486- How has the bureaucracy changed since the Reagan Revolution?
a The government stopped passing regulatory policies.
b The size of the federal government shrank.
c The size of the federal government increased.
d The civil service reforms were weakened.
e The civil service reforms were strengthened.
The modern federal
bureaucracy
Describe the size and structure of the executive branch
today. (Pages 469–475)Summary
The modern bureaucracy serves a wide range of functions, but the
division of labor within the bureaucracy does not always have an
obvious logic. Overlapping or confusing jurisdictions can be the result
of elected officials’ attempts to shape the agency behavior by assign-
ing a task to an executive department rather than an independent
agency. The overall size of the bureaucracy reflects the demands of
constituents but also fits the needs of elected officials to improve their
chances of reelection.Key terms
Office of Management and
Budget (p. 469)
independent agencies (p. 470)budget maximizers (p. 472)Practice Quiz Questions
- What is the job of the Office of Management and Budget?
a to prepare the president’s annual budget proposal for Congress
b to prepare a response to the budget passed by Congress
c to prepare annual budget proposals for the states
d to monitor government spending for the Supreme Court
e to monitor government spending for Congress - Independent agencies have freedom from oversight
than executive departments do and be controlled by
the president through his appointees.
a more; cannot
b more; can
c less; cannot
d less; can - The federal budget is growing in size because.
a bureaucrats are budget maximizers
b politicians do not scrutinize budget requests
c government agencies are never eliminated
d the public does not support large-scale budget cuts
e a growing percentage of Americans are going into civil service
The human face of the
bureaucracy
Describe who bureaucrats are and the regulations that
govern their employment. (Pages 475–478)Summary
The regulations within the civil service system were established to
separate politics from policy. Rather than getting and retaining a job
for political reasons, individuals are hired based on merit and are quite
difficult to fire. However, the president makes senior-level appoint-
ments that are not protected by civil service regulations and are more
political in nature. These appointments are instrumental in helping the
president control the bureaucracy.Key term
turkey farms (p. 478)Practice Quiz Questions
- Compared with employees in private business, government
employees are motivated by salary and benefits
than/as by the chance to make a difference.
a more
b just as much
c less - The civil service regulations the flexibility that
managers have in their hiring decisions and the
influence of elected officials.
a decrease; decrease
b increase; increase
c increase; decrease
d decrease; increase
e increase; have no effect on
Controlling the bureaucracy
Explain how Congress and the president oversee the
executive branch. (Pages 479–483)Summary
With their expertise, bureaucrats have the power to significantly influ-
ence government policy. This creates a dilemma for elected officials,
who want to enjoy the benefits of the expertise while retaining control
of the bureaucracy. Lawmakers can generally organize agencies and
monitor their behavior to reduce, but not eliminate, bureaucratic drift.Key terms
bureaucratic drift (p. 479)
oversight (p. 481)
police patrol oversight (p. 481)fire alarm oversight (p. 482)Chapter 13 | The BureaucracyFull_14_APT_64431_ch13_454-487.indd 486 16/11/18 1:45 PM