DOCSLIB.ORG

XPP-PDF Support Utility

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
XPP-PDF Support Utility Federal Contracts Report™ Reproduced with permission from Federal Contracts Report, 999 FCR 536, 04/30/2013. Copyright ஽ 2013 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com DOD Myths and Misunderstandings Related to Contractor Executive Compensation Caps 1 BY KATHY C. WEINBERG AND DAMIEN C. SPECHT make any sense that taxpayers are paying some con- tractors twice as much as we pay the Commander-In- iven slow economic growth and the impacts of se- Chief, and three to four times as much as the Secretary questration, it is not surprising that government of Defense.’’2 In fact, there is good reason that this is G contracts spending has recently come under fire. the case; comparing the president’s salary to executive In addition to programmatic cuts, specific costs, such as compensation is like comparing apples and oranges, executive compensation for government contractors and Senator Manchin’s comparison is packed with have been targeted. Although the government already myths. caps what it will compensate contractors for executive Myth: The president’s salary reflects the market value of compensation under cost-type contracts at a market- an equivalent CEO job. based amount of $763,029, critics have advocated limit- ing executive compensation to the president’s or vice This is not and has never been the case. From the be- president’s salary—reducing the cap by as much as 75 ginning, the historical record is clear that the presi- percent. In response to these proposed reforms, the dent’s salary rests on the desire to ensure the office re- comptroller general was ordered under the 2013 Na- mains independent, not to take on the impossible task tional Defense Authorization Act to study the issue and of finding a market-based salary for the president of a issue a report to Congress to later than May 2013. Un- country. Alexander Hamilton, one of the most passion- fortunately, the debate around this important issue in- ate advocates for the creation of a presidential salary, volves a number of myths and misunderstandings. explained that a salary was necessary to prevent ‘‘the Claim: The president’s salary is a good measure of execu- intimidation or seduction of the executive by the ter- 3 tive compensation. rors, or allurements, of [] pecuniary arrangements.’’ Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a supporter of This same rationale provided the basis for increasing lowering the compensation cap, recently stated: ‘‘[t]o the president’s salary in 1871 when Congress noted that the people of West Virginia— and to me—it doesn’t the president was precluded from working in other 2 1 The authors would like to thank law clerk Rachael Plym- Senator Joe Manchin, Manchin Applauds Growing Sup- ale for her assistance in preparing this article. port to End Military Contractors’ Exorbitant Salaries and Stand Up for a Strong Defense (Oct. 18, 2012), availableat http://www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2012/10/ Kathy C. Weinberg is of counsel and Damien manchin-applauds-growing-support-to-end-military- contractors-exorbitant-salaries-and-stand-up-for-a-strong- C. Specht is an associate in Jenner & Block’s defense (last visited Apr. 22, 2013). 3 government contracts practice. JAMES F. VIVIAN,THE PRESIDENT’S SALARY:ASTUDY IN CONSTITU- TIONAL DECLENSION, 1789-1990, 4 (1993). COPYRIGHT ஽ 2013 BY THE BUREAU OF NATIONAL AFFAIRS, INC. ISSN 0014-9063 2 posts after leaving office based on ‘‘custom and public It is almost impossible to monetize all the non- sentiment’’ and should have a sufficient salary to be monetary benefits provided to the president. The presi- free ‘‘from all active, or at least all money-making, pur- dent enjoys the prestige of being the leader of the free suits.’’4 Conversely, contractor executive salaries are world. The president also receives free residence in the market-driven. Far from providing gratuitous compen- White House, along with use of its staff and facilities, sation to their executives, contractors work within the including free medical care, free recreation opportuni- bounds of a competitive marketplace in attracting and ties, and free housekeeping, and security services. The retaining top talent. White House has 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms and an If the president’s salary were market-based, it would annual flower budget exceeding $200,000. The staff in- be astronomical. To illustrate this point, envision the cludes an executive chef, a pastry chef, a physician to United States as the largest corporation in the country. the president, a social secretary, a chief of protocol, a Revenues for Exxon, currently the country’s largest cor- chief calligrapher, and even a chief floral designer. And poration, are $452.9 billion a year, but the USA’s $2.24 the president has his own zip code (20500-0001)! It is not surprising that the Reagan family equated life in the trillion annual revenue would dwarf Exxon’s. Managing White House to staying in an ‘‘eight-star hotel.’’7 The over 540 times the revenue of his counterpart at Exxon, president also has use of a secondary residence or guest the ‘‘CEO’’ of this United States corporation arguably accommodations at the Blair House next to the White should be compensated accordingly, under the House, which spans over 70,000 sq. feet and has 119 ‘‘market-based salary’’ principle. In 2012, the CEO of rooms, including 20 bedrooms, 35 bathrooms, and a Exxon had a base salary of $2,387,000 with total com- hair salon. The president is a short helicopter ride from pensation coming in at $34,920,506. If the president his free vacation home at Camp David. were paid on the same scale as Exxon’s CEO, he would Of course, the president also enjoys transportation receive a base salary of approximately $12,900,000 and perks, including free use of the presidential state car, total compensation of approximately $188,870,000. This Air Force One, and Marine One. Better yet, the Motion comparison, far from being scientific, simply demon- Picture Association of America will provide any movie strates the absurdity of using the president’s salary as a the president requests, including first-run or soon-to- market measure. be-released movies for viewing in the White House In addition, if a president’s salary were meant to be a movie theatre. This list of benefits would make any ex- market measure, it would increase with inflation. In ecutive jealous. contrast, the president’s salary can be increased only by But the president’s benefits don’t stop when he leaves act of Congress.5 Such increases are rare, having oc- 6 office. Post-presidency benefits include a pension equal curred only 5 times in the past 236 years. Raising the to that of the current administration’s cabinet secretar- president’s salary to market levels could also incentiv- ies (currently about $200,000/year), six months of tran- ize candidates to run for office merely for the financial sition funding, medical insurance, lifetime Secret Ser- gain. Because the president’s salary was not designed to vice protection for former presidents and spouses as be a market measure, it makes little sense to use that well as children up to age 16, office and staff expenses salary as the basis for contractor compensation. for life, including stationary and phone services, frank- Myth: The president’s compensation is $400,000 a year. ing privileges for free postal services, access to the The president’s salary is only the beginning of his presidential townhouse and state funeral benefits. overall compensation package. Even if one agreed with These benefits can add up to incredible amounts of Senator Manchin that executive compensation and money. In 2008, former President Clinton’s allowance presidential pay should be linked, the existing cap is on was $1,162,000 which includes his pension, $96,000 for contractor executives’ total compensation. So it makes staff salaries, $65,000 for staff benefits, $50,000 for little sense to ignore the president’s total compensation travel, $516,000 in rent for office space, $79,000 for tele- package in determining whether changes to the execu- phone services, $15,000 in postage, $65,000 for other tive compensation cap would be appropriate. In mon- services, $14,000 for printing, $26,000 for supplies, and 8 etary benefits alone, the president is paid an annual sal- $35,000 for printing. Of course, none of these benefits ary of $400,000 with unlimited vacation days, along include the millions that former presidents make with a $50,000 annual expense account, $100,000 non- through publishing and public speaking. taxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment These benefits make it impossible to calculate the expenses—for total monetary compensation of true value of the president’s total compensation pack- $569,000. age and use that measure to cap contractor total com- pensation. Even if that true value could be determined, it would be vastly higher than the current cap on allow- 4 Id.at30. 5 able executive compensation of $763,029, thus failing to U.S. CONST. art. II, § 1, cl. 7 reads: ‘‘The President shall, at provide a useful means of reducing spending under stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for government contracts. which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive Claim: The government is funding exorbitant contractor within that Period any other Emolument from the United salaries. States, or any of them.’’ Congress must pass legislation to ad- A number of elected officials and other members of just the president’s salary.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Chapter 12 the Presidency
    Name: Class: Date: Chapter 12 The Presidency 1. According to Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution, to become the president of the United States, a person must: a. have attained the age of forty-five years. b. be a Protestant by birth. c. have been a resident of the United States for a minimum of fourteen years. d. have been born to parents who are natural born citizens of the United States. e. be a Roman Catholic. 2. Which of the following claims did the conspiracy theorists called "birthers" make about President Barack Obama (2009–2017)? a. He was not born to parents who were natural-born citizens of the United States. b. He was a Roman Catholic. c. He was a resident within the United States for less than 14 years. d. He was not born in the United States. e. He had not attained the required presidential age. 3. Who among the following was one of the conspiracy theorists called "birthers" who claimed that President Barack Obama was not a natural-born U.S. citizen? a. Mike Pence b. Joe Biden c. Valerie Jarrett d. Donald Trump e. Susan Rice 4. Identify a perk associated with the presidency of the United States. a. The president can start his or her own for-profit ventures. b. The president need not pay for the tuition of his or her children. c. The president is exempt from paying federal taxes. d. The president need not pay for his or her personal expenses. e. The president enjoys the use of the White House.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter One: Postwar Resentment and the Invention of Middle America 10
    MIAMI UNIVERSITY The Graduate School Certificate for Approving the Dissertation We hereby approve the Dissertation of Jeffrey Christopher Bickerstaff Doctor of Philosophy ________________________________________ Timothy Melley, Director ________________________________________ C. Barry Chabot, Reader ________________________________________ Whitney Womack Smith, Reader ________________________________________ Marguerite S. Shaffer, Graduate School Representative ABSTRACT TALES FROM THE SILENT MAJORITY: CONSERVATIVE POPULISM AND THE INVENTION OF MIDDLE AMERICA by Jeffrey Christopher Bickerstaff In this dissertation I show how the conservative movement lured the white working class out of the Democratic New Deal Coalition and into the Republican Majority. I argue that this political transformation was accomplished in part by what I call the "invention" of Middle America. Using such cultural representations as mainstream print media, literature, and film, conservatives successfully exploited what came to be known as the Social Issue and constructed "Liberalism" as effeminate, impractical, and elitist. Chapter One charts the rise of conservative populism and Middle America against the backdrop of 1960s social upheaval. I stress the importance of backlash and resentment to Richard Nixon's ascendancy to the Presidency, describe strategies employed by the conservative movement to win majority status for the GOP, and explore the conflict between this goal and the will to ideological purity. In Chapter Two I read Rabbit Redux as John Updike's attempt to model the racial education of a conservative Middle American, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, in "teach-in" scenes that reflect the conflict between the social conservative and Eastern Liberal within the author's psyche. I conclude that this conflict undermines the project and, despite laudable intentions, Updike perpetuates caricatures of the Left and hastens Middle America's rejection of Liberalism.
    [Show full text]
  • La Casa Vacia Free Ebook
    FREELA CASA VACIA EBOOK Rosamunde Pilcher | 192 pages | 01 Sep 2005 | DEBOLSILLO | 9788497595704 | English, Spanish | United States LA CASA VACÍA - Arquitectos Valencia Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. More Details Original Title. Other Editions 4. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. La Casa Vacia filters. Sort order. Jun 22, FP rated it liked it. This author makes La Casa Vacia ordinary seem so interesting. Carlos Cerda is a fine writer and he's crafted a very good book here. Both have their merits. The Carlos Cerda is a fine writer and he's crafted a very good book here. The advantage here is that we can concentrate on what happens to non-fringe, everyday lives and relationships after a great crisis. A crisis that was indeed a holocaust. What I gleaned here from Cerda is that people are just as petty and unsatisfied whether or not their country has been a victim of mass state-sponsored murder. This isn't a negative against the author, however. La Casa Vacia crafted realistic characters, characters that have grown up La Casa Vacia post-materialist dreams couched in philosophy studies and philosophers, characters that have bought completely the morality sold to them by the monsters that later perpetrate the atrocity, only to complain about it later when morality is no shield from the horror, no excuse, and no harbinger of justice.
    [Show full text]
  • The President Will See Whom Now? Presidential Engagement with Organized Interests*
    The President Will See Whom Now? Presidential Engagement with Organized Interests* David Miller June 29, 2021 Abstract Though presidents often publicly criticize organized interests, they also expend substantial effort engaging with those interests. Utilizing original elite interviews, a survey of lobbyists, and large-N administrative data, I consider how engagement manifests, what motivates presidents to engage interests, and with which interests presidents engage. Unlike in other institutions, presidents, not interests, exercise primary control over engagement decisions, and they engage to mobilize interests' institutional resources in service of their goals. To optimize mobiliza- tion, presidents focus engagement on interests with large resource endowments and who share presidents' preferences. Pairing over 7 million White House visitor log entries from two presiden- cies with lobbying and campaign finance records, I demonstrate that presidential engagement is informed by interests' electoral and policy resources and partisan alignment. My findings highlight coalition-building with interests as an under-appreciated utensil in the presidential toolkit and suggest that presidential engagement amplifies the political voice of well-resourced and copartisan interests. Word Count: 11,978 *I thank Dan Butler, Josh Clinton, Thomas Holyoke, David Lewis, Kenneth Lowande, Yu Ouyang, Andrew Reeves, Erin Rossiter, Andrew Stone, Katie Tenpas, Sharece Thrower, participants in the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions seminar series at Vanderbilt University and Political Science Data Lab at Washington University in St. Louis, and panel members at the 2018 Southern Political Science Association annual meeting and the 2020 American Political Science Association Money in Politics pre-conference for helpful guidance and feedback on this project. I also thank the organized interest representatives and former White House officials who completed interviews and/or surveys with me as part of this project.
    [Show full text]
  • Campaigning to Govern: Presidents Seeking Reelection1
    Campaigning to Govern: Presidents Seeking Reelection1 n the presidential election of 1904, President president and candidate, to what extent does I Theodore Roosevelt refrained from cam- the quest for reelection affect “business as paigning as it was considered “undignified to usual” within the White House? This essay campaign from the White House”(Troy 1991, addresses these questions, drawing attention to 212 emphasis added). This fear of losing the mechanics of presidential reelection cam- one’s “dignity” had gone by the wayside when paigns as well as their impact on the White President Woodrow Wilson actively cam- House. paigned for his 1916 reelection. Since then, there’s been no turning back. Dramatic ad- Trying to Control the vancements in telecommunications have made Uncontrollable presidents ubiquitous—campaigning on day- time talk shows, MTV, and internet sites have Given the uncertainty of nomination politics, become de rigeur. These days, the notion of particularly in the aftermath of the presidents campaigning for reelection is com- McGovern-Fraser Commission, the White monplace. In fact, when presidents claim that House is wary of nomination challenges and they are avoiding the campaign trail to take where possible, works to prevent them. In care of government business, journalists and 1977, the Winograd Commission met to revise observers scoff in disbelief. the Democratic nominating rules. Needless to In their quest for reelection, presidents have say, White House advisors were instrumental tremendous campaign assets: unbeatable name in producing a set of reforms that would bene- recognition, a coterie of strategists with the fit Jimmy Carter’s efforts in 1980 (Lengle greatest incentive to 1987, 242).
    [Show full text]
  • Stemming Inflation; the Office of Emergency Preparedness and the 90- Day Freeze
    STEMMING NFLATION The Office of Emergency Preparedness and the 90-Day Freeze Harry B. Yoshpe John F. Allums Joseph E. Russell Barbara A. Atkin EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OFFICE OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WASHINGTON, D.C. 1972 Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $2.25 (paper cover) Stock Number 4102-00008 iv Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis THE WHITE HOUSE WAS HINGTON On August 15, 1971, I announced a series of measures designed to stabilize the economy at home and to help our country maintain its rightful economic position in the world. Among these measures was the first peacetime wage- price freeze in our history. In prescribing the 90-day freeze, I set down several guiding principles: we would move toward a greater sta- bility of wages and prices, but we would do this without fastening on the Nation a permanent straitjacket of con- trols and without creating a huge bureaucracy. These principles prompted the establishment of the interagency Cost of Living Council under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Treasury, the designation of the Office of Emergency Preparedness as the central instrument to administer the freeze, and the reliance upon the coordi- nated teamwork of the other Federal departments and agencies. Under the leadership of Director George A. Lincoln, the Office of Emergency Preparedness succeeded in holding the line while we worked out the longer term measures needed to maintain wage-price moderation and improve our position in the changing world economy.
    [Show full text]
  • First Families - Former” of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R
    The original documents are located in Box 36, folder “First Families - Former” of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Copyright Notice The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections. Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Some items in this folder were not digitized because it contains copyrighted materials. Please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library for access to these materials. • THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON June 19, 1975 MEMORANDUM TO: Sheila Weidenfeld Press Secretary to Mrs. Ford FROM: Virginia Knauer, Specia~ "sistant tot~~ ident for Consumer Affairs k~ ~~ SUBJECT: Mailing addresses for Presidential families My staff is researching "200 Years of American Consumerism" as a possible publication for America's Bicentennial. For part of this research, I want to prepare an article or series of articles on the consumer problems of the First Families. To arrange the interviews, I plan to send a personal letter (a sample of which is enclosed) to each of the sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters of past Presidents.
    [Show full text]
  • La Casa Pacifica San Clemente, California Introduction
    LA CASA PACIFICA SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA INTRODUCTION La Casa Pacifica, originally known as the Cotton Estate, holds a prominent place in California history. From the 1880s to the 1930s, the Golden State’s southern coastline experienced a development boom. In fact, Southern California’s romantic renown is largely a result of what was built during this fifty-year period. Three of the state’s most ambitious and progressive master-planned communities constructed in the 1920s — Ojai, Rancho Santa Fe, and San Clemente — displayed California’s limitless potential. Ole Hanson, San Clemente’s founder, had envisioned the seaside enclave to be a modern city reminiscent of southern Spain, which shared a similar climate with coastal Southern California. The developer drew his inspiration from Mediterranean locales famous for their sun-dappled white stucco buildings, covered with red-tiled roofs, lush citrus groves and gardens, and endless ocean views. Hanson had exhaustively researched several oceanfront land offerings before selecting a serene stretch of coastline, replete with gentle hills rolling down to a golden shore. Once he secured the land, Hanson and his investor-partner, the successful and politically connected financier and oilman Hamilton H. Cotton, broke ground on the seaside village Hanson called San Clemente. Hamilton H. Cotton reserved San Clemente’s finest oceanfront parcel for his own estate. His vision was to model his home after an Andalusian-themed manor located in San Sebastian, Spain, that he and his family had visited and admired. As a result, he commissioned European architect Carl Lindblom, who was famous for his sublime Spanish Colonial Revival designs, including Santa Barbara’s iconic city hall.
    [Show full text]
  • Rose Mary Woods Papers, White House Central Files, 1969-1974
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c82z165w Online items available Rose Mary Woods Papers, White House Central Files, 1969-1974 1969-1974 Rose Mary Woods Papers, White 6704499 1 House Central Files, 1969-1974 Descriptive Summary Title: Rose Mary Woods Papers, White House Central Files, 1969-1974 Dates: 1969-1974 Collection Number: 6704499 Creator/Collector: Woods, Rose Mary, 1917-2005 Extent: 18 linear feet, 10 linear inches; 43 boxes Online items available http://research.archives.gov/description/6704499 Repository: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum Abstract: Rose Mary Woods served as the President’s personal secretary and executive secretary. The Rose Mary Woods materials consist of five series: Correspondence, Legal Correspondence and Printed Materials, Trip Files, News Clippings and Printed Materials, and Photographs. The Correspondence file consists primarily of perfunctory letters to and from admirers of Rose Mary Woods. The remainder of the file group consists of Miss Woods’ notes, which include her observations on the legal and internal White House Watergate problems pertaining to the 18 ½ minute tape gap, telephone conversations, legal briefs, reports, and annotated news clippings. Most of the Materials in the News Clippings and Printed Material series are photocopies of newspaper or magazine articles. The Trip Files consist primarily of background papers and information provided to staff members who accompanied the President on his official trips in 1969 and 1972. Language of Material: English Access Collection is open for research. Some materials may be unavailable based upon categories of materials exempt from public release established in the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974.
    [Show full text]
  • 37-Wht-Audiotape-635-Log
    White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973 Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542 Conversation No. 635-001 Conversation No. 635-002 Conversation No. 635-003 Conversation No. 635-004 Conversation No. 635-005 Conversation No. 635-006 Conversation No. 635-007 Conversation No. 635-008 Conversation No. 635-009 Conversation No. 635-010 Conversation No. 635-011 Conversation No. 635-012 Conversation No. 635-013 Conversation No. 635-014 Conversation No. 635-015 Conversation No. 635-016 Conversation No. 635-017 Conversation No. 635-018 Conversation No. 635-001 Date: December 10, 1971 Time: Unknown between 8:23 am and 8:38 am Location: Oval Office The President met with Stephen B. Bull. The President's schedule -Henry A. Kissinger -Forthcoming meeting -Jerrold L. Schecter interview -Timing -Camp David -Ronald L. Ziegler -Tour Bull left at an unknown time before 8:38 am. Conversation No. 635-002 Date: December 10, 1971 Time: Unknown between 8:23 am and 8:38 am Location: Oval Office Page | 1 White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973 Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542 The President met with an unknown person. ********************************************************************** [Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and released 07/18/2019.] [Unintelligible] [635-002-w001] [Duration: 9s] [This portion of the tape is mostly room noise with some muffled background conversation.] ********************************************************************** The unknown person left at an unknown time before 8:38 am. Conversation No. 635-003 Date: December 10, 1971 Time: 8:38 am - 8:48 am Location: Oval Office The President met with Rose Mary Woods.
    [Show full text]
  • Eisenhower, Dwight D.: Post-Presidential Papers, 1961-69
    EISENHOWER, DWIGHT D.: POST-PRESIDENTIAL PAPERS, 1961-69 1968 PRINCIPAL FILE Series Description The 1968 Principal File contains the main office files of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Gettysburg Office. The series is divided into three subseries. The first thirty-six boxes comprise a subject file arranged by categories, such as appointments, Eisenhower Center, foreign affairs, gifts, invitations, memberships, messages, political affairs, public relations, and trips. The alphabetical subseries occupies the next eleven boxes, and is arranged by the name of the individual or organization corresponding with Eisenhower. The final four boxes contain the “Bulk File” subseries, which has printed materials and oversized items. In 1968 Dwight Eisenhower suffered heart attacks in April and August, and he spent a number of months in the hospital, first at March Air Force Base in California and later at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. His health problems greatly affected his ability to keep up his correspondence and limited the number of appointments he could keep. The series contains a large number of get-well letters and cards. Many requests for endorsements, special messages, autographs, gifts, and letters, as well as invitations to various events, were turned down by his office staff due to Eisenhower’s ill health and the limits placed on his activities by his doctors. Although Ike’s ability to travel and participate in many events was restricted by his growing health concerns, he continued to communicate with many prominent people on vital issues of the day. His correspondence frequently contains comments on U.S. foreign policy, particularly on Vietnam and the Middle East.
    [Show full text]
  • White House Evolution and Institutionalization: the Office of Chief of Staff Since Reagan
    ARTICLES White House Evolution and Institutionalization: The Office of Chief of Staff since Reagan DAVID B. COHEN University of Akron KAREN M. HULT Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University CHARLES E. WALCOTT Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University In exploring the evolution and institutionalization of the White House chief of staff and the office that chiefs oversee, we focus on presidencies from Reagan through Obama. We pay particular attention to the evolution of several major roles that chiefs of staff perform, to the dynamics in the chief of staff’s office, and to the emergence of multiple deputy chiefs of staff. Despite variation in the activities and emphases of chiefs of staff and their opera- tions, patterns include partisan learning across administrations, term and meta cycles, and distinctive prioritization of roles. The White House chief of staff, a job that Sherman Adams pioneered under Dwight Eisenhower, became a permanent fixture of the institutional presidency when Jimmy Car- ter formalized Hamilton Jordan’s position in 1978. Since its emergence in 1953, the posi- tion has undergone steady evolution, and expectations about its performance mostly have stabilized. At the same time, the job continues to adapt to the distinctive needs of presi- dents and presidencies and to the dynamics of U.S. governance. Based on a larger project that seeks to describe and analyze the office of the White House chief of staff over the course of the modern U.S. presidency (Cohen, Hult, and David B. Cohen is a professor of political science at the University of Akron, where he also is a fellow at the Ray C.
    [Show full text]