This should have been a relatively simple question. The correct answer is “that everyone is treated the same…” This, of course, is the longer explanation of the fifth Weberian tenet of bureaucracy—“purposely impersonal.” In slightly more detail, this means that bureaucrats treat everyone the same—Bill Gates, a high school janitor, the CEO of Delta Airlines, etc. Everyone is treated the same, regardless of their status. This doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone is treated well (think your neighborhood DMV) just that everyone is treated the same.

This should have been a relatively easy question. The correct answer is “technical expertise,” although “political connections” may have been an incredibly tempting answer (and not entirely incorrect). While political connections are (oftentimes) important in bureaucratic appointments, according to Weber’s 6th tenant of bureaucracy, technical expertise is the most important—note that “political connections” are not among the Weberian tenets.

This should have been a relatively simple question. In American Politics, if the position begins with “Secretary,” there’s a fair (nearly certain) chance that the position is a cabinet-level position. That said, the head of the Department of Justice is called the “Attorney General,” yet is still a member of the cabinet. The Vice President, interestingly enough, is also a member of the cabinet. All of these represent top-ranking bureaucrats.

Bureaucracies actually favor employees who are specialists in various fields, so that each individual specializes in and has great aptitude for their assigned topic. Each bureaucratic employee is intended to be an expert in their own realm, with only the best of the best attending to the most crucial tasks. In order to ensure this high standard, the system operates exclusively on the merit principle – hiring and promotion decisions are based on proven accomplishments and assessments, rather than on personal connections or other intangible assets. Another defining feature of the bureaucratic system is impersonal relations with the public, where each matter is attended to with impartiality and fairness, even if members of Congress or a President is involved. This impartiality is enforced by a strict adherence to a lengthy set of rules, which details each and every case that may arise before a bureaucrat. These rules attempt to anticipate any concerns that may come before the bureaucracy and set out laws governing explicit courses of action, all to ensure that no favoritism is shown. Internally, bureaucracies are structured on a fixed hierarchal basis, with each employee confined to their sphere of expertise and power stemming from the topmost authority figures downwards.

When it comes to federal bureaucracies, the Department of Defense employs the highest number of civilians, nearly twenty-five percent of all federal civilian employees in total. This is in addition to the Department of Defense’s military wing, which is comprised of more than one million enlisted men and women. The Postal Service ranks second, with the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security following next in close succession. If surveyed on a statewide basis, contrary to popular belief, Washington, D.C. does not occupy the top position. Rather, California has the highest percentage of federal civilian bureaucrats. This is largely because the government naturally cannot accommodate every single employee within the confines of the District of Columbia; many departments have offices across several states, while others are posted worldwide.

In actuality, bureaus are a subset of cabinet departments and are similar in organization and function to administrative offices. The main kinds of federal executive agencies are: cabinet departments, independent regulatory commissions, government corporations, and independent executive agencies. There are fifteen cabinet departments in total, each charged with managing a specific realm of policy and each (besides the Department of Justice) led by a secretary selected personally by the President and approved by the Senate. Independent regulatory commissions oversee sectors of the economy that are most pertinent to the public interest, assembling and then enforcing rules to ensure fair practice. Government corporations handle issues that could also be managed by the private sector but are administered by the government instead. Currently, the biggest government corporation is the Post Office. Independent executive agencies are all those other government agencies that do not fit into any of the other three categories, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The President holds the ultimate position of authority over nearly every single bureaucratic agency, in keeping with the Constitution’s charge that the President must “take care that the laws shall be faithfully executed.” However, the President merely oversees bureaucrats on a general level, while the true work of creating agencies, writing policies, and allocating funds is done by Congress. Meanwhile, potential bureaucrats are tested, assessed, and ultimately hired by the Office of Personnel Management (OBM), which is headed by a director chosen personally by the President. The OBM classifies its bureaucrats according to the General Schedule (GS) rating system, which tallies test scores and work experiences to assign each individual a rating (from one to eighteen). Only the most highly qualified bureaucrats (those who earn a GS rating of sixteen or above) are considered to be part of the Senior Executive Service. These senior executives are highly prized within the bureaucratic realm and are often moved amongst different agencies by the President, in order to maximize optimal performance.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs leads the Department of Veterans Affairs, which deals with caring for and supporting military veterans as well as maintaining military cemeteries. The Veterans Health Administration is the organization within the Department charged with providing healthcare for veterans.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) used to be an independent agency, though not of Cabinet-rank. FEMA was brought under the control of the Department of Homeland Security when it was created on March 1, 2003.

The Hatch Act of 1939 was created to prevent employees of the executive branch from participating in campaigns and political activities.