Day 6: The Executive Branch

Daniel J. Mallinson

Political ScienceStockton University

Daniel.Mallinson@stockton.edu

POLS 3180

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Road map

Finish discussing memo writing

Understand our domain of study for the semester:The Executive Branch (Part 1)

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What Does the President Do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn7Z7bvLhng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnW3xkHxIEQ

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=3985835

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The Functions of the Executive Branch

Original

Managing money (revenue, spending, borrowing)

Maintaining law and order

Keeping the country safe

Managing foreign affairs

Over time...

Growing scope of government expanded functions of theWhite House

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Coordination and Organization

“Formal organization is about creating effectivestrategies for coordinating complex systems”(Kettl, 128)

“Coordination is essential for administration, andorganization is perhaps the most basic tool forachieving it” (Kettl, 128)

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Name That Department

Take a moment to write down all of the Cabinet-leveldepartments in the Executive Branch.

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Our Domain of Study

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Cabinet Departments

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Trade-Off in Independence

Cabinet Departments

Political control is important, but erodes dichotomy

Independent Agencies

Independence intended to insulate them from presidentialcontrol and legislative-executive politics

Balance between control and flexibility is difficult foradministrators and principals

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Division of Labor

Bureaus

Functional operating units within departments

Field Offices

Area-based divisions within a bureau/department

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Limits on Executive Management

1 Elected executives (POTUS, Governor, Mayor)selected for electability, not management ability;appointees may not have been executives before

2 Brief tenure of appointed officials (< 2 years) andlittle control over hiring

3 Greater interdepartmental friction

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Tools of Management

How do the Executive Office of the White House, Officeof Management and Budget, and National SecurityCouncil help the White House manage/administer thebureaucracy?

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Another Tool: Czars

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E-GovernmentThe Internet

Opportunity for greater public involvement

Variation in success

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