In what ways can the president, Congress, and judiciary keep the bureaucracy accountable to the American people? What are the disadvantages of not being able to control the bureaucracy?

The text asserts that the federal bureaucracy today embodies aspects of all three systems of staffing as outlined in Table 13-2. Summarize from that table the strengths and weakness of each system, drawing conclusions about the effective composition of a bureaucracy for the future.

Identify and discuss the favorable and unfavorable factors to be considered in current-day plans under the concept of reinventing government to reform the federal bureaucracy. How can the bureaucracy be responsive to the public with reductions in its budgets, staff, and organizational units?

Discuss the positive effects of whistle-blowing as a check against bureaucratic power and abuse. Do you think that the bureaucracy can be effectively regulated through government laws alone, or is the threat of whistle-blowers essential to good governance? Is the government doing enough to protect whistle-blowers legally?