Bureaucracy Basics
What major law (passed in 1883) created a federal civil service based on merit rather than patronage?
Pendleton Civil Service Act
What are the four basic types of federal agencies
Cabinet departments, independent regulatory commissions, government corporations, independent executive agencies.
What is policy implementation?
Stage between establishing policy and achieving results where agencies create rules and carry out programs.
What is regulation?
Use of government authority to control/change private-sector practices.
Name two tools the president can use to influence agencies
Appointments and executive orders; budget influence via OMB.
Name two functions that bureaucrats perform for the public
Deliver mail; inspect food; manage Social Security; run national parks (any two).
Who heads a cabinet department and how is that person chosen?
A secretary (attorney general for Justice) chosen by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Name two factors that can cause implementation to fail
Faulty program design, lack of clarity, lack of resources, fragmentation, lack of authority, inappropriate SOPs.
Give one example from the chapter of how regulation affects the automobile industry.
SEC regulates stock; NLRB handles labor relations; EPA and DOT require safety/pollution controls on cars (any single accurate example).
Name two oversight tools Congress uses to control agencies.
Hearings, budget/appropriations control, rewriting laws, Senate confirmations, investigations.
Define "merit principle" and give one way the federal government enforces it.
Hiring/promotions based on exams and merit; enforced via civil service system/OPM and GS ratings.
Give one example of an independent regulatory commission and one of a government corporation
Example commission: Federal Reserve Board (FRB) or FCC; government corporation: U.S. Postal Service or TVA.
What are standard operating procedures (SOPs), and why can they be both helpful and harmful?
SOPs are written routines that ensure uniformity and efficiency but can create red tape and hinder flexibility in unusual situations.
Define "deregulation" and list one potential negative consequence shown in the text.
Deregulation is lifting government restrictions; negative consequence: higher risk of environmental damage, industry failure (e.g., savings and loan crisis, California power shortages).
What is an iron triangle? List its three components.
Iron triangle = agency, congressional committee/subcommittee, interest groups.
Explain the Hatch Act in one or two sentences and why it matters for civil servants.
Hatch Act prohibits active partisan political activity by federal employees on duty (and limits some off-duty activities); it protects nonpartisan service.
Explain why independent regulatory commissions are harder for presidents to control than cabinet departments (mention a court case or concept).
Commissioners serve fixed terms and are protected from at-will removal (Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, 1935 principle); presidents cannot easily fire them.
Define "administrative discretion" and give an example of a street-level bureaucrat who uses it.
Administrative discretion = authority to choose responses when rules don’t fit; street-level bureaucrat example: police officer, welfare caseworker, border patrol agent.
Contrast command-and-control policy with an incentive system; give one example of each from the chapter.
Command-and-control tells firms how to comply (standards + inspections); incentive system uses market-like tools (taxes, cap-and-trade). Example: OSHA rules (command-and-control); cap-and-trade for CO2 (incentive).
Explain what "capture" of a regulatory agency means and one problem it creates.
"Capture" = regulators adopt industry positions or become too cozy with those they regulate; problem: weak enforcement, biased rules, undermined public interest.
Explain the reality behind this myth example: "Bureaucrats are disliked"
Reality: people report positive encounters; bureaucrats provide essential services and are generally evaluated favorably.
Describe the difference between an independent executive agency and a government corporation, and give one example of each
Independent executive agency (e.g., NASA) is not a cabinet dept. or regulatory commission; a government corporation (e.g., USPS) provides services and charges fees.
Using the Voting Rights Act case study from the chapter, identify three reasons the implementation succeeded.
Voting Rights Act succeeded because goals were clear, implementors (Justice Department) had authority and resources, and implementation (sending registrars, marshals) was concentrated and direct.
Explain one real-world failure or risk of deregulation
Example: Deregulation blamed for part of the 1980s savings and loan failures and for power shortages in California (chapter cites both risks).
Describe how issue networks differ from iron triangles and one effect this difference has on policymaking.
Issue networks are broader, more fluid coalitions including experts, interest groups, and officials; they increase participation and can break closed subgovernments, making policymaking less predictable.