U.S. Government and Civics / Unit 7: The Presidency and the Federal Bureaucracy
7.5 The Federal Bureaucracy
Notes
The bureaucracy is the set of agencies and millions of civilian employees who carry out federal laws.
- Cabinet departments: the 15 major units (such as Education and Agriculture).
- Independent regulatory commissions make and enforce rules for parts of the economy and are designed to be somewhat independent of the president (Federal Communications Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission).
- Independent executive agencies handle specific tasks (NASA, Environmental Protection Agency).
- Government corporations provide services and charge fees, like businesses (U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak).
- Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883): replaced the spoils system (jobs for supporters) with a merit system based on exams. The Hatch Act (1939) limits political activity by federal employees.
- Discretionary and rulemaking authority: Congress writes broad laws, and agencies write detailed regulations, published in the Federal Register.
- Iron triangle: a lasting relationship among a congressional committee, an agency and an interest group.
Practice
Congress passes a law to reduce air pollution, and the EPA writes detailed limits for factories. This shows:
Agencies use discretion to write regulations that carry out laws.
The U.S. Postal Service charges for its services and runs much like a business. It is a:
Government corporations provide a service and charge fees.
Which law replaced the spoils system with hiring based on merit?
After President Garfield was killed by a disappointed office seeker, Congress passed the Pendleton Act in 1883.
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