But on the other hand, he/she will insist, the department needs even more funds, a larger work force and an enlarged mandate of jurisdiction and power if it is to hold back the terrorist barbarians at the gate and keep the American people safe and secure (Ebeling).
Increased bureaucratic powers always call for increased safeguards against their abuses (White). There are always controls - internally and externally - trying to prevent the agencies from getting too much power in order to maintain a balance of power in the government. Internal controls are from the president or other federal agencies through organizational structures, polices and procedures. Two or more agencies could be assigned to take the responsibilities in the same area. Therefore, no single agency has the ability to establish its own agenda in a particular policy arena (McCubbins). Moreover, agencies with overlapping jurisdictions will be direct competitors for budgets and statutory authority, which further limits their power expanding. The process of regulating workplace safety is a good example. As originally established, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NOISH) in the Department of commerce would first identify a health or safety hazard. Only then could the agency charged with actually regulating workplace safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the Department of Labor, promulgate a rule regulating the identified problem (McCubbins). These controls in organizational structures and decision-making processes may not be efficient (i.e. high cost), but it can make agencies more responsive and constrain their powers. .
External controls are from Congress as well the Supreme Court. Congress could impose laws and regulations that keep the bureaucratic power in check. It can always overturn a federal agency's decision by passing a new piece of legislation. For many years, Congress relied on a large variety of legislative vetoes.