The Presidency #4

1. The Presidency #4 Management of the Presidency

2. Managing the Presidency • Over the last few sections, we have discussed the various jobs and responsibilities of the President. • The President has a very large staff, which works to ensure: • Presidential Efficiency • Information for the President • Day to Day Management of the Executive Mansion • Presidential Security • Cabinet Needs • Vice Presidential Needs

3. Who is in charge of all of this? • This guy is! • He is Jacob Lew, the President’s Chief of Staff. • The Chief of Staff is the President’s closest assistant. • The Chief of Staff can also function as an advisor to the President.

4. Where does the Staff work? • The staff works in the various wings of the White House, mostly in the West Wing. • Some offices are off-site in the Old Executive Office Building, near to the White House. • The majority of high level officials work in the White House while their support staff is in the OEOB.

6. The Executive Office of the President • Council of Economic Advisers • Council on Environmental Quality • National Security/Homeland Security Council(s) • Office of Administration • Office of Management and Budget • Office of National Drug Control Policy • Office of Science and Technology Policy • Office of the United States Trade Representative • Office of the Vice President

7. Also Working at the White House… • Office of Cabinet Affairs • Office of the Chief of Staff • Office of Communications • Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy • Office of the First Lady • Office of Health Reform • National Security Advisor • Office of Legislative Affairs • Office of Management and Administration • Oval Office Operations • Office of Political Affairs • Office of Presidential Personnel • Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs • Office of the Press Secretary • Office of Scheduling and Advance • Office of the Staff Secretary • Office of the White House Counsel • Office of White House Policy • White House Military Office

8. How the EOP Works • The EOP functions however the President and the Chief of Staff need it to. • This is done to ensure the best quality and efficiency of the EOP. • Some Presidents encourage competition to make sure the EOP is at its best. • Some Presidents use the collegial approach in an effort to develop “groupthink”. • This means that people work together to solve problems, rather than working in competition with each other.

9. Discussion Question • In the Space Below, write the question and your answer: • Which (of these 2) management tactics would you use if you were the President. Why? (Be sure to explain your reasons).

10. The Cabinet

11. Members of the Obama Cabinet • Vice President of the United States-Joseph R. Biden • Department of State-Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton • Department of the Treasury-Secretary Timothy F. Geithner • Department of Defense-Secretary Leon E. Panetta • Department of Justice-Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. • Department of the Interior-Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar • Department of Agriculture-Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack • Department of Commerce-Secretary John E. Bryson • Department of Labor-Secretary Hilda L. Solis • Department of Health and Human Services-Secretary Kathleen Sebelius • Department of Housing and Urban Dev.-Secretary Shaun Donovan • Department of Transportation-Secretary Ray LaHood • Department of Energy-Secretary Steven Chu • Department of Education-Secretary Arne Duncan • Department of Veterans Affairs-Secretary Eric K. Shinseki • Department of Homeland Security-Secretary Janet A. Napolitano

12. How the Cabinet is Selected • The Cabinet is selected by the President. • The President begins selecting this group when they are the President-Elect. • Appointments to the Cabinet can be both Political and Merit Based. • An example of this is the appointment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. • Cabinet appointments must be confirmed by the Senate (as all Presidential appointments are!)

13. The Cabinet does….. • The Cabinet serves as a advisory board for the President. • They also act as advocates for the areas they represent in the Cabinet. • The President is not required to have a cabinet or meet with them if they have one established. • This is another Washingtonian Tradition. • This aside, the Cabinet is often divided in to inner and outer groups. • The inner Cabinet is made up of Defense, Treasury, State and Justice. • The outer cabinet is made up of all others, but can shift depending on Presidential needs.

14. Discussion Question • In the Space below, write the question and your answer: • If you were the President, which groups would make up your “inner cabinet”? Select 6 Cabinet offices to make your list. • Be sure you can explain why!

15. The Vice President’s Role • As we have discussed on many occasions, the role of the VP has changed over time. • While the VP is still seen as “a back up”, they do serve an important purpose. • The VP: • Can be the head of EOP Councils. • Can be a direct advisor to the President. • Since the 1970s the VP has played a consistent role as a high level Presidential Advisor. • Trust and dependence on the VP as an Advisor and Council Head, along with any other duties, depends on how much the President trusts the VP.