Politics and The Bureaucracy Policymaking in the Fourth Branch of Government

by Meier, Kenneth J.

• ISBN13: 9780155055230
• ISBN10: 0155055232
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-08-12
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

This best-selling textbook is unique because of its focus on the political side of bureaucracy. Designed to present bureaucracy as a political institution, this book provides coverage of the controls on bureaucracy and how bureaucracy makes policy.

Table of Contents

Bureaucracy and Politics	1	(14)
Bureaucracy: A Favorite Target	3	(1)
Criticism and Rhetoric	4	(3)
Efficiency: An Untested Hypothesis	4	(1)
Is Efficiency a Goal?	5	(2)
Administrative Power as Political Power	7	(6)
Case 1: Federal Housing	8	(2)
Case 2: The Cuban Missile Crisis	10	(1)
Case 3: The National Health Service Corps	11	(1)
Case 4: The Federal Trade Commission	11	(2)
Administrative Power: A Difficult Term	13	(1)
Summary	14	(1)
The Structure of American Bureaucracy	15	(23)
The Organization of the Federal Government	15	(11)
Departments	17	(5)
Independent Agencies	22	(1)
The Government Corporation	23	(1)
The Advisory Committee	24	(1)
Minor Boards, Committees, and Commissions	24	(1)
The Political Bureaus of the President and Congress	25	(1)
The Size of the Bureaucracy	26	(2)
Budgetary Growth	28	(1)
The Federal Personnel System	29	(6)
The Career Civil Service	30	(2)
The Senior Executive Service	32	(1)
The Separate Merit Systems	32	(1)
The Excepted Service	33	(1)
The Executive Schedule	34	(1)
Dismissals	35	(1)
State and Local Bureaucracies	36	(1)
Summary	37	(1)
Bureaucratic Power and Its Causes	38	(31)
A Framework for the Study of Bureaus	38	(2)
Why Bureaucracy Is a Policymaking Institution	40	(8)
The Nature of American Politics	41	(2)
The Organization of Government	43	(2)
Task Demands	45	(2)
The Nature of Bureaucracy's Function	47	(1)
Sources of Bureau Power	48	(19)
External Sources of Bureaucratic Power: Political Support	49	(9)
Internal Sources of Bureau Power	58	(9)
Summary	67	(2)
Bureaucracy and Public Policy	69	(34)
Regulatory Policy	70	(11)
The Scope of Regulatory Policy	71	(1)
Regulatory Bureau Policymaking	72	(4)
The Structure of Regulatory Agencies	76	(2)
The Environment of Regulatory Agencies	78	(3)
Redistributive Policy	81	(7)
The Scope of Redistributive Policy	81	(2)
The Structure of Redistributive Bureaus	83	(1)
Redistributive Bureau Policymaking	84	(2)
The Environment of Redistributive Agencies	86	(2)
Distributive Policy	88	(8)
The Scope of Distributive Policy	88	(3)
The Structure of Distributive Bureaus	91	(1)
Distributive Bureau Policymaking	92	(2)
The Environment of Distributive Agencies	94	(2)
Constituent Policy	96	(6)
The Scope of Constituent Policy	96	(1)
The Structure of Constituent Policy	97	(1)
Constituent Bureau Policymaking	97	(3)
The Environment of Constituent Policy Bureaus	100	(2)
Summary	102	(1)
Bureaucracy and the Public's Expectations	103	(20)
Two Standards for Bureaucracy	103	(2)
Responsiveness I: Political Institutions, the Public, Law	105	(3)
Responsiveness II: Flexibility	108	(2)
Responsiveness III: Ethics	110	(2)
Responsiveness IV: Fair and Impartial	112	(1)
Competence I: Effectiveness	113	(2)
Competence II: Timeliness	115	(1)
Competence III: Efficiency	116	(1)
Competence IV: Reliability	117	(1)
Whose Fault Is It? The Problem of Political Executives	118	(2)
Summary	120	(3)
Controlling the Bureaucracy: External Checks by Political Institutions	123	(42)
Overhead Democracy	123	(1)
Legislative Controls on Bureaucratic Power	124	(14)
Legislation	125	(3)
Budgeting	128	(3)
Legislative Veto and Consultations	131	(2)
Oversight	133	(3)
Informal Contacts	136	(1)
Congressional Controls: Summary	137	(1)
Judical Controls on Bureaucratic Power	138	(5)
Court Impact	138	(2)
Limits on Courts	140	(3)
Presidential Controls on Bureaucratic Power	143	(12)
Organizational Powers	144	(5)
Budget Powers	149	(2)
The Powers of Commander-in-Chief	151	(1)
Leadership	152	(1)
Restraints on Presidential Controls	153	(2)
Federalism as a Check on Bureaucracy	155	(5)
State Agencies as a Check on Federal Agencies	155	(3)
Federal Checks on State Bureaucracies	158	(1)
Federalism as a Check	159	(1)
The Ombudsman	160	(2)
Direct Democractic Control: Noncompliance	162	(1)
Summary	163	(2)
Controlling Bureaucracy: Ethics and Participation	165	(30)
The Administrative Platonist	165	(6)
The Fellowship of Science	171	(2)
The New Public Administration	173	(4)
Representative Bureaucracy	177	(5)
Participative Administration	182	(8)
Individual---Group Linkage	183	(3)
Group-Administrative Elite Linkage	186	(4)
Public Choice	190	(3)
Summary	193	(2)
Reforming the Bureaucracy	195	(52)
How Much Control Is Needed?	196	(1)
The Performance of American Bureaucracy	197	(2)
Redundancy: The Impact of Duplication	199	(1)
Strengthening Political Institutions	200	(6)
The President	201	(2)
Congress	203	(1)
The Courts	204	(1)
Interest Groups	205	(1)
Creating a Better Merit System	206	(4)
Reform Entrance Procedures and Educational Training	207	(2)
Raise the Prestige of the Civil Service	209	(1)
Increased Executive Mobility	210	(1)
Awakening the American People	210	(3)
Increase Public Awareness of Politics and Participation	211	(1)
Increase Public Awareness of Bureau Policymaking	211	(1)
Eliminate the Stereotypes of Bureaucracy	212	(1)
End Passive Acceptance of Delay	212	(1)
Lower People's Expectations of Government	212	(1)
A Hobson's Choice	213	(2)
Bibliography	215	(32)
Index	247