Chapter 15 Review Flashcards
The three elements that make up all regulations
- ) grant of power and set of directions from congress
- ) a set of rules and guidelines by the regulatory agency itself
- ) some means of enforcing compliance with congressional goals and agency regulations
Myths and realities of bureaucracies
- ) Americans dislike bureaucrats
- ) Bureaucracies are growing bigger each year
- ) Most federal bureaucrats work in Washington DC
- ) bureaucracies are ineffective and always mired in red tape
Bureaucracy
Max Webers-hierarchical authority structure that uses task specialization, operates on the merit principle, and behaves with impersonality bureaucracies govern modern states
Policy implementation
The stage of policymaking between the establishment of a policy and the consequences of the policy for the people whom it affects. Implementation involves translating the goals and objectives of a policy into an operating ongoing program
Patronage
One of the key inducements used by political machines. A patronage job, promotion or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone
Why is it hard to fire a civil servant?
To keep civil servants away from the political process or from politics
Plum jobs
Top federal jobs (policymaking posts) they are appointed
What is the largest segment of the federal bureaucracy as far as number of employees and as far as money spent?
Department of defense, the most money is social security which includes human services
Red tape
All the paperwork that must be filled out. Most people don’t enjoy this
SOP’s
Standard operating procedures used by bureaucrats to bring uniformity to complex organizations. Uniformity improves fairness and makes personnel interchangeable
Iron triangles
A mutually dependent relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committee or subcommittee. Iron triangles dominate some areas of domestic policy making
What example does the book give of a very successful bureaucratic program or policy?
Voting rights act 1965
Street level bureaucrats
A phrase coined by Michael Lipsky referring to those bureaucrats who are in constant contact with the public and have considerable administrative discretion
Define and give and example of command-and-control policy
According to Charles Schultze, the existing system of regulation whereby government tells businesses how to reach certain goals, check that these commands are followed, and punishes offenders. Example: permits, liscense
Fragmentation
Division of responsibility
Administrative discretion
The authority of administrative actors to select among various responses to a given problem. Discretion is greatest when routines or standard operating, procedures, do not fit a case
Hatch Act
Federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics
How many people are employed as a part of the federal bureaucracy?
2.7 million
Merit system
The idea that hiring should be based on entrance exams and promotion ratings to produce administration by people with talent and skill
Independent regulatory agencies
A government agency responsible for some sector of the economy, making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest. It also judges disputes over these rules
How many cabinet departments are there?
15
Deregulation
The lifting of restrictions on business industry, and professional activities for which government rules had been established and that bureaucracies had been created to administer
Graph on civilian government employees
Number of federal employees haven’t grown, but the state and local have grown each year
How prevalent are bureaucracies?
Very prevalent! Bureaucracies are everywhere
