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WHITE HOUSE OFFICE
Rick DearbornF

rom popular culture to academia, the American presidency has long been a
prominent fixture of the national imagination—naturally so since it is thebeating heart of our nation’s power and prestige. It has played, for instance,a feature role in innumerable movies and television shows and has been prodded,
analyzed, and critiqued by countless books, essays, and studies. But like nearly
everything else in life, there is no substitute for firsthand experience, which thismanual has compiled from the experience of presidential appointees and provides
in accessible form for future use.
With respect to the presidency, it is best to begin with our Republic’s foundational document. The Constitution gives the “executive Power” to the President.1
It designates him as “Commander in Chief”2 and gives him the responsibility to“take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”3 It further prescribes that the
President might seek the assistance of “the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments.”4 Beginning with George Washington, every President has been
supported by some form of White House office consisting of direct staff officers aswell as a Cabinet comprised of department and agency heads.
Since the inaugural Administration of the late 18th century, citizens have chosen
to devote both their time and their talent to defending and strengthening our nation
by serving at the pleasure of the President. Their shared patriotic endeavor has
proven to be a noble one, not least because the jobs in what is now known as theWhite House Office (WHO) are among the most demanding in all of government.
The President must rely on the men and women appointed to the WHO. Theresimply are not enough hours in the day to manage the affairs of state single-handedly,— 23 —

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so delegation is not just advisable: It is essential. The decisions that assistants andsenior advisers make will directly impact the Administration, its legacy, and—mostimportant—the fate of the country. Their agenda must therefore be the President’s
agenda. Choosing who will carry out that agenda on a daily basis is not only one of
the first decisions a President makes in office, but also one of the most critical. The
tone and tempo of an administration are often determined on January 20.
CHIEF OF STAFF

As with most of the positions that will be covered in this first chapter, the Chiefof Staff is also an Assistant to the President. However, the chief is truly first amongequals. Of all presidential staff members, the chief is the most critical to implementation of the President’s vision for the country. The chief also has a dual role as managerof the staffs of both the WHO and the Executive Office of the President (EOP).5
The Chief of Staff’s first managerial task is to establish an organizational chart
for the WHO. It should be simple and contain clear lines of authority and responsibility to avoid conflicts. It should also identify specific points of contact for eachelement of the government outside of the White House. These contacts should
include the White House Liaisons who are selected by the Office of Presidential
Personnel (PPO).
Receiving guidance from the President, the chief endeavors to implement the
President’s agenda by setting priorities for the WHO. This process begins by taking
stock of the President’s campaign promises, identifying current and prospective
opportunities, and then delegating policy priorities among the departments andagencies of the Cabinet and throughout the three White House policy councils:l

The National Economic Council (NEC);l

The Domestic Policy Council (DPC); andl

The National Security Council (NSC).

The President is briefed on all of his policy priorities by his Cabinet and seniorstaff as directed by the chief. The chief—along with senior WHO staff—maps out
the issues and themes that will be covered daily and weekly. The chief then works
with the policy councils, the Cabinet, and the Office of Communications and Officeof Legislative Affairs (OLA) to sequence and execute the rollout of policies andannouncements. White House Counsel and senior advisers and senior counselors
are also intimately involved.
All senior staff report to the Chief of Staff, either directly or through his twoor three deputies, unless the President determines that a particular Assistant to
the President reports directly to him. Most chiefs have interacted directly with— 24 —

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Cabinet officers and a select number of direct reports. In most cases, the direct
reports to the chief are his two or three deputies, the Communications Director,
PPO Director, White House Counsel, and senior advisers. Occasionally, the Officeof Public Liaison (OPL), the Cabinet Secretary, and Intergovernmental Affairs(IGA) also report directly to the chief. Usually, however, they report instead to a
Deputy Chief of Staff.
The Chief of Staff’s main challenge is time management. His use of his deputies,
meetings with senior staff, and direction provided to the WHO must all balancewith the daily needs of the President. A successful chief steers the West Wing using
his management of and influence with the various individuals and entities aroundhim. It goes without saying that selecting the right person to be chief is vital.
DEPUTY CHIEFS OF STAFF

In recent years, Presidents typically have appointed two Deputy Chiefs of Staff:
a Deputy Chief of Staff for Management and Operations and a Deputy Chief ofStaff for Policy. There also have been other types of deputy chiefs whose roles haveincluded, for example, overseeing strategy, planning, and implementation. Chiefsof Staff have then occasionally appointed a principal Deputy Chief to be in chargeof guiding decision-making, organizational structure, and information flow.
PRINCIPAL DEPUTY CHIEFS OF STAFF

Not all Chiefs of Staff have tapped a principal deputy. A major reason is thatdoing so adds another layer of command complexity. When principal deputies
have been installed, their roles have varied based on the needs of particular chiefs.
Most principal deputies have functioned as doorkeepers, sorting through action
items, taking on those that can be handled at their own level, and passing up others
that truly require the attention of the Chief of Staff or the President. Principal
deputies also have assumed control of the scheduling functions, normally under
the operations deputy, and have worked directly with the policy councils at thedirection of the Chief of Staff. The OPL and Office of Political Affairs (OPA) also
have reported to a principal deputy.
Deputy Chief of Staff for Management and Operations. The Deputy Chiefof Staff for Management and Operations oversees the President’s schedule andall logistical aspects of his movement within and outside of the White House (forexample, both air travel on Air Force One and Marine One and ground transportation). This deputy also interfaces directly with the Secret Service as well as themilitary offices tasked with keeping the President and his family safe.
In the past, this deputy has also worked with the NSC, the Secretary of Defense,
the Secretary of State, and the Intelligence Community and on advancing all foreign
trips. If their roles are separated from that of the policy deputy, this deputy shouldhave a strong grasp of international affairs and robust foreign policy credentials.

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Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative PromiseThis deputy further manages all facets of the working White House: technology,
grounds management, support staff, personnel administration, and communications. This individual therefore needs to be meticulous and ideally should possessa great deal of command-and-control experience.
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. In some Administrations, the functions of
the IGA, OPA, and OPL and other advisers within the WHO have fallen under the
Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. For conservatives, this arrangement could help
to connect the WHO’s outreach to political and external groups and be a strong
conduit for state and local elected officials, state party organizations, and both
grasstop and grassroots groups.
This deputy chief works directly with the Chief of Staff, Cabinet officers, andall three policy councils to support the development and implementation of the
President’s agenda. This deputy chief should therefore have impressive policy credentials in the realms of economic, domestic, and social affairs.
SENIOR ADVISERS

Presidents have surrounded themselves with senior advisers whose experience and interests are not necessarily neatly defined. In recent Administrations,senior advisers have been appointed to offer broad guidance on political mattersand communications issues; others have acted as “czars” for specific projects orpolicy areas.
The most powerful senior advisers frequently have had a long personal relationship with the President and often have spent a significant amount of time with him
within and outside of the White House. They have been asked not only to provide
guidance on a variety of policy issues, but also to offer instruction on communicating with the American people and the media.
In a number of Administrations, new offices—or “councils”—have been createdto support senior advisers. For the most part, their functions have been duplicativeor overlapping, as a result of which these offices have tended to be short-lived. Evenso, senior advisers should be provided the staff and resources that their portfolios require. To ensure that senior advisers are effective, their portfolios must be
clearly delineated and clearly communicated across the White House. This too isa responsibility of the Chief of Staff.
OFFICE OF WHITE HOUSE COUNSELThe Office of White House Counsel provides legal guidance to the President andelements of the EOP on a host of issues, including presidential powers and privileges, ethics compliance, review of clemency applications, and judicial nominations.
The selection of White House Counsel is one of the most important decisions an
incoming President will make. The office is not designed to create or advance policies on its own initiative—nor should it do so. Rather, it is dedicated to guiding— 26 —

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the President and his reports on how (within the bounds of the law) to pursue andrealize the President’s agenda.
While the White House Counsel does not serve as the President’s personal attorney in nonofficial matters, it is almost impossible to delineate exactly where an
issue is strictly personal and has no bearing on the President’s official function. The
White House Counsel needs to be deeply committed both to the President’s agenda
and to affording the President proactive counsel and zealous representation. That
individual directly advises the President as he performs the duties of the office,and this requires a relationship that is built on trust, confidentiality, and candor.
The Office of White House Counsel is also responsible for ensuring that eachcomponent of the White House adheres to all applicable legal and ethical guidelines, which often requires ongoing training and monitoring to ensure compliance.
This means ensuring that White House staff regularly consult with office attorneys on required financial disclosures, received gifts, potential conflicts of interest,and other ethical concerns. The Office of White House Counsel is the first line ofdefense for the EOP. Its staff must take seriously the duty to protect the powers
and privileges of the President from encroachments by Congress, the judiciary,
and the administrative components of departments and agencies.
In addition to the White House Counsel, the office includes deputies, assistants,
associates, and legal support staff. The assistant and associate attorneys are often
specialists in particular areas of the law and offer guidance to the EOP on issues
related to national security, criminal law, environmental law, and a host of administrative and regulatory matters. Attorneys working in the Office of White HouseCounsel serve as legal advisers to the White House policy operation by reviewing
executive orders, agency regulations, and other policy-related functions. Hereagain, subordinates should be deeply committed to the President’s agenda andsee their role as helping to accomplish the agenda through problem solving andadvocacy. They should not erect roadblocks out of an abundance of caution; rather,
they should offer practical legal advice on how to promote the President’s agenda
within the bounds of the law.
The White House Counsel’s office cannot serve as a finishing school to credential
the next set of white-shoe law firm attorneys or federal judges in waiting who cabin
their opinions for fear their elite credentials could be tarnished through a policy
disagreement. Rather, it should function more as an activist yet ethical plaintiffs’
firm that advocates for its client—the Administration’s agenda—within the limits
imposed by the Constitution and the duties of the legal profession.
The Office of White House Counsel also serves as the primary gateway forcommunication between the White House and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Traditionally, both the White House Counsel and the Attorney General have issued
a memo requiring all contact between the two institutions to occur only between
the Office of White House Counsel and the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney— 27 —

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General. The next Administration should reexamine this policy and determine
whether it might be more efficient or more appropriate for communication to occur
through additional channels. The White House Counsel also works closely with
the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel to seek opinions on, for example, matters of policy
development and the constitutionality of presidential power and privileges andwith OLA and the DOJ Office of Legal Policy on presidential judicial nominees.
When a new President takes office, he will need to decide expeditiously how tohandle any major ongoing litigation or other pending legal matters that might present a challenge to his agenda. To offer guidance, the White House Counsel must get
up to speed as quickly as possible on all significant ongoing legal challenges acrossthe executive branch that might affect the new Administration’s policy agenda andmust be prepared at the outset of the Administration to present recommendations to the President, including recommendations for reconsidering or reversing
positions of the previous Administration in any significant litigation. This review
will usually require consulting with the new political leadership at the JusticeDepartment, including during the transition period.
No day is predictable at the White House. Therefore, to handle the pace andvolatility of affairs, the Office of White House Counsel must offer measured legal
guidance in a timely manner. This often means forgoing law review–style memos
about esoteric legal concepts and instead quickly providing high-level yet incisive
guidance. Due to evolving world events, domestic affairs, and political pressures, theoffice often faces legal questions for which there may not be a wealth of precedent.
Attorneys in the Office of White House Counsel must therefore work collaboratively
within the White House and the Department of Justice, relying on each other as ateam, to ensure that proper legal guidance is delivered to the President.
The President should choose a White House Counsel who is well-versed in
the Constitution, administrative and regulatory law, and the inner workings ofCongress and the political process. Instead of choosing a specialist, the President
should hire a counsel with extensive experience with a wide range of complex legal
subjects. Moreover, while a candidate with elite credentials might seem ideal, thebest one will be above all loyal to the President and the Constitution.
STAFF SECRETARYThe Office of the Staff Secretary is rarely visible to the outside world, but it
performs work of tremendous importance. The office is similar to a military commander’s adjutant as it is responsible for fielding and managing a vast amount of
information at the top of its organization. This includes information on its way into
the Oval Office as well as information flowing out from the Oval Office. Becauseof its gatekeeping function, the position of Staff Secretary is one of extreme trust,and the individual who possesses it should be vetted to work as an “honest broker”
in the President’s service.

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The Office of the Staff Secretary has been described as the last substantive
control point before papers reach the Oval Office. A great deal of information isheaded toward the Oval Office at any moment. This includes presidential decision
memos; bills passed by Congress (which may be accompanied by signing or vetostatements); and briefing books, reading materials, samples of constituent mail,personal mail, and drafts of speeches. The Staff Secretary makes certain that thesematerials are complete, well-ordered, and up to date before they reach the President. This necessarily means that the Staff Secretary plays a key role in determining
who weighs in on policy matters and when.
As noted above, the Staff Secretary also handles information leaving the Oval
Office. The President may have questions after reviewing incoming material, may
wish to seek more information, or may demand revisions. The Staff Secretary isoften responsible for directing these requests to the appropriate places and following up on them to ensure that they are completed.
One of the Staff Secretary’s critical functions is managing and overseeing theclearance process for the President’s daily/nightly briefing book. This book is filledwith all the reading material and leading documentation the President needs inthe morning and the evening to help him make decisions. The Staff Secretary also
oversees the use of the President’s signature, whether by hand or by autopen, andmanages the Office of the Executive Clerk, Office of Records Management, andOffice of Presidential Correspondence.
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONSThe Office of Communications, which operates under the Director of Communications, conveys the President’s agenda to the public through various media,
including speeches and remarks, press briefings, off-the-record discussions with
reporters, and social media. Depending on how a President chooses to structure
his White House, the Office of Communications may include the Office of the Press
Secretary (Press Office), but no matter how it is structured, the office must work
closely with the Press Office as well as the President’s speechwriters and digitalstrategists.
Operational functions of the Office of Communications include scheduling andrunning press briefings, interviews, meetings, media appearances, speeches, and arange of other events. The Office of Communications must maintain robust relationships with the White House Press Corps, the White House Correspondents’
Association, regional stakeholders, and key interest groups. No legal entitlement exists for the provision of permanent space for media on the White House
campus, and the next Administration should reexamine the balance between media
demands and space constraints on the White House premises.
Leadership within the Office of Communications should include a Communications Director (who is a direct report to the Chief of Staff ), a Deputy— 29 —

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Communications Director, a Deputy Director for Strategic Communications, anda Press Secretary. This leadership team must work together closely to drive thenational narrative about the White House.
The best resource for the Office of Communications is the President. The President conveys the White House’s overall message through one or two inaugural
addresses, State of the Union addresses, speeches to Congress, and press conferences. The office must also ensure that the various White House offices disseminate
a unified message to the public. The Communications Director and Press Secretaryin particular should be careful to avoid contradicting the President or deliveringconflicting information.
The speechwriting team is a critical component of the communications team.
Speechwriting is a unique talent: The writers selected must understand policy,
should have a firm grasp of history and other liberal-arts disciplines, and shouldbe able to learn and adopt the President’s style of rhetoric and mode of delivery.
The Press Secretary is the President’s spokesperson, communicating to theAmerican people through the media. The Press Secretary engages with the WhiteHouse Press Corps formally through press briefings and informally throughimpromptu gaggles and meetings. Individuals who serve in this role must be quickon their feet, which means, when appropriate, deftly refuting and rebutting correspondents’ questions and comments.
The Communications Director must convey the President’s mission to theAmerican people. Especially for conservatives, this means navigating the mainstream media to ensure that the President’s agenda is conveyed effectively andaccurately. The Communications Director must be politically savvy and very awareof the ongoing activities of the other White House offices. The new Administration
should examine the nature of the relationship between itself and the White House
Correspondents Association and consider whether an alternative coordinating
body might be more suitable.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS (OLA)

Created by President Dwight Eisenhower, the OLA has continued to serve as theliaison between the White House and Congress. The White House must work withcongressional leaders to ensure presidential nominees, for roles such as Cabinet
secretaries and ambassadors, are confirmed by the Senate. The White House alsorelies on Congress to enact reforms promised by the President on the campaign
trail, whether those promises relate to health care, education, or national defense.
Because Congress holds the power of the purse, White House staffers must ensurethat there is enough support on the Hill to secure the necessary funding throughthe appropriations process to fulfill the President’s agenda.
The OLA reports directly to the Chief of Staff and in some Administrations hasdone so under the guidance of a Deputy Chief of Staff (usually the Deputy Chief— 30 —

2025 Presidential Transition Projectfor Policy). Regardless of the person to whom the OLA reports, however, the office
exercises a certain autonomy on behalf of the President and the Chief of Staff indirectly influencing congressional leaders of both major political parties. The OLA
often must function as the mediator among the parties and find common groundto facilitate the successful enactment of the President’s agenda.
As is the case with many White House offices (but especially the Office of Communications), the OLA must ensure that congressional leaders receive one unified
message. If other actors within the White House maintain their own relationships
with congressional leaders and staffers, it may appear that the President’s agenda
is fractured and lacks consensus. This dynamic has caused real problems for many
Presidents in the past.
Internally, OLA staffers need to be involved in policy discussions, budget reviews,
and other important meetings. They must also provide advice to policy staffers
regarding whether certain ideas are politically feasible. Externally, OLA staffers
have to communicate continuously with congressional offices of both parties inboth the House and the Senate to ensure that the President has enough support
to enact his legislative priorities or sustain votes.
The OLA requires staffers who are effective communicators and can provide adose of reality to other White House staffers when necessary. Although a policy
proposal from within the White House may be a great idea, OLA staffers mustensure that it is politically feasible. OLA staffers must therefore be skilled in both
politics and policy. Furthermore, the President should seek out individuals who
can advance his agenda and at the same time forge pathways with members of the
opposing political party on other priorities.
Most important, the OLA must function as a well-oiled machine: precisely
synced. The President cannot afford to have a tennis player on—much less as theleader of—his football team.
OFFICE OF PRESIDENTIAL PERSONNEL (PPO)

The political axiom that “personnel is policy” was popularized under President
Ronald Reagan during the 1981 presidential transition. One of the most important
offices in the White House is the PPO, which was created under President Richard
Nixon to centralize political appointments. Departments and agencies had and still
have direct legal authority on hiring and firing, but the power to fill Schedule C positions—the core of political jobs—is vested with the President. Therefore, the WhiteHouse, not the department or agency, has the final word on political appointments.
PPO’s primary responsibility is to staff the executive branch with individuals
who are equipped to implement the President’s agenda. Although its focus should
be identifying and recruiting leaders to fill the approximately 1,000 appointments that
require Senate confirmation, PPO must also fill approximately 3,000 political jobs that
require dedicated conservatives to support the Administration’s political leadership.

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Frequently, many medium-tier and top-tier jobs have been filled by policy
experts tasked with accomplishing much of the work of the Administration. At
the same time, appointees in the entry-level jobs have brought invaluable energy
and commitment to the White House and have proved to be the “farm team” forthe conservative movement.
The Office of Presidential Personnel is responsible for:
l

l

l

l

l

l

l

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Identifying potential political personnel both actively through recruitment
and passively by fielding resumes and adjudicating requests frompolitical actors.
Vetting potential political personnel by conducting political backgroundchecks and reviewing any clearance and fitness assessments by departments
and agencies.
Making recommendations to the President and to other appointment
authorities on behalf of the President.
Identifying programmatic political workforce needs early and developing
plans (for example, Schedule F).
Maintaining a strong relationship with the Office of Personnel Management(OPM) both for operational purposes and to effectuate the President’s direct
Title 5 authorities. The President is in charge of the federal workforce andexercises control principally by working through the Director of the Officeof Personnel Management.
Training and connecting political personnel.
Playing “bad cop” in a way that other White House offices cannot(including serving as the office that takes direct responsibility for firingsand hirings).
Serving as a personnel link between conservative organizations and theexecutive branch.

In most Administrations, PPO will staff more than 100 positions during a transition and thousands of noncareer positions during the President’s first term. Direct
authority and a strong relationship with the President are necessary attributes for
any PPO Director. Historically, PPO has had direct review and control of personnel
files, including security clearance dossiers.

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2025 Presidential Transition ProjectAt the highest level, PPO is tasked with long-term, strategic workforce development. The “billets” of political appointments are of immense importance incredentialing and training future leaders. In addition, whatever one’s view of theconstitutionality of various civil service rules (for example, the Federal Vacancies
Reform Act of 19986) might be, it is necessary to ensure that departments andagencies have robust cadres of political staff just below senior levels in the eventof unexpected vacancies.
OFFICE OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS (OPA)The OPA is the primary office within the executive branch for managing thePresident’s political interests. Although its specific functions vary from Administration to Administration, the OPA typically serves as the liaison between the
President and associated political entities: national committees, federal and state
campaigns, and interest groups. Within legal guidelines, the OPA engages in outreach, conducts casework, and—if the President is up for reelection—assists withhis campaign. The OPA may also monitor congressional campaigns, arrange presidential visits with other political campaigns, and recommend campaign staff to
the Office of Presidential Personnel for service in the executive branch.
The OPA further serves as a line of communication between the White Houseand the President’s political party. This includes both relaying the President’s
ambitions to political interests and listening to the needs of political interests. This
relationship allows for the exchange of information between the White House andpolitical actors across the country. The OPA should have one director of politicalaffairs who reports either to the Chief of Staff or to a Deputy Chief of Staff. The
OPA should also include various deputy directors, each of whom is responsible fora certain geographical region of the country.
Because nearly all White House activities are in some way inherently political,
the OPA needs to be aware of all presidential actions and activities—including
travel, policy decisions, speeches, nominations, and responses to matters ofnational security—and consider how they might affect the President’s image. The
OPA must therefore have a designated staffer who communicates not only withother White House offices, but also with the Cabinet and executive branch agencies.

OFFICE OF CABINET AFFAIRS (OCA)The OCA’s role has changed to some degree over the course of various Administrations, but its overriding function remains the same: to ensure the coordinationof policy and communication between the White House and the Cabinet. Most
important, the OCA coordinates all Cabinet meetings with the President. It should
also organize and administer regular meetings of the Deputy Secretaries because
they also typically serve vital roles in the departments and agencies and, further,often become acting secretaries when Cabinet members resign.

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There should be one Cabinet Secretary who reports to the Chief of Staff’s office,either directly or through a deputy chief, according to the chief’s preference andfocus. The Cabinet Secretary maintains a direct relationship with all members of
the Cabinet.
The OCA further consists of deputies and special assistants who work with eachdepartment’s principal, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries,
and other senior staff. The OCA also connects the departments to WHO offices.
The OCA coordinates with the Chief of Staff’s office and the Office of Communications to promote the President’s agenda through the Cabinet departments andagencies. The Cabinet’s communications staffers are obviously another criticalcomponent of this operation.
In prior Administrations, the OCA has played a vital role by tracking the President’s agenda for the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chiefs, and senior advisers. It has
worked with each department and agency to advance policy priorities. In the future,amplifying this function would truly benefit both the President and the conservative movement.
From time to time throughout an Administration, travel optics, ethics challenges, and Hatch Act7 issues involving Cabinet members, deputies, and seniorstaffers can arise. The OCA is normally tasked with keeping the WHO informedof such developments and providing support if and when necessary.
The ideal Cabinet Secretary will have exceptional organizational skills and bea seasoned political operative or attorney. Because many Cabinet officials havebeen former presidential candidates, governors, ambassadors, and Members ofCongress, the ideal candidate should also possess the ability to interact with andpersuade accomplished individuals.
OFFICE OF PUBLIC LIAISON (OPL)The OPL is critically important in building coalitions and support for the President’s agenda across every aligned social, faith-based, minority, and economic
interest group. It is a critical tool for shaping public opinion and keeping myriad
supporters, as well as “frenemies” and opponents alike who are within reach,better informed.
The OPL is a notably large office. It should have one Director who reports to theChief of Staff’s office, either directly or through a deputy, according to the chief’s
preference and focus. The Director must maintain relationships not only withother WHO heads, but also with the senior staff of every Cabinet department andagency. Since a President’s agenda is always in motion, it is important for the OPL
to facilitate listening sessions to receive the views of the various leaders and members of key interest groups.
The OPL should also have a sufficient number of deputies and special assistants
to cover the vast number of disparate interest groups that are engaged daily. The— 34 —

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OPL has, by far, held more meetings in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building(EEOB) and within the West Wing itself than any other office within the WHO.
The OPL is the chief White House enforcer and gatekeeper among these various interest groups. It has operated best whenever the Chief of Staff has given it
permission to use both the proverbial “carrot” and the proverbial “stick.” To makethis work, communication with the chief’s office is vital. Additionally, the OPL has
had an outsized role in presidential scheduling and both official and political travel.
The OPL Director should come from the President’s election campaign or Capitol Hill—but should not have deeply entrenched connections to a K Street entity
or any other potential stakeholder. Some prior relationships can create real or
perceived biases toward one group or another. The Director should be amiable,
gregarious, highly organized, and willing to shoulder criticism and pushback frominterest groups and other elements of the Administration.
Unlike the Director, OPL deputies and special assistants need a deep understanding of the capital, from K Street to Capitol Hill. They should have extensive
experience in private industry, the labor sector, the conservative movement, andamong the specific interest groups with which they will be asked to engage on
behalf of the White House.
OPL staffers work with more external and internal parties than any other WHO
staffers. In turn, they must be effective communicators and initiative-takers. They
must also be able to influence, persuade, and—most important—listen to various
stakeholders and ensure that they feel heard. All OPL staffers must understandfrom the outset that their jobs might be modified or even phased out entirely as
the Administration’s priorities change.
OFFICE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS (IGA)The IGA connects the White House to state, county, local, and tribal governments. In other words, it is the one-stop shop for disseminating an Administration’s
agenda to all non–federal government entities.
The IGA should have a Director to whom one or two Deputy Directors report.
The Director must ensure that the White House remains connected to all non–federal government entities. The interests and perspectives of these entities are
represented in policy discussions, organized events with the West Wing, EOP
senior staff, and IGA staff throughout the departments and agencies.
The IGA can be staffed in a variety of ways, but two arrangements aremost common:ll

Each deputy and that deputy’s staffers are responsible for a type of government.
A group of staffers is responsible for a specific geographical region of
the country.

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The IGA, as suggested above, represents the interests and perspectives of non–federal government entities, but its primary job is to make sure that these entities
understand an Administration’s agenda and ultimately support it.
The IGA must work with all other White House offices, especially the OPA andthe OPL, and manage its staff throughout the departments and agencies. IGA staffers must therefore have communication skills, understand political nuance, andbe willing to engage in complex policy discussions. They should also be not justgenerally responsive, but also proactive in seeking out the interests and perspectives of non–federal government entities.
WHITE HOUSE POLICY COUNCILSAs the federal government has ballooned in size over the past century, it has
become increasingly difficult for the President alone to direct his agenda acrossthe executive branch. Three White House policy councils have come into existence
to help the President to control the bureaucracy and ensure continued alignment
between agency leadership and White House priorities. Those councils—as previewed above—are the NSC, NEC, and DPC. Each is headed by an Assistant to the
President and performs three significant functions.
lllPolicy Coordination. The primary role of the policy councils is tocoordinate the development of Administration policy. This frequently
includes developing significant legislative priorities, coordinating policy
decisions that impact multiple departments and agencies, and at times
coordinating policy decisions within a single department or agency. This
process must ensure that all relevant offices are included; that competingor conflicting opinions are thoroughly discussed and evaluated; and, when
there is disagreement among White House senior staff or among Cabinet
members, a well-structured question is presented to the President for anintermediate or final decision.
Policy Advice. By virtue of working in the White House, the heads of thethree policy councils will also function as independent policy advisers to
the President. This aspect of the role will vary depending on the individualin this position and the President’s governing philosophy. Incumbents haveranged from “honest brokers,” who mostly coordinate and ensure that all
opinions are fairly presented to the President, to “policy deciders,” wholargely drive a given policy topic on behalf of the President.
Policy Implementation. The policy councils also manage and mediate
the implementation of previous policy decisions. Implementation of a new
statute or an executive order frequently takes years and involves many

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distinct and more granular policy decisions along the way. It is essential
to have a centralized process for evaluating and coordinating thesedecisions, especially if they involve more than one Cabinet department
or agency with differing opinions on the best approach for securing thePresident’s goals.
The above functions have recently been managed by policy councils througha tiered interagency policy process. This process helps to identify differences of
opinion and reach a decision without having to take every issue to the President. It
can be used to address a single question or monitor a recurring issue on an ongoingbasis. Typically, the process involves multiple Cabinet departments and agencies
that have a pertinent role, policy interest, or disagreement. Each policy council’s
process could involve the following committees:lll

Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC). A PCC is led by a Special
Assistant to the President from the policy council and includes political
Assistant Secretary–level experts from the relevant departments,
agencies, or offices. The purpose is to determine where consensus exists,
clearly identify where there are differing opinions, and develop options
for resolving the remaining questions. If no outstanding questions or
disagreements exist, the PCC may resolve the issue and move toward
implementation at the agency level.
Deputies Committee (DC). A DC is a meeting of presidentially appointed
executives chaired by the policy council’s Deputy Assistant to the President
and relevant Deputy Secretaries. It evaluates the options produced by the
PCC and frequently directs the PCC to add, expand, or reevaluate an option
or even to reach a compromise and resolve an issue at that level.
Principals Committee (PC). When questions are not resolved by a DC,
the Director of the Policy Council will chair a PC, which is attended by therelevant Cabinet Secretaries and senior White House political staff. This is
the final opportunity for the President’s most senior advisers to discuss thequestion, make sure that each principal’s position is carefully understood,and see whether consensus or a compromise might be reached. If not,the Chief of Staff’s office will schedule time for the PC to meet with the
President for a final decision.

Despite having seemingly clear and separate portfolios, the three policy councils frequently have areas of overlap, which can result in confusion, duplication,or conflict. For example, there are the areas of immigration and border security— 37 —

Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise(either NSC or DPC); health care, energy, and environment (either NEC or DPC);
and trade and international economic policy (either NSC or NEC). Identifying
these potentially problematic areas and assigning policy responsibilities to only
one council where possible will help to speed up the policy-coordination process.
While other chapters will cover specific policy goals for each department or
agency, incoming policy councils will need to move rapidly to lead policy processes
around cross-cutting agency topics, including countering China, enforcing immigration laws, reversing regulatory policies in order to promote energy production,
combating the Left’s aggressive attacks on life and religious liberty, and confronting“wokeism” throughout the federal government.
National Security Council. The NSC is intended to be an interdepartmental body within the White House that can set national security policy with awhole-of-government approach. Unlike the other policy councils, the NSC wasestablished by statute.8 Statutory members and advisers who are currently part of
the NSC include the President and Vice President; the Secretaries of State, Defense,and Energy; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the Director of National
Intelligence.9
The NSC staff, and particularly the National Security Adviser, should bevetted for foreign and security policy experience and insight. The National Security Adviser and NSC staff advise the President on matters of foreign policy andnational security, serve as an information conduit in times of crisis, and as liaisonsensuring that written communications are properly shared among NSC members.
Special attention should be given to the use of detailees to staff the NSC. In
recent years, the NSC’s staff size has been rightsized from its peak of 400 in 2015
down to 100–150 professional members. The next Administration should try tolimit the number of detailees to ensure more direct presidential control.
National Economic Council. The NEC was established in 1993 by executive
order and has four key functions:
l

l

l

l

To “coordinate the economic policy-making process with respect todomestic and international economic issues.”
To “coordinate economic policy advice to the President.”
To “ensure that policy decisions and programs are consistent with the
President’s stated goals” and “that those goals are being effectively pursued.”
To “monitor implementation of the President’s economic policy agenda.”10

The NEC Director coordinates and implements the President’s economic policy
objectives by working with Cabinet secretaries, their departments, and multiple— 38 —

2025 Presidential Transition Project

agencies. The Director is supported by a staff of policy experts in various fields,
including infrastructure, manufacturing, research and development, agriculture,small business, financial regulation, housing, technology and innovation, andfiscal policy.
The NEC considers economic policy matters, and the DPC typically considers
anything related to domestic matters with the exception of economic policy matters. It also differs from the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Whereas the
NEC is in charge of policy development, the CEA acts as the White House’s internal
research arm for economic analysis.
It is therefore critically important to find people with the right qualifications to head both the NEC and the CEA. The CEA is almost always led by awell-known academic economist, and the NEC is regularly led by someone withexpertise in directing the President’s economic policy process. Those who have
served in the role have ranged from former CEOs of the nation’s largest investment firms to financial-services industry managers to seasoned congressional
staffers who have managed the economic policy issues for top financial andtax-writing committees.
Domestic Policy Council. The Domestic Policy Council (DPC) consists ofadvisers to the President on noneconomic domestic policy issues as well as international issues with a significant domestic component (such as immigration). It is
one of the primary policy councils serving the President along with the NSC andNEC. The Director serves as the principal DPC adviser to the President, along withmembers of the Cabinet, and the Deputy Director chairs the committee responsible for coordinating domestic policy development at the Deputy Secretary level.
In this respect, both the Director and the Deputy Director have critical institutional functions that affect the development of domestic policy throughout theAdministration.
The DPC also has policy experts (for example, Special Assistants to the President or SAPs) who are responsible for developing and coordinating, as well as foradvising the President, on specific issues. It is essential that DPC policy expertise
reflect the most prominent issues that are before the Administration: issues suchas the environment, health care, housing, and immigration. In addition, DPC SAPs
should demonstrate a working knowledge of the rulemaking process (although
they need not necessarily be experts on regulation) because a working knowledgeof the rulemaking process will facilitate the DPC’s effectiveness in coordinating
Administration policy.
The DPC also needs to work closely with other offices within the Executive
Office of the President to promote economic opportunity and private-sector innovation. This includes working with the Office of Management and Budget and its
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs as well as the Council of Economic
Advisers, Council on Environmental Quality, and Office of Science and Technology— 39 —

Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise

Policy. To this end, the Director should chair a standing meeting with the principals from each of the other EOP offices to enhance coordination from within the
White House.
Several areas will be especially important as the DPC works to develop awell-defined domestic policy agenda. One is the promotion of innovation as afoundation for economic growth and opportunity. The President should establish
an economic opportunity working group, chaired by the DPC Director, to coordinate the development of policies that promote economic opportunity. Anotherimportant area is the promotion of health care reform to bring down costs for theAmerican people and the pressure that spending on health programs puts on thefederal budget. Finally, DPC should coordinate with the NSC on a policy agenda
to enhance border security.
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT (OVP)

In modern U.S. history, the Vice President has acted as a significant adviser tothe President. Once elected, the VP helps to promote and, in many instances, putinto place and execute the President’s agenda. The President may additionallydetermine the inclusion of OVP staff in White House meetings, including Policy
Coordinating Committee, Deputies Committee, and Principals Committee discussions as has been done in various recent Administrations.
Recent Presidents have decided to give Vice Presidents space in the West Wing.
The VP’s proximity to the President—as well as to the Chief of Staff and additional
senior advisers—makes his or her role a powerful one within the West Wing.
Presidents typically tap VPs to lead various Administration efforts. These efforts
have included serving on the NSC Principals Committee, heading the National
Space Council, addressing immigration and border issues, leading the responseto health care crises, and supervising workforce programs. VPs traditionally also
spearhead projects of personal interest that have been authorized by the President.
The VP is also charged with breaking tie votes in the Senate and in recent years
has served abroad as a brand ambassador for the White House and more broadly
the United States, announcing Administration priorities and coordinating withheads of state and other top foreign government officials. The Vice President, as
President of the Senate, could be a President’s emissary to the Senate.
OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY/FIRST GENTLEMAN

The First Lady or First Gentleman plays an interesting role in the formation,
implementation, and execution of policy in concert with the President. Active
and interested first spouses often champion a select number of signature issues,
whether they be thorny social issues or deeper policy issues. One advantage of thefirst spouse’s taking on hot-button social issues is that any political backlash willbe less severe than it would be for the President.

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2025 Presidential Transition Project

The first spouse normally appoints a chief of staff who has enough assistants
to support the spouse’s activities in the East Wing of the White House. This group
works exclusively with the first spouse and senior members of the White House
along with EOP personnel to implement and execute the first spouse’s priorities,
which reflect the first spouse’s passions and interests and are often identified asimportant in discussions with the President. Executed well, they can be strategically useful in accelerating the Administration’s agenda. Past East Wing initiatives
have focused on such issues as combating bullying, fighting drug abuse, promoting
literacy, and encouraging physical education for young adults and children.
The first spouse is afforded significant resources. His or her staff also works with
the President’s policy team, members of the Cabinet, and other EOP staff.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The preparation of this chapter was a collective enterprise of individuals involved in the2025 Presidential Transition Project. All contributors to this chapter are listed at the front of this volume, but Edwin
Meese III, Donald Devine, Ambassador Andrew Bremberg, and Jonathan Bronitsky deserve special mention. The
author alone assumes responsibility for the content of this chapter, and no views expressed herein should be
attributed to any other individual.

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Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise
ENDNOTES

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

U.S. Constitution, art. II, § 1, https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-2/ (accessed February 14, 2023).
U.S. Constitution, art. II, § 2.
U.S. Constitution, art. II, § 3.
U.S. Constitution, art. II, § 2.
See Chapter 2, “Executive Office of the President,” infra.
H.R. 4328, Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, Public Law No. 105277, 105th Congress, October 21, 1998, Division C, Title I, § 151, https://www.congress.gov/105/plaws/publ277/
PLAW-105publ277.pdf (accessed February 15, 2023).
7. S. 1871, An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, Public Law No. 76-252, 76th Congress, August 2, 1939,
https://govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/53/STATUTE-53-Pg1147.pdf (accessed March 7, 2023).
8. S. 758, National Security Act of 1947, Public Law No. 80-253, 80th Congress, July 26, 1947, https://govtrackus.
s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/61/STATUTE-61-Pg495.pdf (accessed February 15, 2023). “The National
Security Council was established by the National Security Act of 1947 (PL 235 – 61 Stat. 496; U.S.C. 402),
amended by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.). Later in 1949,as part of the Reorganization Plan, the Council was placed in the Executive Office of the President.” The WhiteHouse, “National Security Council,” https://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/ (accessed February 15, 2023).
9. See Chapter 2, “Executive Office of the President,” infra.
10. President William J. Clinton, Executive Order 12835, “Establishment of the National Economic Council,”January 25, 1993, in Federal Register, Vol. 58, No. 16 (January 27, 1993), pp. 6189–6190, https://www.govinfo.
gov/content/pkg/FR-1993-01-27/pdf/FR-1993-01-27.pdf (accessed March 7, 2023).

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