CHAPTER 7: THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH Section 4: Presidential Advisers & Executive Agencies
The Executive Branch The executive branch is made up of the top advisers and assistants who help the President carry out his/her duties. 1801: Jefferson had 2 advisors Today: Obama has about 2 million advisors
Thousands of employees and advisors help the President!
Executive Office There are 5 divisions: 1. Executive Office of the President (EOP) 2. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 3. National Security Council (NSC) 4. Office of Administration 5. Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
I. Executive Office of the President (225 ) Employees of the Executive Office of the President (EOP) help by preparing reports, helping write bills, and checking the work of various agencies. (Created by FDR-1939) ( 2000 employees with a budget of $100,000,000) The White House Staff work directly with the president. About 10 to 12 are president’s closest advisors. The most powerful = chief of staff. Rahm Emanuel Erskine Bowles
The White House Staff screens the flow of information and people to the president. ***As a result, this group has a lot of power!*** The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prepares the federal budget and monitors government spending. ***The federal budget lays out the administration’s plans and goals for the coming year.***
National Security Council (NSC) Helps the president direct U.S. military and foreign policy Includes: 1. The Vice President 2. Secretary of State 3. Secretary of Defense 4. The Joint Chiefs of Staff
The National Security Council supervises the CIA.
George W. Bush created the office of homeland security to deal with terrorist activities. It includes members of the cabinet, FBI, and the border patrol.
The Cabinet Is the group of presidential advisers that includes the heads of the 15 top-level executive departments Responsibilities Advise the President on issues related to their department. The cabinet meets whenever the President wants.
***The president decides when the cabinet meets and how much to rely on their advice.*** President Obama’s Cabinet Department of Homeland Security
Federal Bureaucracy Below the Cabinet are hundreds of agencies and organizations that deal with everything from setting standards on hot dogs you eat to the space shuttle program. The workers are called: Bureaucrats / Civil Servants
Bureaucratic actions 1. Turn new laws into action by deciding how to apply them to daily life 2. Administer day-to-day operations of the government 3. Regulate various activities Police, banks, airlines, broadcasting companies
Independent Agencies Are not part of the presidents cabinet / staff 3 types: 1. Executive Agencies – Deal with specialized areas (NASA) 2. Government Corporations – Private businesses controlled by government 3. Regulatory Boards and Commissions – Protect the public (FCC)
Executive Agencies deal with certain specialized areas. Examples 1) National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
2)Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Insures savings of depositors up to $100,000
3) Small Business Administration (SBA) Provides loans for small businesses
Government corporations- are like private businesses, except the government owns and runs them. ***Like business, they charge for their services, but are not supposed to make profit. Amtrak US Postal Service Tenn. Valley Authority (TVA)
Regulatory Commissions do not have to report to the president like other agencies. Only Congress can remove them through impeachment. ***Regulatory commissions protect the public by making/enforcing rules for certain industries. Examples FCCSEC FDA NRC
Government Workers 3 types: 1. Civil Service Workers – Workers who got their job based on openings & merit 2. Spoils System – Workers who got their jobs as a reward for political support 3. Merit system – Workers who got a job by passing tests / standards
Spoils System: Previously, government jobs were given to workers as a reward for loyal service The assassination of President Garfield led to reform and the creation of the Civil Service System