Name three key features of America's bureaucracy.
Hierarchical authority, job specialization, and formalized rules.
What year was the Pendleton Act passed?
1883.
What are standard operating procedures (SOPs)?
Clearly defined procedures that bureaucracies operate within.
What is the West Wing?
The center of activity for the White House staff.
Why is the federal bureaucracy sometimes called the "fourth branch" of government?
Because of its size, the skills of bureaucrats, separation of powers, and desire for security.
What is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
An act that gives citizens and the media the right to access and examine previously withheld government files and information.
What is "bureaucratese"?
The vague, sprawling language and jargon used in bureaucratic regulations and documents.
What is the civil service?
The civilian employees of the bureaucracy who carry out the administrative tasks of government.
What did the spoils system involve?
President Andrew Jackson gave government posts to supporters regardless of merit.
How many cabinet departments currently exist?
Fifteen.
What did the Sunshine Act of 1976 require?
That many bureaucratic hearings be made public.
What is statutory law?
Law that has been passed by the legislature and signed by the president.
What does delegation mean?
The act of entrusting a task or power to another person or entity.
What is the role of the White House staff?
To serve the president by communicating his policies to agencies and the public.
What did the Pendleton Act establish?
That merit would be the standard for hiring government officials.
Which cabinet department oversees the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)?
Department of Homeland Security.
What is "red tape" in bureaucracy?
Bureaucratic paperwork.
Name three major achievements of the federal bureaucracy.
The Manhattan Project, the US Postal Service, and the Interstate highway system.
Who advises the president and selects key people for the White House staff?
The chief of staff.
What is administrative law?
Regulations drawn up by government bureaucracy to implement congressional statutes.
What is congressional oversight?
The process by which Congress examines a government department's compliance with the law and scrutinizes its budget requests.
Who appoints cabinet secretaries?
The president, with Senate approval.
How does job specialization benefit bureaucracy?
It encourages efficiency and productivity.
Who successfully argued in 1789 that the president should be able to remove officials from the State Department?
James Madison.
What is bureaucracy?
An administrative system staffed largely by nonelected officials who perform specific tasks in accordance with standard procedures.
What is one benefit of hierarchical authority in bureaucracy?
It limits conflicts concerning who has decision-making authority.
What does the Government Accountability Office (GAO) do?
It audits an agency's finances, monitors its activities, and requests public hearings about its programs.
FREE
FREE
What section of the White House accommodates the First Lady and her staff?
The East Wing.
What is the Executive Office of the President (EOP)?
The first level of bureaucracy beneath the president that assists with policymaking and management.
What are clients in the context of government agencies?
Members of groups whose needs are served by government agencies.