The President, the Cabinet, and EOC Paper Example

Role of the cabinet

Cabinet plays an integral role in the governance process in the country. Such aspects include the operational policies in internal affairs such as education. Each member of the cabinet has a unique role to play by offering expertise in a specific field. In general, the cabinet plays a vital role in the day-to-day running of the government.

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An example of the policy role of the cabinet suffices. The cabinet has fourteen secretaries with different dockets. The secretary of state, for instance, lays the policy framework for the nation's foreign policy. Lady Condoleeza Rice was one-time secretary of state during the tenure of President Bush. She established the context of the nation's foreign policy. He approaches led to the US's adoption of different international treaties such as the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT).

The cabinet has an essential role in succeeding the president. In case the president is impeached or otherwise incapable of serving, the vice president follows in the rank of priority. He is a member of the cabinet. The secretary of state follows who is still a member of the cabinet. In such cases, the cabinet plays a pivotal role in the successional leadership of the country.

The executive office of the President

President Roosevelt formed the Executive Office of the President (EOP) in 1939. The EOP had the mandate of conveying his agenda to the public. At the same time, the body had the mandate of promoting the nation's trade interests at the international level. There is a high level of presidential discretion while appointing persons to serve in the EOP. Such an approach provides the president with an opportunity to nominate persons whom he is pleased to work within the office.

The Press Secretary's Office (PSO) serves under the EOP office. The secretary has obligations such as handling day-to-day news brief on the status and activities of the president. The EOP acts as a communication office on behalf of the presidency. It offers pronouncements of the president on important matters of national importance.

It is unknown to many that the EOP handles external matters related to the presidency. The national Security Council is part of the EOP. The council advises the sitting president on aspects such as foreign affairs, intelligence, and national security. Such roles include options that are available to the president and potential repercussions at any stage.

At the same time, the EOP handles day-to-day personal aspects within the presidency. Such logistical support includes elements such as planning the presidential security aspects. Other roles of different members of the EOP include the preparation of sites in cases where the president is moving out of the norms of work. Such practicalities indicate that the president is closer to the EOP than to the cabinet as discussed below

Why EOP is closer to the president

It is important to assess why the EOP has greater proximity to the president. The president has the responsibility of appointing the members of the EOP. There is no need for parliamentary approval for many people appointed to the office. Such an objective provides the president with a significant mandate to select the personalities that he prefers to work in the office.

EOP plays an active role in the president's daily activities. The EOP advices the president on the best policy in the different instances in cases such as the nation's foreign policy. Thus, the president readily adopts the EOP's position as the government's official position on the matter. Such an aspect improves the bond and unison in vision between the president and the EOP.

At the same time, it is prudent to reflect that the president has a personal life too. The EOP plays a vital role in aspects such as preparing the sites and events where the president plans to visit. Such an element opens up opportunities for personal communication between the president and the EOP. The president, for instance, can indicate the preferred style, timing, and setting of the event. Such aspects suggest that the bond between the president and the members of the EOP operates by openness and trust. Such aspects improve on the closeness in the interaction between the president and the EOP.

The physical proximity between the president and the members of the EOP provides another element that contributes to the closeness between the president and the EOP. The communication wing of the EOP, particularly the White House Wing, mainly operates from the same official office space as the president. Such aspects indicate that the group can assist the president on official and non-official capacities. Such abilities are unlike the strict trend of the operation of the cabinet.

Majority of the senior officials of the EOP have official houses which are adjacent to the white house. The proximity provides an option for the president to share confidential leadership issues such as the matters of controversial foreign policy. Thus, it is common for the president to nominate friends who double up as professionals in the EOP office.

The conflict between the EOP, cabinet and the president

There are historical instances where the president, the cabinet, and EOC has operated under tensions. The president has powers over the cabinet and the EOP. He has the responsibility of appointing the members of the EOP and the cabinet. In particular cases, there is no need for cabinet approval for the persons nominated to serve in the EOP. However, the Congress needs to approve the secretaries appointed to serve in the cabinet.

The above case indicates the presidential supremacy over the EOP and the cabinet. Thus, the two entities cannot go against the presidential agenda. The two bodies advice the president on the most effective policy. Each of the two bodies does not stop supporting the president's plan even if he does not adopt their recommendation. Thus, it is impossible to have a conflict between EOP or the cabinet with the president.

An example at this stage suffices. The secretary of defense cannot conflict with a presidential directive on aspects such as going to war. The cabinet member offers professional advice on the best policy needed for the state to engage in a battle. The president has a constitutional mandate as the commander in chief. Thus, he can command the armed forces to participate in any war with the approval of the Congress.

The EOP and the cabinet can conflict

The EOP and the cabinet can conflict on some aspects. The diversity in their roles increases the chances of conflict in the implementation of their mandate. The EOP, for instance, serves roles such as the international trade. Each president selects new EOP office holders and cabinet members.

EOP has greater proximity with the president than the cabinet. Such an aspect indicates that the conflict between the two bodies tilts to the favor of the EOP. One needs to understand that such an aspect does not mean that EOP is superior to the cabinet. However, it has a more significant personal influence on the president than the cabinet.

Various factors indicate that EOP has a more significant connection with the president than the cabinet. On the one hand, the cabinet operates as an official body that assists the president in government policy and practice. On the other hand, the EOP assists the president at a personal level. Such activities include practices such as planning the president's events. Such aspects reflect that the president can easily and freely engage with the EOP in comparison to the cabinet.

The scope of the impacts of the decisions of each body plays a significant role in deciding the outcome of the conflict between the two entities. The cabinet has a responsibility of establishing internal policy on different aspects. It is only the secretary of the state who has the mandate to address external affairs. However, the EOP operates to implement the personal preferences of the president. Thus, it is a case of a conflict between personal aspects and professional responsibilities.

The cases above represent a conflict between the cabinet and the EOP. In such cases, the cabinet's position prevails over the option adopted by the EOP. On personal, non-policy issues, however, the options proposed by the EOP prevail. The president has overall authority over the two entities. Thus, his endorsement of one entity on an issue over the other indicates the official government position on the aspect.

The reflection above indicates that a conflict between the OEP and the cabinet can have different outcomes depending on the subject. The EOP has supremacy when the matter relates to a personal preference adopted by the president. On the other hand, the cabinet has the upper hand when it is related to a professional issue which affects the government's policy.