Free Essay: The Principles of Bureaucracy. The Courts: Judicial Power in a Democratic Setting.

Max Weber came up with the principles of bureaucracy that has greatly assisted to understand the organizational structures and their functions. Weber identified six principles of understanding the concept of bureaucracy in an organizational setting. The principles of bureaucratic theory include:

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Job specialization/division of work: Weber claimed that the organizational functions are divided to the employees based on their area of specialization. According to Weber, every office or department in the organization has to compete for success (Wasserman); therefore, there is need to hire specialized people with the skills needed for the task. This principle assist in the allocation of duties in the organization; everyone is assigned to the task he/she can efficiently perform.

Authority hierarchy: Weber claimed that organization is organized in a manner that there are the higher offices which controls the lower offices. The ranking of the positions in the organization from the top most position to the least is important as it ensures effective flow of chain of command. This principle assists the organization to identity the chain of command that helps in effective control of the organization; it identifies the different functions of every office.

Administrative class: Weber claimed that organizations must have a central office where all the organizational activities are controlled. This principle identifies the administrative responsibilities of the management; for example, maintains and coordinates all the activities in the organization. This principle assists the organization to ensure that the daily activities of the organization are effectively carried out.

Formal rules and regulations: Weber claimed that organizations must have formal rules and regulations to ensure uniformity in the organization. If there are no rules, everyone would behave in a manner that he/she likes; people will be reporting to work at the time they want. Therefore, to ensure uniformity in the organization there must be established rules and regulations. This principle assists the organization to carry its activities and operations in a uniform manner.

Impersonality: This principle advocates for professional relationships within the organization. According to the proponents of this theory, people should stay away from other relationship issues such as emotional and sentiments with the workmates. This principle ensures that people work for the general purpose of achieving the organization objectives.

Official record: Organizations must maintain official records of their operations. This principle is important in the organization especially during the decision making process. Decisions are made based on the past experiences of the organization which can only be obtained if they were kept; therefore, keeping the official records can assist retrieve the information when needed.

Part II: The Courts: Judicial Power in a Democratic Setting

America has undergone various changes since it attained independence. Fifteen years later the founding fathers drafted the constitution that has shape the country to where it is now. However, several amendments were made to the constitution so that it could fit the needs of millions of Americans. One of the changes was the enactment of Bill of Rights. As depicted in the film Bill of Rights: Bill of Responsibility the constitution is almost losing its meaning. According to the host in the video, Bill Maher, constitution is a living document; however, it has evolved in various ways. Maher implies that several changes have been made to the constitution such as the first, second, and fourth amendments. The host, Maher explains that historians should try to relate the constitutional evolution process with the amendments of the constitution. History is a process that involves several changes; as depicted in the video One Nation under Law, the changes in the policing have been majorly influenced by the experiences. The video depicts the historical creation of the Law Courts; civil war is one of the experiences that led to the emergence of an effective court system that we see today in America. The video depicts that some of the vital cases that were presided over by the first judges such as John Marshal of the Supreme Court and Roger Taney; these incidences followed the recognition of the courts as a powerful institution in America. The video also illustrates how the next people who took the offices in the judiciary followed the footsteps of their predecessors. The videos try to depict the rights of people and how they are protected. The Bill of Rights video examines the freedom of people and how the political institutions like the government can ensure that they are protected. The government has various responsibilities for its people; for example, the government intervenes directly in disputes among its citizens (Wasserman 9).

Part III: Class Summary

The concepts relating to the American government and politics have been very interesting. It has exposed me to more knowledge about the historical development of the political institutions such as the government and the judicial system. The class has expanded my knowledge on politics and its components; for example, the video Bill of Rights: Bill of Responsibility examines the rights of people and how the constitution has evolved over the past years since the country attained independence. Understanding the changes in the constitution was also interesting. The first, second, third, fourth, and fifth amendments have ensured that the people of America have the freedom of choice. The video One Nation under Law also depicts the factors behind the unity of America. Understanding the concept of unity was also interesting; although there are several cases of social inequality, but we have witnessed tremendous attempts to bridge the gap between various social levels in the country. The video Street fighter depicts the impacts of unity of a country; for example people come from all over the world to share their talents through games. This unity has only been achieved because of the evolution and changes done to the political system of American government.

Works Cited

Bill Maher. Bill of Rights: Bill of Responsibility, 1995.

Takashi, Nishiyama and Hiroshi, Matsumoto. Video Game: Street Fighter, 1987.

The Supreme Court: One nation under Law. Ambrose Video Publishing, Inc. 2007.

Wasserman, Gary. The Basics of American Politics. Pearson Higher Ed, 2014.