1. 7.4 Presidential Advisers and Executive Agencies
Civics and Economics

2. The Executive Office
The core of the Executive Office of the President is the White House Office, which is comprised of 500 people who work directly for the president
White House Staff work in the West Wing of the White House or the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door

3. Denis McDonough President Obama’s Chief of Staff
The Executive Office
10-12 people serve as the president’s closest political advisers; the most powerful adviser is the Chief of Staff
Denis McDonough President Obama’s Chief of Staff

4. Josh Earnest- President Obama’s Press Secretary
The Executive Office
Other top advisers are the deputy chief of staff and the Press Secretary who provides the public with news about and statements from the president
Josh Earnest- President Obama’s Press Secretary

5. Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prepares the federal budget and monitors spending in hundreds of government agencies

6. National Security Council (NSC)
The National Security Council (NSC) helps the president direct US military and foreign policy
It handles matters affecting the security of the country; it includes the VP, the secretaries of state and defense

7. National Security Council (NSC)
It also includes the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which includes the top commander from each of the armed services

8. National Security Council (NSC)
The NSC also supervises the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which gathers information about the governments of other countries

9. Other Offices
The Office of Administration provides administrative services to the executive offices of the president

10. Other Offices
They respond to individuals seeking records under the Freedom of Information Act
Law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the government

11. Other Offices
The Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) helps the president carry out the role of economic leader; their primary duty is to give the president advice about complex economic matters such as employment, inflation, and foreign trade

12. The Cabinet
Presidential advisers that include the heads of the 15 top-level executive departments

13. Attorney General Loretta Lynch
The Cabinet
The head of the Department of Justice is called the Attorney General; all the other department heads are called secretaries
Attorney General Loretta Lynch

14. Department of Homeland Security
On November 25, 2002 President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 which created the Department of Homeland Security
This department worked to improve the nation’s defenses against terrorism and coordinate counterterrorism intelligence after 9/11

15. Cabinet Responsibilities
As cabinet members, the secretaries advise the President on issues related to their departments

16. Cabinet Responsibilities
The cabinet does not appear in the Constitution; it developed when George Washington began to meet with the heads of the first four executive departments
Washington’s First Cabinet: Alexander Hamilton (Treasury), Thomas Jefferson (State), Henry Knox (War), and Edmund Randolph (Attorney General)

17. Cabinet Responsibilities
The cabinet meets whenever the president determines it is necessary; cabinet heads must be approved by the Senate
Secretary of State John Kerry at his Senate Confirmation Hearings

18. VP and First Lady
VP’s traditionally had little authority; recently some Presidents have given them more responsibility
Vice President Al Gore served as a close adviser to Bill Clinton on environmental issues, and VP Dick Cheney advised President George W. Bush on foreign policy

19. VP and First Lady
The Constitution does not mention the spouse of a president but First Ladies have served the country in many ways:

20. VP and First Lady
Eleanor Roosevelt worked for the young and disadvantaged

21. VP and First Lady
Nancy Reagan spoke out for drug abuse prevention

22. VP and First Lady
Hillary Clinton worked to improve health care for all Americans

23. VP and First Lady
Laura Bush promoted education and reading

24. VP and First Lady
Today First Ladies have an office in the White House