student Center | information Center | Home

The Presidency

Jeffrey Cohen, Fordham University - Bronx
David Nice, Washington State University - Pullman

The President and the Bureaucracy

End of Chapter Questions


1		What are the major forms of bureaucratic organization in the United States? Which types of bureaucracies are more amenable to presidential influence and which ones less so? Why does Congress sometimes create bureaucracies over which presidential control is limited?



2		How has the federal bureaucracy evolved over time? What does this evolution tell us about the role of the president in our government as well as relations between the president and the bureaucracy?



3		How has recruitment for the bureaucracy changed over time? How do the different styles of recruiting bureaucrats affect presidential ability to control the bureaucracy?



4		How useful is the cabinet for the president? What are the major distinctions across cabinet departments? Why have the number of Cabinet departments increased over time? What do these cabinet-related developments tell us about the changing nature of the executive and the presidency?



5		Compare the administrative and legislative strategies of presidential policy making. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Why would presidents use one over the other? What are the major techniques of the administrative strategy? How effective are they in controlling the bureaucracy and affecting public policy?



6		What are the major sources of conflict and cooperation between the president and bureaucracy? How easily can the president overcome the conflict between himself and the bureaucracy? What is Congress’s role in creating conflict between the president and bureaucracy? How much of the conflict between the president and the bureaucracy is a function of the nature of bureaucracy?



7		How does Congress oversee the bureaucracy? In what sense are congressional oversight and micromanagement of the bureaucracy similar? What are the implications of congressional oversight for presidential control of the bureaucracy? How effective is congressional oversight in increasing congressional influence over the bureaucracy and limiting presidential influence?

2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies.