Warm up: ReadingA Very Big Branch
Structure of the Executive Branch
Objectives:
1.
Assess the roles of the Cabinet and the heads of the the
executive departments.
2.
Explain the relationship between the President and his
Cabinet.
3.
Identify key roles in the White House Staff.
The Executive Branch
President
Executive Departments
& Agencies
How can this bureaucracy be structured?
1.
Pyramid structure-A president's subordinates report to him
through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff
2.
Circular structure- president's assistants report directly to
him.
3.
Ad hoc structure- Several subordinates, cabinet officers and
committees report directly to the president on different
matters.
Pros and cons of each???
Some stats
FUN FACT:
Including the members
of the armed forces, the
Executive Branch
employs over 4 million
people! (that’s over 2%
of the working US
population!)
More stats
 White House staff size: 456
 Want to see the pay? https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-
room/disclosures/annual-records/2014
 Executive Office of the President staff: b/t 2000-2500
 Budget: $300-$400 million
 Created shortly after 1937 after bureaucracy got too large!
The Cabinet= heads of 15 departments +
VP
Cabinet
 Article II Sec. 2
 Must be approved by the Senate
ROLES:
 Advise the President in the respective area.
 Not a collective group, usually meet for first time after being
appointed.
 Consequences???
Why might the President have little
control over his Cabinet?
1.
Cabinet departments are HUGE, so hard to get everyone to
back you-> doesn’t appoint workers in the Cabinet
departments.
2.
Given leeway for day to day operations.
3.
Competes with Congress for power (Congress funds them).
4.
Greater experts in the field than President
5.
Civil servants loyal to agency, not President.
White House Staff
 Composed mainly of advisors and analysts.
 Closer to the President, but more general knowledge of
issues than the EOP and Cabinet.
 Grown from fewer than a dozen people (Kitchen Cabinet) to
over 400.
 Tension b/t Staff and Cabinet
 Extension of personality and policies vs. expert knowledge
 Young, inexperienced vs. older and experienced
 Take position of President vs. that of expert
Executive office of the President
 Launch pad for implementing policy
 Highly specialized, reflect the President at the time.
 Help carry out day to day responsibilities of the President.
 Part of Institutionalized Presidency- permanent agencies that
perform defined management tasks for the President.
 Some important offices:
 White House office
 National Security Council- “inner cabinet”
 Office of Management and Budget (most important)
 Council of Economic Advisors.
White House Office
 Closest assistants-located in West Wing.
 Develops policy favored by the President
 Research policy
 Staff members are loyal and trustworthy-hand picked by the President. (not
confirmed by Senate)
 Key positions
 Chief of Staff –advises the President and manages WHO
 Press Secretary- spokesperson to the media.
 White House Counsel-Presidents lawyer.
 RULE OF PROPINQUITY- power wielded by those closest to the President.
3 degrees of propinquity
 White House Office
 Executive Office
 cabinet
Hmmm….
 Why do presidents rely on only one or two key subordinates?
 Where are Senior White House staff members from?
Executive agencies vs. independent
agencies
 Heads of executive agencies serve at the pleasure of the
president and can be removed at his discretion.
 The heads of many independent agencies serve for fixed
terms and can only be removed "for cause."
Crash Course
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vnuFJSMYkY