Unit 2 – Chapter 7 The Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials

Activities undertaken to establish whether a process or procedure is carried out in conformance with relevant external requirements, whether set through legislation, regulations, or directions

A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

The loose and informal relationships that exist among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas

Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support

A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.

hiring people into government jobs on the basis of their qualifications

Money granted by Congress or to a state legislature for a specific purpose

heads of cabinet departments and chief advisers to the president on the issues under their jurisdiction

Major administrative units with responsibility for a broad area of government operations. Departmental status usually indicates a permanent national interest in a particular governmental function, such as defense, commerce, or agriculture.

largest department

Person who is in charge of all agency activity, bookings, go-sees, composite production; basically your agent

agencies in the executive branch of the federal government formed by Congress to help enforce laws and regulations not covered by the executive departments

A regulatory agency run by a small group of commissioners independent of political control

Passed in 1883, an Act that created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.

altered how a bureaucrat is dismissed, limited preferences for veterans in hopes of balancing the genders in federal employment, and put upper-level appointments back into the president's hands

The office in charge of hiring for most agencies of the federal government, using elaborate rules in the process.

A 1993 effort, led by Vice President Al Gore, to make the bureaucracy work better and cost less.

The extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws.

1946 Act requiring bureaucratic agencies to appeal to the affected parties before adopting new policies. Legislative check on Bureaucracy.

standing committee is most powerful; state executive committees are evenly divided between men and women, hear agency directors

amount on programs

the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally by Internet Service Providers.

The authority of Congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power

1983, the Supreme Court case that ruled legislative vetoes were unconstitutional, but Congress continues to enact laws containing them.

Gives all citizens the right to inspect all records of federal agencies except those containing military, intelligence, or trade secrets; increases accountability of bureaucracy

adopted in 1977, this act requires that most government meetings be conducted in public and that notice of such meetings must be posted advance

A law passed in 1989 which created an Office of Special Counsel to investigate complaints from bureaucrats claiming they were punished after reporting to Congress about waste, fraud, or abuse in their agencies.

Appellate courts empowered to review all final decisions of district courts, except in rare cases. In addition, they also hear appeals to orders of many federal regulatory agencies.

the principle enunciated by the Supreme Court that courts must defer to agency interpretations of their own laws

The general rule that federal courts should defer to agency rules that are based on reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes

due process when fines or laws are deemed unconstitutional