Mod 1

1. Define Bureaucracy.
According to our readings this week, Chapter 1 defines bureaucracy as:
  (1) A formal organization arrangement characterized by division of labor, job specialization with no functional overlap, exercise of authority through a vertical hierarchy (chain of command) and a system of internal rules, and record keeping.
  (2) In common usage, the administrative branch of government (national, state or local) in the United States; also, individual administrative agencies of those governments.

  2. What are the five principal administrative structures at the national government level?
Within Chapter 1 and the provided presentation for, the five major types of agencies, four formal bases of organization, and four broad categories of administrative employees are as follows:
  1. Cabinet-Level Executive Departments
  2. Independent regulatory boards and commissions
  3. Government corporations
  4. Executive Office of the President (EOP)
  5. Other independent executive agencies

  3. Describe Politics-administration dichotomy.
If I have understood this week’s reading correctly, Politics-administration dichotomy is the line or relationship between the elected officials and the associated administrators. Woodrow Wilson theorized that administration efforts and politics were in fact completely different and should be treated as such.

  4. Compare and contrast the state vs Federal Bureaucracies.
Not sure where to go with this question. If I had to take a stab at it I would say the comparison between he two would be more on the awareness side. Federally, we would see a higher awareness during times of crisis or high public change such as an election year. On the state side, there is not as high of an awareness as most of these types of bureaucratic activities are not as meaningful to us as they are more of the norm or routine activities.

  5. Analyze why there has been so much growth in Bureaucracy in recent years.
Based...