Your text discusses multiple approaches to the organization of the government agencies. These theories apply to all levels of government—federal, state, and local alike. For this exercise, you are required to do some light investigation about the ways that various bureaucracies are organized.

Using official government websites, locate four examples of both federal (select two) and state (select two) agency organizational charts (for a total of four charts). (For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ organizational chart is found here: http://www.hhs.gov/about/orgchart/. For an example for state government, see Washington State’s Department of Transportation organizational chart: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/about/ExecOrgChart.htm.) After you have found the four agencies of your choice, respond to the following questions:

1. Compare and contrast the appearance of each of the four charts. Do they appear to be mostly similar or different? What do they look like? How are sub offices divided? Cite at least two specific examples for each chart. It might be helpful to organize your response in the form of a matrix.

2. Reflecting on the organization’s mission, do the organizations differ on the basis of what each agency does? For example, if you selected a human services agency and law enforcement agency, are there any differences? Be sure to weave in key terms from the chapter! This will help to guide your discussion.

3. As a new organizational theorist, you are bound to have many ideas about the organization of these agencies. You have been selected by your supervisor to brief the governor on this very subject. Based on what you have learned so far, provide a brief analysis (no more than one page, double spaced) of the charts. Keep in mind that the governor is currently working with the state legislature to redesign the organization of several state agencies. Be sure to include some important factors that she should consider.