AP Gov Bureaucracy vocab – Flashcards

an organization characterized by hierarchal structure, worker specialization, explicit rules, and advancement by merit

the principle that bureaucracy should be depoliticized by making it more professional

the 19th century practice of rewarding political supporters with public office

system in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors

nonmilitary employees of the government who are appointed through the merit system

1883 civil service reform that required the hiring and promoting of civil servants to be based on merit, not patronage

1939 law limiting the political involvement of civil servants in order to protect them from political pressure and keep politics out of the bureaucracy

the principle that bureaucratic employees should be answerable for their performance to supervisors, all the way up to the chain of command

the complex procedures and regulations surrounding bureaucratic activity

groups of citizens whose interests are affected by an agency or department and who work to influence its policies

one of the major subdivisions of the federal government, represented in the president’s cabinet

government organizations independent of the departments but with a narrower policy focus

government organizations that regulate various businesses, industries, or economic sectors

limitations or restrictions on the activities of a business or individual

companies created by Congress to provide to the public a good or service that private enterprise cannot or will not profitably provide

bureaucrats’ use of their own judgement in interpreting and carrying out the laws of Congress

publication containing all federal regulations and notifications of regulatory agency hearings

the accepted values and procedures of an organization

the often unintelligible language used by bureaucrats to avoid controversy and lend weight to their words

individuals who publicize instances of fraud, corruption, or other wrongdoing in the bureaucracy

process whereby regulatory agencies come to be protective of and influenced by the industries they were established to regulate

the phenomenon of a clientele group, congressional committee, and bureaucratic agencies cooperating to make mutually beneficial policy

complex systems of relationships between groups that influence policy, including elected leaders, interest groups, specialists, consultants, and research institutes

a citizen group that considers the policy decisions of an agency; a way to make the bureaucratic policymaking to the public

1966 law that allows citizens to obtain copies of most public records

a law that gives citizens access to the government’s files on them