William_T._Bianco,_David_T._Canon]_American_Polit

The modern federal bureaucracy 469

George W. Bush, including education policies that increased federal control over local

school districts, new drug financing benefits for seniors, and changes to financial

regulations that increased financial reporting requirements for corporations.

After two years in office, the Trump administration has had little success in cutting

overall federal spending or in reducing the size of specific agencies. For example, the

administration initially proposed a one-third cut in the budget of the State Department

for fiscal year 2018, only to ultimately accept a congressional budget that kept spending

levels constant.

“Why

Should

I Care?”

Though sometimes their rhetoric seems to tell a different story, the difference

between Republicans’ and Democrats’ philosophies about the bureaucracy is not

over the size of the federal government but over what government should do.

While Republicans often argue for making government smaller and Democrats

respond by highlighting the consequences of even a small cut in services, the truth

is that most people on both sides accept the fact that a large federal government

is here to stay. Knowing how the federal bureaucracy has grown, as well as evaluating

whether this growth has caused problems or created benefits, is central to building

your own ideas about what government should do.

The Modern Federal Bureaucracy

The size and scope of the modern federal bureaucracy reflect the expansion of the

federal government over the last half century and its increased role in the lives of

everyday Americans. The structure of the bureaucracy also reflects ongoing attempts

by presidents, members of Congress, and others to control bureaucratic actions in line

with their policy goals.

The Structure of the Federal Government

Nuts & Bolts 13.1 shows the structure of the executive branch of the federal

government. As discussed in Chapter 12, the Executive Office of the President (EOP)

contains organizations that support the president and implement presidential

policy initiatives. Individuals working in these organizations aim to ensure that

bureaucrats (agents) act appropriately to implement the president’s (principal’s)

policy priorities and preferences.^33 Among its many offices, the EOP contains the

Office of Management and Budget, which prepares the president’s annual budget

proposal to Congress and monitors government spending and the development

of new regulations. Below the EOP are the 15 executive departments, from the

Department of Agriculture to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which constitute

the major divisions within the executive branch. The heads of these 15 organizations

make up the president’s Cabinet.

DESCRIBE THE SIZE AND

STRUCTURE OF THE

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

T O DAY

Office of Management and

Budget

An office within the EOP that

is responsible for creating the

president’s annual budget proposal to

Congress, reviewing proposed rules,

and performing other budget-related

tasks.

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