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Chapter 15: The Federal Bureaucracy

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This activity contains 2 questions.

	Bureaucracies as Regulators One of the most important jobs that the bureaucracy does is to regulate practices in the private sector that are potentially harmful to people. For example, the government regulates the way insulation is made to ensure that it is as fire retardant as possible. The government literally regulates millions of activities of the private sector. One type of regulation requires that food manufacturers put labels on their products. This regulation is designed to help people understand what they are eating so that they are better able to manage their diets. But do you really know what that label means? Search Tips Go to http://www.fda.gov/ and click on "Consumers" near the bottom of the right hand side of the page. Then scroll down to "Food Labeling" and click on that link. Review the questions about the Food Label. Questions to Ask Do you know more about the Food Label after reviewing this information than you did before? Can you think of a better way for the FDA to ensure that Americans know what they are eating? Is the Food Label generally helpful or not in your view? Why it Matters Government regulation is supposed to help, not hurt. Regulations like Food Labels are designed to help Americans manage their diets. Get Involved The next time you are in the grocery store, look for foods that aren't labeled? Why are some food not labeled?   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	Bureaucracies as Implementers Bureaucracies are implementers of policy. Every time Congress passes a bill and the president signs it into law, the bureaucracy is responsible for implementing the law. Essentially that means turning the law into action. Let's look at one agency, the Administration on Ageing, and examine what law it is in charge of implementing. Search Tips Go to http://www.aoa.gov/ and click on "About AoA" and then click on "Legislation and Budget" on the left hand side of the page, and then click on "Older Americans Act." Finally, click on "Layman's Guide to Older Americans Act" and read about the agency. Questions to Ask What purpose was the AoA created to serve? What policy was the AoA initially created to implement? How has the original policy changed, or has it? Why it Matters Laws are often written in very vague language and it is left up to the bureaucratic agency to interpret what Congress and the president might have wanted. Agencies often describe their purpose as a way of clarifying how they have interpreted the law. Get Involved Got a question about the AoA or some other agency and how it implements the law? Send it to the agency. Share your results with the class.   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

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