Interstate Commerce Commission. Food and Drug Administration. Environmental Protection Agency. From the end of World War II until 1980, the size of state and local governments increased rapidly. Factors that have contributed to the rise of big government include public reaction against social Darwinism.
Authority is hierarchical.
Individuals are assigned specific tasks to perform and they gain expertise in the specific area. Bureaucracies have defined jurisdictions that are created to accomplish definite and limited goals. There are extensive rules and regulations to ensure that policy is implemented uniformly and consistently. Bureaucrats must be politically active in order to follow the comprehensive and detailed rules that depersonalize administration. Characteristics of modern bureaucracies include precisely defined authority.