- The Cabinet
- The Executive Office of the President
- Key parts of the EOP


[SLIDE 1]

The president's responsibilities are so extensive that often, he needs advice and assistance. The Cabinet is an advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions. The cabinet includes the heads of fifteen executive departments and others named by the president.

The cabinet can be as big as the president wants. There are 14 department secretaries and an attorney general who serve on the cabinet. They form the core of the Cabinet, and the president can add others.

The cabinet does not always have to be official with members made of department heads. Andrew Jackson started a trend when he would meet in the kitchen with close friends. The Kitchen Cabinet consists of the informal advisers to the president.


[SLIDE 2]

It is at the president's discretion how he chooses to use the Cabinet because there is no Constitutional requirement that he even have one. Some use the Cabinet often while others do not take their advice at all. 


[SLIDE 3]

The Executive Office of the President (EOP) is an organization established by President Franklin Roosevelt to assist the president in carrying out major duties. 

Presidents often reorganize the EOP, so any position in the office is temporary. Referred to as Czars, they include anyone who is vital to the president's needs at the time. 

The White House Office is the personal office of the president, which handles presidential political needs and manages the media.

The White House Office includes the secretary, the press secretary, and legal counsel to the president. They have roles very similar to campaign functions and are mainly there to protect the president's political interests.


[SLIDE 4]

One person is named to oversee the Executive Office of the President and that is the Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff is the person who is named to oversee the EOP, direct the White House Office, and advise the president. The Chief of Staff often acts as gatekeeper to the president. 

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is a division of the Executive Office of the President. The OMB assists the president in preparing the annual budget, clearing and coordinating departmental agency budgets, and supervising the administration of the federal budget. 

The National Security Council (NSC) is an agency in the Executive Office of the President that advises the president on national security.