Review

Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats

Americans depend on government bureaucracies to accomplish most of what we expect from government, and we are oftentimes critical of the bureaucracy’s handling of its responsibilities. Bureaucracy is essential for carrying out the tasks of government. As the bureaucracy grew in the twentieth century, new management techniques sought to promote greater efficiency. The reorganization of the government to create the Department of Homeland Security and the Bush administration’s simultaneous push to contract out jobs to private employers raises the question as to whether the government or the private sector can best manage our national security. Ironically, the criticism of the bureaucracy may be a product of the nature of the organization itself.

I. Why do bureaucracies exist? Why are they needed?

• Bureaucracy is nothing more or less than a form of organization defined by certain attributes, including a division of labor, allocation of functions, allocation of responsibility, supervision, the purchase of full-time employment, and the identification of career within the organization.
• Bureaucracy literally means “rule by desks”; in other words, a government by clerks.
• The goals of a bureaucracy are efficiency and productivity, which are gained through specialization and repetition of tasks.
• The basic characteristics that define the concept of bureaucracy are found in virtually all organizations, whether public or private, military or religious, for profit or nonprofit. Most organizations are bureaucracies, and most of their employees are bureaucrats.

II. Has the federal bureaucracy grown too large?

• Despite the general belief that the federal bureaucracy has grown too large and unresponsive, the size of the federal bureaucracy has declined over the past thirty years and presidents of both parties have called for the trend to continue.
• However, since the 9/11 attacks government spending and size have actually increased.

III. What roles do government bureaucrats perform?

• Bureaucrats communicate with one another, maintain paper for accountability, interpret the law, and implement the objectives of the organization.
• Congress has delegated a significant amount of authority to the federal bureaucracy by granting the agencies the power to draft federal regulations (rule making) and to adjudicate conflicts over these regulations.
• Before 1883, bureaucrats were political appointees—the product of the spoils system.
• The Civil Service Act of 1883 created the merit system by requiring that appointees to public office be qualified for the job, thereby ending the spoils system.

The Organization of the Executive Branch

I. What are the agencies that make up the Executive Branch?

• The federal bureaucracy consists of the Cabinet departments, independent agencies, government corporations, and independent regulatory commissions.
• The Cabinet departments are headed by a secretary (note the exception for the Department of Justice, which is headed by the attorney general), but it is the bureau level that has the responsibility for interacting with the public.
• Independent agencies exist outside the structure of the Cabinet departments and carry out functions that are too costly for the private sector (e.g., NASA).
• Government corporations (the U.S. Postal Service and Amtrak) are designed to run like a business and, we hope, generate a profit.
• Independent regulatory commissions regulate some aspect of society (e.g., the Federal Communications Commission regulates the broadcast media).

II. How can one classify these agencies according to their missions?

• One of the most important activities of the federal bureaucracy is to promote the public welfare (e.g., Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration).
• A number of departments and agencies carry out functions that benefit a particular group or clientele (e.g., Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor, Department of Education, and the Department of Veteran Affairs).
• A number of agencies exist to provide internal (e.g., the newly created Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, Department of Justice) and external (e.g., Department of State, Department of Defense and the CIA) national security.
  • Controversy about the powers given in the Patriot Act and the Bush administration’s heavy use of secrecy has led to widespread criticism and a movement to roll back the government’s powers.
• Finally, other agencies exist to maintain a strong economy and oversee the tax system (e.g., the Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve System, the Department of Treasury, the IRS, and the newly created Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement). The IRS is a frequent target of criticism, the most recent being a bias towards wealthy taxpayers who are better able to hide their money.

Can Bureaucracy Be Reinvented?

• In 1993, President Clinton launched the National Performance Review (NPR)—a part of his promise to reinvent government—to make the government more efficient, accountable, and effective.
• Observers believe the NPR made progress by simplifying standards and procedures, speeding up the process, and saving money.
• When President Bush took office, he changed directions and began a process of shifting federal jobs to the private sector. The number of federal civil servants has shrunk since then, but the “true size” of government has actually increased by ten percent.

Can the Bureaucracy Be Reduced?

I. What methods have been used to reduce the size and the role of the federal bureaucracy?

• One method of reducing the bureaucracy is to terminate an agency; however, clientele support has made this option essentially impossible.
• Devolution or the downsizing of the federal government by delegating the implementation of programs to state and local governments is controversial, given charges that it promotes a race to the bottom.
• Privatization, or turning programs over to private companies who carry out government services under government supervision, is another way to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. However, there is no evidence that privatization saves the government money, as illustrated by the numerous allegations of overcharges by contractors such as Halliburton.

Can Bureaucracy Be Controlled?

• The president as chief executive has certain powers over the bureaucracy, including budget and personnel powers; however, these powers are limited because of the incremental nature of the budget and civil service protections.
• Congress has the power of the purse, oversight responsibility, and ultimate legislative authority over the programs administered by the federal bureaucracy—but delegation of rule-making power has greatly diminished the ability of Congress to control the bureaucracy.
• Congress has oversight authority, but has been less willing to use it, especially after the attacks of September 11.