Unlike most of the western democracies, the United States has a far larger number of political officials at the top of the national bureaucracy. The elected presidents in the US use this strategy to have a permanent influence on the bureaucracy. They fill major government posts with individuals who are sympathizers and supporters of their policies. They target to use their skills to achieve their political promises to the country during the election time. If they employ people from other agencies that did not support them, they are likely to turn back on their dreams and aspirations for the country. They might as well lack commitment in their responsibilities to achieve the overall goal of the president’s administration to the nation (Goodsell, 2014).
Appointment of a large number of political officials in the bureaucracy is essential in drawing up plans and policies for the government in place and encouraging trickle down of the policies through monitoring and supervision. They draft the policies that the government thinks are the best in achieving its goals and objectives. In addition, such political appointees are loyal to the party’s manifestation and the president. The worst in such appointments can be when they lack the competence to deliver on their roles and responsibilities as was the case in the Katrina catastrophe. The US presidents have a habit of politicizing national bureaucracy appointments, and they even receive support from the congress. It has been argued that they do this because they need professionals who are capable of following the president’s directives. The agencies have to be aligned to the president’s mission and vision. The aim is to promote patronage in the decisions given.
Appointment of a large number of political officials in the national bureaucracy has a share of its pros and cons. For example, if the government of the day is corrupt and accountable, they loot the country resources to a great extent. Large numbers of bureaucracy appointments translate to huge government recurrent expenditure. However, on the other hand, competent and commitment officials can be instrumental in delivering the promises and vision of the president because they work harmoniously and consult widely. The appointment minimizes tradeoffs and stresses on the president's control. Kettl (2014) admits that the practice promotes formulation of policies the president’s backed policies. The political bureaucracy administers day to day activities of the congress because it is unable to oversee. Finally, the key aim of professional political appointees is to promote the formulation of policies that support the president’s vision.
References
Goodsell, C. T. (2014). The new case for bureaucracy. Thousand Oaks, CA:CQ Press. ISBN 13: 978-1-4522-2630-9
Kettl, D.F. (2014). Politics of the administrative process, 6th edition. Washington, DC: CQ Press. ISBN 13: 978-1-4833-3293-2
