The President as Chief Executive

As the Chief Executive, the president utilizes a variety of resources at his disposal within the Executive Branch. Over the past few decades this branch has expanded rapidly. The evolution of cabinet, growth of White House staff, and increasing importance of the Vice Presidency are among the changes observed in recent administrations. Each president also faces opportunities and limitations when it comes to making appointments. These factors illustrate the modern president's role as Chief Executive.

It is first necessary to examine what factors contributed to the Executive Branch's expansion. Theodore Roosevelt transformed the office of the Presidency. "The president's ability to shape public opinion and mobilize partisan support, evident during the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, strengthened the Chief Executive's hand in dealing with Congress and department heads" (Edwards & Wayne 195). With this new strength came the ability to implement new programs and incorporate additional services, all of which require federal manpower. Additionally, as the president's power increases so does the need for aids and administrative units to "obtain information on people and policies; to maintain linkage to the constituencies, within and outside the government, with whom they must interact; and to ensure that their priorities are clear, their decisions implemented, and their interests are protected" (Edwards & Wayne 193). What a president's job entails in the contemporary age is too much for one person without assistance, thus an expanded executive is imperative.

One example of these modern changes is the evolution of the president's cabinet. Historically this body has been instrumental to the president. Edwards and Wayne cite the example of Eisenhower's cabinet meeting 230 times during his eight years in office. However, the cabinet has seen a decline in recent years. "The cabinet's decline has been caused by the increasingly technical nature of policy making and the need for highly specialized information, which makes it difficult for secretaries to be sufficiently versed in the intricacies of issues outside their own areas" (Edwards & Wayne 197). A decline in the cabinet as a collective unit does not detract from the necessity of the president to keep all channels open and make sure he is well informed. Cabinet members also have the option of being on White House policy-councils and task forces.

A second instance is the growth of the White House Staff. From the 1960's to the contemporary era, presidential aides took on a more prominent role. "The White House grew in size, specialization, and responsibilities. Today it has approximately 400 people on its budget and another 100 to 150 detailed to it for specific assignments and a budget of $183 million for the fiscal year of 2006" (Edwards & Wayne 205). This institutionalization of policy making in the White House also transferred power from outside agencies directly to the White House. Presidents also rely on their staff to "give them time to focus on priorities" and "screen issues so that only those requiring direct involvement by the Chief Executive will be presented" (Edwards & Wayne 227). Clearly these staff members are a necessity for presenting a condensed set of information to the president and acting as a filter towards everything else.

Finally, the office of Vice President has increased in importance, particularly when it acts as a precursor to the Presidency. Seven of the eleven most recent Vice Presidents later went on to become president. "To meet the new public expectation about vice-presidential competence, most modern presidential candidates have paid considerable attention to experience, ability, and political compatibility in seeking their running mate...now realizing that voters care more about competence and loyalty" (Milkis & Nelson 462). Milkis and Nelson gave an example of Jimmy Carter selecting a list of running mates that he had carefully selected and then gauging the public reaction to select Walter Mondale. Vice presidents also gained prestige with the ratification of the 25^th Amendment, which established the procedure for selecting Vice Presidents in unusual circumstances. Among other privileges and responsibilities of the Vice President, they receive regular national security briefing, have speaking obligations, and perhaps most importantly, "a greater opportunity than ever to exert real influence on the president" (Milkis & Nelson 471).

Every president, as the Chief Executive, gains the ability to make appointments. There are about 3000 political appointees. Edwards and Wayne classify them into three groups: Executive Schedule appointees, non-career senior executives, and Schedule C employees. "Of this last group there are more than 1700-the largest-and most of them provide confidential support to the Executive Schedule and have titles such as 'Executive Assistant'" (Edwards & Wayne 308). Presidents have less than 3 months after their election to assemble their new government.

Having the ability to choose one's own colleagues is a definite advantage. Presidents can select those they know and trust, and people whose work they admire. Constraints also emerge in this situation. There is a need to have a sense of balance amongst the new administration, which can sometimes affect who a president chooses. Another obstacle is the fact that the president may not know everyone's qualifications and experience, which can make selection difficult. "There has been a trend since the 1960's towards politicizing the bureaucracy and emphasizing the White House's operational control of the executive bureaucracy" (Edwards & Wayne 310). However, regardless of how loyal one is to the president, if they are unable to do their jobs then that creates a serious problem.

Overall the president's power is greatly increased because of these measures. "The development of the institutionalized presidency has enhanced the president's power, but it may also have made it more difficult for individual presidents to exert personal influence on that institution" (Edwards & Wayne 203). Although the office in itself holds more power, a truly efficient president is able to leave their own contributions during their tenure. A president also has the institution of policy making, which "gives them more discretion and allowed them to take more personal credit for policy developed by their administration while also decreasing the presidency's dependency on agencies to formulate policy" (Edwards & Wayne 206). All of these factors enhance the president as the Chief Executive.

WORKS CITED:

Edwards, George C & Wayne, Stephen J. Presidential Leadership. Thomson Wadsworth: Belmont, CA. 2006.

Milkis, Sidney M. and Nelson, Michael. The American Presidency: Origins and Development. Congressional Quarterly, Inc.: Washington, D.C. 2007.