Other presidents have attempted to reorganize the bureaucracy to emphasize one policy over another or to reduce the importance of an agency. But one common factor is that bureaucratic reorganization is an on-going process, regardless of who sits in the White House. The executive branch is perhaps the most complex of the three branches of government, in large part due to its evolution beyond the vague framework provided by the Constitution. Continued efforts to expand the federal government's role can be seen in the increasing number of cabinet positions as well as the expansion of the duties and responsibilities of regulatory agencies and executive branch commissions. Although Congress controls the operation of these agencies from a purely fiscal standpoint, most of the initiative for bureaucratic reorganization has come from the chief executive.
Reorganization takes place in one of four ways.
First, Congress can, by statute, establish or abolish any agency within the executive branch. Usually this happens as a result of a programmatic expansion. Second, reorganization can take place as a result of a presidential directive. Presidents can also establish or abolish an agency using their discretionary powers, usually by issuing an executive order, which does not require congressional action. Third, under the 1949 Reorganization Act, the president can prepare and submit reorganization plans that are then renewed by Congress.