⇒ 1. Clientelism - Agencies tend to serve the interests of those they are supposed to oversee, protecting them at the expense of the broader public interest Show ⇒ 2. Imperialism - Agencies invariably seek to expand their power and responsibilities at the expense of other agencies and programmes, notwithstanding the issue of how public needs are best met ⇒ 3. Parochialism - bureaucracies tend to focus narrowly on their own goals rather than the 'big picture' of government or the national interest as a whole ⇒ 4. Incrementalism - Most bureaucratic agencies are not renowned for creative or imaginative operations, instead acting slowly and cautiously, generally resisting major changes ⇒ 5. Arbitrariness - in applying abstract rules to concrete cases, agencies often ignore the concerns or specific merits of those affected by the rules ⇒ 6. Waste - given their size and routinised procedures and them not being driven by the profit motive, bureaucracies tend to use resources less efficiently than private sector organisations The federal bureaucracy, encompassing millions of employees and hundreds of agencies, departments, and commissions, is the umbrella term used to describe government officials, housed within the executive branch, who are tasked with policy implementation, administration, and regulation. Bureaucrats have varying degrees of autonomy and expertise, but since Progressive-Era civil service reforms, have generally been policy experts hired on the basis of merit and
granted greater job security than other federal officials.
6.4 The Functions of the Federal Bureaucracy 6.4a Implementation, administration and regulation Implementation, administration and regulation are the three main functions of the federal bureaucracy. Implementation is the process of putting the new policies into practice, after a law has been passed by the Congress. The Volstead Act was passed by the Congress in order to provide for the necessary bureaucratic mechanism to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment that outlawed the sale, transport and manufacture of liquor. Most modern legislation is passed in a skeleton form. Broad policies are laid down and a mandate is provided. Thus the bureaucracy has to use administrative discretion to round out the implications of the law, through its administrative orders. In doing so, an agency may have to face the criticism of interest groups, the President, or the Congress regarding its implementation policies. 6.4b Administration Administration work of a routine nature is characteristic of the office. This includes collection of fees, the issue of permits and the conducting of tests. It is not the bureaucrat�s role to question policy goals in performing such administrative tasks. Thus an INS official does the job of issuing a green card to an immigrant, permitting him to work in the U.S. and not of questioning whether the nation�s immigration policy will be endangered by this act.
6.4c Regulation The federal bureaucracy is empowered to issue rules and regulations affecting the public. The rules by which federal and state programs operate are known as regulations. The administrative process through which they are enacted is known as rule making. Due to the lack of time and technical knowledge on the part of the Congress, it needs to delegate the authority of formulating rules and regulations (for executing the general policy) to a specialized agency. Thus the Interstate Commerce Commission possesses the power over the nation�s railroads, while the Federal Communications Commission polices the nation�s radio and television networks. The process of rule making is certainly very complex. By the Administrative Procedures Act of 1946, federal agencies have to publish the regulations proposed by them in the Federal Register. This enables interested persons to present their arguments related to the case. Such persons must also be allowed to appear before the agency, accompanied by counsel and to cross-examine witnesses. In certain cases, the regulations may be challenged in court. In making regulations, bureaucrats have to take into consideration professional ethics, the advice of experts, as also the attitudes of the President, the Congress, interest groups and political parties. next page] Index 6.0 - Introduction Chapter 7 What are the four main functions of bureaucracy?Bureaucracies have four key characteristics: a clear hierarchy, specialization, a division of labor, and a set of formal rules, or standard operating procedures.
What is the federal bureaucracy in simple terms?The federal bureaucracy, encompassing millions of employees and hundreds of agencies, departments, and commissions, is the umbrella term used to describe government officials, housed within the executive branch, who are tasked with policy implementation, administration, and regulation.
What is the federal bureaucracy quizlet?The federal bureaucracy is all the agencies, people, and procedures through which the federal government operates. The President is its chief administrator. His administration consists of the government's many agencies and administrators.
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