The Federal Bureaucracy and the 2022 Election
While state and local officials run elections, the federal bureaucracy also has a role to play. For the 2022 election, the Election Assistance Commission provided resources to help states face the challenges of holding an election in 2022. However, some criticized it for being slow and difficult to acquire funds for things like security for election workers. This is a common complaint against the bureaucracy.
The 2022 election also gave us an opportunity to see how presidents influence the bureaucracy. In March of 2021 President Biden issues an executive order requiring all federal agencies to develop plans to help those who they serve register to vote. Some Republicans criticized this executive order, claiming it was an attempt to help Democrats in the election. While issuing the executive order, President Biden also called on Congress to pass voting rights legislation because of the weakness of executive orders; executive orders only remain in effect while the president it in office. While they may temporarily shape bureaucratic agencies, they are not a long-term solution for presidents.
Instructors: click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.
Download: Federal Bureaucracy and the 2022 Election
Videos
News Articles
Our Security Here is a Joke. Election Lament Lack of Spending on Security Ahead of Crucial Midterm
CNN
10/27/2022
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/27/politics/election-security-federal-funding-violent-threats/index.html
Biden Signs Executive Order on Voting Access
CNN
03/07/2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/07/politics/voting-access-executive-order/index.html
Biden Signs Voter Registration Executive Order As He Pushes Senate to Pass Sweeping HR 1 Bill
Fox News
03/07/2021
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-voter-registration-executive-order-senate-hr-1
As We Honor A Voting Rights Milestone, Biden’s Executive Order Has New Urgency
The Hill
05/21/2022
President Biden’s Backdoor Plan to Influence Elections
The Hill
02/22/2022
Assessment
Debate: Should president’s use executive orders to promote policies they support?
Should the national government provide funds to states for election security?
Poll: Do you approve of President Biden’s Executive Order requiring federal agencies to assist citizens with registering to vote?
Should the national government allow election security funds to be used for security for election workers?
Short Answer: What did President Biden’s Executive Order on Voting Access mandate?