American Government Clep: Rea Federal Bureaucracy And The Media

Front 1

Federal Government Employment

Back 1

largest employer in US, over 5 million in 2008

Front 2

privatization

Back 2

handing over to private enterprise work that was formerly done by govt agencies

Front 3

deregulation

Back 3

idea that if govt regulates les and allows private enterprise greater freedom, govt growth will slow, because there is less regulation to enforce

Front 4

political devolution

Back 4

turning over of functions carried out by the fed govt to the states.

Front 5

Republicans

Back 5

favor privatization, deregulation and devolution more than democrats

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bureaucracy

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(Max Weber) bureaucracies...:
1. specialize and divide labor.
2. follow a clear chain of command
3. have clearly set rules and guidelines.
4. maintain written records
5. staffed by professionals

Front 7

spoils system

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(before reforms) the ability to give jobs to friends and supporters ( patronage)

Front 8

Pendleton Act of 1883

Back 8

first law to make govt jobs off-limits to patronage

Front 9

Office of Personnel Management and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)

Back 9

serve to maintain the integrity of the civil service

Front 10

Justice Department

Back 10

Lead by the US attorney general, largest executive department

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secretaries

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Second largest executive department (after Justice Dept)

each secretary is appointed by the president and serves w/ the advice and consent of the senate

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independent regulatory commissions/regulatory agencies

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write and enforce rules that regulate some element of industry

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Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Back 13

oversees the nations' nuclear power plants

Front 14

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

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1887, purpose to discover and end railroad practices that seemed predatory

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government corporation

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sells services and generates its own revenue.

Ex. US postal Service, US mint,

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independent agencies

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not part of an executive department, but still come under congressional and presidential oversight.

Ex. NASA, EPA (environmental protection agency)

Front 17

rule making

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bureaucracies must decide how to act, given the mandates they face

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administrative law

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rules

Front 19

Federal Register

Back 19

stores each bureaucracy rule. There i sno way anyone could master the rules and regulations w/ ninety thousand pages

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rule adjudication/bureaucratic adjudicating

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settle through a judicial process

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income redistibution

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another tast of fed bureaucracy.

One peron's income is taxed today to provide another person w/ income tomorrow.

Ex. SSA, TANF

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divided government

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Example:
White House: Democrats
Congress; (one or both houses) Republicans

govt institutions must respond to both sides

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Mission goals

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goals of the mission

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survival goals

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goals to help agency survive

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iron triangle

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• Made up of congressional committees, corresponding bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups directly effected by laws being considered by committee
• Ex. Defense Iron Triangle
o Armed Service Committee (House Committee)
o Defense Department (bureaucratic agency)
o Boeing Corporation (interest group)
• These groups are tied together in a mutually dependent relationship and can dominate areas of domestic policy
• Many such triangles exist in Congress
• Can have positive and negative effects
o Positive:
 bureaucracy within the triangle is able to ensure the laws congress passes are effective and practical
 Interest groups have Direct say in creation of legislation that affects their members
 Congress can rely on outside experts to ensure that they write legislation in a manner suitable to get the necessary tasks accomplished
o Negative:
 Committees who are supposed to be watching over departments of bureaucracy become too comfortable

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issue networks

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groups w/ a particular interest in a particular issue will band together to advocate that issue

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bureaucratic imperialism

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Refers to the tendency of agencies to grow without regard to the benefits their programs confer or the costs they entail

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"fourth branch of government"

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media--have no constitutional standing as part of govt. but because media have a powerful influence on politics and the operations of govt,

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media purposes

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1. hold politicians accountable
2. inform the people about what govt is up to
3. identify problems and present potential agenda items to the country

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television hypothesis

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the idea that TV makes one feel informed when, in fact, that is not actually happening

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story's newsworthiness

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depends on whether it can grab a viewership's attention

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watch news daily

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70% of americans age 65 and older

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news grazers

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little news here and there, late teens thru early 20s

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two step flow of communication

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ex; writer writes story, article discussed on air

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fireside chats

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started by Frankllin Roosevelt, used radio

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media gatekeepers

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editors and producers chose what will be seen or read

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talk radio

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conservative

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tv programs

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tilt to left (except for fox news)

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fix news

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highest ratings of all news in 2008

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Federal communications Commission (FCC)

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govt agency responsible for regulating the media