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Chapter 11: Bureaucracy
Video Exercises
Watch the videos below and answer the questions that follow.
1. How did Georgia's drought become a ''disaster of federal bureaucracy?'' CNN's Josh Levs reports on the effects of this drought and the bureaucratic challenges faced therein by the state government of Georgia.

Drought bureaucracy
CNN Online
Added October 20, 2007

What sorts of bureaucratic challenges were described in the above video? What prob-lems did the drought in Georgia create for wildlife and the state’s residents? Does this video paint a positive or negative portrait of bureaucracy? Why?
2. Obama has said he wants to make it "cool" again to work for the federal government. Washington Post Online Sketch columnist Dana Milbank offers some useful tips for government workers eager to raise their profiles in the following humorous video.

Watch the video below and answer the questions that follow.

Washington Sketch: Mr. Cool is in the Building
The Washington Post Online

As a college student, would you consider a job in the federal government upon graduation? Why or why not? Do you think that the Obama administration is making it “cool” again to work in the federal bureaucracy? Explain your answer in terms of the discussion of bureaucracy in your textbook.
3. The Colbert Report, hosted by Stephen Colbert, is a parody of personality-driven political opinion shows such as those found on the cable news networks, wherein Col-bert hosts the show in character as a right-wing pundit.

In the following video, Stephen Colbert interviews former FEMA director Michael Brown about his role in the bureaucratic failures surrounding Hurricane Katrina.

Watch the below video and answer the questions that follow.

Michael Brown
The Colbert Report
Comedy Central
First aired March 28, 2006

The Colbert Re-portMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Michael Brown

In the above video, do you find Brown’s explanations for the failure of FEMA after Hurricane Katrina convincing? Why or why not? Can large bureaucratic organizations like FEMA or the Department of Homeland Security ever run effectively? Explain your answer in terms of the discussion of bureaucracy in your textbook.

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