Answer to Question 1
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Define independent regulatory commissions as units in the executive branch that make and enforce rules to regulate the economy in the public interest. Examples include the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Communications Commission.
2. Explain that these commissions were created so as to be insulated from political influence.
3. Note the ways that these agencies are removed from presidential and congressional control, including the fact that commissioners, once appointed, serve long terms and cannot be dismissed by the president.
4. Assess whether they are sufficiently independent, taking into account that older commissions have considerably more independence than do newer commissions.
Answer to Question 2
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Explain that while the president has significant influence on the federal bureaucracy, that influence is limited.
2. Note the various ways that Congress can check the president's influence on the bureaucracy, such as choosing not to confirm presidential nominees, or by modifying or rejecting the president's budget proposal.
3. Note that the civil service system leaves most hiring and firing of federal employees out of the hands of the president.
4. Note that executive orders are not always followed as closely or as quickly as the president might prefer.
Presidential Election, 1860
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