Assignment:
Instructions
Step 1: Establish Background
Work through the three interactive lessons on the origins, development, and reform of the federal bureaucracy, and complete the forum on bureaucracy and everyday life.
Step 2: Watch Videos
View the following six videos about the federal bureaucracy and answer the assigned number of questions for each video.
Video 1
Watch this video, Video Clip: Bureaucracy - Rule-Making by Federal Agencies
Answer one of the following questions:
Why did the Founding Fathers vest the legislative (law-making) power in Congress through Article I of the Constitution? What were they worried about?
Why are laws as written by Congress not sufficiently useful? What role can federal agencies play?
Video 2
Watch this video, Video Clip: Bureaucracy - Bureaucratic Regulations and Congressional Oversight
Answer one of the following questions:
- Which Obama legislative initiatives are criticized as burdensome on business?
- What are the historic roots of today's regulatory regime?
- How has Congress delegated increasing authority to bureaucratic agencies?
- How do these bureaucratic agencies benefit members of Congress?
- What is one proposed solution to give Congress more control over administrative regulations?
Watch each video below:
Answer two of the following questions based on the video and your additional research:
- Is there an issue of bureaucratic discretion being exceeded by the agency/commission?
- Has Congress taken measures to ensure that the agency follows legislative intent in its regulations?
- Has any federal court reviewed the regulations? If so, what was its conclusion?
Step 3: Write an Essay
Write your responses to the questions you selected in Step 2 (Watch Videos) in an essay of at least three paragraphs. Please submit your completed project using the "Add Submission" link below. Submit your work as an MS Word or a PDF file. This project will be graded according to the marking guide provided.