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7.6: Glossary

  • Page ID
    82230
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    Bureaucracy and the Evolution of Public Administration

    bureaucracy an administrative group of nonelected officials charged with carrying out functions connected to a series of policies and programs

    bureaucrats the civil servants or political appointees who fill nonelected positions in government and make up the bureaucracy

    civil servants the individuals who fill nonelected positions in government and make up the bureaucracy; also known as bureaucrats

    merit system a system of filling civil service positions by using competitive examinations to value experience and competence over political loyalties

    patronage the use of government positions to reward individuals for their political support

    public administration the implementation of public policy as well as the academic study that prepares civil servants to work in government

    spoils system a system that rewards political loyalties or party support during elections with bureaucratic appointments after victory

    Toward a Merit-Based Civil Service

    pay schedule a chart that shows salary ranges for different levels of positions vertically and for different ranks of seniority horizontally

    Understanding Bureaucracies and their Types

    government corporation a corporation that fulfills an important public interest and is therefore overseen by government authorities to a much larger degree than private businesses

    red tape the mechanisms, procedures, and rules that must be followed to get something done

    Controlling the Bureaucracy

    negotiated rulemaking a rulemaking process in which neutral advisors convene a committee of those who have vested interests in the proposed rules and help the committee reach a consensus on them

    privatization measures that incorporate the market forces of the private sector into the function of government to varying degrees

    whistleblower a person who publicizes misdeeds committed within a bureaucracy or other organization

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