ABSTRACT
Some assistant secretary positions require very specific qualifications that influence behavior and role. An assistant secretary for administration in the Department of Housing and Urban Development need not have a background in housing and could have earned his or her experience in fields such as budgeting, personnel, procurement, administrative services, or information systems. One of the most significant relationships of an assistant secretary is with the department secretary. Some assistant secretaries spend most of their time managing individual programs. Perspectives of the assistant secretary and the department secretary often differ substantially. One major function of an assistant secretary is to represent the secretary and the president to the career bureaucracy. Most conflicts arid pressures faced by an assistant secretary derive from his or her interaction with the career bureaucracy and the secretary, other significant pressures include coordination problems within the department and from constituent groups.
