Background: When the executive branch of the national government was established in 1789, the federal bureaucracy consisted of just three Cabinet departments and the Office of the Attorney General, later to become the Justice Department. In 1789 the State Department had 9 employees, the War Department had 2, and the Treasury Department had 39. Today, the State Department employs about 28,000 civilians, the Defense Department about 670,000, and the Treasury Department about 163,000. The federal bureaucracy today boasts 15 Cabinet departments and dozens of agencies, regulatory commissions, and government corporations, with a civilian workforce of more than 2.8 million. The bureaucratic behemoth exercises power and influence over virtually every facet of the nation’s social and economic life. In the view of many observers, the power, reach, and independence of the federal bureaucracy demand that it be viewed as a fourth branch of government. Directions: Your task is to take each component part of a home-delivered pizza and, using the links below, research the federal agencies and departments that would regulate it in some way. Use the chart on the reverse side to explain how each component part of the pizza delivery is regulated by the agency and/or department. (Source: www. youthleadership. net.)
Internet Resources: The links below will assist you in determining how each federal agency and/or department regulates each pizza component:
1) Cardboard Box: http://www. fda. gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/F oodContactSubstancesFCS/ucm064166.h tm 2) Tomato Sauce: http://www. ams. usda. gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDE V3010852
3) Crust: http://askfsis. custhelp. com/cgi-bin/askfsis. cfg/php/enduser/std_adp. php?p_faqid=1338&p_created=1257 349580&p_topview=1 4) Cheese: http://www. ams. usda. gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDE V3004561
5) Mushrooms: http://www. ams. usda. gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPR DC5050306
6) Anchovies (seafood): http://www. registrarcorp. com/fda-fce-sample/Anchovy?lang=ch
7) Pepperoni: http://www. fsis. usda. gov/Factsheets/Sausage_and_Food_Saf ety/index. asp
8) Onions: http://www. ams. usda. gov/fv/8e/onion. html
9) Delivery Vehicle: http://www. epa. gov/air/caa/
10) Diet Soda: http://www. rense. com/general33/legal. htm
PIZZA
COMPONENT
RELEVANT FEDERAL DEPARTMENT / AGENCY &
EXPLANATION ITS REGULATORY OVERSIGHT OF PIZZA COMPONENT
1) Cardboard Box
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:
2) Tomato Sauce
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:
3) Crust
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:
4) Cheese
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:
5) Mushrooms
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:
6) Anchovies
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:
7) Pepperoni
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:

8) Onions
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:
9) Delivery
Vehicle
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:
10) Diet Soda
Department/Organization:

Regulatory Oversight:

Questions for Discussion
1) What generalizations can you make about the “bureaucracy of pizza”? How involved are federal agencies and departments in the take out and frozen pizza that you eat?
2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of federal rules and regulations to consumers of pizza (like you)? 3) What are the advantages and disadvantages for pizza businesses?
4) Based on what you learned from this activity about the bureaucracy of pizza, would you go into the pizza business? Thoroughly explain.
Interest Group: Study the website for the National Frozen Pizza Institute: http://www. frozenpizzafacts. org/ 1) Summarize the goals of this interest group.
2) Since the group is a “.org,” obviously, they want to keep their non-profit status &, therefore, must limit lobbying activities. What interest group technique do they appear to engage in? Explain.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) Study the adopted regulation: http://www. fsis. usda. gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/01-018F. htm
1) Do you think that the NFPI was pleased with the outcome on this rule? Explain what was at stake for the NFPI (and its membership) in this public policy matter. Provide good supporting evidence.
Iron Triangle / Client Politics