Thickening Government: Federal Hierarchy and the Diffusion of Accountability [Paperback]

Paul C. Light (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 1995

Light presents a revealing look at how thick government bureaucracy really is, how and why thickening occurs, what difference it might make, and what can be done to both reverse the process and keep the thickening from growing back. He shows how the management layers between the top and bottom of government-between air traffic controllers and the Secretary of Transportation, food inspectors and the Secretary of Agriculture, and so on-have steadily increased. He explains how a government of managers means the president has very little direct access or control over what happens far below, a basic problem of accountability. The author concludes that practically nothing by way of quality management, service government, or employee involvement can work with these towering government agencies. But practically nothing will fail if a radical "down-layering" is undertaken now.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press (January 10, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815752490
• ISBN-13: 978-0815752493
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #843,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Ever Expanding Bureaucracy, October 14, 2009

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This review is from: Thickening Government: Federal Hierarchy and the Diffusion of Accountability (Paperback)

Light contends that government - particularly the bureaucracy - is "thickening", that is, (a) there are many more organizations in government, (b) there has been an expansion of managerial layers (increasing hierarchy), (c)the subsequent "widening" of the numbers of staff for management, and related, (d) a "thickening" at the middle level of government.
The number of organizations has increased for a number of reasons. In part, it stems from the demands for services from mobilized segments of the population. Similarly, Congress and the President may create new organizations to address emerging problems, or simply to build political capital.
The thickening at the leadership levels of government can stem from the development of new departments, or the addition of new layers of leadership in existing departments. We must keep in mind that with the expansion of these leadership positions, we will also see an expansion of staff for the new leader, etc. Quite often, the president will create these new leadership positions to exert control over the organization. In part, this places administration loyalists in positions of power. Furthermore, new departments may be created to pursue the presidential agenda. Lastly, new positions may be created to "exile" unfriendly people. Congress also has incentives to expand leadership positions to gain control over the bureaus.
A thickening at the middle level of government is often the result of (a) pay discrepancies between the public and private sector, and subsequently the necessity of promoting civil servants in order to keep them, (b) a shift in job requirements. Experts and professionals are a necessary requirement in the bureaucracy. In order to get these experts, they must be compensated. They are hired in at a middle grade.
Aside from the effects of the Congress and President, Light (1995) contends that "hidden" causes have led to thickening. These include the weakening of the OMB which has been the traditional watch dog of the bureaucracy, the necessity of Federal managers to make promotions in order to keep qualified people, and the pressures from interest groups - teachers unions, labor unions, etc. - who demand that one of their own be placed in a position of power (usually through Schedule C appointments).
We could also acknowledge the lack of congressional oversight of the bureaucracy as pointed out by Ripley and Franklin (1991).
The question then becomes, what are the costs associated with a "thickening" government? Light sees thickening as quite detrimental.
Light finds that a thickening of government limits accountability. There are many decision points in the process. In party, this is related to a classical principle-agent problem. At each decision point, a game is played by the principle in hopes that the agent will carry out the wishes of the principle. Building upon the limited accountability, Light finds other problems that limit organizational effectiveness. First, we find information distortion, that is, there is an increasing gap between leadership and implementers. Second, there is a problem of administrative inertia that is promotions become based on seniority rather than merit. Third, there is a disunity of command in that there can be too many leaders with overlapping responsibilities. This is very expensive and inefficient. Fourth, there is a gap between authority and responsibility. This leads to a lack of accountability of implementers and difficulty of passing of practical information form implementers to leaders. Similarly, innovation is stifled. Because of the gap between lower levels and higher levels, it is rare that those who really know what innovations will improve efficiency are heard by leadership.