Law in the news; Problems inherent in the transfer of power

The National Education already own network presents a law in the news with Professor Joseph R. Julan associate dean of the University of Michigan Law School. Our subject the process of transition and the problems inherent in the transfer of power from one president to another from one party to another are informant. PROFESSOR WILLIAM J pierce the director of the legislative Research Center at the University of Michigan Law School. Bill how would you define the most serious of these problems and I suppose more importantly are they in your judgment being met. The most difficult problem of course in the United States with a change of administration is the difficulty that the new administration encounters in getting control over the federal establishment to the federal establishment consist predominately Carse of a bureaucratic system in which most of the employees of the federal government have civil service status. This means that the president elect is now faced with the problem of filling approximately 2000 post in the federal governmental structure

which will be the method in which he can obtain control over the federal government's machinery. The appointment of 2000 people in a relatively short period of time is an extremely difficult and complex task and of course President like Nixon is already facing a portion of that problem by delegating a substantial part of the subsidiary appointment problem to his new cabinet designees. But beyond that the problem of turning control of the federal government is becoming increasingly difficult with each new administration because of the growth of the activities within the federal government and the magnitude of the operations and kind of operations that are being carried out during the Truman administration. The Hoover Commission was established and former President Hoover reported at that time on a number of important reorganization plans that have been carried out in part by the Truman Kennedy and Johnson

administrations. However a great deal of that material is now out of date because of the changes that have occurred during those administrations and the government in the new. Types of programs undertaken by the federal government. So President elect Mexico has indicated that he will establish in the relatively new near future a new commission reorganization of the executive branch of the federal government. During the had not Johnson administration a number of proposals were developed for example incorporation of the post office and the elimination of the post office as a separate department and created a federal corporation to operate the post office system and the delivery of the mail in the United States. I have other proposals of existed for an amalgamation of various departments and activities and new functional realignments among the departments. As you know we have new departments such as Housing and Urban Development and transportation and there are already conflicts arising between the

operations of those departments and some of the older departments such as commerce and interior. So what is needed is a complete reexamination of the federal reorganization and President like Nixon has indicated that that will be done. One attack of course will be in the budgeting area in which will go with for what is called program budgeting in all probability by this instead of having a line by line appropriations for salaries etc.. Certain amounts will be appropriated for carrying out a function of the government. This will give the policymaking people a better way of determining the choices that must be made in expending the dollars available to the federal government. You know what happens to the old commissions. You are a member of the Betty Furness consumer credit Advisory Council what happens to this type of group. Well some of them are served merely at the pleasure of the president and typically in Washington this means that these eight commissions and agencies and advisory councils

etc submit their resignation to the new president effective January 20th and other types they are term appointments. And because they are terms the new president cannot make a replacement until the term has ended. One last brief question is this transition healthy for our government. Certainly every change a new examination of the problems that we face and new people to help us eliminate overlaps duplicating efforts and hopefully reduce costs. That was Professor William J pierce the director of the legislative research center of the University of Michigan Law School. Professor Joseph Farr Julan associate dean of the University of Michigan Law School has presented law in the news recorded by the University of Michigan Broadcasting Service. This is the national educational radio network.