|
|
Article: Administrative procedures and political control of the bureaucracy.
- Article from:
- American Political Science Review
- Article date:
- September 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Cambridge University Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Delegation of policymaking authority from elected officials to unelected bureaucrats is a fact of contemporary American politics. It does not, however, necessarily imply abdication, as officeholders possess instruments that potentially limit bureaucratic discretion. Presidents, for example, fill many high-level agency posts with appointees whose preferences closely resemble those of the chief executive. Members of Congress regularly conduct oversight hearings, which are proceedings designed to monitor and, if necessary, redirect agency activity. The presence of these instruments raises a question of considerable importance for the operation of American democracy: To what ...