Public opinion surveys suggest that Americans view the concept of federal bureau

Question

Public opinion surveys suggest that Americans view the concept of federal bureaucracy in a negative manner, but these same studies reveal fairly high levels of satisfaction of individuals who report having interacted with American bureaucracy and with the services that these institutions provide. Critically assess and explain these two seemingly contradictory sets of findings. What do you think the American public truly means when they say they do not approve of bureaucracy, but support specific programs? What specific factors do you think influence this perspective? In what ways do these results present basic tensions between the core values in American political culture that the authors identified in Chapter 1? Which specific ones seem at odds to you? At the end of the day, is bureaucracy simply something that is a necessary evil or can you think of specific alternatives or reforms that could be used?

Explanation / Answer

A bureaucrat is someone who works in administrative capacity for the government. How important are bureaucrats and their government agencies in actually running the United States government? According to some, they are the real government — the ones behind the scenes who go to work when the politicians are enjoying the spotlight.

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