The federal bureaucracy has three major functions; executing laws, creating rules and adjudication. The constitution states that the president shall 'take care that the laws be faithfully executed'. Congress
Clara Widdison
The federal bureaucracy
The federal bureaucracy has three major functions; executing laws, creating rules and adjudication. The constitution states that the president shall ‘take care that the laws be faithfully executed’. Congress introduces bills, the president makes these into laws and the federal bureaucracy sees that the laws are executed. Bureaucrats are required to write specific rules that decide how laws should be executed. If dispute arises between executing the laws and creating the rules, it is the function of the federal bureaucracy to adjudicate in such disputes.
There are currently 15 executive departments, each headed by a member of the Bush Cabinet. Originally there were three departments; State, War and the Treasury. However, that number has increased at the same rate as the expansion in the role of the federal government. There are now 15; State, Defense, The Treasury, Interior, Justice, Agriculture, Commence, Labour, Health and Human services, Housing and Urban development, Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security. There is a great range of size and budget within the list of departments. They are also ranked in terms of most important, with State, Treasury, Defense and Justice being ranked in the first tier (the most important) whilst the other departments are second tier (less important).