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American Government 2e

Key Terms

American Government 2eKey Terms
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
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
merit system
a system of filling civil service positions by using competitive examinations to value experience and competence over political loyalties
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
patronage
the use of government positions to reward individuals for their political support
pay schedule
a chart that shows salary ranges for different levels of positions vertically and for different ranks of seniority horizontally
privatization
measures that incorporate the market forces of the private sector into the function of government to varying degrees
public administration
the implementation of public policy as well as the academic study that prepares civil servants to work in government
red tape
the mechanisms, procedures, and rules that must be followed to get something done
spoils system
a system that rewards political loyalties or party support during elections with bureaucratic appointments after victory
whistleblower
a person who publicizes misdeeds committed within a bureaucracy or other organization
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