Consider: Why does the President often not rely on the Cabinet
as much as people might think?
Homework: Assignment 11 for tomorrow
The Office of the President
Chapter 7 AP Government and Politics
Vice President
 Balancing the ticket
 Why does Obama choose
Biden?
 Why does Romney choose
Ryan?
 Why does McCain choose
Palin?
 Increasing role in modern
presidency
 Biden claims that he has been
given “carte blanche” in
several areas on the policy
area
 Gates response: has integrity,
but has been wrong on every
policy
7.4
Presidential Staff
• Has grown immensely in this century
▫ Double-edged sword: The more growth, the less control
• Rule of propinquity – those who wield power are
those in the room when the decision is made
▫ Advisors, staff, others are only influential in relation to
how close they can actually get to the president
• Three main “arms” of presidential staff:
▫ The Cabinet
▫ EoP
▫ WHO
• Correspond to three “degrees” of propinquity; in
reverse order…
The President’s Cabinet
• What is “the cabinet”?
• Created by the Constitution?
▫ Where does it come from?
▫ How did it originate?
 Most departments/agencies/bureaus created by Congress
• What do presidents look for when making Cabinet
appointments?
▫ Why might some of these factors lead to a “cabinet of
strangers”?
• Who approves these nominations?
▫ Are they likely to approve these nominations? Why?
Cabinet
7.4
Diversity in the Cabinet?
Reagan: 33 total secretaries in 8 years
• 3 Women (all white) 1 Black Male
12% Minority rate
1 Hispanic
Bush I: 21 total in 4 years
• 3 Women (all white) 2 Hispanics (one carried over from Reagan)
23% Minority rate
Clinton: 29 total secretaries in 8 years
• 5 Women (3 W, 2 black) 3 Black men 3 Hispanics
44% Minority rate
Bush II: 34 total in 8 years
• 5 women (4 W, 1 black) 3 Black men
• 1 Japanese (same person as Clinton)
35% minority rate
Obama: 16 total in 4 years
•
4 women (1 Latino)
56% minority rate
1 Japanese
3 Hispanics
1 Black man
1 Latino
3 Asians
Consider: Is there another city whose major sports teams all
wear the same 2 basic colors?
Homework: Assignment 11 for tomorrow; collaborize post by
Monday class time.
The Role of the Cabinet
• Have president’s relied heavily on their cabinet for
advice?
• Which cabinet departments have more influence?
▫ Why?
▫ What do we call these?
• What factors might contribute to their “3rd degree” of
propinquity status regardless of their importance?
First Lady
 Informal advisers
 Abigail Adams
 Edith Wilson
 Eleanor Roosevelt
 Michelle Obama
 What has been her
main initiative since
Obama took office in
2008?
7.4
The Executive Office of the President
• These agencies report directly to Prez, but not located in
the WH.
▫ May or may not have intimate contact with him; some are
large bucy’s.
▫ The top positions are prez appointments, but must be
confirmed by Senate
• Overseen by the White House Chief of Staff, the EOP has
traditionally been home to many of the President’s closest
advisors.
▫ Most important are: OMB, CIA, CEA, OPM, Trade Rep
 Perhaps most important is OMB; responsible for not just
developing the budget, but also studying and improving
organization of executive branch
• What factors might contribute to their “2nd degree” status?
Executive Office of the President
(EOP)







National Security Council (NSC)
Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Office of the Vice President
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Economic Recovery Advisory Board
“Czars”
7.4
White House Office
• Personal staff of president
▫ Personal assistants, senior aides, Chief of Staff
▫ Chosen for loyalty, Hired and fired by president; no
Senate confirmation
▫ Located in West Wing…close proximity
• Difficult to know how many
▫ Number increased throughout history, (reached a)
plateau at about 500
• What factors might contribute to the WHO’s “1st
degree” status?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26iAy
LLGLEs&feature=related
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop