THE FEDERAL BUREACRACY

1. THE FEDERAL BUREACRACY Examining the “Fourth Branch”

2. bureaucracy • literally means “rule by desks” • government by clerks

3. bureaucracy Definition:an administrative system, especially in a government, that divides work into specific categories carried out by special departments of nonelected officials

4. Characteristics of a Bureaucracy • Administration of government through departments • Consists of unelected often highly trained professionals • Task specialization • Hierarchical authority • Provides SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) that actually save time and bring uniformity to complex organizations

5. Who is the man behind the philosophy of hierarchical management? • German sociologist and management guru Max Weber (pronounced Veber)

6. Out with Patronage… • Patronage is the practice or custom observed by an elected official of filling government positions with employees of his or her own choosing. • "To the victor go the spoils”: • The patronage system thrived in the U.S. federal government until the assassination of President James Garfield in 1881 by an office seeker who expected to be spoiled

7. …in with Merit by the Pendleton Act • Created in 1883. • Established the Civil Service Commission that administers the testing of job seekers • In 1883 only 10 percent of the federal workforce held merit-based jobs. By 1980, 90 percent of federal positions had become part of the civil service system. • Civil Service is opposite of a Military Service employee. Both receive ranks based on education and service record and each receives an applicable salary. • As a Civil Servant you receive a GS (General Services) rank • NASA astronauts serve in the Civil Service

8. Public Perceptionsof Bureaucracies • impersonal • inclined to follow rigid or complex procedures • may stifle effectiveness and innovation • “red tape” • But most of us like our bureaucrats

9. What is the origin of the word “red tape”? • The British Crown would deliver new rules to the commoners in a bundled package tied with red tape

10. The Federal Bureaucracy What is the federal bureaucracy?

11. The Federal Bureaucracy is: • 4 million employees; 2.8 million are civilians or “civil servants” • President only appoints 3% (patronage or political appointments) • 15 cabinet level departments • 200+ independent agencies with 2,000+ bureaus, divisions, branches, etc. • Biggest - Dept. of Defense, U.S. Postal Service, Veterans Administration

12. The Federal Bureaucracy What does the federal bureaucracy do?

13. Functions of the Federal Bureaucracy Implementation- carry out laws of Congress, executive orders of the President Administration- routine administrative work; provide services (ex: SSA sends social security checks to beneficiaries) Regulation- issue rules and regulations that impact the public (ex: EPA sets clean air standards) Source:http://www.pinkmonkey.com/studyguides/subjects/am_gov/chap6/a0606401.asp

14. The Federal Bureaucracy How is the federal bureaucracy organized?

15. The Federal Bureaucracy Consists of • Cabinet Departments • Independent Executive Agencies (every agency is categorized here except for $ makers and regulators) • Independent Regulatory Commissions (mini-governments) • Government Corporations (Key: $)

16. Federal Bureaucracy Federal Bureaucracy President Congress Executive Office of the President (Ex: OMB, NSC,CEA) Independent Regulatory Commissions (Ex: FCC, SEC) Independent Executive Agencies (Ex: CIA, NASA) Cabinet Departments (Ex: State, Defense) Government Corporations (Ex: Amtrack, Postal Service, TVA)

17. Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy Source: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths/ClassActivities/ Brzovic/policeymakersChapters12-16/

18. A Look at the Hierarchical Chart of Two Programs/Agencies The War on Terror National Health Care

19. Department of Homeland Security Executive Secretary Commandant of Coast Guard (1) Legislative Affairs Secretary ---------------------------------- Deputy Secretary Inspector General Public Affairs General Counsel State and Local Coordination Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Citizenship & Immigration Service Ombudsman (1) Director, Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (1) Special Assistant to the Secretary (private sector) Director of the Secret Service (1) Small & Disadvantaged Business Privacy Officer National Capital Region Coordination Chief of Staff International Affairs Shared Services Counter Narcotics Under Secretary Management Under Secretary Science and Technology Under Secretary Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Under Secretary Border & Transportation Security Under Secretary Emergency Preparedness and Response Note (1): Effective March 1st, 2003

21. The Cabinet Departments • The 15 cabinet departments headed by a cabinet secretary appointed by the president and approved by the Senate • Each department “expert” in specific policy area • Each department has its own budget • Department of Homeland Security, created in 2002, is newest department

22. The “Inner” CabinetObviously, not much has changed since George Washington created the first cabinet. A cabinet is not in the Constitution. Note also that these are the Cabinet posts that apply in sequence should the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 be exercised Secretary of State Secretary of Defense Secretary of Treasury Attorney General

23. Independent Executive Agencies • Established by Congress with separate status outside the executive branch • Given a specific mandate and generally perform a service function, not a regulatory one. • One example: the Social Security Administration which is the largest federal agency based on money spent

24. Independent Regulatory Commissions • IRCs exist to regulate a specific economic activity or interest such as the Federal Communications Commission (public air waves) or Federal Reserve Board (banking system, money supply) • IRCs operate independently from Congress and the President • Once appointed and seated, members cannot be removed without cause • These are mini-governments: each writes regulations (laws), executes the laws (you will follow these regulations, or else) and adjudicates (judges, finds guilty, and punishes with fines).

25. Government Corporations • Government owned businesses created by Congress • May or may not be profitable, but serve a public need • Ex: U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, Tennessee Valley Authority, Corporation for Public Broadcasting

26. 97% are career government employees Only 10% live in the D.C. area 30% work for the D.O.D. Less than 15% work for social welfare agencies Most are white collar workers: secretaries, clerks, lawyers, inspectors & engineers Civil employees more diverse demographically than Congress Who are the “Bureaucrats?”

28. “Plum” Appointments • Presidents name approximately 500+ plum appointments • These are political and are tied to ideology • Secretaries, Under-secretaries, deputy secretaries are examples of plum appointments. • Senate approval is required but usually easy to get. Few cabinet secretaries are rejected • Persons leave with the President

29. Where do Federal Employees Work? Source: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths/ClassActivities/ Brzovic/policeymakersChapters12-16/

30. What Jobs Do Bureaucrats Do? Source: www.edmonds.wednet.edu/mths/ClassActivities/ Brzovic/policeymakersChapters12-16/

31. Who else advises the President? Answer: W.H.O. and E.O.B. Copy and paste this link to discover the many advisors who assist the president. http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop Two major categories are critically important: 1. The W.H.O. (Listed on the site as the White House Staff.) This is a more personal and political group of advisors. Most served on a president’s campaign. They are intensely loyal. Clinton had the youngest average age of interns, etc. than any other president. Hmmm. The WHO includes the Chief of Staff, the Press Secretary, and 400 other personnel who provide the president with information, policy options, and analysis. 2. The E.O.P. (Executive Office of the President.) These are the policymakers. Key offices include : • OMB: Office of Management and Budget. The “handyman” agency. These are the numbers folks. Since the Budget and Accounting Act was passed in 1921 during the Wilson administration, presidents are required to present a budget to the nation and then the Congress acts on the requests. This marked the beginning of the “managerial presidency.” Special note: Congress has their own arm of budget making called the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) and this group influencing budget-making policy as well. • CEA: Council of Economic Advisors. They write the game plan for fiscal policy (taxing and spending policy) • NSC: National Security Council: The “situation room” is where you can find these advisors. Military, diplomatic , and foreign policy situations are handled by this group

32. What is the difference between the CIA and the FBI? Is there a difference since 9-11? What agency is in charge of public safety? The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) is permitted by law to conduct its directives from the President overseas in foreign lands. (Since 9-11, terrorism issues abroad have relevance at home. The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) is permitted by law to conduct its directives from the President on domestic issues. (Since 9-11, the FBI has investigated the U.S.S. Cole bombing in Yemen and the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Kenya. Other agencies that provide for the public safety include ATF, CDC, FDA, Fish and Wildlife Agency. Can our military forces be ordered by the president to provide law enforcement for domestic situations? No, according to the Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law passed on June 18, 1878, after the end of Reconstruction, with the intention (in concert with the Insurrection Act of 1807) of substantially limiting the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement.

33. Who supervises the federal bureaucracy?

34. The President Supervises the Bureaucracy The President can: • appoint & remove agency heads • reorganize the bureaucracy • issue executive orders • reduce an agency's budget President Bush speaks about his budget priorities for FY 2007

35. Congress Oversees the Bureaucracy Congress can: • Create or abolish agencies & departments (Termination) • Cut or reduce funding • Investigate agency activities • Hold committee oversight hearings • Call for an agency to close and reopen as a private agency (privatization) • Pass legislation that alters an agency's functions (Restructuring) • Influence the choice of an appointment or even fail to confirm presidential appointments Former FEMA Chief Michael Brown testifies before House committee investigating Hurricane Katrina

36. Federal Courts Check the Bureaucracy Federal courts can: • through judicial review rule on whether the bureaucracy has acted within the law and the U.S. Constitution • provide due process for individuals affected by a bureaucratic action Supreme Court of the United States

37. KeyBureaucracy Legislation: Hatch Act No more campaigning at the work site. The Hatch Act was created in 1939 Curtailed or restricted most partisan political activities of federal employees.

38. The Bureaucracy of Pizza

39. A Case Study: Walmart – Bureacracy – Entitlement Programs Note the federal agencies involved with providing these programs The House Committee on Education and the Workforce estimated the breakdown of costs for one 200-employee Wal-Mart store: $36,000 a year for free or reduced school lunches, assuming that 50 families of employees qualify. Department of Agriculture/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP is the new name for the Food Stamp Program.  $42,000 a year for Section 8 rental assistance, assuming that 3% of the store employees qualify. Housing Choice Voucher Program United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) $125,000 a year for federal tax credits and deductions for low-income families, assuming that 50 employees are heads of households with a child, and 50 employees are married with two children. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) $108,000 a year for the additional federal contribution to state children's health insurance programs, assuming that 30 employees with an average of two children qualify. (CHIP, but the new health care bill will likely adjust this program) $100,000 a year for additional Title I expenses, assuming 50 families with two children qualify. (Department of Education) $9,750 a year for the additional costs of low-income energy assistance. (Department of Energy) Overall, the committee estimates that one 200-person Wal-Mart store may result in an excess cost of $420,750 a year for federal taxpayers. As of October 2005, Wal-Mart's health insurance covered 44% or approximately 572,000 of its 1.3 million U.S. workers. In comparison, Wal-Mart rival and wholesaler Costco insures approximately 96% of its eligible workers, although Costco has been criticized by investors for its high labor costs.

40. What a mess…The Bureaucracy of Natural Disasters: Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill (Access the video links on the lab activity sheet)

41. Thinking Critically • Why is the federal bureaucracy often referred to as “the fourth branch?” • Some critics believe that the real power in the federal government lies with the federal bureaucracy. To what extent do you believe this is true?

42. Title: The Damages of the Bureaucracy Artist: unknown, La Presna, Panama Date: May, 2006 Source:http://www.politicalcartoons.com

44. From my high school friend and Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist Clay Bennett

45. Clay Bennett again…this time examining the consequences of the fourth branch in action

46. Title: Federal Employees Self Esteem Class Artist: Chip Bok Date: unknown Source: http://www.reason.com/9602/bok.gif

47. Title: Another Layer of Bureaucracy Artist: Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant Date: February, 2006 Source: : http://www.politicalcartoons.com