THE FEDERAL
BUREACRACY
Examining the “Fourth Branch”
Bureaucracy
• literally
means “rule
by desks”
• government
by clerks
Bureaucracy
A large, complex organization
composed of appointed officials
Characteristics of a Bureaucracy
• Hierarchical authority
• Job specialization
• Rules & Regulations
• Neutrality
Public Perceptions of Bureaucracies
• impersonal
• inclined to follow rigid
or complex procedures
• may stifle effectiveness
& innovation
• “red tape”
The Damages of
the Bureaucracy
Artist: unknown, La Presna, Panama
Date: May, 2006
Source: http://www.politicalcartoons.com
Public Perceptions
of Bureaucracies
Federal Employees Self Esteem Class
Artist: Chip Bok
Date: unknown
Source: http://www.reason.com/9602/bok.gif
What is the federal bureaucracy?
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The Federal Bureaucracy
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The Federal Bureaucracy is:
4 million employees; 2.8 million are civilians or
“civil servants”
President only appoints 3% (patronage or
political appointments)
15 cabinet level departments
200+ independent agencies w/ 2,000+ bureaus,
divisions, branches, etc.
Biggest - Dept. of Defense, U.S. Postal Service,
Veterans Administration
What does the federal bureaucracy do?
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The Federal Bureaucracy
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Functions of the Federal Bureaucracy
1. Implementation - carry out laws of
Congress, executive orders of the Prez
2. Administration - routine administrative
work; provide services (ex: SSA sends
social security checks to beneficiaries)
3. Regulation - issue rules & regulations that
impact the public (ex: EPA sets clean air
standards)
FEMA’s Follies
Artist: Mike Keefe, The Denver Post
Date: April, 2006
Source: http://www.cagle.com/news/FEMASFollies/main.asp
How is the federal bureaucracy organized?
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The Federal Bureaucracy
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The Federal Bureaucracy
Consists of
1. Cabinet Departments
2. Independent Executive Agencies
3. Independent Regulatory Commissions
4. Government Corporations
Federal Bureaucracy
President Congress
Executive Independent
Office Cabinet Independent Regulatory
of the Departments Executive Commissions
(Ex: State, Defense) Agencies (Ex: FCC, SEC)
President
(Ex: OMB, NSC) (Ex: CIA, NASA)
Government Corporations
(Ex: Amtrak, Postal Service)
Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy
Source: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths/ClassActivities/ Brzovic/policeymakersChapters12-16/
Another Layer of Bureaucracy
Artist: Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant
Date: February, 2006
Source: : http://www.politicalcartoons.com
The Cabinet Departments
• 15 Cabinet Dept headed by a “secretary”
appointed by Prez & approved by Senate
• Each Dept “expert” in specific policy area
• Each Dept has its own budget
• Dept of Homeland Security- newest (2002)
Cabinet Departments
15 Hierarchy Pyramids
Secretary
Undersecretary
Senior Executive Service
Bureaus, Offices, Services
Department of Homeland Security
Executive Secretary
Commandant of
Coast Guard (1)
Legislative Affairs
Secretary Inspector General
----------------------------------
Public Affairs
Deputy Secretary General Counsel
State and Local Coordination
Civil Rights and
Citizenship & Director, Bureau of Citizenship Civil Liberties
Immigration Service & Immigration Services (1)
Special Assistant to the Secretary Ombudsman (1) Director of the
(private sector)
Secret Service (1)
Small & Disadvantaged
Privacy Officer
National Capital Region Coordination Business
Chief of Staff International Affairs
Shared Services
Counter Narcotics
Under Secretary Under Secretary
Under Secretary
Under Secretary Under Secretary Information Analysis and Emergency
Border &
Management Science and Technology Infrastructure Protection Preparedness and
Transportation Security
Response
Note (1): Effective March 1st, 2003
Independent Executive Agencies
• Established by Congress w/ separate status outside
executive branch
• Given a specific mandate & perform a service
function, not a regulatory one
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Independent Executive Agencies
Outside the major Executive Departments
Soc Sec Admin, CIA, NASA, EPA
Independent Regulatory Commissions
• Regulate a specific economic activity or interest such
as the FCC (public air waves) or Federal Reserve
Board (banking system, money supply)
• IRCs operate independently from Congress & Prez
• Agency capture
• Once appointed & seated, members cannot be
removed w/o cause
Independent Regulatory Commissions
Regulate a specific economic activity or interest
Protect the public interest
Government Corporations
Government owned Businesses
May or may not be profitable
Government Corporations
• Government owned businesses created by
Congress
• May or may not be profitable, but serve a
public need
• Ex: U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak,
Tennessee Valley Authority, Corporation
for Public Broadcasting
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Who works for the federal government?
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Who are the “Bureaucrats?”
• 97% are career government employees
• Only 10% work in D.C. area
• 30% work for the D.O.D.
• Less than 15% work for social
welfare agencies
• Most are white collar workers:
secretaries, clerks, lawyers,
inspectors & engineers
• Civil employees more diverse
demographically than Congress
Where do Federal Employees Work?
Source: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths/ClassActivities/ Brzovic/policeymakersChapters12-16/
What Jobs Do Bureaucrats Do?
Source: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths/ClassActivities/
Brzovic/policeymakersChapters12-16/
The Federal Bureaucracy is:
Who supervises the
federal bureaucracy?
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The President Supervises the Bureaucracy
• appoint & remove agency
heads
• reorganize the bureaucracy
• issue executive orders
President Bush speaks about his • reduce an agency's budget
budget priorities for FY 2007
Congress Oversees the Bureaucracy
• create or abolish agencies & departments
• cut or reduce funding
• investigate agency activities
• hold committee hearings
• pass legislation that alters an
agency's functions
• influence or even fail to
confirm presidential
appointments Former FEMA Chief Michael Brown testifies before
House committee investigating Hurricane Katrina
Federal Courts Check the Bureaucracy
Federal courts can:
• through judicial review
rule on whether
bureaucracy has acted
w/in the law & U.S.
Constitution
• provide due process for
individuals affected by
a bureaucratic action Supreme Court of the United States
The Bureaucracy of Pizza
Bureaucratic Pathologies
1. Red Tape - Complex rules & procedures
2. Conflict - Agency’s goals counter different
Agency’s goals
3. Duplication - Performing the same tasks or
overlap in duties
4. Imperialism - Tendency of agencies to
grow without regard to benefits or costs of
such growth
5. Waste - Spending more than is necessary
Thinking Critically
1. Why is the federal bureaucracy often referred to as “the
fourth branch?”
2. Some critics believe that the real power in the federal
government lies with the federal bureaucracy. To what
extent do you believe this is true?