Final answer:
The federal bureaucracy has a direct impact on the daily lives of Americans, maintaining significant autonomy and considered a separate, unofficial branch of government. Congress and citizens exercise oversight over it through various means. The bureaucracy's structure has evolved over time, contributing to its complexity and its direct influence on policy and public life.
Step-by-step explanation:
Compared to the President and Congress, the federal bureaucracy has a more direct impact on the daily lives of Americans. While the bureaucracy is not directly mentioned in the text of the Constitution, it has developed into what is often considered a fourth branch of government due to its specialized administrative structure and significant autonomy. The federal bureaucracy exercises a significant degree of independence, in part due to the size of the federal budget and the blurred lines of authority within various agencies.
Congress has several tools at its disposal to exercise oversight of the federal bureaucracy, including controlling funding and approving presidential appointments. Additionally, citizens have oversight powers through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the ability to vote. Over time, bureaucratic rulemaking has been scrutinized, leading to the adoption of strategies and devices by elected leaders to maintain control over bureaucracies.
The federal bureaucracy consists of cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, regulatory agencies, and government corporations, all of which play an essential role in the functioning of government. Despite the bureaucracies' autonomy and impact on day-to-day life, they remain subject to Congress's oversight and the judicial review process. Changes to bureaucratic structure and function often come in response to legislative and executive actions as well as shifts in public policy needs.