80 likes | 85 Views
Selection of the Cabinet. Cabinet 15 secretaries Advise the president Administrators of large bureaucracies Vice President Other top officials. Cabinet Appointees. Appointees should have: Background compatible with department
E N D
Selection of the Cabinet • Cabinet • 15 secretaries • Advise the president • Administrators of large bureaucracies • Vice President • Other top officials
Cabinet Appointees • Appointees should have: • Background compatible with department • Satisfy interest groups with a stake in the department’s policies • High-level administrative experience • May leak potential names • Judge response of Congress, interest groups, and public • Senate holds confirmation hearings
The Role of the Cabinet • Advisory board to the president • The Cabinet in History • Role depends on the President • The Modern Cabinet • Attempt to increase cabinet’s role, but generally end up going elsewhere • The Influence of Cabinet Members • Inner Cabinet • State, Treasury, Attorney General (Justice), and Defense • Outer Cabinet • Less contact with the president • Less influence
Factors Limiting the Cabinet’s Role • Conflicting loyalties • Cabinet members also have loyalties to • Long-term officials in their department • Members of Congress • Special-interest groups • Conflict between cabinet members • Secrecy and Trust • Difficult to maintain secrecy with 15 secretaries • Generally turn to Executive Office of the Presidency and White House Staff instead
Executive Office Agencies • EOP – created by FDR in 1939 • Attorneys, scientists, social scientists, and other highly technical professionals • Grown Rapidly • Every president has reorganized and expanded it • More complex issues lead to more advisors • Federal programs require work from many agencies
Executive Office Agencies • Office of Management and Budget (OMB) • Prepares the national budget • Central clearance • National Security Council (NSC) • Advise the president • Coordinate U.S. military and foreign policy • Directed by National Security Advisor • Office of Homeland Security • Homeland Security Council • Headed by Secretary of Homeland Security • Attorney general, FBI directors, CIA, FEMA, secretaries of Defense, Treasury, Transportation, and Health and Human Services • Coordinates fight against terrorism
Executive Office Agencies • Council of Economic Advisers • Assesses the nation’s economic health • Predicts future conditions • Supports other agencies in economic planning • Other EOP Agencies • Presidents create and destroy offices to meet their individual needs
The White House Office • Staff is chosen by president without Senate confirmation • Most important aides • Chief of Staff • Deputy Chief of Staff • White House Counsel • Press Secretary • Ensure president’s directives are carried out • Present the president’s views to the public • Advise president on reactions in Congress • Determine which issues and people president sees