Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch, second edition, details the history, structure, and functions of the White House staff, supporting executive branch organizations, and the cabinet. The book also gives an overview of the origins, development, and modern-day structure of every executive department, independent federal agency, and government corporation. The contributions of presidential commissions to the White House decision-making process are also discussed.

The American presidency is the most powerful political office in the world. But this impressive statement serves only to raise a whole series of fundamental questions: What is the scope of presidential powers and what are its limits? Can the president use all the authority of his office or is that authority more formal than effective? Does the presidency have sufficient power to meet today's needs or do the problems of the modern age demand a more powerful executive? Is there a danger of dictatorship in the growth of political authority or will the presidency remain an office of constitutional democratic leadership?This book explores such questions by presenting a wide range of views on presidential power from a variety of sources: original supporters and opponents of the office; presidents themselves; Supreme Court decisions; and professional students of the presidency.

The American President's Cabinet examines the very different ways in which the seven presidents from Kennedy to Bush used the institution of the cabinet. It considers the way presidents appoint cabinet members as well as the conduct of cabinet meetings. It also studies the sometimes fraught relationships between the cabinet members, working in the various departments scattered throughout Washington, and those who work in the White House itself in the Executive Office of the President. A postscript on the Clinton cabinet is also included.

Exercises throughout the text support instruction, while the approachable and well-organized style make it ideal for day-to-day reference use.