Federal Bureaucracy
The departments and agencies within the executive branch that carry out the laws of the nation
National Institutes of Health
A U.S. federal agency that funds and conducts medical research to improve public health and study diseases.
Bureaucrat
A government official who works within a bureaucracy to carry out laws and public policy.
Political Patronage
Filling of administrative positions as a reward for support, rather than merrit
Pendleton Act
An 1883 law that created the civil service system, requiring government jobs to be awarded based on merit instead of political connections.
Federal Civil Service
The merit-based bureaucracy excluding the armed forces and political appointments.
Merit System
A system of hiring and promotion based on competitive testing results, education, and other qualifications rather than politics and personal connections.
Iron Triangle
Coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared goals.
Issue Network
Webs of influence between interest groups policymakers, and policy advocates.
Policy Agenda
The list of issues that government officials and policymakers decide are important enough to address.
Implementation
The bureaucracy's role in putting into action the laws that Congress has passed.
Bureaucratic Discretion
The power to decide how a law is implemented and to decide what Congress meant when it passes a law.
Regulation
Rules made by government agencies to control or direct behavior in industries or society.
Independent Regulatory Commissions
A government agency that makes and enforces rules for a specific industry, operating independently from the president and other executive departments.
Hatch Act
A law that limits federal employees' political activities to keep government work nonpartisan.
Bureaucratic Adjudication
The process where a government agency settles dispute and makes decisions on how rules or regulations apply in specific cases.
Government Accountability Office
A Congressional agency that review and investigates how the federal government spends money.
Congressional Oversight
The power of Congress to monitor and review the executive branch to ensure laws are properly carried out.