Public Bureaucracies in the American Political Order
We all know that
Congress makes policy through laws and the president makes
policy through executive orders and proclamations. The ways in
which bureaucracies make policy, though, are more obscure and
less commonly discussed. This course deals with the role of
federal agencies and bureaucracies in the policymaking
process. This course will focus on:
Organizational design, culture and decision-making in
bureaucracies generally
The ways bureaucracies make
policy
The ability of Congress, the president, the
courts, and interest groups to influence bureaucratic
decisions
The role of information and expertise in
bureaucracies' ability to influence Congress, the president,
and the courts
The first part of the course will cover the mechanisms of
bureaucratic policymaking and rulemaking as well as methods
for assessing that process. The second part of the course will
cover the politics of bureaucratic interactions with Congress,
the president, the courts, and interest groups.