Course: What Are Some of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Federal Bureaucracy?

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- What Are Some of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Federal Bureaucracy?
  This course examines the role of the federal bureaucracy in the political system. Issues explored include an examination of public understanding of and opinion about the federal bureaucracy, the federal workforce and contracting for government goods and services, the size of the federal government, the role and qualifications of political appointees, protections of civil service employees, the existence of a “Deep State,” the obligations of members of the executive branch to the president, the “take care” clause in the Constitution, “Iron Triangles” and how they work, the relationship between the federal bureaucracy and other branches of government, effective executive implementation of laws passed by Congress, public opinion and support for the federal bureaucracy, and the aging of the federal workforce.
  - Introduction
  - Video (3:28) Page
  - Section 1: What Is a Bureaucracy?
  - Video (5:40) Page
  - Review Questions (S1) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Question 4 Forum
  - Question 5 Forum
  - Section 2: Are Laws Made by the Bureaucracy?
  - Video (4:05) Page
  - Review Questions (S2) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Question 4 Forum
  - Section 3: How Can the Public Play a Role in Rulemaking by the Federal Bureaucracy?
  - Video (5:51) Page
  - Review Questions (S3) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Section 4: Does the Federal Bureaucracy Contribute to Political Stability?
  - Video (4:26) Page
  - Review Questions (S4) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Question 4 Forum
  - Section 5: What Proportion of the Bureaucracy are Civil Servants versus Political Appointees?
  - Video (7:51) Page
  - Review Questions (S5) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Section 6: What Is the History of the Growth in Numbers of Political Appointees?
  - Video (7:32) Page
  - Review Questions (S6) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Section 7: Does a “Deep State” Exist within the Federal Government?
  - Video (3:15) Page
  - Review Questions (S7) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Section 8: What Obligations Do Members of the Executive Branch Have When They Disagree with the President?
  - Video (2:22) Page
  - Review Questions (S8) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Question 4 Forum
  - Section 9: What Obligations Does the “Take Care” Clause Place upon the Executive Branch?
  - Video (5:32) Page
  - Review Questions (S9) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Section 10: What Is an “Iron Triangle” and How Do They Work?
  - Video (7:49) Page
  - Review Questions (S10) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Section 11: How Do Bureaucracies in Other Democracies Compare with Those in the United States?
  - Video (7:02) Page
  - Review Questions (S11) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Section 12: Are There Common Issues between the Federal Bureaucracy and Other Branches of Government?
  - Video (3:44) Page
  - Review Questions (S12) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Section 13: What Solutions Have Been Proposed to Improve the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Governmental Agencies?
  - Video (2:45) Page
  - Review Questions (S13) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum
  - Section 14: What Means Have Been Used to Inhibit the Creation and Faithful Execution of the Laws?
  - Video (3:27) Page
  - Review Questions (S14) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Section 15: Why Does the Federal Bureaucracy Have Such a Bad Reputation?
  - Video (6:15) Page
  - Review Questions (S15) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Section 16: What Problems Are Caused by the Aging of the Federal Workforce?
  - Video (9:59) Page
  - Review Questions (S16) Quiz
  - Discussion and research questions
  - Question 1 Forum
  - Question 2 Forum
  - Question 3 Forum

What Are Some of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Federal Bureaucracy?

Introduction

Section 1: What Is a Bureaucracy?

Section 2: Are Laws Made by the Bureaucracy?

Section 3: How Can the Public Play a Role in Rulemaking by the Federal Bureaucracy?

Section 4: Does the Federal Bureaucracy Contribute to Political Stability?

Section 5: What Proportion of the Bureaucracy are Civil Servants versus Political Appointees?

Section 6: What Is the History of the Growth in Numbers of Political Appointees?

Section 7: Does a “Deep State” Exist within the Federal Government?

Section 8: What Obligations Do Members of the Executive Branch Have When They Disagree with the President?

Section 9: What Obligations Does the “Take Care” Clause Place upon the Executive Branch?

Section 10: What Is an “Iron Triangle” and How Do They Work?

Section 11: How Do Bureaucracies in Other Democracies Compare with Those in the United States?

Section 12: Are There Common Issues between the Federal Bureaucracy and Other Branches of Government?

Section 13: What Solutions Have Been Proposed to Improve the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Governmental Agencies?

Section 14: What Means Have Been Used to Inhibit the Creation and Faithful Execution of the Laws?

Section 15: Why Does the Federal Bureaucracy Have Such a Bad Reputation?

Section 16: What Problems Are Caused by the Aging of the Federal Workforce?