"Clause 1: The executive Power shall be vested in a President
of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during
the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President,
chosen for the same Term, be elected, ..."
Over the years, there has been some question about who owns
presidential papers. Until fairly recently, they remained the
property of the president. Even today when presidential papers
belong to the people, there is some question about the
distinction between public and private papers. There are at least
four categories:
Presidential publications are in the PR class with a sequential number given to each president. Clinton was number 42 and Bush is number 43. PR = Office of the President publications. PREX = the Executive Office of the President. PREX 2.8 = OMB budget material. For example, PREX 2.20 = the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
The Office of Administration provides support services for all
Executive Office units. This includes personnel, financial
management, and information management as well as supplies and
equipment. This website
lists the several units that are part of the Executive
Office.
The Federal Staff Directory [hard copy and fee-based on web] is well indexed and contains much good information on more than 45,000 leaders and their staff, including good coverage of the executive branch. The Plum Book includes comprehensive information on Federal civil service leadership positions in the executive branch, the legislative one too, subject to noncompetitive appointment.
The President appoints executives to manage the several executive branch agencies. The Progressive Government Institute
does a good job of providing biographical information on these
appointees, including recent ones and those pending confirmation. An
important site.
The Office of
Management and Budget is responsible, besides budget and
management, for information policy in the Executive branch.
OMBWatch is a nonpartisan,
often critical, authoritative news source for OMB activities,
including many that escape the attention of the media. Essential
for the serious student of government information
policy.
It is also responsible for the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (PREX 2.20)(HC 106.5 .A5 73) which includes 1000+ programs and is available on on the OMB website. This is a popular and heavily used work.
The United States
Government Manual is the official handbook of the federal
government. It describes agency activity and cites legislative
authority. The Manual also lists major officials, provides
organization charts, history, and sources of information for
federal agencies. Bookmark it or have a copy on your
desk
A reasonably complete list of addresses and phone numbers is found in the commercial publication the Federal Yellow Book. Detailed background information on major federal executives will be found in their nomination hearings. The U.S. Government Policy & Supporting Positions (Plum Book) provides information on 9,000 Federal Civil Service leadership and support positions subject to noncompetitive appointment. It is arranged by branch and office. Charts provide information about the occupant, including salary and grade.
The CRS has prepared an excellent introduction to the federal government budget process. The CQweb service Budget Tracker is an excellent current awareness tool. The CQ Weekly and the National Journal are good for current coverage of budget issues. AskSam provides a searchable version of the 2006 budget.
OMB Watch provides an excellent selection of appropriate terms and definitions. Here are some other budget definitions:
The Budget of the United States Government (PREX 2.8/1:year) (Doc HJ 2051 .A595) contains proposed spending for a given FY from 1 October through 30 September. This may be most important executive branch publication. The Constitution requires a budget document for receipts and expenditures. The Budget includes
The federal budget may be searched by agency to reveal
expenditures and budget priorities.
The budget is an executive wish list--desired spending policies and priorities--and includes the concepts and assumptions upon which the budget is based. The document includes
Standing committees and appropriations committees deal with the budget. Both the House and Senate Budget Committees play an important role. The LexisNexis CIS Index or LexisNexisCongressional is best for tracking budget matters in Congress and the ASI is helpful for retrospective searches. The CQ Guide to Congress is dated but provides good background information on the taxation and spending process. The CQ Weekly and the National Journal provide good information on current budgetary issues.
Information on the actual income and expenses of the Federal government may be found in the Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service, United States Government Annual Report, Appendix A. (T 1.1/3:Year/app). More information about the Financial Management Service is found on their website. The FMS is the financial manager, central disburser, collections agent and the accountant and reporter of U.S. government financial information.
Detailed information on the Federal budget process may be found in the Government Accounting Office's Terms used in the budgetary process (GA 1.2:B85/2/yr) and in the Congressional Budget Process (Y4.B85/3:C76/6/yr). The U.S. Code, title 2 contains current budget procedures. Information on the Public Debt is found on this website.
There are three advisers who analyze and interpret economic developments, appraise programs and activities of the government, and create and recommend national economic policy to promote employment, production, and purchasing power under free competitive enterprise. Specific tasks include:
The best known publication is Economic Indicators (Y4.Ec7).
In 1993, the National Economic Council was created to coordinate economic advice to the President and to monitor implementation of the President's economic policy. The NEC works with the Council of Economic Advisers.
CEQ was established in 1969 by Congress to insure that Federal agency decisions affecting the environment reflected appropriate economic, environmental, and social considerations. Specifically, the Council advises the President on:
Established in 1947 and moved to the Executive Office of the President in 1949. The purpose of the is to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign polices. Major members include the Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The NSC staff are the initial contact for departments and agencies who wish to bring a national security issue to the President. Briefing papers and working papers are prepared by staff. Staff groups are organized geographically--Asian Affairs-- and by issue--nonproliferation and export controls.
There is also a National Intelligence Council reporting to the director of the CIA. Designed to work with academic, non-profit, and private sectors interested in intelligence issues.
The purpose of the Office is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives for the Nation's drug control program, the goals of which are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking; drug-related crime and violence; and drug-related health consequences. The Director of ONDCP creates the National Drug Control Strategy and evaluates, coordinates, and oversees both the international and domestic anti-drug efforts of executive branch agencies to sustain and complement state and local anti-drug initiatives. Visit the ONDCP WWW site.
OSTP was created in 1976 to insure that the president had thoughtful, timely advice on the coordination of the government's science and technology investment.
The National Science and Technology Council was created by President Clinton in 1993 to coordinate science, space, and technology efforts, especially coordinated research and development, in the U.S. government by establishing clear national goals and appropriate supporting strategies. The President chaired the Council. Members include the Vice President, White House officials, and appropriate Cabinet Secretaries. It is no longer active.
News about the First Lady's activities and life in the White House, including text of recent remarks. Biographies of former First Ladies. Issues important to the First Lady receive attention.
The USTR website provides a good introduction to mission, history, and current activity. The USTR is responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and leading or directing negotiations with other countries on these matters. The Representative is a cabinet level position. Major emphasis is on trade policy leadership and negotiating experience with both multilateral agencies--WTO--and individual countries--Japan. Included in the Office is the Trade Policy Review Group and the Trade Policy Staff Committee. The latter has more than 60 committees at work on various issues. The Office is organized into four major units:
There are offices in Geneva and Washington, D.C.
Biographical information as well as content from recent public presentations.
Order of succession is a topic that surfaces now and then. The
Speaker of the House, then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and
the Secretary of State follow the vice president. A complete list is found here.
Sometimes called the fifth branch of government with the independent regulatory agencies being the fourth branch. A large number have been appointed and continue to be appointed. Sometime they have been created to deal with difficult, controversial topics such as social security reform. Often they have been hand maidens of special interest groups.
Executive orders direct and govern executive branch agencies and managers. Sometimes executive orders are called presidential legislation since they have the force of law. Recent ones may be found at White House website and older ones are in Title 3, CFR (with the proclamations).
Presidential Executive Orders, numbers 1 - 8030 (1862 - 1938) [GS 4.108/2:862-938/Y.1,Y.2] were compiled by the WPA Historical Records Survey. Volume 1 is a chronological list of the executive orders with an abstract. Volume 2 is an index arranged by topic with personal names and subjects indexed. The National Archives and Records Administration has Executive Order Disposition tables (but no EO text) here .
Proclamations are used for action with no legal effect.
Proclamations which address the general public may be ceremonial
or non-ceremonial. They are included in the U.S. Statutes at
Large the Federal
Register (daily), U.S. Code Congressional and
Administrative News (West)
and USCS Advance pamphlets, and the Weekly Compilation of
Presidential Documents.
These are usually a formality; few receive attention or
opposition unless Congress is in a highly partisan mood,
especially in an election year. Nominations are normally found on
the White House website. The Executive Clerk of the Senate
receives nominations. Then, they are:
Reorganization plans are submitted to both chambers of Congress. They are usually accompanied by executive orders. These plans merge, abolish or transfer functions of agencies below department rank.
This is an offshoot of the FR and is sometimes called a special edition of it. The Weekly Compilation began in 1965. It contains proclamations, executive orders, news conferences, addresses and remarks, bill signings, bill vetoes, communications to Congress, communications to Federal agencies, nominations, reorganization plans, resignations, retirements, statements, swearing-in ceremonies, and some supplementary material. This is the most accessible compilation. The WCPD is issued each Monday. It cumulates quarterly, six months, and annually. The cumulations include subject, name, and document category indexes. This is a good source for biographical information on nominations.
The content found here later becomes the Public Papers of the President series.
This source includes proclamations and executive orders. The Code of Federal Regulations (title 3) contains the full text of proclamations and executive orders signed by the President during the calendar year with some tables and finding aids. This began in 1944 for the 1943 year.
This series begins in 1957 but contains retrospective volumes for Eisenhower, Truman and Hoover. Before 1977 the Public Papers were an edited version of WCPD. Since 1977 through the end of the Reagan administration, the Public Papers contained virtually all of WCPD. Proclamations and executive orders were not included from that date to present since these may be found in the Federal Register or title 3 of the CFR. Many executive orders are found in notes in the U.S. Code. NARA has codification of Presidential proclamations and executive orders from 1945 - 1989 on their website.
The Smithsonian presents The American
Presidency: A Glorious Burden. Includes images from the
Smithsonian's collections and classroom aids. Annotated links to
other sites.
American President is especially through and well organized. Perhaps the best of the non-governmental sites.
AskSam provides a searchable collection of presidential "State of the Union" addresses.
Infoplease has a useful Presidential Factfile with solid information on:
Franklin Roosevelt is sometimes seen as the "father" of the presidential library since he was particularly concerned about the preservation of his Presidential papers. Before him, the Rutherford B. Hayes Memorial Museum and Library was the only agency with a complete collection of a president's archival materials. Traditionally, presidential papers belonged to the president and were rarely properly captured and preserved. The Library of Congress did have partial collections of twenty-three presidents in its Manuscript Division. Roosevelt build a library/museum on his family estate at Hyde Park, N.Y.
When Truman and Eisenhower established presidential libraries, Congress passed the Presidential Libraries Act of 1955 which allowed NARA to accept and care for presidential materials and facilities associated with a presidential library. In 1978, the Presidential Records Act made presidential papers, from Reagan on, the property of the U.S. The Presidential Libraries Act of 1986 set limits on facilities and requires that they be privately endowed {20% of the cost of the land and building}. Each presidential library consists of an archive, a research library, and a museum. Congress has increasingly been concerned with the costs associated with presidential libraries so these may be more limited in the future.
For the public, the museum aspect is the most visible and important part of the presidential library. Attractive, interesting exhibits tell the story of the person who became president and their term in office.
For scholars and others interested in historical aspects, the libraries provide access to collections via WWW sites and reading rooms. Not all material is presently available. Some may still be in processing and other items may be classified for a time.
NARA
has a link to Presidential Libraries. The Rutherford B. Hayes
Presidential Center and the Richard Nixon Library are not
administered by NARA. There is also the Presidential
Libraries System at UNC Chapel Hill.
Some Presidents are represented by libraries outside the NARA
administered libraries. The Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is a good
example. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum is another.
Two major questions arise:
Executive departments must be created by statute. However,
"agencies within a department may be created by statute,
Presidential directive, or departmental reorganization. "All
agencies, however, must ultimately be given a statutory authority
if they are to receive appropriations or their decisions are to
have legal force.
Oversight of these agencies is shared by all three branches. Congressional oversight is through committees and subcommittees charged with various aspects of governmental activity. The budget process is also a regular opportunity for evaluation. The federal courts exercise oversight as they evaluate the legality of actions taken by departments and agencies. The President is ultimately responsible for oversight, although that is typically done by the Office of Management and Budget.
The President's Cabinet provides the advice. The Constitution does not mention the Cabinet. Typically, it meets weekly with the President. The Cabinet includes the Vice-President and the heads of the major executive departments. Cabinet-level rank has also been given to the heads of the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Management and Budget, National Drug Control Policy, and the U.S. Trade Representative. The major executive branch departments are:
The Library of Congress provides the Official U.S.
Executive Branch Web site list. First.Gov
provides another good list. The University of Michigan has a good Executive Agency Research section.
We will use the Interior
Department as our example. Below is an organization chart for
the Department.
While each department has its own organizational pattern, this
is fairly typical with management functions clustered around the
Secretary and Deputy Secretary while assistant secretaries are
responsible for the major units within the department.
Typically, we begin with a quick browse of the departmental web
site and then look for a statistics unit. Here, the Department of
Interior Library is a good place to begin with links to
department-wide data and links to data collections in the
agencies.. Although not intuitive, the Library is under the
Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget.
Here is an organization chart for the National Wildlife Health
Center within the U.S. Geological Survey.
In this case, there is an information services unit under the
Support Services Branch. Most agencies or departments will have
an information service or a statistical data service within the
unit. These are the units that will be most useful in responding
to questions.
Peggy
Garvin has prepared a list of the content likely to be found
on a typical executive branch website.
