Structure of the Bureaucracy - AP Government and Politics

This should have been a relatively simple question. In American Politics, if the position begins with “Secretary,” there’s a fair (nearly certain) chance that the position is a cabinet-level position. That said, the head of the Department of Justice is called the “Attorney General,” yet is still a member of the cabinet. The Vice President, interestingly enough, is also a member of the cabinet. All of these represent top-ranking bureaucrats.

Although this question had the potential to be relatively difficult, it should have been simple, given the answer choices (the odd man out (the CIA) is clearly the correct answer). Remember: there are 15 Cabinet-level agencies (“Departments”): Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Justice. If it’s not one of these listed, it cannot be a Cabinet-level agency (although, don’t forget that the VP is part of the Cabinet).

If you used the context clues provided, this should have been a fairly simple question. The correct answer is “independent executive agency,” which makes sense given that it reports “directly to the president.” Examples of independent executive agencies include: the CIA, and the Selective Service System.

This is a somewhat difficult question. The correct answer is “regulatory agency.” The question itself gives you the specifics of what a regulatory agency is, but purposefully fails to give you actual examples of regulatory agencies (it would be too easy otherwise!). Examples of regulatory agencies include: the FCC, the NLRB, and the Federal Reserve.

This should have been a relatively easy question. The correct answer is “Government Corporation.” Remember: a corporation is a distinct legal entity wholly and completely separate from its owners and operators. This is important mostly due to concepts like limited liability (which are far beyond the scope of your course). Regardless, the government can form corporations, which are the same as any other corporation except for the ownership structure. Examples include: Amtrak and the USPS.

The president is the correct answer. The president sits at the very top of the bureaucratic hierarchy, and wields enormous influence through executive orders and his cabinet. In addition, the president is able to influence the bureaucracy through his appointment powers. That said, Congress can temper the president’s input through confirmation requirement—that is, the Senate must confirm the appointments.

Bureaucracies actually favor employees who are specialists in various fields, so that each individual specializes in and has great aptitude for their assigned topic. Each bureaucratic employee is intended to be an expert in their own realm, with only the best of the best attending to the most crucial tasks. In order to ensure this high standard, the system operates exclusively on the merit principle – hiring and promotion decisions are based on proven accomplishments and assessments, rather than on personal connections or other intangible assets. Another defining feature of the bureaucratic system is impersonal relations with the public, where each matter is attended to with impartiality and fairness, even if members of Congress or a President is involved. This impartiality is enforced by a strict adherence to a lengthy set of rules, which details each and every case that may arise before a bureaucrat. These rules attempt to anticipate any concerns that may come before the bureaucracy and set out laws governing explicit courses of action, all to ensure that no favoritism is shown. Internally, bureaucracies are structured on a fixed hierarchal basis, with each employee confined to their sphere of expertise and power stemming from the topmost authority figures downwards.

When it comes to federal bureaucracies, the Department of Defense employs the highest number of civilians, nearly twenty-five percent of all federal civilian employees in total. This is in addition to the Department of Defense’s military wing, which is comprised of more than one million enlisted men and women. The Postal Service ranks second, with the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security following next in close succession. If surveyed on a statewide basis, contrary to popular belief, Washington, D.C. does not occupy the top position. Rather, California has the highest percentage of federal civilian bureaucrats. This is largely because the government naturally cannot accommodate every single employee within the confines of the District of Columbia; many departments have offices across several states, while others are posted worldwide.

The Federal Reserve Bank was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt as part of the New Deal. It was a central component of Roosevelt's plan to reform the American banking system after the Great Depression.

The Pendleton Act was established in 1883 and issued to ensure that government jobs were awarded on the basis of merit, or qualification, alone rather than based on political ties or personal relationships. It can be seen as part of the public’s general reaction to the assassination of James Garfield by a government employee who acquired his job due to political privilege and not based on merit.

President Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau. Guiteau, who wrote an essay supporting Garfield’s campaign, believed he should be rewarded with a position in Garfield’s government, and when this was not granted he enacted personal revenge. The motivation behind the assassination was one of the main factors that inspired the government to enact into law a bill that stated that government jobs should be awarded on the basis of merit alone, and not as gratitude for political favors. John Wilkes Booth was convicted of Lincoln’s assassination, Leon Czolgosz with the assassination of William McKinley, Lee Harvey Oswald with the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Robert E. Lee was a Confederate general, and war hero, during the American Civil War.

The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 to act as a central organization to regulate the money supply of the United States and to establish moderately long term interest rates. In the years before the Federal Reserve, financial panics were common and extremely detrimental to the growth of the economy; the Panic of 1807 is usually considered the direct tipping point. Over the years, the power of the Federal Reserve has greatly expanded, particularly during the Great Depression Era, to try to prevent economic depression and recession.

The Department of Homeland Security, set up in 2001, is tasked with protecting the American people from terrorist attacks on American soil. It differs from the Department of Defense, which deals with foreign conflicts and dangers to American lives abroad.

The Department of Homeland Security was first proposed at the beginning of 2001 and was then expedited to meet the growing threat of terrorism after 9/11. Thus it was created during the Presidency of George W. Bush. The primary function of the Department of Homeland Security is to protect the citizens of the United States from terrorist attacks on American soil.

The term, "bureaucratic imperialism," is used to describe the belief that government agencies will always and inevitably grow in size and cost. The idea is that government agencies grow, without taking into account whether their growth confers any added benefit.

The national census is conducted by the Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce is also responsible for issuing patents and granting trademarks, along with the research into and promotion of trade.

The Department of Homeland Security was first proposed in the early months of 2001, and it was promptly expedited following the terrorist attacks of September 11th. It was created during the Bush Administration. The Department of Homeland Security, as its name suggests, is tasked with protecting American citizens from terrorist attacks and responding to such attacks, as well as to national disasters.

The Cabinet has been greatly expanded in the years since 1789, but all of these answer choices were original cabinet positions. The Departments of State, Treasury, and Defense were all created in 1789.

The Department of State is responsible for negotiating foreign treaties, as well as advising the President on foreign policy in general.

Federal bureaucrats do not engage in public policy creation, their sole purpose is to implement policy. The bureaucracy implements laws made by the legislature and executive actions, they do not advise the President or the Cabinet, nor compete in the private sector. Congressmen protect and represent the interests of their constituencies.