Bureaucracy

                When Congress creates any kind of department, agency, or commission, it is actually delegating some of its powers listed in Article 1, section 8, of the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, the laws creating departments, agencies, corporations, or commissions carefully describe their purpose and give them the authority to make numerous policy decisions, which have the effect of law. Congress recognizes that it does not have the time, expertise, or ability to involve itself in every detail of every program; therefore, it sets general guidelines for agency action and leaves it to the agency to work out the details. How agencies execute congressional wishes is called implementation, the process by which a law or policy is put into operation.

                Historically, political scientists attempting to study how the bureaucracy made policy investigated what they termed iron triangles, the relatively stable relationships and patterns of interaction that occur among federal workers in agencies or departments, interest groups, and relevant congressional committees and subcommittees. Today, iron triangles no longer dominate most policy processes. Some do persist, however, such as the relationship between the Department of Veterans Affairs, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, and the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the two largest veterans groups.

                Many political scientists examining external influences on the modern bureaucracy prefer to examine issue networks. In general, issue networks, like iron triangles, include agency officials, members of Congress (and committee staffers), and interest group lobbyists. But, they also include lawyers, consultants, academics, public relations specialists, and sometimes even the courts. Unlike iron triangles, issue networks constantly are changing as members with technical expertise or newly interested parties become involved in issue areas.

                As a result of the increasing complexity of many policy domains, many alliances have also been created within the bureaucracy. One such example is interagency councils, working groups created to facilitate the coordination of policy making and implementation across a host of agencies. Depending on how well these councils are funded, they can be the prime movers of administration policy in any area where an interagency council exists. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, for example, was created in 1987 to coordinate the activities of the more than fifty governmental agencies and programs that work to alleviate homelessness.

                In the end, our bureaucracy is HUGE. Since there are so many issues and concerns that need to be addressed, it is necessary for Congress to delegate powers to the bureaucracy. These departments work with the executive branch and legislative branch to facilitate the needs of the American people.