4.10: OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENT
AP U. S. Government
THE PRESIDENCY
 Can any one person perform the duties of president to
the general satisfaction of Americans?
 Is the job too large and too complex for any one person
to succeed?
 In this section, we will examine the office of the
president, the men who have occupied it, and the public
expectations of the office to determine the answers to
these questions and more.
THE ROOTS OF THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES
 American colonists distrusted the King so much so that
the Articles of Confederation largely neglected the
need for an executive.
 With the failure of the Articles, the Framers saw the
need for an executive office that would be strong
enough to govern, but not so strong that it could abuse
power.
 The majority of the Framers agreed that the executive
power should be vested in a single person to be called
the president.
WHITE HOUSE STAFF
 Created by FDR in 1939
 The people most directly responsible to the president
are the White House staff such as personal assistants,
senior aides, administrative personnel and more.
 There is no Senate confirmation and their power
comes solely from their personal relationship with the
president.
 The White House staff reached a height of 583
members in 1972, but has gotten smaller since then
generally running at around 400.
ORGANIZATION OF THE
FEDERAL BRANCH
ORGANIZATION OF THE FEDERAL BRANCH
 Executive Office/White House Office
 People who work directly for the President (about 500)
 10-12 of the President’s closest advisors
 Chief of Staff is most powerful advisor
 Office of Management and Budget
 Prepares the federal budget
 Oversees spending of hundreds of government agencies
 Director of OMB works closely with the President
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
 EOP has about 2,000 employees & a budget of more
than $100 million
 These are the people who work the closest to the
president.
 They help him accomplish his many duties
THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE
 The President’s closest advisors and personal staff.
 The most powerful official is the Chief of Staff (decides
who can see the President and what is important to be
discussed).
 Press Secretary rep’s President to the national media .
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Prepares the budget
Decides with President how much
money should go to each government
program
ORGANIZATION OF THE FEDERAL BRANCH
CONT
 National Security Council
 Helps the President direct US military and foreign policy
 Head is National Security Advisor
 Council of Economic Advisors
 Helps the President carry out the role of the economic
leader
 Gives the President advice about complex economic
matters (unemployment, inflation, taxes, etc.)
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
 Advise the President on all matters affecting the safety
and security on the U.S.
 Members include: Vice Pres., Sec. of State, Sec. of
Defense and others.
 NSC supervises the CIA
THE CABINET
 Cabinet
 Group of 15 presidential advisors that include the heads
(Secretaries) of top level executive departments
 Secretaries advise the President on issues related to
their department
 They meet whenever the President calls them together
 Dept of Homeland Security is the newest cabinet
position (added in Nov 2002)
THE CABINET
Dept of State
Plans and carries out the nation’s foreign
policy
John Kerry
Dept of
Treasury
Collects, borrows, spends, and prints
money
Jack Lew
Dept of
Defense
Manages the military
Chuck Hagel
Dept of Justice
Responsible for all aspects of law
enforcement
Eric Holder
Dept of Interior
Manages and protects the nations public
lands and natural resources
Sally Jewell
THE CABINET
Dept of Agriculture
Assists farmers and consumers of
products
Tom Vilsack
Dept of Commerce
Supervises trade and promotes US
business
Penny
Pritzker
Dept of Labor
Deals with working conditions and
wages
Thomas E.
Perez
Dept of Health & Human
Services
Works for the well being & health of Kathleen
Americans
Sebelius
Dept of Housing & Urban
Development
Deals with special needs and
problems of cities
Shaun
Donovan
THE CABINET
Dept of Transportation
Manages nations highways,
railroads, airlines, & sea traffic
Anthony Foxx
Dept of Energy
Directs overall energy plan
Ernest Moniz
Dept of Education
Provides advice and funding for
schools
Arne Duncan
Dept of Veteran’s Affairs
Directs services for armed force Eric Shenseki
veterans
Dept of Homeland
Security
Oversees America’s defenses
against terrorist attacks
Jeh Johnson
FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY
FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY
 Federal Bureaucracy- agencies and employees of the
executive branch
 Carry out programs created by Congress
 Administer day to day functions of the Executive Branch
 Regulate various activities (police, banks, airlines, etc.)
FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY CONT
 Government Corporations
 Private businesses owned and operated by the
government and not private people
 Ex. Postal Service (USPS)
 Regulatory Boards and Commissions
 Do no report to President, but instead to Congress
 Protect the public by making and enforce rules for
industries or groups
 Ex. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
GOVERNMENT WORKERS
 Political Appointees- top leadership positions whom the
President has chosen because they have proven
executive ability (usually ends when the President
leaves office)
 Civil Service Workers- permanent employment, based
on competitive tests and merit
 They work within the Civil Service System
MANAGEMENT STYLES
Presidential Management Styles
SPOKES OF THE WHEEL
PYRAMID
Staff
President
Staff
Staff
Chief of Staff
Staff
Staff
President
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff