The Institutional Presidency

1
Session 23

• The Institutional Presidency
• The Executive Office of the President

2
White House Staff

• Contradictions
• Personal style and managerial skills of the
  individual president versus characteristics that
  endure from administration to administration
• Formality and hierarchy versus a collegial,
  informal and ad hoc organization
• A potential tool yet bureaucratic, large, and
  difficult to use

3
Institutional Characteristics and Managerial
Challenges

• A brief history and background
• tiny number of staff
• family members
• small salaries and budget
• FDR - informality
• Cabinet as a substitute?
• borrowed staff
• Informality in structure and assignments

4

• FDR - continued
• The Brownlow Committee
• Larger numbers needed the president needs
  help
• Congress responds
• The Reorganization Act of 1939
• The Employment Act of 1946 Council of Economic
  Advisers
• National Security Act of 1947 National Security
  Council

5
Growth of the White House StaffA Brief History

• Eisenhower Administration
• Existing units within the White House Office more
  clearly defined

• Appointed the first chief of staff who oversaw
  domestic policy developments
• 1953, staff of 250 500 by 1973
• Currently 2000 including the OMB, NSC, CEA it is
  about 2000

6
The Institutional Presidency

• The presidency not just the president
• Complex Organization
• Large in Size
• Specialized Functions
• Functionally defined specialized areas (example
  national security, environmental quality)
• Presence of a central authority that coordinates
  the contributions of the institutions functional
  parts

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Examples

• Bureau of the Budget, 1921, reorganized to OMB in
  1970
• Trade Representative, 1963
• Policy Development, 1970
• Environmental Quality, 1970
• Science and Technology Policy, 1976
• Drug Control Policy, 1989

Assistant to the President and Deputy National
Security Advisor
8
The Institutional Presidency

• Differentiation from the Environment
• A unique place in the policy process
• Parts of the staff are organized to manage
  external relations with media, Congress, and
  different constituencies

9
Effects of an Institutional Presidency

• Internal Centralization I Presidential Control
  of Policymaking
• Pro Locates policymaking power within the
  confines of the presidency
• Con Excludes other sources of advice
• Carter and Cyrus Vance
• Reagan and Al Haig
• Reagan and George Shultz
• Ford and George H.W. Bush
• Clinton
• George W. Bush

10
Effects of an Institutional Presidency

• Internal Centralization II Hierarchy,
  Gate-Keeping, and
• Presidential Isolation
• Pros
• Centralization of power within the staff
• Clear lines of authority
• Protects the presidents political standing
• Cons
• Corruption and abuse of power
• A gatekeeper
• Flawed Decisionmaking

Then Regan's tone was contemptuous. Now he grins
at the mention of Nancy's obstructiveness. "Every
government has idiosyncrasies, what can I say?"
he shrugs. "Nancy and I have buried the hatchet.
Recently we both attended the dedication of a new
carrier and we had a very nice chat. With the
former president's health going downhill, she has
mellowed." He checks himself. "I've got to be
careful about the way I say this."
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Effects of an Institutional Presidency

• Bureaucratization
• Lower level staff takes on the character of a
  bureaucratic organization
• Court politics
• Politicization
• Loss of neutral
• competence and
• professionalism

12
Putting the President Back In

• An institution, but a personal one how to
  utilize the institution
• Choose staff carefully and well (avoid campaign
  workers and long-time loyalists) focus on those
  with experience
• Use informal channels of advice cabinet
  members, members of Congress, friends
• Encourage candor from staff
• Avoid bureaucratic entrenchment