Charles T. Goodsell - The New Case for Bureaucracy

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The New Case for Bureaucracy

Dedicated to the memory of Charles True Goodsell 18861941

The New Case for Bureaucracy

• Charles T. Goodsell
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

FOR INFORMATION:

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Copyright 2015 by CQ Press, an imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. CQ Press is a registered trademark of Congressional Quarterly Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

Cataloging-in-publication data is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-1-4522-2630-9

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

14 15 16 17 18 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Publisher: Charisse Kiino

Editorial Assistant: Davia Grant

Production Editor: Olivia Weber-Stenis

Copy Editor: Ellen Howard

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Proofreader: Susan Irwin

Cover Designer: Michael Dubowe

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Tables, Boxes, and Figures

Tables

• 1.1
• 1.2
• 1.3
• 1.4
• 2.1
• 2.2
• 2.3
• 2.4
• 2.5
• 2.6
• 2.7
• 3.1
• 3.2
• 3.3
• 3.4
• 3.5
• 3.6
• 3.7
• 4.1
• 4.2
• 5.1

Boxes

• 1.1 Facebook Comments on Obama's Reorganization Plan, January 13, 2012
• 1.2 Facebook Comments on Obama's Budget for Fiscal 2013, February 13, 2012
• 4.1 Numbered Titles in the Code of Federal Regulations
• 4.2 Texts of Three National Air Quality Standards Set by the Environmental Protection Agency Pursuant to the Clean Air Act
• 4.3 Activities Commonly Contracted Out by Local Government
• 4.4 The Top Five Federal Contractors and Their Work
• 4.5 Reasons Given For and Against Direct Citizen Participation in Governance
• 5.1 Status of Nondefense Federal Agencies and Activities During Shutdown of October 116, 2013

Figures

• 1.1
• 2.1
• 2.2
• 2.3
• 4.1

Preface

In our daily language the word bureaucracy is a term of vilification and ill will. Its popular meaning conveys disgust for nonfunctioning government that is slow to act, mired in technicalities, and probably bloated and controlling. No case at all could be made for such government, and I would be the last to try.

In this book I use the word very differently and without a negative emotional loading. It refers simply to the institutions that do the ongoing work of government, the agencies of public administration. These departments, bureaus, and local government administrations enable government to perform the exacting tasks expected of the public sector in a modern society. They are staffed by men and women who make it possible for a democracy to succeed over time.

I have written on the subject of bureaucracy in America for thirty years in successive editions of The Case for Bureaucracy. The volume you are holding is not, however, the latest version of that work. It is entirely different in two senses.

First, it is new in content, structure, and tone. Whereas the earlier Case was consciously written and labeled as a polemic, this volume is in the nature of an extended and rather personal essay. Instead of summarizing all scholarly research on the positive aspects of US public administration that make it defensible, the book identifies selected ideas and research findings for consideration, examines them in sufficient detail so readers can judge for themselves their importance, and allows me to express opinions based on a half century of study and reflection. In short, the former polemicist is now a more mellowed author who is still opinionated but wants his readers to think for themselves. Indeed, some sections of the book are not devoted to defending bureaucracy at all but to describing its scandals and shortfalls.

I seek to build this case for bureaucracy at all levels of American government, although the availability of research conclusions that can be generalized has been skewed by scholars in favor of the national government. Hence by necessity more attention is given in the book to federal administration than to government bureaucracies in the states and localities. This is unfortunate since it is at the state and local levels that most US public administration operates. I apologize for this imbalance to the millions of present and future state and local public employees who serve their citizens ably.

Mention of the book's federal emphasis brings us to the second sense in which this case for bureaucracy is new. At this writing the federal government and the nation it serves face perilous times. The country's deep partisan divide, bitterly deadlocked Congress, and unresolved public financial status have created a crisis of governance. While centered in Washington, DC, the situation's adverse effects penetrate the entire federal system.

At the end of the book I offer my views on an appropriate role for federal agencies in this emergency. It is not passive, anxiety-ridden acquiescence, but rather being alert to opportunities for taking bold action. The stance I propose for bureaucracy includes a readiness to exercise political savvy in fighting for the funds needed to save vital missions and to take policy initiatives when necessary in the face of congressional inaction. In view of this perspective, I see the purpose of the new case for bureaucracy as more than correction of an overly pejorative view of bureaucracy. It is also to invoke a moral imperative for bureaucracy to stand tall in this difficult period of our nation's history.

Several events occurred in the closing months prior to finishing this book that pertain to this new case argument. A shutdown of the federal government revealed once again the importance of uninterrupted administration to public trust and it is discussed in . The bungled launch of the Affordable Care Act reminds us how important in-house bureau capacity is to complex governance and is commented on in an Afterword. Passage by Congress of a limited federal budget compromise effective through FY 2015 is a modest step beyond partisan stalemate, yet an enormous chasm of policy disagreement remains that will likely necessitate more proactive moves by agencies to protect their missions. As for revelations about the information-gathering activities of the National Security Agency, I ask youupon reading this bookto work out your own opinions.

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