Political Science - Chapter 8

Front 1

Independent Regulatory Commission

Back 1

An entity created by Congress outside a major executive department.

Front 2

Departments

Back 2

Major administrative units with responsibility for a broad area of government operations. Department status usually indicates a permanent national interest in a particular governmental function, such as defense, commerce, or agriculture.

Front 3

Independent Executive Agencies

Back 3

Governmental units that closely resemble a Cabinet department but have narrower areas of responsibility and perform services rather than regulatory functions.

Front 4

Government Corporations

Back 4

Businesses established by Congress to perform functions that private businesses could provide.

United States Postal Service

Front 5

Iron Triangles

Back 5

The relatively ironclad relationships and patterns of interaction that occur among agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or cub committees.

Front 6

Issue Networks

Back 6

The loose and informal relationships that exist among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas.

Front 7

Rule Making

Back 7

A quasi-legislative process resulting in regulations that have the characteristics of a legislative act.

Front 8

Regulations

Back 8

Rules governing the operation of all government programs that have the force of law.

Front 9

Administrative Adjudication

Back 9

A quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties in a manner similar to the way courts resolve disputes.

Front 10

Federal Employees Political Activities Act (Hatch Act) 1939

Back 10

Prohibits civil servants from taking activist roles in partisan campaigns. This act prohibited federal employees from making political contributions, working for a particular party, or campaigning for a particular candidate.

- In 1993, it was expanded to allow employees to contribute money to political organizations, and campaign for or against candidates in partisan elections.