ETS 154 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Federal Register, Spoils System
17 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Spoils system: system in which gov"t jobs were given as political favors. Universalistic politics: gov"t run according to transparent rules, impartially applied. Pendleton civil services act: law shifted american govt toward merit-based public service. Bureaucratic pathologies: problems that tend to develop in bureaucratic systems. Ideal bureaucracy has 5 characteristics: hierarchy, division of labor, fixed routines, equal rules for all, and technical expertise. Rely on specialized expertise and information, pose dilemma for democratic governance. Proposed rule: draft of administrative regulations published in federal register for purpose of gathering comments from interested parties. Final rule: rule that specifies how a program will actually operate. Once a law is passed or executive order is signed, program goes to bureaucracy to be put in effect. Lawyers and lobbyists interact with the bureaucracy, engaged experts far from political limelight. Top bureaucratic officials take part in every step, from proposing legislation to putting it into effect.
