The President as Chief The President as Chief Executive:Executive:

The bureaucracy The bureaucracy and the presidential and the presidential branch of governmentbranch of government

Should the bureaucracy be mostly Should the bureaucracy be mostly a source of expertise that is a source of expertise that is independent of political control? independent of political control?

Or should it be more responsive Or should it be more responsive to direction by the elected Chief to direction by the elected Chief Executive?Executive?

Today…Today…

What are the components of the What are the components of the executive branch?executive branch?

How can the president control the How can the president control the executive branch?executive branch?– Control who’s running itControl who’s running it– Control its budgetControl its budget– Control its outputControl its output

What are executive orders, and how do What are executive orders, and how do they help the president execute the laws?they help the president execute the laws?

Head of the Executive Head of the Executive Branch?Branch?

One aide said to President Carter, One aide said to President Carter,

““I have come to the conclusion that I have come to the conclusion that there is only one thing you can do, there is only one thing you can do, unilaterally, without getting the unilaterally, without getting the bureaucracy involved, or having it bureaucracy involved, or having it go through 14 different levels…it’s go through 14 different levels…it’s the only power you’ve got. the only power you’ve got.

And he said, “What’s that?”And he said, “What’s that?”

““And I said, ‘You’ve got the power to And I said, ‘You’ve got the power to blow up the world. Can’t nobody blow up the world. Can’t nobody stop you…But if you want anything stop you…But if you want anything else to happen and you say, I want else to happen and you say, I want this done tomorrow, there ain’t very this done tomorrow, there ain’t very much you can do to get it done much you can do to get it done tomorrow. Somebody’s got to write tomorrow. Somebody’s got to write a position paper. Somebody’s got to a position paper. Somebody’s got to go through this, or you’ve got to go through this, or you’ve got to check with Congress.”check with Congress.”

Executive PowerExecutive Power

““The Executive power shall be vested The Executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of in a President of the United States of America.”America.”

--Article II, Section I--Article II, Section I

““He shall take care that the laws be He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”faithfully executed.”

--Article II, Section III--Article II, Section III

Bureaucracy in the Bureaucracy in the ConstitutionConstitutionArticle II, Section 2: Article II, Section 2: “ “[the President] may require the Opinion in [the President] may require the Opinion in

writing, of the principal Officer in each of the writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective relating to the Duties of their respective Offices…”Offices…”

                                                                                                                               “ “The Congress may by Law vest the The Congress may by Law vest the

Appointment of such inferior Offices, as they Appointment of such inferior Offices, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.”Departments.”

1919thth century Cabinet century Cabinet DepartmentsDepartments 1789: State, Treasury, War1789: State, Treasury, War 1798: Navy1798: Navy 1849: Interior1849: Interior 1870: Justice1870: Justice 1872: Post Office1872: Post Office 1889: Agriculture1889: Agriculture 1903: Commerce and Labor 1903: Commerce and Labor

– (split in 1913 into Commerce Dept. and (split in 1913 into Commerce Dept. and Labor Dept.)Labor Dept.)

New 20New 20thth Century Century Cabinet Depts.Cabinet Depts. 1947: Defense (from War)1947: Defense (from War) 1953: Health, Education & Welfare 1953: Health, Education & Welfare

– (split into HHS and Education in 1973)(split into HHS and Education in 1973) 1965: Housing and Urban Development1965: Housing and Urban Development 1966: Transportation1966: Transportation 1977: Energy1977: Energy 1979: Education1979: Education 1989: Veterans’ Affairs1989: Veterans’ Affairs 2003: Homeland Security2003: Homeland Security

Appointments and Appointments and ConfirmationsConfirmations 12 cabinet appointments have 12 cabinet appointments have

been rejected:been rejected:– 1834: Taney1834: Taney– 1843: Cushing (three times!)1843: Cushing (three times!)– 1844: Henshaw; Porter; Green1844: Henshaw; Porter; Green– 1868: Stanberry1868: Stanberry– 1925: Warren (twice)1925: Warren (twice)– 1959: Strauss1959: Strauss– 1989: John Tower1989: John Tower

How can the president How can the president control the control the bureaucracy?bureaucracy?

#1: Control who’s running it#1: Control who’s running it

Cabinet Secretaries Cabinet Secretaries The problem of Bureaucratic CaptureThe problem of Bureaucratic Capture Jimmy Carter’s Senior Executive ServiceJimmy Carter’s Senior Executive Service Reagan’s Office of Personnel ManagementReagan’s Office of Personnel Management

How can the president How can the president control the control the bureaucracy?bureaucracy?

#2: Control its budget#2: Control its budget

1919thth Century Century Bureau of the BudgetBureau of the Budget Office of Management and BudgetOffice of Management and Budget

How can the president How can the president control the control the bureaucracy?bureaucracy?

#3: Control its output: regulations!#3: Control its output: regulations!

Quality of Life Review ProgramQuality of Life Review Program Council on Wage-Price StabilityCouncil on Wage-Price Stability Exec. Order 12291—Regulatory Exec. Order 12291—Regulatory

ReviewReview

Terry Moe: Terry Moe: The Presidential The Presidential Advantage?Advantage?

““Even when the interests of presidents and Even when the interests of presidents and Congress are in conflict, which is much of Congress are in conflict, which is much of the time, presidents have inherent the time, presidents have inherent advantages in the realm of institution advantages in the realm of institution building that allow them, slowly but surely, building that allow them, slowly but surely, to strengthen their hand in the ongoing to strengthen their hand in the ongoing battle with Congress for control of the battle with Congress for control of the bureaucracy.” bureaucracy.”

The Loyalty-The Loyalty-Competence TradeoffCompetence Tradeoff

The Loyalty-The Loyalty-Competence TradeoffCompetence Tradeoff

Why do presidents distrust the Why do presidents distrust the bureaucracy?bureaucracy?

Why do they face challenges Why do they face challenges running it?running it?

Is resistance from career Is resistance from career bureaucrats really a problem?bureaucrats really a problem?

What qualities are What qualities are important for an executive important for an executive appointee to have?appointee to have?

IntegrityIntegrity LoyaltyLoyalty Commitment to the President’s ProgramCommitment to the President’s Program AbilityAbility

– IntellectualIntellectual– PoliticalPolitical– Savvy in ways of WashingtonSavvy in ways of Washington– InterpersonalInterpersonal– Managerial!!!Managerial!!!

Who Who do do presidents presidents choose?choose?

What characteristics What characteristics seem to be most seem to be most important to them?important to them?

One more One more presidential tool:presidential tool:

The “Presidential The “Presidential Branch” Branch” of governmentof government

White House Staff in White House Staff in HistoryHistory

1919thth Century Century 1900: 13 staffers1900: 13 staffers 1950: 1950:

– 313 White House staff313 White House staff– 1326 Executive Office of the 1326 Executive Office of the

President staffPresident staff

Report of the Report of the Brownlow CommitteeBrownlow Committee

“ “The President needs help. His The President needs help. His immediate staff assistance is immediate staff assistance is entirely inadequate. He should be entirely inadequate. He should be given a small number of executive given a small number of executive assistants who would be his direct assistants who would be his direct aides in dealing with the aides in dealing with the managerial agencies and managerial agencies and administrative departments of the administrative departments of the government…”government…”

Report of the Report of the Brownlow CommitteeBrownlow Committee

““These aides would have no These aides would have no power to make decisions or issue power to make decisions or issue instructions in their own right…They instructions in their own right…They should be possessed of high should be possessed of high competence, great physical vigor and competence, great physical vigor and a passion for anonymity. They should a passion for anonymity. They should be installed in the White House itself, be installed in the White House itself, directly accessible to the president.” directly accessible to the president.”

Growth of the Presidential Growth of the Presidential BranchBranch(number of staff)(number of staff)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

1943 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

WH Staff Total EOP

President Bush’s White President Bush’s White House StaffHouse Staff

White House Cabinet White House Cabinet Affairs OfficeAffairs Office

White House White House Communications OfficeCommunications Office– SpeechwritingSpeechwriting– Media AffairsMedia Affairs– Press SecretaryPress Secretary

Office of Counsel to Office of Counsel to the Presidentthe President

First Lady’s OfficeFirst Lady’s Office CorrespondenceCorrespondence Intergovernmental Intergovernmental

AffairsAffairs

Legislative AffairsLegislative Affairs Office of PersonnelOffice of Personnel Political AffairsPolitical Affairs Presidential AdvancePresidential Advance Presidential PersonnelPresidential Personnel Presidential Presidential

SchedulingScheduling Social Office Social Office Strategic InitiativesStrategic Initiatives Travel OfficeTravel Office Office of the Vice Office of the Vice

PresidentPresident

Executive Office of the Executive Office of the President AgenciesPresident Agencies

Council of Economic Council of Economic AdvisersAdvisers

Council on Economic Council on Economic QualityQuality National Security CouncilNational Security Council Office of Management and Office of Management and

BudgetBudget Office of AdministrationOffice of Administration Office of Faith Based and Office of Faith Based and

Community InitiativesCommunity Initiatives President’s Critical President’s Critical

Infrastructure Protection Infrastructure Protection BoardBoard

Office of Policy DevelopmentOffice of Policy Development– Domestic Policy CouncilDomestic Policy Council– National Economic CouncilNational Economic Council

Office of Nat’l AIDS PolicyOffice of Nat’l AIDS Policy Office of National Drug Office of National Drug

Control PolicyControl Policy Office of Science andOffice of Science and

Technology PolicyTechnology Policy Office of the US Trade Office of the US Trade

RepresentativeRepresentative

The Plum BookThe Plum Book

Management Management StrategiesStrategies CompetitiveCompetitive

HierarchicalHierarchical

CollegialCollegial