The White House Staff: General Observations - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The White House Staff:

General Observations

Slide2

The White House Staff: General Observations

The Presidency is a Highly Personalized Office

The White House staff organization and operations reflect the preferences, tone, personality, and style of the President rather than the President conforming his style to the White House staff.

Institutionalization of the White House StaffThere has been a good deal of stability with respect to the size and composition of the White House staff and the Executive Office of the President since the changes instituted in the Nixon Administration.The White House as a Coordinating ComplexAs the size and scope of government have grown, so have the roles and responsibilities of the White House staff to coordinate the large number of departments and agencies that have been created and the large number of entities in the Executive Office of the President.

2

Slide3

Essential Roles of the

White House Staff

Slide4

The President as Chief Executive

Historically, presidents have had only modest sized staffs.

The Brownlow Committee, commissioned by Franklin D. Roosevelt, began its report with the memorable words, “The President needs help.”

Its report led to the creation in 1939 of the Executive Office of the President, a collection of entities designed to serve the President in providing leadership and direction to the executive branch of government.The Bureau of the Budget, created in 1921 by the Congress to have responsibility for assisting the President in preparing a unified federal budget was originally placed in the Department of the Treasury. In 1939, it was transferred to the newly-created Executive Office of the President.4

Slide5

Executive Office of the President

Council on Environmental Quality

National Security Council Staff

Office of Administration

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

Office of Policy Development

Office of National Drug Control Policy

Office of Science and Technology Policy

Council of Economic Advisors

Office of the Vice President

President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board

White House Office

Office of Management and Budget

5

Slide6

Roles of the White House Staff and the

Executive Office of the President

Ensure that the administration’s policies are

comprehensive – that major issues are not falling between the cracks.Ensure that the administration’s policies are coherent – that initiatives of one department are not undercutting those of other departments.Ensure that the system for advising the president produces informed decisions.Ensure that decisions are implemented consistent with the intent of the President.

6

Slide7

The White House Staff

The White House Staff is the entity most responsible for ensuring that the administration’s policies are comprehensive and coherent, that decisions are informed, and that those decisions are successfully implemented.

7

Slide8

The White House Staff as a Holding Company

The White House staff is similar to a holding company with a large collection of offices, each of which has its own set of:

Responsibilities

Constituents Work FlowsIt is a holding company with three main divisions.8

Slide9

Essential Roles of the White House Staff

9

Slide10

The Challenge of Coordination

Slide11

The Challenge of Coordination

The Office of the White House Chief of Staff has increasingly taken on the responsibility for coordinating the elements of the White House staff and coordinating between the White House staff and other entities in the Executive Office of the President.

Since

the 1990s, the White House Chief of Staff typically has had two deputies – one to oversee the care and feeding offices and one to coordinate the policy formulation and packaging offices.11

Slide12

The Challenge of Coordination

12

Slide13

Senior Staff with General Portfolios

Many White House staffs include individuals with general portfolios who often have a special relationship to the President and who are not associated with any particular office.

The Obama White House currently has three such senior staff members:

Counselor to the President (Peter Rouse)Senior Advisor (Valerie Jarrett)Senior Advisor (David Plouffe)13

Slide14

Roles of the White House

Chief of Staff

Slide15

Some Roles of the White House Chief of Staff

Operations

Oversees efficient functioning of White House staff

Clarifies assignments and responsibilitiesFacilitates vertical coordination among officesFacilitates horizontal coordination across divisionsCounselorActs as an all-purpose policy and political advisorStrategyOversees development of overall administration strategyEmissaryServes as the President’s alter egoServes as a legislative negotiatorServes as an administration spokesman

The more of these roles the Chief of Staff is expected to fulfill, the greater the potential for overload.

15

Slide16

White House

Chief of Staff Models

Slide17

White House Chief of Staff Models

Presidents since FDR have adopted one of the following organizational arrangements. Four stand out as most viable for the modern presidency.

The President as Chief (Spokes of the Wheel)

Collegial – Band of BrothersStrong White House Chief of StaffChief of Staff as Chief Operating OfficerChief of Staff as COO and StrategistChief of Staff as COO and Strategist Plus17

Slide18

Model 1: The President as Chief

Some presidents have determined not to appoint a White House Chief of Staff, choosing instead to undertake much of the necessary coordination of the White House staff themselves. This was true of:

Franklin Roosevelt

Harry TrumanJimmy Carter (early in his term)18

Slide19

Model 2: Collegial – Band of Brothers

Several presidents have relied on an informal or formal arrangement among a small number of senior advisors to manage the White House staff. Examples include:

John Kennedy

Lyndon JohnsonRonald ReaganBill Clinton 19

Slide20

Model 3: Strong White House Chief of Staff

Other presidents have delegated many of these responsibilities to a strong Chief of Staff.

Dwight Eisenhower (Sherman Adams)

Richard Nixon (H.R. Haldeman, Alexander Haig)Ronald Reagan (Donald Regan)George H.W. Bush (John Sununu)20

Slide21

Model 4: Chief of Staff as COO

Presidents have increasingly looked to their White House Chief of Staff to efficiently manage the operations of the White House.

Oversee efficient functioning of White House staff

Principal intermediary between the President and WH senior staffClarify assignments and responsibilitiesSort out who on WH staff is responsible for whatFacilitate vertical coordination among officesEnsure that the Care & Feeding Offices collaborate successfullyEnsure that the Policy Offices produce comprehensive policies without duplicating one another’s effortsEnsure that the Packaging & Selling Offices focus on administration priorities

Facilitate horizontal coordination across divisions

Ensure that the Policy Offices and the Packaging & Selling Offices reinforce rather than undermine one another’s efforts.

21

Slide22

Model 5: Chief of Staff as COO & Strategist

In addition to presidents looking to their Chief of Staff as an effective COO (Model 4), some presidents have also relied on their Chief of Staff to oversee the development of the administration’s overall strategy.

This strategy invariably involves:

Determining policy prioritiesBuilding and spending political capitalDeploying legislative, administrative, and rhetorical means to achieve the President’s policies22

Slide23

Model 6: Chief of Staff as COO & Strategist Plus

In addition to presidents looking to their Chief of Staff as an effective COO & Strategist (Model 5), some presidents have also heavily utilized their Chief of Staff to serve as an emissary and negotiator in achieving their objectives.

Serves as the President’s alter ego

Presidents can delegate many responsibilities to a Chief of Staff who is perceived as close to the PresidentServes as a legislative negotiatorPresidents have assigned to their Chief of Staff negotiating responsibilities on many key pieces of legislationServes as an administration spokesmanPresidents have sometimes utilized the White House Chief of Staff as a key spokesman – a decision they often have come to regret

23

Slide24

White House – Departmental Relations

Slide25

White House – Departmental Relations

Every administration has faced the issue of finding the appropriate relationship between the White House and executive departments and agencies.

Many presidents declare their enthusiasm for a form of cabinet government in which they rely heavily on cabinet secretaries as their principal lieutenants. This effort in

cabinet government is usually short-lived. (Carter Administration)Other presidents gravitate toward a dominant White House staff, leaving departments and agencies feeling neglected and sometimes ignored. (Nixon Administration)Some presidents seek a working partnership, engaging the resources and expertise in departments and agencies while coordinating the development of policy by White House-led councils.25

Slide26

White House P0licy Councils

The idea of White House-led interagency councils was a reaction to the policy chaos of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Administration. The first of these – established by statute in 1947 – was the National Security Council.

A central issue is how many councils to have. Too few can lead to policy overload for an individual council. Too many can contribute to confusion regarding who is responsible for what and difficulty in producing coherent policies.

Some administrations have experimented with a relatively large number. Reagan had eight different Cabinet-level policy councils during his first term. Most have settled on three – National Security Policy, Domestic Policy, and Economic Policy. For a time, George W. Bush added a fourth council dealing with Homeland Security. This was later folded into the National Security Council.The three council model seems to work well in providing a manageable number of issues without creating overload.26

Slide27

White House Policy Councils

27

National Economic Council

Domestic Policy Council

National Security Council

The President

Slide28

Processes for Producing Unified Policies

A central objective for every president is leading a unified administration in dealing with the Congress, the press, and organized interest groups.

Achieving this unity requires careful attention to five key dimensions of the relationship between the White House and departments and agencies.

Budget, legislative clearance, and regulatory reviewPolicy formulationPersonnelLegislative liaisonPress relations28

Slide29

Producing Unified Policies

29

Press

Congress

Interest Groups

The White House

Departments and Agencies

Budget

Leg. Clearance

Regulatory Rev.

Policy Formulation

Personnel

Legislative Liaison

Press Relations

Slide30

Budget, Legislative Clearance,

and Regulatory Review

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and its predecessor the Bureau of the Budget have had responsibility for producing a

unified federal budget that the president transmits to Congress.OMB also has responsibility for legislative clearance of testimony by administration officials and legislation sent by the administration to Congress.OMB’s regulatory review process, established by executive order, approves major regulations issued by departments and agencies.30

Slide31

Policy Formulation

The principal vehicles for advising the president on major policy decisions are the National Security Council, the National Economic Council, and the Domestic Policy Council.

Each cabinet department or agency is represented on at least one of these councils, providing them an avenue for bringing issues to the president through a process that permits him to have the benefit of a full range of views and considerations in making an informed decision.

31

Slide32

Personnel

Presidential appointments are of intense interest to the White House and to departments and agencies. The appointment of ambassadors is a classic example of a frequent conflict of these interests.

Some administrations have allowed cabinet secretaries great latitude in assembling their departmental “teams.” (Carter Administration)

Other administrations have sought tight White House control in sub-cabinet level appointments.A third approach involves establishing a working partnership in which the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and the respective department have a mutual veto. In practice, this generally works well.32

Slide33

Legislative Liaison

The White House Office of Legislative Affairs is small relative to its counterpart in many departments.

Given the modest size of the White House legislative affairs staff, it is crucial that the departmental legislative liaison offices work closely with it.

This generally involves weekly reports and careful monitoring by the White House so that the efforts by departmental personnel reflect presidential priorities.33

Slide34

Press Relations

Given the intense nature of media scrutiny, it is essential that the White House Press Office and the White House Communications Office work closely and effectively with their counterparts in departments and agencies.

This is reflected in a daily conference call led by the White House Press Office with their counterparts in departments and agencies, communicating to them the “line of the day” and ensuring that the administration does not “step on” its

own stories.34

Slide35

Legislative Strategy Group

Slide36

A Promising Institutional Innovation

Administrations function best when they have a clear sense of purpose and direction, and when the President focuses his time and political capital on a limited number of key objectives.

The Reagan administration successfully used a Legislative Strategy Group (LSG) to identify priorities and to implement comprehensive strategies to achieve them.

36

Slide37

Legislative Strategy Group: Central Purposes

A legislative strategy group similar to that used during President Reagan’s first term would have three central purposes:

Establish and clarify the administration’s legislative priorities

Oversee the negotiations on key legislative initiativesEnsure coordination between elements of the White House and departments in achieving the President’s legislative priorities.37

Slide38

Size of the Legislative Strategy Group

The LSG should bring together key officials who represent a variety of perspectives among those responsible for developing and implementing policy.

It should be small enough to meet frequently and function efficiently. It should remain flexible enough to expand when necessary to better illuminate particular issues under discussion.

In the Reagan administration, the core group varied in size from 5-6 individuals, a size that seemed to work well.38

Slide39

Legislative Strategy Group Membership

Given that the most pressing legislative issues at the beginning of the administration will relate to economic policy and the budget,

the LSG members might include

:White House Chief of StaffThe Vice PresidentAssistant to the President for Legislative AffairsDirector of the Office of Management and BudgetStaff Secretary or Deputy White House Chief of Staff for PolicyAs appropriate, others may be added:Relevant Cabinet members (i.e. Secretary of the Treasury for legislative strategy on tax reform)Deputy Assistants to the President for Legislative Affairs (House and/or Senate)

39

Slide40

Legislative Strategy Group

Operation & Meetings

Established early in the first Reagan term, the LSG met several times a week, usually in the late afternoons in the Office of the Chief of Staff.

The Office of the Chief of Staff prepared the agendas and tasked the preparation of any papers that would be circulated at the meeting.By far the most frequent issues discussed revolved around budget policy and economic issues.40

Slide41

Legislative Strategy Group Chair

The White House Chief of Staff is an appropriate chair for the Legislative Strategy Group:

The people responsible for implementing the decisions reached by the LSG – such as the Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs or the OMB Director – generally report to or through the White House Chief of Staff.

The White House Chief of Staff typically is with the President multiple times each day and is well positioned to update him and get his input when needed.The White House Chief of Staff has fewer responsibilities that require him to travel or fill assignments outside the White House.41

Slide42

Building an Accountable Administration Team

Slide43

Building an Accountable Administration Team

43

To be fully effective, an administration must be more than merely the sum of its parts.

Cabinet secretaries often find the reality of their role less than expected. Many feel infrequently consulted and lacking the direction and accountability that would help them contribute more to achieving the President’s objectives.

Slide44

Building an Accountable Administration Team

44

One possible way to help address this deficit would be to add cabinet operations to the portfolio of the Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy. This individual would have three new responsibilities:

Provide enhanced accountability for cabinet secretaries by systematically assessing the efforts of their departments in contributing to the President’s priorities and objectives;Help mentor cabinet officers who may have little previous government experience; andBuild improved relationships by looking out for the interests of cabinet officials and helping them feel part of an administration team.

Note: This role would be distinct from that of the policy councils (NSC, NEC, DPC) which have responsibility for coordinating departments in the development of policy.

Slide45

Building a Working Partnership

with the Nation’s Governors

45

Administrations have varied widely in the quality of their relationships with the nation’s governors. An enhanced White House Office of Intergovernmental Relations can help build a responsive, constructive, and productive relationship.The head of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs would be an Assistant to the President and optimally a respected former governor who enjoys good relations with governors from both parties.He would actively engage governors in responding to and expediting attention to their concerns.

He would serve as a conduit for their ideas regarding policy initiatives.