Chapter 7, Section 4 Presidential Advisors and Executive Agencies

Thousands of employees and advisors help the President! Main Idea

I. Executive Office of the President (225 ) A. 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) B. 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

C. The White House Staff screens the flow of information and people to the president. ***As a result, this group has a lot of power!*** D. 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.***

E. The National Security Council helps the president coordinate the military and foreign policy. It includes the vice president, secretaries of state and defense, NSC supervises the CIA.

F. 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.

G. Members of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) advise the president about complex economic matters, such as employment, taxes, inflation, and trade.

II. Cabinet A. The cabinet- a group of advisors that includes the heads of the 15 top-level executive depts. ***The head of the Department of Justice is called the Attorney general. The other department heads are called secretaries.***

B. Cabinet members advise the president on issues related to their departments. ***The president decides when the cabinet meets and how much to rely on their advice.*** President Obama’s Cabinet Department of Homeland Security

III. The Vice President and the First Lady (page 228) A. Most presidents have delegated little authority to their vice presidents, though this is changing somewhat. ***Modern vice presidents have served on special advisory boards. They often visit foreign countries as representatives.*** Vice President website

B. The Constitution does not mention the president’s spouse. Many First Ladies, though, have served the country in useful ways. ***Today First Ladies have an office and staff in the White House.*** Michelle Obama

IV. The Federal Bureaucracy ( ) ***Executive Branch is shaped like a pyramid. Directly below the president are the cabinet secretaries and their departments. At the next level are hundreds of agencies.*** President Cabinet Agencies

A.Federal Bureaucracy- the agencies and employees of the executive branch. The workers are called bureaucrats, or civil servants. B. Independent agencies- The executive branch includes hundreds of independent agencies. The 3 main types are: 1.Executive agencies 2.Regulatory commissions 3.Government corporations

C. 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

D. 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)

E. 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

F. Political Appointees- people whom the president has chosen because they have the ability or were supporters of the president’s campaign. 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

G. Around 90 percent of national government workers are civil service workers. Unlike appointees, they usually have a permanent employment. Federal workers have good benefits and most make it a career.

H. The civil service system- hires government workers on the basis of openness and skill. ***Civil service system is based on merit, only hire new workers who have passed series of tests.***

I. Merit System- Government officials hire people based on performance standards.

Mini Quiz!!! 1. What is a government corporation? Give an example of one! 2. Over time, has the vice president gained or lost power? 3. New cabinet department created by President George W. Bush after 9/11? 4. What does the White House Staff do? 5. What are regulatory commissions?