These people want the job done right. I never cared if a fellow was a Democrat or a Republican because . . . A presidential appointee who doesn t work with the career people will not make it. Mr. Moffit suggests that commitment to the president s policy agenda should supercede managerial or technical expertise in the selection of political appointees. But if followed, this approach actually makes it more difficult to formulate and implement public policy.
Most federal agencies are complex institutions and extraordinarily hard to lead and manage.
Managerial and substantive knowledge and experience are essential to success. While commitment to the president s policy agenda is important, it is not sufficient to guarantee success. Leadership and managerial competencies of presidential appointees, on the other hand, are essential to his success. The issue is not either-or, but rather one of relative emphasis. The greater the administrative challenge, and thus the more sophisticated the design needed to exploit it, the greater the premium on analytical ability, managerial and political skills and personality.