growth of the bureaucracy
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GROWTH OF THE BUREAUCRACY
“To the victor belong the spoils” (1828)
The spoils system or patronage, started by Andrew Jackson, was used for filling federal jobs; President rewarding supporters with jobs based on service, not on merit
Garfield’s assassination by a disappointed office-seeker (1881)
Creation of the Pendleton Act (1883)
Eliminated the spoils system (patronage); created merit system An exam-based merit system would be used to fill government jobs;
Civil Service Commission was created to administer these exams
MODERN BUREAUCRACY
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Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
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Abolished the U.S. Civil Service Commission >> Created the OPM (Office of Personnel Management)
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♣♣ Provides management guidance to agencies of the executive branch
♣♣ Issues regulations that control federal human resources
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Today
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Three million civilian federal employees
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Department of Defense is the largest department (even without active military)
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<10% of top-level jobs are appointed (political appointees) by the president >> PATRONAGE
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>90% of federal employees are civil service workers >> MERIT SYSTEM
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POWER OF THE BUREAUCRACY
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Implementation and Discretionary authority
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Carry out laws of Congress, executive orders of the president
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Agencies have power to choose course of action when Congress writes broadly-worded laws
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Congress gives them the bones, bureaucracy adds the meat
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Administration
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Routine administrative work; Provide services (SSA sends social security checks to beneficiaries)
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Regulation
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Issue rules and regulations that impact the public and that the private sector must follow (EPA sets clean air standards); Labels on food, emissions of cars, etc.
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Helping Congress draft legislation
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Providing advice to the White House
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Settling disputes
REASON FOR GROWTH OF POWER OF THE BUREAUCRACY
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National growth
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Need for agencies to cope with additional population
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Technology
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Need for agencies to manage new technology (FAA, FCC)
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International Crises
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Increase in power for Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Homeland Security
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Citizens’ demands
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Citizens want the federal government to assume some responsibility for the welfare of the nation
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Agency survival
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Once agencies are created, they develop constituencies that make it difficult for Congress to kill them
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the jerry perez experiment
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