• What are the major elements of the federal bureaucracy?
• How are groups within the federal
bureaucracy named?
• What is the difference between a staff
agency and a line agency?
Three features distinguish bureaucracies:
• Hierarchical authority. Bureaucracies are based on a
pyramid structure with a chain of command running
from top to bottom.
• Job specialization. Each bureaucrat, or person who
works for the organization, has certain defined duties
and responsibilities.
• Formalized rules. The bureaucracy does its work
according to a set of established regulations and procedures.
Major Elements of the Federal Bureaucracy
The federal bureaucracy is all of the agencies,
people, and procedures through which the
Federal Government operates.
• The President is the chief administrator of the Federal
Government.
• In order to enact and enforce policy, Congress and the
President have created an administration—the
government’s many administrators and agencies.
• The chief organizational feature of the federal
bureaucracy is its division into areas of specialization.
The Name Game
• The name department is reserved for
agencies of the Cabinet rank.
• Outside of department, there is little
standardization of names throughout
the agencies.
•Common titles include agency,
administration, commission,
corporation, and authority.
Staff Agencies
• Staff agencies serve in
a support capacity.
• They aid the chief
executive and other
administrators by
offering advice and other
assistance in the
management of the
organization.
Line Agencies
• Line agencies perform
tasks for which the
organization exists.
• Congress and the
President give the line
agencies goals to
accomplish, and staff
agencies help the line
agencies accomplish them.
Video to watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8EQAnKntLs
1. All of the following are characteristics of bureaucracies EXCEPT
(a) hierarchical authority.
(b) formalized rules.
(c) lack of formal organization.
(d) job specialization.
2. Staff agencies are created to
(a) act as congressional watchdogs on executive agencies.
(b) aid other agencies in completing their goals.
(c) serve as a check on the Supreme Court.
(d) fulfill a specific task or function.
Ansewrs: 1=C / 2=B