These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute. !!! Lecture 18 The Bureaucracy and interest groups Methods!of!Control:!Oversight!• Congressional!oversight!of!the!Bureaus!o Operates!through!the!committee!/!subcommittee!system!!o The!concept!of!Legislative!Turf!§ Committees!have!specialized!policy!focus!§ Annual!hearings!of!department!leaders!before!the!committee!§ Authority!over!department’s!working!budgets!• The!Budget!as!Leverage!o Budget!expansion!is!a!primary!goal!of!bureaucrats!o Committees!/!Subcommittees!!§ Can!reward!by!recommending!expanded!budget!allocation!§ Can!penalize!by!recommending!decreased!budget!allocation!o House!Appropriations!Committee!§ The!key!principal!within!the!oversight!process!§ Control!over!the!annual!budget!! Oversight:!typologies!• Police!Patrol!Oversight!o Legislators!are!attentive!and!actively!monitor!agencies!o SubGcommittees!review!the!actions!of!agencies!o An!aggressive!stance!to!stop!problems!before!they!emerge!• Police!Patrol!Oversight!–!Problems!o Requires!a!lot!of!effort!from!the!legislator!!!o High!cost!of!information!§ Have!to!gather!outside!information!on!agency!performance!§ Interest!groups!can!provide!this!information!• But,!it!is!time!consuming!to!determine!who!is!accurate!!!!!!!!!!POLS!1113!!! !• Groups!conflict!in!the!evaluations!o Goal!conflict!§ Aggressive!oversight!would!affect!reelection!goal!• Fire!Alarm!Oversight!o Active!oversight!is!demanding!and!conflicts!with!reelection!goal!o Congress!often!waits!for!problems!to!emerge!o Then!in!the!aftermath!investigate!the!failures!§ Committee!will!hold!special!hearings!and!investigate!§ Agency!leaders!will!offer!testimony!§ Legislators!affix!blame!for!the!problem!• Fire!Alarm!Oversight!–!Problems!/!Advantages!o Failure!is!already!public!and!cannot!be!prevented!o These!investigations!can!have!electoral!benefits!!§ They!garner!press!coverage!and!name!recognition!• Shootings!in!Aurora!CO!&!Newtown!CT!!• BP!Deepwater!Horizon!Spill!• 2008!Global!Financial!Crisis!• Katrina!Crisis!• Failure!to!find!WMD!in!Iraq!• Failure!to!prevent!the!9/11!Attacks!§ Members!of!Congress!appear!“active”!before!the!public!• Even!though!they!have!been!lacking!in!their!oversight! Interest!Groups!influence!• Political!interest!group!participation!o The!problems!of!factions!(Federalist!#10!&!#51)!! !o Public!Interest!Groups!§ Can!educate!people!and!increase!public!awareness!§ e.g.,!Red!Cross,!Humane!Society,!American!Heart!Association,!etc.!o Private!Interest!Groups!(aka!Economic!Interest!Groups)!§ Economic!entities!and!trade!groups!that!lobby!the!government!§ Seek!legislation!and!regulations!with!narrowly!tailored!loopholes!• Governmental!spending!on!products!and!services!• Tax!code!credits!and!incentives!• Governmental!subsidies!for!commodities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!