Is Congress Effective in Exercising Legislative Oversight of the Federal Bureaucracy?

Nick GaineyJosh Michael

Nick Fazio

Two Specific Methods Congress uses to Exercise Effective Oversight of the Federal Bureaucracy

• Oversight through Committees

• Oversight through Congressional Offices

Oversight through Committees

Authorization Committee

Appropriations Committee

Government Operations Committee

Authorization Committee

• http://video.foxnews.com/v/4401027/how-will-new-congress-tackle-war-on-terror/

Originally establishes and authorizes

government programs and agencies.

Example : The House Armed Services Committee is in

charge of all military programs in the House

of Representatives.

Appropriations CommitteeCheck and Approve Agencies’

Budgets for the Federal

Government Budget Each

Year

Government Operations CommitteesCoordinate

Congressional Concern over Governmental

Operations

Examples : Senate Committee on

Governmental Affairs, House Committee on

Governmental Reform.

Oversight through Congressional Offices

General Accounting

Office

Congressional Research Service

Congressional Budget Office

General Accounting Office

Performs the Task of Program

Evaluation by Auditing and

Judging Administration of a

Program

Congressional Research Service

Gathers information on activities and

performance of various agencies

to assist members in Congress

Congressional Budget Office

Gathers information on

budgets of various agencies for their

report to the (OMB) Office of

Management and Budget

Two Specific Examples of Congress Failing to Exercise Effective Oversight of the Federal Bureaucracy

• Partisan Politics • Overload of Congressional Work

Partisan Politics

• MSNBC video Obama GOP needs to put partisan politics aside.mht

The political party affiliation gets in the way of congressional

oversight in the United States government

Example : A Democratic Congressman will be

hesitant to bring fault to the president, if the president is also a

Democrat

Overload of Congressional WorkMembers of Congress are overloaded with

work and do not have time and resources to effective oversee the federal bureaucracy

Example : Congressman is too concentrated

about needs of constituents instead of congressional oversight

The End

Approved by the “Iced Tea Party”