Identify and define the characteristics of a bureaucracy. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to making and administering policy through a bureaucracy.
What will be an ideal response?
Bureaucracies are characterized by hierarchy, specialization, explicit rules, and merit. Students should be able to define each of these terms. The advantages of bureaucracy include their tendency to depoliticize government decisions and provide neutral competence. Bureaucracies are uniquely able to organize and perform the kinds of large tasks that constitute much government activity. They bring expertise to bear on problems. Advancement of members by merit rewards good work. Members of bureaucratic agencies demonstrate loyalty to their agency and its mission. The fact that they are governed by strict rules keeps members of the bureaucracy from showing favoritism in their dealings with the public. On the other hand, it is hard to hold bureaucrats responsible for their actions. Rules help in this regard, but rules also create a rigid decision-making process that can have unintended and undesirable consequences. The bureaucratic culture has both positive and negative consequences, which students should describe in their answers.
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