Executive Office of the President (EOP)  2,000 employees; 500 White House Office staff.  Chief of Staff: manages the President’s schedule, oversees White House Office staff Why is this a powerful position?

Office of Management & Budget  Prepares President’s suggestions for federal budget  Congress must actually pass the bill  Oversees all federal spending

The Cabinet  15 department heads that advise the President Vice Presidents occasionally sit in on cabinet meetings, but Vice President Cheney was a permanent member of President Bush’s cabinet  Justice Department head is called the Attorney General, but all other department heads are called secretaries.  Newest member of the cabinet: Department of Homeland Security was created by Congress and signed by President Bush in 2002; coordinates counterterrorism intelligence

Cabinet Responsibilities  Established by President George Washington, not the Constitution  Secretaries advise the President on issues related to their department, but the President does not have to listen.  Cabinet members spend most of their time leading their departments. Need to know State Department, Defense Department, Treasury Department, Justice Department, and Department of Homeland Security

 Attorney General (dept head): Eric Holder  Responsible for enforcing laws  Notable enforcement agencies:  US Marshal Service  Federal Bureau of Investigation  Federal Bureau of Prisons Department of Justice

US Marshal Service (USMS)  Federal law enforcement agency.  Enforcement of federal courts: serve warrants, transport prisoners, seek fugitives (Most Wanted), run Witness Protection Program.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  Director: Robert Mueller, III  Federal criminal investigations & internal (domestic) intelligence agency  Recall: CIA is for foreign intelligence (other countries); FBI is for domestic (the US)

Other Advisors  The Vice President: often the closest advisor to the President, depending upon the relationship. Power has grown over time (and Cheney has not been the only one to increase that power).  The First Lady: mostly offers support for the President, but in recent years has taken on more of a role in special initiatives (such as Hillary Clinton with healthcare and Laura Bush with education