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administrative discretion
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Authority given by Congress to the Federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgment in implementing the laws.
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bureaucratic discretion
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the power to decide how a law is implemented and to decide what Congress meant when it passed a law
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Bureaucracy
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a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
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Cabinet Departments
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the 15 largest and most influential agencies of the federal bureaucracy
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capture
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The situation that occurs when a governmental regulatory agency ends up being controlled by the industry that it is supposed to be regulating.
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Civil Service Commission
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created by Pendleton Act to oversee examinations for potential government employees
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Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
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An act that established the principle of employment on the basis of merit and created the Civil Service Commission to administer the personal service.
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command-and-control policy
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regulatory strategy where government sets a requirement and then enforces individual and corporate actions to be consistent with meeting the requirement.
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competitive service
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the government offices to which people are appointed on the basis of merit, as ascertained by a written exam or by applying certain selection criteria
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Delegated Authority
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power to make decisions enjoyed by an agency or department that was approved by Congress
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discretionary authority
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The ability of a bureaucracy to choose courses of action and make policies not spelled out in advance by laws.
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Deregulation
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A policy promoting cutbacks in the amount of Federal regulation in specific areas of economic activity.
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Executive Orders
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Formal orders issued by the president to direct action by the federal bureaucracy.
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Freedom of Information Act (1966)
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The Act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure procedures and grants nine exemptions to the statute
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General Schedule Rating
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a schedule for federal employees by which salaries can be keyed to rating and experience
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government corporation
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A government agency that operates like a business corporation, created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.
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Government in the Sunshine Act
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A federal act that opens most federal administrative agency meetings to the public.
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Hatch Act (1939)
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Permitted government employees to vote in government elections but forbade them from participating in partisan politics
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INS v. Chadha (1983)
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U.S. Supreme Court case striking down the legislative veto on account of its violation of the separation of powers.
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incentive system
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An alternative to command-and-control, with marketlike strategies such as rewards used to manage public policy.
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Independent Executive Agencies
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agencies headed by a single administrator with regional subunits, but lacking Cabinet status
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Independent Regulatory Agencies
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Agencies with quasi-judicial responsibilities that are meant to be carried out in a manner free of presidential interference
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Iron Triangles
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the relatively ironclad relationships and patterns of interaction that occur among agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees
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issue network
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webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates
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Merit Principle
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The idea that hiring should be based on entrance exams and promotion ratings to produce administration by people with talent and skill.
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Office of Personal Management (OPM)
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The office in charge of hiring for most agencies of the federal government, using elaborate rules in the process.
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Patronage
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Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
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Pendleton Civil Service Act
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Passed in 1883, an Act that created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.
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policy implementation
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Carrying out a policy through government agencies and courts
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Privatization
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To change from government or public ownership or control to private ownership or control.
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red tape
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complex rules and procedures required by bureaucratic agencies
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regulation
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the use of governmental authority to control or change some practice in the private sector
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Senior Executive Service
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An elite cadre of about 9,000 federal government managers at the top of the civil service system.
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Spoils System
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A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.
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Sunset Legislation
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Statutes that provide for revocation of laws if not reviewed and renewed within a specified time period.
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Whistleblower Protection Act (1989)
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Protects federal workers who report or disclose evidence of illegal or improper government action
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rule making
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a quasi-legislative process resulting in regulations that have the characteristics of a legislative act
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street-level bureaucrats
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A phrase referring to those bureaucrats who are in constant contact with the public and have considerable administrative discretion.
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standard operating procedures
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Better known as SOPs, these procedures are used by bureaucrats to bring uniformity to complex organizations.