University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2008 Spokes, Pyramids, and Chiefs of Staff: Howard H. Baker, Jr. and the Reagan Presidency Michael Lee Haynes University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the American Politics Commons Recommended Citation Haynes, Michael Lee, "Spokes, Pyramids, and Chiefs of Staff: Howard H. Baker, Jr. and the Reagan Presidency. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2008. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/384 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Michael Lee Haynes entitled "Spokes, Pyramids, and Chiefs of Staff: Howard H. Baker, Jr. and the Reagan Presidency." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Political Science. Michael R. Fitzgerald, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: John M. Scheb II, William Lyons, E. Grady Bogue Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Michael Lee Haynes entitled “Spokes, Pyramids, and Chiefs of Staff: Howard H. Baker, Jr. and the Reagan Presidency.” I have examined the final paper copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Political Science. ____________________________________ Michael R. Fitzgerald, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: __________________________ John M. Scheb, II __________________________ William Lyons __________________________ E. Grady Bogue Accepted for the Council: ____________________________________ Carolyn R. Hodges, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) SPOKES, PYRAMIDS, AND CHIEFS OF STAFF: HOWARD H. BAKER, JR. AND THE REAGAN PRESIDENCY A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Michael Lee Haynes May 2008 Copyright © 2008 by Michael L. Haynes All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my family; my daughters Laura, Jessica, and Regan, and especially my wife, Mary, who I love with all my heart, for their love, support, and sacrifice throughout the process. Also, to my mother, Winnie who taught me to love books and the knowledge they provide. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the encouragement and support I received during this process. One cannot overstate the impact mentors have in the lives of their students, especially when those persons are willing to take their time, knowledge, and wisdom and selflessly pour it into the lives of others. First, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Cheryl Brown for the interest and support she provided in encouraging me to continue my graduate education. Thank you for helping to open my mind to the possibilities. Next, I would like to thank Alan Lowe, executive director of the Howard H. Barker Jr. Center for Public Policy, for his willingness to support the research with time and resources, and his staff who were more than supportive of the research. I would like to thank my dissertation committee; Dr. Michael R. Fitzgerald, chair; Dr. John M. Scheb, II; Dr. William Lyons; and Dr. E. Grady Bogue for their support during the process. I would like to thank Dr. John M. Scheb, II and the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee for providing the Durish grant which enabled research outside the walls of the university. Lastly and most importantly I wish to thank Dr. Michael R. Fitzgerald, not only for his support of the research but for his confidence in me as a person. Thank you for pouring your time, energy, and resources into me. Dr. Fitzgerald has been a true mentor in every phase of the journey. He not only showed me the path, but walked with me to the end. iv ABSTRACT One of the most compelling areas of research when considering the modern presidency is the role of the White House chief of staff (COS) and the direct impact it has on the presidency. The office of the president’s chief of staff is often referred to as the power behind the throne. Chiefs of staff exercise great authority and control within the White House Office (WHO) functioning as a filter or gatekeeper strictly controlling the access of information and people reaching the president. The COS is also one of the president’s closest advisers. James Baker, former chief of staff for Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush has stated the White House chief of staff is the second most powerful job in government. However, the position has commanded relatively little attention from presidential scholars. Nevertheless, understanding this component of the modern White House is important if we are to better explain why some presidencies are more effective than others. This study focuses on the chief of staff and how the office functions within the organizational and managerial structure of the White House as a key to understanding the effective operation of the modern presidency. Specifically the study considers Howard H. Baker, Jr. and his tenure during the Ronald Reagan presidency. Relatively little research has been conducted exploring Baker’s tenure as COS, yet the Reagan presidency experienced a major transformation during this period – going from an administration in serious trouble to a stable presidency with high approval ratings. A closer study of the transformation process may provide a better understanding of the impact the COS has on the presidency. The study finds strong support for the thesis that the White House chief of staff is a critically important v component within the modern presidency and has a direct impact on the president and the potential effectiveness of his administration. Howard Baker’s tenure as COS clearly demonstrates the dramatic changes chiefs of staff can produce within a presidency. In Baker’s case the impact was both substantial and positive in the rescue and rehabilitation of the Reagan presidency. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. ...................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 Analytical Framework .................................................................................................... 9 PRESIDENTIAL POWER THEORY ...................................................................... 10 The individual ....................................................................................................... 11 The institution ....................................................................................................... 12 THE WHITE HOUSE ORGANIZATION ............................................................... 15 Competitive Theory .............................................................................................. 16 Collegial Theory (Spokes-of-a-Wheel)................................................................. 16 Formalistic Theory (Hierarchical - Pyramid) ....................................................... 17 DATA AND METHODS ......................................................................................... 18 HOWARD BAKER AND THE REAGAN PRESIDENCY .................................... 22 Outline of Chapters....................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER 2. .................................................................................................................... 26 THE PRESIDENT AND THE PRESIDENCY ................................................................ 26 The President ................................................................................................................ 33 The Presidency.............................................................................................................. 41 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER 3. .................................................................................................................... 53 THE WHITE HOUSE ORGANIZATION ....................................................................... 53 Three Approaches to White House Organization ......................................................... 54 THE COMPETITIVE APPROACH......................................................................... 55 THE COLLEGIAL APPROACH............................................................................. 57 THE FORMALISTIC APPROACH......................................................................... 59 The Presidents and their