Discuss the responsibilities of the staff of the White House Office.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Of all of the executive staff agencies, the White House Office has the most direct contact with the president. The White House Office is headed by the chief of staff, who advises the president on important matters and directs the operations of the presidential staff. A number of other top officials, assistants, and special assistants to the president also provide aid in such areas as national security, the economy, and political affairs. The press secretary meets with reporters and makes public statements for the president. The counsel to the president serves as the White House lawyer and handles the president's legal matters.The White House staff also includes speechwriters, researchers, the president's physician, and a correspondence secretary. Altogether, the White House Office has more than four hundred employees.The White House staff has several duties. First, the staff investigates and analyzes problems that require the president's attention. Staff members who are specialists in certain areas, such as diplomatic relations or foreign trade, gather information for the president and suggest solutions. White House staff members also screen the questions, issues, and problems that people present to the president, so that matters can be handled by other officials do not reach the president's desk.Additionally, the staff provides public relations support. For example, the press staff handles the president's relations with the White House press corps and schedules news conferences. Finally, the White House staff ensures that the president's initiatives are effectively transmitted to the relevant government personnel. Several staff members are usually assigned to work directly with members of Congress for this purpose.