247

Faceless bureaucrats—this image provokes a negative reac-

tion from many, if not most, Americans. Polls consistently report that the majority of

Americans support “less government.” The same polls, however, report that the majority

of Americans support almost every specific program that the government undertakes.

The conflict between the desire for small government and the desire for the benefits that

only a large government can provide has been a constant feature of American politics.

For example, the goal of preserving endangered species has widespread support. At the

same time, many people believe that restrictions imposed under the Endangered Species

Act violate the rights of landowners. Helping the elderly pay their medical bills is a popular

objective, but hardly anyone enjoys paying the Medicare tax that supports this effort.

11

Learning OutcOmes

The five Learning Outcomes (LOs) below are designed to help improve your

understanding of this chapter. After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

◾   LO1 Discuss the nature of the federal bureaucracy, and

identify the largest federal spending programs.

◾   LO2 Describe the various types of agencies and

organizations that make up the federal executive branch.

◾   LO3 Explain how government employees are hired and

how they are administered.

Every year, Americans

file 140 million copies

of Form 1040, the

individual income

tax return. In your

experience or the

experience of your

family, is the 1040

difficult to fill out?

The Bureaucracy (www.shutterstock.com)

◾   LO4 Evaluate different methods that have been put into

place to reform bureaucracies and make them more efficient.

◾   LO5 Discuss how federal agencies make rules and what

the role of Congress is in this process.

Check your understanding of the material with the Test Yourself section at

the end of the chapter.

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