The Executive Branch Of Government: The President (The Relationship Between The Presidency And Other Institutions)

Question 1

What role does the president hold as the chief executive of the federal government?

Answer 1

The president is head of a vast bureaucracy and is supported by several institutions.

Question 2

What is the cabinet?

Answer 2

A group of advisers chosen by the president to help run the federal government, including the vice president and the heads of the 15 executive departments.

Question 3

What types of individuals typically make up the president’s cabinet?

Answer 3

Former politicians, academics, experts in their field, military officers, and lobbyists.

Question 4

Give an example of a former politician who served in the cabinet.

Answer 4

Hillary Clinton, who served as Obama’s secretary of state from 2009-2013.

Question 5

Who was a notable academic appointed to the cabinet by Obama?

Answer 5

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu, who served as the secretary of energy.

Question 6

Name an expert in their field who served in Trump’s cabinet.

Answer 6

Steven Mnuchin, an investment banker and hedge fund manager, served as Trump’s secretary of the treasury.

Question 7

Who are examples of military officers who served in recent cabinets?

Answer 7

Lloyd Austin, appointed by Biden as secretary of defense in 2021, and James Mattis, who served under Trump from 2017-2019.

Question 8

Who was a former lobbyist criticized for their cabinet appointment by Trump?

Answer 8

Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, appointed to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2018.

Question 9

How does the makeup of a president’s cabinet reflect their perspective?

Answer 9

The composition generally aligns with the president’s own background and priorities, such as business experts under George W. Bush or academics under Barack Obama.

Question 10

What did Joe Biden promise regarding his cabinet, and who were some of his notable appointments?

Answer 10

Biden promised the most diverse cabinet in history, appointing Lloyd Austin as the first African-American defense secretary, Janet Yellen as the first female treasury secretary, and Pete Buttigieg as the first openly gay cabinet officer.

Question 11

What authority does the Constitution grant the president over the cabinet?

Answer 11

The president has sole executive authority, meaning cabinet members work for the president and can be dismissed at their discretion.

Question 12

Give an example of a cabinet member dismissed by Trump.

Answer 12

Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, was sacked via Twitter in 2018.

Question 13

What is the difference between US cabinet meetings and UK cabinet meetings?

Answer 13

US cabinet meetings are chaired by the president and are not a forum for collective decision-making, unlike in the UK.

Question 14

How often do cabinet meetings occur in the US, and how does this frequency vary?

Answer 14

The frequency of formal cabinet meetings depends on the president’s preferences, varying from 3.5 times a year under Obama to six times a year under George W. Bush.

Question 15

How did Trump’s approach to cabinet meetings change over his term?

Answer 15

Trump initially held nine meetings a year in 2017 and 2018, but this decreased to four meetings in 2019, with only one meeting by August 2020.

Question 16

What purpose did Trump often use cabinet meetings for?

Answer 16

Trump often used them to address the press and promote his policies to the public.

Question 17

What role does the president hold as chief executive of the federal government?

Answer 17

The president is head of a vast bureaucracy.

Question 18

What is the Executive Office of the President (EXOP)?

Answer 18

EXOP is a group of offices that support the president in running the federal government.

Question 19

Which offices are included in EXOP?

Answer 19

The White House Office, the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of the Vice President.

Question 20

Why was EXOP originally set up by Franklin D. Roosevelt?

Answer 20

It was established in the 1930s as the federal government grew in response to the Great Depression, requiring a bureaucracy to help run the executive branch.

Question 21

How many staff does EXOP employ today?

Answer 21

Approximately 3,000-4,000 staff.

Question 22

Who heads EXOP?

Answer 22

The White House chief of staff.

Question 23

What is the White House Office?

Answer 23

It is the part of EXOP that works most closely with the president, consisting of more than 400 employees and various offices.

Question 24

Where are many offices of the White House Office based?

Answer 24

In the West Wing of the White House.

Question 25

How are appointments to the White House Office made?

Answer 25

Appointments are solely at the discretion of the president and do not require Senate confirmation.

Question 26

What is the role of the White House chief of staff?

Answer 26

The chief of staff decides who has access to the president and determines the balance of opinions the president receives.

Question 27

What is the National Security Council (NSC)?

Answer 27

The NSC is the president’s main forum for discussing and managing national security or foreign policy issues.

Question 28

Who chairs the National Security Council?

Answer 28

The president.

Question 29

Who are the members of the National Security Council?

Answer 29

The vice president, secretary of state, secretary of the treasury, secretary of defense, and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Question 30

What is the role of the National Security Council?

Answer 30

The NSC coordinates national security and foreign policy within the executive branch and all its agencies, including US military forces.

Question 31

What is the Situation Room?

Answer 31

A secure room in the basement of the White House where the president and the national security team coordinate and manage the US response to domestic or international crises.

Question 32

Who is the head of the federal bureaucracy?

Answer 32

The president.

Question 33

How many executive departments make up the federal bureaucracy?

Answer 33

15 executive departments.

Question 34

Who heads each executive department?

Answer 34

Cabinet officers.

Question 35

To whom are the leaders of the executive departments accountable?

Answer 35

The president.

Question 36

What is the primary responsibility of the leaders of the executive departments?

Answer 36

To achieve the president’s policy objectives.

Question 37

How many federal agencies are there?

Answer 37

More than 60 federal agencies.

Question 38

How do federal agencies differ from executive departments?

Answer 38

Federal agencies are part of the executive branch but are independently run and have more autonomy from the president.

Question 39

Can the president remove the head of an independent federal agency?

Answer 39

Yes, but generally only for wrongdoing.

Question 40

Give an example of an independent federal agency.

Answer 40

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Question 41

What is the role of the federal agencies?

Answer 41

They carry out specific functions independently of executive departments, often with more autonomy from the president.

Question 42

What is the president’s role within the federal government bureaucracy?

Answer 42

The president is the head of a vast bureaucracy and is supported by various institutions.

Question 43

How does the relationship between the presidency and other institutions vary?

Answer 43

It varies depending on the relationship between the president and their chief of staff, the president’s approach towards staff, the use of EXOP to dominate the cabinet, the role of EXOP staff as political operatives, and the president’s view of the federal bureaucracy and agencies.

Question 44

Why is the relationship between the president and their chief of staff crucial?

Answer 44

It is crucial for the effective running of the executive branch.

Question 45

How did Obama’s and Trump’s relationships with their chiefs of staff differ?

Answer 45

Obama gave Rahm Emanuel considerable authority, leading to organized relationships and policy successes. Trump had a tumultuous relationship with Reince Priebus and subsequent chiefs of staff, leading to instability and frequent changes.

Question 46

How does the president’s approach towards their wider staff influence the administration?

Answer 46

It affects the efficiency and effectiveness of the administration, with some presidents fostering a sense of shared purpose and others leading to chaos and frequent staff turnover.

Question 47

What is the role of policy czars in the White House?

Answer 47

Policy czars are responsible for specific policy areas and often have greater access to the president than cabinet officers, influencing policy decisions.

Question 48

How did Obama’s use of policy czars compare to Trump’s?

Answer 48

Both used policy czars extensively, but Trump appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to an unprecedentedly broad range of issues.

Question 49

What is the concern about EXOP staff acting as political operatives?

Answer 49

They should assist the president in making informed decisions, but often act primarily as political operatives, potentially compromising their ability to speak truth to power.

Question 50

How do Democratic and Republican presidents generally view the federal bureaucracy?

Answer 50

Democrats tend to increase the scope of the federal bureaucracy, believing in its positive role in society, while Republicans often seek to reduce its size, viewing it as wasteful and inefficient.

Question 51

How did George W. Bush’s approach to the federal bureaucracy differ from typical Republican views?

Answer 51

Despite promising to cut the federal government, Bush increased the number of federal employees due to national security responses and economic measures.