POS 4413 Exam Study Guide
Role of the cabinet - ANSWER Sources of expertise and advice to the president
why does the President's Cabinet have a tendency to downgrade? - ANSWER Presidents
tend to downgrade role as a collective body
Too many people, lack of secrecy.
President doesn't know/trust everyone.
First loyalty may be to clientele and/or Dept. (not to the pres.) - "go native"
Reluctant to disagree with pres. (job security).
Which officials comprise the Inner cabinet? Who holds these positions currently in the
Obama Administration? - ANSWER Inner cabinet - Secs. of State (Kerry), Defense
(Hagel), Treasury (Lew), and Attorney General (Holder)
What agencies comprise the Outer Cabinet? - ANSWER includes all remaining
departments not included in "inner
Oldest outer cabinet: Interior and Agriculture
Post-1950: HHS, Housing and Urban development (HUD), and Education
What is the EOP, what piece of 1939 legislation produced it, and what does the EOP do?
- ANSWER Executive Office of the President, product of Reorganization Act of 1939,
Executive Office of the President (EOP) initially containing White House Office (WHO)
and Bureau of the Budget (BOB).
• Nixon - concentrated power in WHO (and EOP more broadly):
~ 600 in WHO, ~5,000 in EOP
• Today ~400 in WHO, ~ 2,000 in EOP (with annual budget of ~$400 million)
The following entities exist within the Executive Office of the President:
Council of Economic Advisers
Council on Environmental Quality
Executive Residence
National Security Staff
Office of Administration
,Office of Management and Budget
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Office of the United States Trade Representative
Office of the Vice President
White House Office
-In addition, the following entities exist within the White House Office:
Domestic Policy Council
Office of National AIDS Policy
Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation
White House Rural Council
*National Security Advisor*
National Economic Council
*Office of Cabinet Affairs*
*Office of the Chief of Staff*
Office of Communications
Office of the Press Secretary
Media Affairs
Research
Speechwriting
Office of Digital Strategy
Office of the First Lady
Office of the Social Secretary
*Office of Legislative Affairs*
Office of Management and Administration
What is the WHO, who works there, and what does it do? (Hint: It's not the World Health
, Organization) - ANSWER WHO - pres's personal bureaucracy (~400 folks)
• Work directly for, fired/hired by pres. Not subject to Senate confirmation.
• Chief of Staff - usually most important position (Denis McDonough) - gatekeeper, info
broker, pres's surrogate (representative and protector)
Deputy Chiefs of Staff
Rob Nabors
Alyssa Mastromonaco
Counselor to the President
Pete Rouse
Senior Advisors
Valerie Jarrett
Dan Pfeiffer
What is the OMB? Who is currently the director? - ANSWER The Office of Management
and Budget
1. Develops President's annual budget
2. Provides legislative clearance
3. Provides regulatory clearance
• Current Director is Sylvia Burwell
Originally known as the Bureau of the Budget (1921 - 1970), The OMB is the largest
office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The Director of
the OMB is a member of the President's Cabinet. The main function of the OMB is to
assist the President to prepare the budget. The OMB also measures the quality of
agency programs, policies, and procedures and to see if they comply with the
President's policies.
what is the CEA and what is its role - ANSWER Council of Economic Advisers, initiated
by the 1946 Full Employment Act, is an agency within the Executive Office of the
President that advises the President of the United States on economic policy. The CEA
provides much of the objective empirical research for the White House and prepares the
annual Economic Report of the President.
- The current chair is Dr. Jason Furman
What is the NSC and the NSA and what are their roles? - ANSWER National Security
Council (1947) - statutory members are President, VP, Secs
Role of the cabinet - ANSWER Sources of expertise and advice to the president
why does the President's Cabinet have a tendency to downgrade? - ANSWER Presidents
tend to downgrade role as a collective body
Too many people, lack of secrecy.
President doesn't know/trust everyone.
First loyalty may be to clientele and/or Dept. (not to the pres.) - "go native"
Reluctant to disagree with pres. (job security).
Which officials comprise the Inner cabinet? Who holds these positions currently in the
Obama Administration? - ANSWER Inner cabinet - Secs. of State (Kerry), Defense
(Hagel), Treasury (Lew), and Attorney General (Holder)
What agencies comprise the Outer Cabinet? - ANSWER includes all remaining
departments not included in "inner
Oldest outer cabinet: Interior and Agriculture
Post-1950: HHS, Housing and Urban development (HUD), and Education
What is the EOP, what piece of 1939 legislation produced it, and what does the EOP do?
- ANSWER Executive Office of the President, product of Reorganization Act of 1939,
Executive Office of the President (EOP) initially containing White House Office (WHO)
and Bureau of the Budget (BOB).
• Nixon - concentrated power in WHO (and EOP more broadly):
~ 600 in WHO, ~5,000 in EOP
• Today ~400 in WHO, ~ 2,000 in EOP (with annual budget of ~$400 million)
The following entities exist within the Executive Office of the President:
Council of Economic Advisers
Council on Environmental Quality
Executive Residence
National Security Staff
Office of Administration
,Office of Management and Budget
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Office of the United States Trade Representative
Office of the Vice President
White House Office
-In addition, the following entities exist within the White House Office:
Domestic Policy Council
Office of National AIDS Policy
Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation
White House Rural Council
*National Security Advisor*
National Economic Council
*Office of Cabinet Affairs*
*Office of the Chief of Staff*
Office of Communications
Office of the Press Secretary
Media Affairs
Research
Speechwriting
Office of Digital Strategy
Office of the First Lady
Office of the Social Secretary
*Office of Legislative Affairs*
Office of Management and Administration
What is the WHO, who works there, and what does it do? (Hint: It's not the World Health
, Organization) - ANSWER WHO - pres's personal bureaucracy (~400 folks)
• Work directly for, fired/hired by pres. Not subject to Senate confirmation.
• Chief of Staff - usually most important position (Denis McDonough) - gatekeeper, info
broker, pres's surrogate (representative and protector)
Deputy Chiefs of Staff
Rob Nabors
Alyssa Mastromonaco
Counselor to the President
Pete Rouse
Senior Advisors
Valerie Jarrett
Dan Pfeiffer
What is the OMB? Who is currently the director? - ANSWER The Office of Management
and Budget
1. Develops President's annual budget
2. Provides legislative clearance
3. Provides regulatory clearance
• Current Director is Sylvia Burwell
Originally known as the Bureau of the Budget (1921 - 1970), The OMB is the largest
office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. The Director of
the OMB is a member of the President's Cabinet. The main function of the OMB is to
assist the President to prepare the budget. The OMB also measures the quality of
agency programs, policies, and procedures and to see if they comply with the
President's policies.
what is the CEA and what is its role - ANSWER Council of Economic Advisers, initiated
by the 1946 Full Employment Act, is an agency within the Executive Office of the
President that advises the President of the United States on economic policy. The CEA
provides much of the objective empirical research for the White House and prepares the
annual Economic Report of the President.
- The current chair is Dr. Jason Furman
What is the NSC and the NSA and what are their roles? - ANSWER National Security
Council (1947) - statutory members are President, VP, Secs
