Chapter 10: The Federal Bureaucracy

Front 1

What is a bureaucrat?

Back 1

Beaucracy is a form of organization that operates through impersonal, uniform rules and procedures. A bureaucrat is a careers government employess

Front 2

Federal government organizations that report to the President

Back 2

Independent agencies are free from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. They are small federal bureaucracies that serve specific groups of Americans or work on specific problems. They are usually headed by an administrator.Independence is a benefit but it also weakens its ability to cooperate. The spread of these agencies create confusion about who is responsible for what in the federal govt. Independent agencies vary in sizes and can be more influencial to the president than some cabinet departments.

Front 3

The “spoils system” (311)

Back 3

The spoils system is a system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends. Under this system jobs were based on political connections instead of ability to do the work. It also lead to patronage in which people would support the presidents party with money before an election in exchange for a government job afterwards.

Front 4

Limitations on political activities of USG employees (312-313)

Back 4

Congress passed an act called the Hatch Act that bars federal employess from active participation in certain kinds of politics and protecting them from being fired on partisan grounds. Under this act federal employess can vote in elections but they can't have an active part in partisan politics. Restrictions include raising campaign funds in agencies; becoming candidates for public office in partisan elections; using job to affect the results of the election; soliticing funds or dischouraging the political activity of any person who has business before the employee's office.

Front 5

Government employee unions (313)

Back 5

Civilian employees are entitlted to forming unions or associations that help them in seeking improvement in government personnel policies. Federal employee unions are not allowed to strike or bargain over pay and benefits. They are however allowed to negotiate and lobby Congress.

Front 6

The job of the federal bureaucrat (313-314)

Back 6

All bureaucrats have the responsibility to faithfuly execute or implement the laws. Implementation is the process of putting a law into practice through rules or spending. Agencies also implement by collecting information or research. Furthormore agencies are given administrative discretion (authority to use reasonable judgment) in implementing laws.

Front 7

Entitlements and non-discretionary spending in the federal budget (314-316)

Back 7

Uncontrollable spending is the portion of the federal budget that is spent on programs that the president and congress are unwilling to cut. There 2 types: 1.entitlement programs-provide financial benefits for any American who is eligible such as SS, unemployment insurance, disaster relief, and college loans 2.programs that require more federal spending each year automatically through cost-of-living expenses or interest on the national debt.(indexing)The largest amount of uncontrolable spending comes from SS and Medicare. A smaller budget includes welfare

Front 8

Holding the bureaucracy accountable (316-318)

Back 8

The president can control the bureaucracy through powers of appointment, reorganization, and budgeting. Congress controls the bureaucracy by establishing and terminating agencies, formulating budgets,conducting investigations. Together they conrol the bureaucracy through the oversight process.