Understanding Bureaucracy and Its Functions

What is the definition of a bureaucracy?

• A government organization that collects taxes

• A complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization employed by all large-scale institutions

• A system designed to make government work slowly

• A collection of elected officials who make laws

Which of the following is a function of federal bureaucrats?​ (a)   ​ ​ (b)   ​ (c)   ​ ​

• Implementing laws that Congress writes
• Making and enforcing their own rules
• Settle disputes with administrative adjudication
• Directly electing government officials

Technically, the federal bureaucracy is part of the __________ branch, but it's so big that it dwarfs the other two branches.

How does the bureaucratic rule-making process allow for the people's participation?

• Citizens can vote for the bureaucrats who run government agencies

• People can sue bureaucracies if they don't like their rules

• Citizens can appeal directly to Congress to change bureaucratic rules they disagree with

• Anyone can read proposed rules, offer comments, and suggest changes during a mandatory notice and comment period

Which of the following are examples of state bureaucracies rather than federal bureaucracies?

Groups:

(a) Federal

,

(b) State

• Department of Defense

• Local police departments

• Social Security Administration

• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

• Local tax collectors

• Public school teachers

• FBI

• DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)

What would Congressmen and their staff have to do if we didn't have bureaucracies?

• Write more detailed laws

• Request that the president enforces the law

• Take on all the oversight and enforcement of their own laws

• Delegate their responsibilities to state governments

Which of the following BEST summarizes the main points of this video about bureaucracy?

• Bureaucracies are inefficient systems that should be replaced with private companies

• The federal bureaucracy is part of the executive branch, but most bureaucrats people interact with are at the state level

• Bureaucratic rule-making is unconstitutional because only Congress should make laws

• Bureaucracies are complex structures that help governments function efficiently and create regulations, at the federal and state level.