Write brief description of bureaucracy. Then explain two ways in which bureaucracy impacts the rulemaking process and the roles of agency heads. Be specific and use examples to illustrate your explanation.
Bureaucracy is a term often used in government, but not well understood. In fact, most people probably could not define bureaucracy if asked, but might associate it with red tape, inefficiency, and slow-moving outdated processes. In the readings this week, you take a broad look at bureaucracy as an organizational phenomenon defined by strict rules, hierarchies, and subordination, among other things. In doing so, you consider bureaucracy as a framework from which the United States government was created and continues to exist. Then, with this in mind, you examine the impact of bureaucracy on the rulemaking process and the degree to which agency heads have discretionary powers in the creation and execution of law and policy.
- Review the article, "Bureaucracy: Is It Efficient? Is It Not? Is That the Question?: Uncertainty Reduction: An Ignored Element of Bureaucratic Rationality." Pay particular attention to the explanation of bureaucracy as an organizational phenomeno
- Review the article, "Bureaucratic Capacity and Bureaucratic Discretion: Does Congress Tie Policy Authority to Performance?" Consider how bureaucracy affects rulemaking and policies.
- Reflect on the explanation of bureaucracy as an organizational phenomenon. With this in mind, consider how bureaucracy impacts stages of the rulemaking process and the roles of agency heads.