3rd Period: November 25th, 2008

BUREAUCRACIES

• Most bureaucrats are hired un der requirements of civil service oberseen since 1978 by:
• A.) Office of Personnel Management which administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations. Th OPM administers written exams for computer service which includes 2/3 of all appointed officials. OPM is in charge of hiring for most federal agencies
• B.) The merit systems protection board protect the integrity of the federal merit system and rights of federal employees. The board hears charges of wrong doing and employee appeals against agency action and orders disciplinary actions against agency executives or employees
• The civil service was created to reduce patronage in awarding of federal jobs. Jobs are filled on basis of merit in accordance with the PENDLETON ACT, and workers cannot be fired for political reasons
• Most civil service work outside of DC as services need to be accessible to people across that country
• The president can appoint fewer than 1% of all executive branch employees, though the ones they appoint fill top policy making positions
• Presidents feel that they have in sufficient control over the executive branch and would like to fill larger numbers of positions in government
• On the surface, it seems that increasing the number of political appointments would make bureaucracy more responsive to the president. This is not the case
• Pluralism can pull agencies in different directions.
• Bureaucratic policy does move in the direction of the white house, though progress may not be attained quickly
• Presidential appointments to bureaucratic leadership positions may also broaden opportunities for advancement of traditionally under represented groups. President Clinton showed this by appointing more women, blacks, Hispanics, than did his predecessors

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY MAKING: FORMAL PROCESS

• The latitude that congress gives agencies to make policy in the spirit of their legislative mandate is called administrative discretion
• Critics of bureaucracy frequently complain that agencies are granted too much discretion
• Some critics say that agencies are "out of control" and a 'power unto themselves" but these are often exaggerated
• When agencies do something that Congress does not like it can reign them in iwht additional legislation
• Congress can also use its "power of the purse" or control over an agency's budget to express its preferences
• Moreover informal contacts between legislation and administration lead to compromise on consensus in agency policy making
• The policy making discretion that congress gives to agencies is usually exercised through rule making. These administrative procedures result in the issue of regulations. This is a source of an agency's power
• Since they are authorized by congressional statutes regulations have force of law
• When agencies issue regulations, they are first published as proposals so that all interested parties have an opportunity to comment on them
• Regulations are controversial because they force people and businesses to act in certain ways often against own self interest
• While Congress often gives agencies administrative discretion in how to implement laws, it also serves as a check on the activities of the bureaucracy. Long oversees bureaucracy in a number of ways
• Duplication- giving responsibilities for a job to no more than one agency
• Authorization and appropriation- no agency may spend money unless it has first been authorized by congress and then appropriated by congress (set aside for particular use)
• Hearings
• Rewriting legislation to make it more detailed
• Agencies are also checked by president through: appointments, executive orders, budget building, and reorganization