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acquisitive model

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A model of bureaucracy in which top-level bureaucrats seek to expand their budgets and staff to gain greater power and influence in the public sector.

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administrative agency

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An agency that is part of the executive branch, an independent agency, or an independent regulatory agency (for example, the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Communications Commission). State and local governments also have administrative agencies.

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agency imperialism

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See also: bureaucratic pathologies; A common problem with governmental bureaucracies (and other bureaucracies as well), in which the agencies grow with no limit and without an eye to the benefits they're intended to provide.

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appropriation

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Congressional passage of a spending bill, specifying the amount of funds previously authorized that will actually be allocated for an agency's use.

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authorization

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A legislative action establishing or continuing a certain amount of funding for an agency. Some authorizations terminate in a year; others are automatically renewed without further action.

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bureaucracy

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An administrative system that executes policies and carries out specific functions by using standardized procedures in a hierarchical structure.

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bureaucracy problem

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A collection of incentives and constraints facing those working to make government more efficient. They include accountability, equity, responsiveness, efficiency, and fiscal integrity.

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bureaucratic pathologies

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Problems shared by all or most federal bureaus or agencies. They include bureaucratic red tape, mission conflict, mission duplication, agency imperialism, and bureaucratic waste.

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bureaucratic red tape

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Probably the most common complaint about bureaucracies, red tape refers collectively to the complex rules and procedures that cause delays and sometimes make it difficult to get something done.

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bureaucratic reform

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The effort to make bureaucracies operate more efficiently.

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bureaucratic waste

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Unnecessary bureaucratic spending of money without providing real benefits.

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capture

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The act of gaining direct or indirect control over a regulatory agency's personnel and decision-makers by the industry that is being regulated.

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Civil Service Commission

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The central personnel agency of the national government, created in 1883. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 abolished the Civil Service Commission. The Office of Personnel Management assumed most of its functions at that time, except for its quasi-judicial functions, which the Merit System Protection Board assumed.

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Civil Service Reform Act (1978)

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An act that reformed the federal bureaucracy. It established the Office of Personnel Management and the Merit Systems Protection Board.

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contracting out

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Replacing services provided by the government with services provided by private firms, through contractual agreements with the government.

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deregulation

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The elimination of government controls, especially over private companies.

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division of labor

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Method of splitting the responsibilities associated with a job amongst different workers. Division of labor is used in bureaucracies.

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entrepreneurial government

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New model of government advocated as a replacement for our current bureaucratic government system. Promotes competition among service providers, empowerment of citizens, focusing on outcomes, reaching goals and missions, redefining clients as customers, preventing problems before they surface, earning money, decentralizing authority, use of market mechanisms, and serving as a catalyst to promote action in the public, private, and voluntary sectors of communities.

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Executive Order 12291

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Order made by President Ronald Reagan requiring the review, by the Office of Management and Budget, of all proposals for new executive branch regulations.

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fourth branch of government

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A term referring to the federal bureaucracy.

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garbage can model

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Bureaucratic model that views bureaucracies as directionless, with little formal organization. According to this model, bureaucracies make decisions without the benefit of forethought and rational policy planning, relying instead on trial and error.

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General Service (GS) system

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Basic pay system for the federal government's white collar employees.

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government corporation

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A government agency that runs a business enterprise. Its activities are mainly commercial and produce revenue for continued existence. Government corporations have more freedom of action than do regular departments of government. Examples include the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the U.S. Postal Service.

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Government in the Sunshine Act

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Law passed in 1977 requiring all multi-headed federal agencies to perform their duties in open sessions. Closed meetings are permitted for only specific subjects, such as national defense, but participants must keep minutes of those meetings. The act was a reaction to governmental secrecy and expanded the public's "right to know."

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Hatch Act (Political Activities Act of 1939)

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A law passed in 1939 that limited contributions to political parties and spending by political parties. Most importantly, the Hatch Act made it illegal for individuals and companies under contract with the federal government to contribute to political candidates or to political parties. This was due to concerns over federal employees being pressured to donate to political campaigns through threats to their job security or chances for promotion.

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hierarchy

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A principle of organization in which each person or office is under control of and responsible to the next highest level.

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incrementalism

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A doctrine that holds that change in a political system occurs only by small steps, each of which should be carefully considered before proceeding to the next one.

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independent executive agency

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A federal agency that reports to the president but isn't part of a Cabinet-level department, including the Small Business Administration and the Office of Personnel Management. These agencies' officials often have terms that overlap those of presidents to avoid undue control by the president.

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independent regulatory agency

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A multi-headed agency outside the major executive departments and responsible for making and implementing rules and regulations to protect the public interest. They include the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Reserve Board. These agencies can establish rules for the industries they regulate and prosecute those who break the rules. Members are appointed by the president, subject to the Senate's consent.

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inner Cabinet

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Refers to the oldest and most important Cabinet departments, which play roles in day-to-day government decision making. They include the Departments of State, Treasury, Justice, and Defense.

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iron triangle

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A three-way alliance between political organizations or agents. It's generally thought that iron triangles hinder the political process by putting their own interests ahead of national interests. A well-known iron triangle involves the Pentagon, defense contractors, and the Congressional committees in charge of defense spending.

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line organization

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A government or corporate unit responsible for providing services or products to the public, in contrast to a staff agency, which serves other agencies.

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merit principle

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The principle that in employment individuals should be selected, retained, and promoted based solely on their ability, knowledge, and skills.

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merit system

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A system for selecting employees through competitive testing, and retaining and promoting them based on their abilities, knowledge, and skills.

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mission conflict

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A bureaucratic pathology in which the roles of different agencies within the bureaucracy interfere with one another.

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mission duplication

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A bureaucratic pathology in which the roles of different agencies within the bureaucracy are the same, or overlap.

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monopolistic model

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A bureaucratic model that compares bureaucracies to monopolistic businesses. Without competition, the bureaucracy results in inefficiency and higher costs. And since there's no penalty for its inefficiency, the bureaucracy has no incentive to reduce its costs or use its resources more efficiently.

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National Partnership for Reinventing Government

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A plan for bureaucratic reform launched under President Clinton and headed by Vice President Al Gore. It's commonly known as "the plan to reinvent government."

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Office of Personnel Management

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The federal agency that administers civil service employment.

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Omnibus Crime Bill (1997)

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A bill with what appeared to be a wide-ranging ban on assault weapons that, under close inspection, was ineffective due to numerous loopholes.

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outer Cabinet

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The outer Cabinet refers to Cabinet departments that are less important to the day-to-day functioning of the government and were created to look after the needs of various constituencies. It includes the Departments of Agriculture, Labor, and Veteran's Affairs.

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patronage system

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See Also: spoils system; A system in which elected officials make appointments to office or to confer contracts or other special favors based on party affiliation.

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Pendleton Act (Civil Service Reform Act)

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A law that made national government employment dependent on open, competitive exams. Passed in 1883, the Pendleton Act brought the patronage, or spoils, system developed by Andrew Jackson to an end. The Pendleton Act was passed as a direct result of the assassination of President James Garfield at the hands of someone who had wanted but had not received a government job. The act created the Civil Service Commission to handle the national government's personnel. Though it originally applied to only ten percent of national government employees, it has been expanded so that now more than ninety percent of government positions are included.

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political appointments

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See also: patronage, spoils system; Presidential granting of federal jobs to reward friends and supporters.

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reinventing government

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A bureaucratic reform effort instituted by President Clinton and headed by Vice President Gore. It's driven by four guiding principles: 1) increase customer satisfaction, 2) institute less centralized management, 3) empower front-line employees, and 4) cut government services back to basics.

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Senior Executive Service

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An elite group of governmental mangers outside the regular merit system, established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.

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specialization

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