ABSTRACT
Some people propose giving the Vice President extraordinary responsibilities. Another set of suggestions for helping the President involves proposals for saving the President’s time so that he can have some moments for reflection. Strengthening the President is not a neutral goal; it has vital implications for the kinds of decisions the government makes. By all accounts, the presidency is the most important political institution in American life. A perennial type of reform calls for reducing the number of government agencies reporting to the President by putting them under a few great departments. The rationale behind these proposals is that the President would exercise greater control over government agencies by placing them directly under his line of command through faithful Cabinet Officers. Another type of reform is contained in the proposal that the President should be served by a new management staff with its personnel drawn largely from the civil service.
