Question

(American Government)

What do you see as the biggest issue with bureaucracy, in its current form? What do you think would be more helpful in solving this problem? More political patronage or more focus on merit? Why?

Answer 1

A bureaucracy is a broad organization made up of appointed officials who divide authority among many managers. Bureaucracy is an apparent characteristic of all industrial societies but in three respects American bureaucratic bureaucracy is distinctive. Firstly, a variety of institutions share legislative control over the bureaucracy. Second, most of the federal agencies share their responsibilities with state and local government entities. Finally, the adversarial nature of America means that bureaucrats' acts are always contested in court.

Red tape is the presence of complicated rules and processes that have to be followed in order to accomplish something. Every large company must have a way to ensure that one aspect of the company does not work with another out of step.
Conflict occurs when certain agencies collaborate with other agencies for cross-purposes. The Service for Agricultural Research advises farmers how to grow crops more effectively, while the Service for Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation pays farmers to grow less crops. Since Congress has 535 members and no clear leadership, it's no surprise that it passes laws supporting conflicting or even contradictory goals.

Duplication happens when two government departments try to do the same thing, such as when both the Customs Service and the Law Enforcement Administration seek to seize illicit drugs illegally.
Imperialism refers to the agencies' propensity to expand, irrespective of the advantages that their programs offer or the costs that they entail. Since government agencies follow vague targets and have vague Congressional orders, it's no wonder they always take the broadest view of their powers. If they don't, community groups and judges will be able to prod them.

It is likely that the process by which governments appoint bureaucratic officials would be closely correlated with state bureaucracy efficiency. Recruitment based on qualifications will produce more successful officials than other selection methods. Yet in comparative politics the option of selection process was subject to insufficient theoretical scrutiny. Patronage is costly insofar as eligible candidates can be disqualified from office if these candidates lack the resources to obtain a post. Hence, patronage is less likely to be practiced when highly qualified applicants are omitted