CHAPTER 15: GOVERNMENT AT WORK

Bureaucracy: an efficient and effective means to organize

people to work (p.426)

I. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE .PRESIDENT: D.MCDonough

A. White House Office

1. Nerve center of executive office

2.Takes care of day to day activities of Pres.

3. Chief of staff, press secretary, counselors, advisors, speech writers

4. Takes experts advice and puts it in proper context and priorities

I. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT (cont.)

B. Office of Management & Budget-OMB

1. Writes and assembles the budget

2. Devises plans for reorganization

3. Reviews budget proposals included

in President’s budget (veto power)

4. 500 staff membersJeff Zients

I. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT (cont.)

C. National Security Council – Susan Rice

1. Advises Pres. On domestic, foreign,

and military matters related to security.

2. Members are Pres,VP, State, Def, Director

of National Intel, Chairman of JT Chiefs of

Staff,Treas, Energy, Director of OMB

3. Information provided by CIA

John

Brennan

II. The President’s CabinetA. Informal advisory body/not mentioned in the

Constitution B. Choosing cabinet secretaries 1. Chosen by Pres. with Senate approval 2. What the President looks for: a. Ideology/Party (democrat) b. Experience/administrative ability (governor) c. Geography and demographics (Hispanic)

II. President’s Cabinet (cont.)

C. Cabinet’s role

1. Heads up his/hers department

2. Advise the President or not

3. Over history CUSTOM and USAGE has identified the cabinet the Pres. doesn’t have to use

4. The 15 cabinets (pgs 436-437)Each Secretary must

defend his department at

the same time while he

does what the Pres. says.

III. Independent AgenciesA. Reasons for independent agencies

1. Do no fit within a cabinet (GSA)

2. Protection from influence of both

partisan or pressure politics (soc.sec.)

3. Peculiar and sensitive functions (CIA)

III. Independent Agencies (cont.)

B. Independent Regulatory Commissions

1. Beyond reach of presidential control

2. Ten created to regulate or police

economy. (pg 447)

3. Examples:

a. Federal Reserve System: regulates

money supply.

b. Federal Communications Com: guarantees

reasonable rates for all forms of communications

c. Federal Trade Comm: Regulates fair business,

advertising and reduces fraud

III. Independent Agencies (cont.)

C. Have many powers

1. Quasi-executive: administer rules

2. Quasi-legislative: write rules

3. Quasi-judicial: punishes if rule broken

Examples: FCC makes rules about cuss words, enforces rules if use cuss works over airwaves, punishes you for doing it.

D. Government Corporations: Set to carry

out certain business activitives

1. Congress provides money and control.

Income is put back into company

2. Examples: Amtrack, TVA, Post Office