the agency’s ability to decide how to implement public policy. Often the implementation of this public policy is affected by interest groups. The relationship between Congress, the bureaucracy, and interest groups which ultimately shapes public policy is known as the iron triangle or alternatively issue networks. This is a simplified version of the relationship and by no means all you need to know,but is a good place to start your understanding.
Since these bureaucratic agencies have a lot of power and money at their disposal, it is important to maintain some level of control and oversight. Afterall, 4 trillion dollars is a LOT of money! Both Congress and the President have responsibilities when it comes to watching over the bureaucratic agencies. Let’s start with Congress which has several ways to oversee the bureaucracy. The Constitution gives Congress the power to approve and control the budget, therefore, these agencies’ budgets are also controlled by Congress. In addition, the presidential appointments as the heads of the 15 major agencies must be approved by Congress as a check on the executive branch. Furthermore, Congress has the ability to hold oversight committees and hearings, which are designed to question the leaders of the bureaucracies and hold them accountable. According to the House Oversight Committee, their job is to “ensure the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the federal government and all its agencies.”
The President also has options when it comes to managing and running the bureaucracy. As previously mentioned in this episode, the president gets to appoint the 15 heads of the major departments, giving the president an opportunity to put people who support the president’s agenda in charge. The president also has the ability to reduce an agency’s funding in the budget proposal, or even rearrange the agency. Finally, the president has the ability to issue executive orders, which are statements issued by the president that carry the force of law. This could range from creating a new position to compelling a statute to be enforced.
To recap……
The bureaucracy is a massive organization comprised mostly of professional civil servants. It is necessary to carry out the day to day functions of our country and has a fair amount of discretion at its disposal. As a result, it plays an important part in the implementation of the public policy process.
Coming up next on the Apsolute RecAP US Government Edition: Elections
Today’s Question of the day is about joining the bureaucracy
Question:
True or false...If your dream is to grow up and be part of this bureaucracy, you have to pass a test in order to be eligible?
Answer:
True. It’s called the Civil Service Exam and was part of the reform process of the late 1800s where government jobs were based on merit and not patronage.