248 PART ThRee • InsTITuTIons oF AmeRIcAn GoveRnmenT
Bureaucracy
A large organization that
is structured hierarchically
to carry out specific
functions.In this chapter, we describe the size, organization, and staffing of the federal bureau-
cracy. We review modern attempts at bureaucratic reform and the process by which
Congress exerts ultimate control over the bureaucracy. We also discuss the bureaucracy’s
role in making rules and setting policy.The nATuRe And scoPe
oF The FedeRAl BuReAucRAcy
Bureaucracy is the name given to an organization that is structured hierarchically to carry
out specific functions. Generally, bureaucracies are characterized by an organization chart.
The units of the organization are divided according to the specialization and expertise of
the employees.Public and Private Bureaucracies
We should not think of bureaucracy as unique to government. Any large corporation or
university can be considered a bureaucratic organization. The fact is that the handling of
complex problems requires a division of labor. Individuals must concentrate their skills on
specific, well-defined aspects of a problem and depend on others to solve the rest of it.
Public or government bureaucracies differ from private organizations in some impor-
tant ways, however. A private corporation has a single leader—its chief executive officer
(CEO). Public bureaucracies do not have a single leader. Although the president is the chief
administrator of the federal system, all agencies are subject to the dictates of Congress for
their funding, staffing, and, indeed, their continued existence. Public bureaucracies sup-
posedly serve all citizens, while private ones serve private interests.
One other important difference between private corporations and government
bureaucracies is that government bureaucracies are not organized to make a profit.
Rather, they are supposed to perform their functions as efficiently as possible to conserve
taxpayers’ dollars. Perhaps it is this ideal that makes citizens hostile toward government
bureaucracy when they experience inefficiency and red tape.
Every modern president, at one time or another, has proclaimed that his administra-
tion was going to “fix government.” All modern presidents also have put forth plans to
end government waste and inefficiency (see Table 11–1 below). Their success has been, inTABle 11–1: selected Presidential Plans
to end Government Inefficiency
President Plan
Lyndon Johnson (1963–1969) Programming, planning, and budgeting systems
Richard Nixon (1969–1974) Management by Objectives
Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) Zero-Based Budgeting
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) President’s Private Sector Survey on Cost Control
(the Grace Commission)
George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) Right-Sizing Government
Bill Clinton (1993–2001) Reinventing Government
George W. Bush (2001–2009) Performance-Based Budgeting
Barack Obama (2009–) Appointment of a chief performance officerLO1: Discuss the nature of the
federal bureaucracy, and identify
the largest federal spending
programs.
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