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Chapter 13

Bureaucracy

Book Version 13
By Boundless
Boundless Political Science
Political Science
by Boundless
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Section 1
Bureaucracy
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Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy may be defined as a form of government: government by many bureaus, administrators, and petty officials.

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Size of the Federal Bureaucracy

The size of federal bureaucracy has been steady despite the government's claims of cutting the role of government.

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The Growth of Bureaucracy

As modernity came into place in the Western hemisphere, the growth of bureaucratization came into place.

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The Cost of Maintaining the Government

The cost of maintaining the United States government is a lengthy budgetary process, requiring approval from many governmental committees.

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Public and Private Bureaucracies

Public and private bureaucracies both influence each other in terms of laws and regulations because they are mutually dependent.

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Models of Bureaucracy

Bureaucracies have different type of models, depending upon their governmental organizational structure.

Section 2
The Organization of Bureaucracy
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Cabinet Departments

The cabinet is the collection of top-ranking advisors in the executive branch of government, particularly executive department secretaries.

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Independent Agencies

Independent executive agencies operate as regulatory and service agencies to oversee federal government functions.

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Regulatory Commissions

Independent regulatory agencies create and enforce regulations to protect the public at large.

Government Corporations

Government corporations are revenue generating enterprises that are legally distinct from but operated by the federal government.

Section 3
Functions of Bureaucracy
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Promoting Public Welfare and Income Redistribution

Social welfare programs seek to provide basic social protections for all Americans.

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Providing National Security

National security is the protection of the state through a variety of means that include military might, economic power, and diplomacy.

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Maintaining a Strong Economy

Within the United States, there are numerous government departments and agencies responsible for maintaining a strong economy.

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Making Policy

The actual development and implementation of policies are under the purview of different bureaucratic institutions.

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Making Agencies Accountable

The institution responsible for ensuring that government agencies are held accountable is the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Section 4
Bureaucratic Reform
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Bureaucratic Reform

Bureaucratic reform in the U.S. was a major issue in the late 19th century and the early 20th century.

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Termination

Bureaucratic reform includes the history of civil service reform and efforts to curb or eliminate excessive bureaucratic red tape.

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Devolution

Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from central government to government at a regional, local, or state level.

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Privatization

Privatization is the process of transferring ownership of a business from the public sector to the private sector.

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Sunshine Laws

The Sunshine Laws enforce the principle of liberal democracy that governments are typically bound by a duty to publish and promote openness.

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Sunset Laws

A sunset provision is a measure within a statute that provides that a law shall cease to be in effect after a specific date.

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Incentives for Efficiency and Productivity

Efficiency is the extent to which effort is used for a task and productivity is the measure of the efficiency of production.

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Protecting Whistleblowers

There exist several U.S. laws protecting whistleblowers, people who inform authorities of alleged dishonest or illegal activities.

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Boundless Political Science by Boundless
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The Presidency
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Chapter 13
Bureaucracy
  • Bureaucracy
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  • Bureaucratic Reform
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The Judiciary
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  • Origins of American Law
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  • Federal Judicial Appointments
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