Describe bureaucracy and its defining characteristics according to Max Weber.
What will be an ideal response?
Bureaucracy is the organizations and sub-organizations within the executive branch of American government that are tasked with putting the laws of the nation into effect. There are several theories of bureaucracy, but the classic theory is that of Max Weber, a German sociologist who saw bureaucracies as having four important characteristics. First is the division of labor within the organization, which is achieved through a set of rules known as standard operating procedures. Second is the classic top-down hierarchical structure in which a system of supervisors and supervisees is clearly outlined and demonstrated, with each worker reporting directly to one supervisor. Third are the individual jobs within the organization, which are described as specialized workers. Last is a set of impersonal relationships that exist to separate political and personal relationships from those of the work force. While competing theories of bureaucracy exist that focus on the output of the bureaucracy or on the people who make up the bureaucracy, all of these theories focus around well-structured systems of work in an almost mechanical and systematic process in order to economically and efficiently produce goods and services necessary for the public good.
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a. Fast b. Complex c. Simple d. Impossible
The number of delegates attending a party convention is determined by
a. a panel of state governors. b. the party itself. c. the House of Representatives. d. the number of members of Congress a state has. e. the Supreme Court.
Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding trade policy?
cb. Current U.S. trade policy leans more toward free trade than protectionism. c. Labor supports protectionist trade policies. d. Alexander Hamilton was a strong proponent of protectionist trade policies. e. The World Trade Organization (WTO) supports free-trade policies.
Regarding the role of women in contemporary politics, which statement is false?
a. Female candidates spend less money than do male candidates. b. Women are not as likely as men to want to go into politics. c. Women are the most underrepresented group in Congress and the state legislatures. d. Representation of women in the state legislatures is at an all-time high. e. A majority of Americans agree that the United States is ready for a female president.