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