Title: Federal Bureaucracy - FAQ | Shmoop
Headings: Federal Bureaucracy - FAQ
Federal Bureaucracy - FAQ
FAQ
What exactly is the federal bureaucracy?
What are some examples of the federal bureaucracy?
What is the difference between a department, an administration, an agency, an authority, and a commission?
Why are some executive agencies "independent"?
What is a government corporation?
Where did all these departments and agencies come from?
Who runs the federal bureaucracy?
Does Congress have any ongoing say in the operation of the federal bureaucracy?
How are positions in the federal bureaucracy filled?
Why must federal employees take an exam?
How many people are employed by the federal government?
Why has the federal bureaucracy grown?
Have there been periods when the federal bureaucracy shrank?

Content: There are roughly 2.7 million civilians directly employed by the federal government. This includes more than 600,000 United States Postal workers. In addition, there are currently an additional 1.4 million serving in the armed forces. Why has the federal bureaucracy grown? The federal bureaucracy has grown as the public, and the Congress and presidents acting on its behalf, have concluded that more aspects of our domestic and international affairs required government attention. A number of new agencies were created during the Progressive Era, when there was a consensus that America's emerging industrial economy required regulation. The federal bureaucracy also expanded during the 1930s, when the public demanded government action in response to the Great Depression. And it grew further during World War II as the federal government mobilized all of society in support of the war effort. During the 1960s, Congress created still more agencies as part of President Johnson's Great Society program, a multifaceted campaign aimed at reducing poverty and increasing educational and economic opportunities in America. Have there been periods when the federal bureaucracy shrank?