4/17/08
bureaucracy - most pervasive part of government, touches everything
largely independent from chief executive
iron triangles - bureaucrats who administer, people who fund, and people who benefit
can be viewed as undemocratic since
usually has a negative connotation, actually a neutral term
tons of people are bureaucrats
def of bureaucracy - large complex organization composed of appointed officials
characteristics - no single controller of power
	division of labor
	specialization of tasks
	clear and explicit hierarchal structure
	formal rules and procedures to guide behaviors (std operating procedures)
	selection/promotion is accomplished by merit, not by patronage (what you know, not who you know)

what other things can be bureaucracies?
	schools
	alot of stuff

advantages 
	can organize large complex tasks

criticism
	insensitive/impersonal
	excessive rules and regulations
	often wasteful and inefficient
	often ineffective

lots of growth of B since "the new deal"
government tends to beget more government
some people want to give some of federal government's power back to the states or remove the power altogether

organization of exec branch
departments - headed by single cabinet level secretaries
	treasury
	state
	defense
	agriculture
	commerce
	labor
	HUD - housing and urban development
	health and human servies
	veterans affairs
	homeland security
	education
	independent executive agencies that report directly to pres
	government corporations - engage in some service-like function
	independent regulatory commission - SEC, etc.

functions appear to be limited, but are actually quite extensive (rulemaking)
rulemaking - quasi-legislative process, commercial and other private affairs, process of defining rules/stds that apply to ...activities
adjudication - quasi-judicial process, involves agency determining if individuals have violated existing rules and if so, what penalties, if any
discretionary authority - ability of bureaucrats to choose courses of action and to make policies that aren't spelled out in advance by law
delegations of power not common until the 1930's
pres has some control through agency budget requests
legislative oversight
B is pretty much inevitable
reducing size typically reduced effictiveness
major changes tend to hurt them
hiring bases - started out small, all based on patronage aka spoils system
1883 pendleton act - set up civil service commission