The Five Characteristics Of The Federal Bureaucracy

The federal bureaucracy, or civil service, which exists within the executive branch of the federal government, is responsible for implementing laws and government policy. Additionally, the bureaucracy manages the various programs established by the government. According to the text, “We the People”, “The bureaucracy is what makes government run” (400). Issues such as economics, war, and morality, and an overall need for a more effective government, spearheaded the establishment of a bureaucracy in our country. In order to perform the required civil services to the nation, the bureaucracy is organized by five characteristics: hierarchy, division of labor, fixed routines, equal rules for all, and technical qualifications. Though, these characteristics are superb in theory, they do not always materialize into perfect harmony or efficiency within the government. To assist with the organization of the ideal model of bureaucracy, the presidential administration designates secretaries of the various cabinet departments, currently there are 15 – such as state, treasury, defense, labor, and education - to name a few.
Similar to news agencies, society relies on regulatory commissions to be government and business watchdogs. For example, the Food and Drug Administration is a regulatory agency responsible for administering federal food purity laws and drug testing and safety, the Environmental Protection Agency establishes and enforces pollution standards to protect our environment, and the Federal Trade Commission which is responsible for monitoring business practices to ensure fairness to consumers. These are just a few of the well know regulatory agencies which are also established based on the needs of