Politics

Politics

How do you explain the growth of the White House Staff during the 20th century, and what is its effect on the president's ability to pursue his policy agenda?

The American Presidency has changed dramatically over American history. Article II of the Constitution lists potent but limited formal powers for the president. Article II states that “executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”Among the president's other formal powers (also called enumerated powers) is the power to appoint (subject to Senate confirmation) executive department heads, federal judges, and U.S. ambassadors. The president can negotiate treaties, also subject to Senate approval, and can recognize ambassadors from other countries. Presidents can veto bills passed by Congress, but such vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress. As commander-in-chief, the president is the top civilian commander of all U.S. forces, although the Congress retains formal authority to declare war (Kernell, 1997).

Beginning with our first president, George Washington, many presidents have used their implied and informal presidential powers to enhance their personal influence, and often the power and potential influence of later presidents. Many of these implied powers, which are assumed as granted under the Constitution although not explicitly listed, stem from a president's responsibilities during times of national emergency (Kernell, 1997). For example, our early presidents, including Washington and Jefferson, didn't hesitate to exercise their commander-in-chief authority by ordering Navy ships into hostile waters without an express declaration of war from Congress. And in his bold Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson showed that a president who acts decisively might successfully compel others to follow his lead after the fact.

The institutional presidency has also grown during the twentieth century. It includes the White House Office (WHO) and the Executive Office of the President (EOP). These offices surround modern presidents in layers of bureaucracy that they can use to enhance their power and influence. However, some presidents have found that the White House bureaucracy can actually make them feel isolated and out-of-touch. A key position is White House chief of staff. The chief of staff serves as the president's “gatekeeper,” and is often credited or blamed for helping or detracting from the support and effectiveness of recent presidents. Some vice presidents have exercised important influence in their presidential administration (Jacobs & Lawrence, 2000).

The development of electronic mass media facilitated the transformation to the modern presidency. Through the adept use of television, modern presidential candidates can get elected as national personalities who enjoy broad personal popularity. While in office, a president can choose to “go public” through direct television appeals to the American people that are designed to circumvent party leaders, Congress, and other government officials. President Reagan, for example, used his first televised speech after an assassination attempt to successfully sell his signature tax cut directly to the American people.

Although the presidency offers a range of formal, implied, and potential informal powers, modern presidents grapple with the inherent limitations of the office and often have difficulty coping with ...