Chapter 15 Reading Questions-The Bureaucracy

1. What does the term bureaucracy mean? What is meant by the term complex in the definition? What is an example of a bureaucracy? 2. What are the three aspects of our constitutional system that give bureaucracy a distinctive character? 3. What is one of the most important and difficult tasks for Presidents? Why? 4. Describe the role of the bureaucracy from 1861-1901. 5. Describe how that role changed during the 1930s and World War II. 6. What could be a third explanation for the changing role of the bureaucracy? 7. What is discretionary authority? How does this affect the power of the bureaucracy? 8. What are the 3 ways that Congress has delegated authority to administrative agencies? 9. What is competitive service? How have the kinds of workers being recruited to federal civil service changed? What is a name-request job? 10. What occurred with the passage of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978? What was created by the act and what did this allow? 11. How do personal attributes shape the way bureaucrats use their power? 12. What is the Whistleblower Act of 1989? 13. What is one of the biggest constraints on bureaucratic action? What are some effects of these constraints? Why are there so many constraints on bureaucracy? 14. What is meant by the term iron triangle? What does political scientist Hugh Heclo argue is really the case? Explain his theory. 15. What are the three forms of influence that Congress uses over the bureaucracy? 16. What is a legislative veto? What happened to this type of veto in 1983? Why? 17. What is the most visible and dramatic form of Congressional supervision? 18. Describe the four issues that accompany red tape: conflict, duplication, imperialism, and waste.

1. What does the term bureaucracy mean? What is meant by the term complex in the definition? What is an example of a bureaucracy? 2. What are the three aspects of our constitutional system that give bureaucracy a distinctive character? 3. What is one of the most important and difficult tasks for Presidents? Why? 4. Describe the role of the bureaucracy from 1861-1901. 5. Describe how that role changed during the 1930s and World War II. 6. What could be a third explanation for the changing role of the bureaucracy? 7. What is discretionary authority? How does this affect the power of the bureaucracy? 8. What are the 3 ways that Congress has delegated authority to administrative agencies? 9. What is competitive service? How have the kinds of workers being recruited to federal civil service changed? What is a name-request job? 10. What occurred with the passage of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978? What was created by the act and what did this allow? 11. How do personal attributes shape the way bureaucrats use their power? 12. What is the Whistleblower Act of 1989? 13. What is one of the biggest constraints on bureaucratic action? What are some effects of these constraints? Why are there so many constraints on bureaucracy? 14. What is meant by the term iron triangle? What does political scientist Hugh Heclo argue is really the case? Explain his theory. 15. What are the three forms of influence that Congress uses over the bureaucracy? 16. What is a legislative veto? What happened to this type of veto in 1983? Why? 17. What is the most visible and dramatic form of Congressional supervision? 18. Describe the four issues that accompany red tape: conflict, duplication, imperialism, and waste.