Chapter 14 Flashcards
(12 cards)
bureaucracy
the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that is employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate the work of their personnel
implementation
the efforts of departments and agencies to translate laws into specific bureaucratic rules and actions
merit system
a product of civil service reform, in which appointees to positions in public bureaucracies must objectively be deemed qualified for those positions
department
the largest sub-unit of the executive branch; the secretaries of the 15 departments form the Cabinet
independent agency
agency that is not part of a Cabinet department
government corporation
government agency that performs a market-oriented public service and raises revenues to fund its activities
regulatory agency
department, bureau, or independent agency whose primary mission is to impose limits, restrictions, or other obligations on the conduct of individuals or companies in the private sector
fiscal policy
the government’s use of taxing, monetary, and spending powers to manipulate the economy
Federal Reserve System
a system of 12 Federal Reserve banks that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks, and credit; regulates member banks; and uses monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation
revenue agency
an agency responsible for collecting taxes. Examples include the Internal Revenue Service for income taxes; the U.S. Customs Service for tariffs and other taxes on imported goods; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for collection of taxes on the sale of those particular products
devolution
a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government, such as from the national government to the state and local governments
privatization
a formerly public service that is now provided by a private company but paid for by the government
