Question

American Government PSC_101

Chapter 15: The Bureaucracy

Which model of bureaucracy best explains the way the government currently operates? Why? In what ways might the patronage system be made more efficient?

Answer 1

The acquisitive model describes today's government's best competitive nature. As funds decline, some government agencies are fighting against others to survive and advance their agendas

When those in government talk about privatization, they often refer to one of a host of distinct models that differing degrees integrate the private sector's market forces into public function. These include the use of contractors to supply products and/or services, the distribution of public vouchers with which people can buy government-controlled facilities on the private market, the provision of government grants to private organisations to administer public programs, the collaboration with a private organization to finance a government program, and even the complete divestment of a function from the public.

Improving government staff implies more than fighting in public life against corruption and inertia. It calls for a review of certain current values and fundamental concerns and includes changing one set of issues to another. If patronage were all bad, it would simplify the reformer's job. Without affecting our party system and the relations between the Federal government's legislative and executive branches, it can not be completely eliminated. Therefore, the reform of the civil service is not about exchanging good for bad; it is about either tolerating a needed evil or fundamentally changing the structure.