|
The Appointment Process Military Appointments - White House Appointments - Nominations Requiring Confirmation - Recess Appointments - Ceremonial Appointments Within 30 days both parties are likely to have candidates in place for the Presidency in the 2008 elections and for the succeeding four years one will be President. Now is the time for you to start putting together a Presidential Appointment if you have that in your mind! Updated Tuesday, May 06, 2008 05:27 PM The Inspector General Program In 1978 the Congress created the Inspector General program across the Federal system. Now more than five dozen agencies have Inspector General operations. Check out this new part of the side at Inspector's General in the United States. 5-7-08 Comment The President and the Senate are engaged in a squabble that prevents strategic and important positions from being filled in departments where - without appointees - government in that area ceases functioning. There is little hope that these nominations and confirmations will be made until a new President assumes office on January 20 2009. What is happening is that the White House either nominates people who the Senate will not confirm, or the President will not appoint Democrats to positions which, by agreement, must be filled by Democrats. We - as citizens - can expect better service from the President and from those in the Senate, both Republican and Democrat who refuse to compromise on confirming nominees. 2-25-08 Patronage - executive appointments - have long plagued government at all levels with a substantial lack of loyalty to any cause but the Executive and his cause. The United States has been no exception. In recent years patronage has been a more blatant political weapon than before World War II. In 2009 there is another of the periodic restarts of the federal government which a new President, and perhaps a new political party. With that change, there will be a major change of personnel at the patronage level. The quality of those filling the positions is a matter of real importance to the People and the Nation. 2-9-08 White House - Senate Battle on Recess appointments on Recess page: Important application of "Checks and Balances" Constitutional policy at work! 11 19 07 There is chat about "Shadow Cabinets" and "Shadow Governments" in the news. The reality is that with long campaign periods - probably close to eleven months this time - that many appointments, a few of the top ones and many of the lesser thousands of them will be well defined by the time the Presidential Transition begins on November 5th 2008. It is unlawful to actually promise appointee positions until a candidate is elected. In practice, inference, suggestion, implication, and without question - illegal promises - are used to encourage people to support one candidate or another. This means that selecting a job or seek or an area of government to work in if a particular candidate is elected is good planning. Obviously - you should not violate the law and try to get a commitment to any job, but you should prepared yourself politically to be appointed should an elected candidate or that candidate's representative ask for your services later. There are suggestions throughout this site about how to prepare yourself for such a situation. 10 28 07 Appointment Information - Sites - Candidate Information - Commissions.
TYPES AND VARIETIES OF EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS Jobs in the Presidential Campaigns: With the Presidential candidates getting into the fight early - there have to be both paid and volunteer jobs in each of the campaigns. The front runners in both parties tend to get the more experienced expert and lead staffers - but those pro staffers are usually not particularly well qualified in the substantive fields of government - and that is where you may find your spot. These situations are open at all levels of candidacy, and in all regions. There are surely several thousand candidates around the country who will have some sort of influence in ultimate Presidential appointments for either of the major Parties. Access to full Executive Appointments comes from all directions - all levels, and from all sorts of influences. However, now is the time to start sorting it out if you are going to be a successful appointee in 2008. (3/24/07) Belly-Up Presidential Candidates: The number of Presidential Candidates has begun to slim - at least two have gone Belly-Up on money and support. If you happen to end up supporting one of the candidates who have failed, or will fail, move your preparation for an appointment to a candidate still in the fight. You have some power in that move because you will bring a certain amount of your own constituency to the new candidate - that is important in the business of assembling power. Don't assume that because you stood behind a particular candidate that you are weak - exactly the opposite is true! February 24 2007 A Different Approach for next fifteen months Jobs in the Congress: - With the Democratic Party in the majority in both houses - there will be important staffing issues - not only do they need more people with expertise in essentially every government field, but they know the 2008 elections are wide open, and they have the feel, and the itch, of power in the offing. That boils down to opportunities for those with a bent to work with the Democratic Party - now. Staffing up a new administration is a huge task, and two years is important in that run up - if a Hill office has a suggestion for a new President - that is Power. Obviously one access to Executive Appointments is through the Congress - and it will be the presently elected Congress that advises the new President in 2008 - regardless of Party. (2/24/07) Bush Administration appointments: There are scheduled appointments coming up regularly. These will, of course, be made by the Bush Administration through noon on January 20, 2009. (You can rely on several dozen being made the morning of the inauguration, along with last minute pardons, regardless of who wins in November 2008.) New temporary commissions and committees will be appointed, funded, and serve particular goals of the administration. These usually retire by the end of an administration. Term appointments - those for a certain length of time - will be appointed and continue into the next administration until the term involved ends. 2008 - Next Administration Appointments: As candidates emerge for the 2008 Presidential election and a new President and administration - new people interested in Presidential appointments are positioning themselves. It is a safe bet that the itch to serve the next President is well developed in thousands of Americans - it is the nature of the political beast - and they are all looking for appointments. How that itch is organized and managed for the next two years will determine who receives appointments - take a look at 2008 Appointments to consider the perspective and advice of this site.. As Presidencies move toward ending - Presidential appointees often move on - usually in the private sector - sometimes to run for office - many just go home and many are worn out. Often - appointees look for situations to be folded into the civil service. Administrations like that of course - because is keeps people of their own policy in government - although sharp policy commitments tend to disappear as the job is permanent - sort of the same problem the Presidents have with court appointees - they get out of policy control when they are not beholden to the party or the White House. There is an opportunity for those willing to risk holding a job for only two or three years until the end of the current Presidential term - and perhaps into the next term. It takes a few months or even a year or two for new administrations to fill many jobs - whether of the same part or an opposition party. The result is that an appointment made in the next year can easily be a very productive and exciting experience - but perhaps limited to two or three years maximum. Most people seeking appointments are focused on a particular job or at least a particular area of work. Most have an idea where they would like to work. From this point on in the appointment process works the same as the appointments at the start of a term. However - the wear and tear on the White House appointments people is much less now - less appointments to be made - the staff is more experienced in the process - make decisions quicker in many cases - so things can happen quicker. October 28 2007 Check on the Department and Agency sites we are adding to the front page - these have a number of sources of appointments, and for that matter - jobs in general in the government. We are researching these sites in an attempt to get a better handle on what appointments are available. There is not much doubt that many appointments are a pure insider's game until they are made - getting past that obfuscation by the political folk is a tough task - one which we will continue to help our users accomplish. October 28 2007 NASA Appointments: Recent Bush appointees have faced some struggle in their appointments, including resignations. A new link at NASA Appointments provides helpful information about those appointments and how NASA works with them. This is a helpful resource if you are considering positions there. (2-20-06) The Since the election we have received a number of calls from people frustrated with the search for positions that may be open in the next few months. The reality is that many positions are clearly identified - the "Plum Book" and other sites like those provide some information. Searching within the large departments - on the internet and through individuals in the departments - and inquiries through present officials and elected members of the Senate and House take the search a long way. The process in indeed frustrating at some times - but that is the way it is - and it is difficult to make it easier. It is in the nature of the patronage process at the present time. |
||
|
References to Special Pages |
||
|
APPOINTMENTS DIRECTLY BY THE PRESIDENT WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE SENATE CONFIRMATION The President appoints several levels of Cabinet and agency officers. Usually the appointments are controlled directly through the White House and close to the President. For example, the President appoints the head of each Cabinet level department, such the Secretary of State. But power and politics kick in immediately after the election of the President when his staff searches for all of the Under Secretaries of State, the Assistant Under Secretaries of State, the Assistant Secretaries of State, and all of the Ambassadors to foreign nations and to international organizations such as the United Nations and the Pan American Union. This level of control may extend down to legal counsel in the departments, and division heads and other special appointments within each department. Ultimately, every appointment allowed by law which can be controlled by an elected President is made by the President, and not in succession by his highest appointees in the department. The Secretary of State, for example, does not appoint his own staff - the President appoints the staff. (A cabinet level officer usually has control over his personal administrative secretary or others who are personal to the officer.) This occurs in all of the Cabinet level divisions of he government. Similarly, the President appoints several levels of each agency. There are many entities in government which report directly to the President. The appointive process works exactly the same in those agencies. An example is the Small Business Administration where the President appoints the Director, but also appoints assistant Directors and Regional Administrators around the United States. There is no clearer example of the control over patronage which is held close to the head of government than this. The President, so that power can be used as a weapon, or device, to maintain control and power over the political and policy process controls appointments through his own hand. While senior appointees may have consultation on the selection of their junior officers, they clearly do not have political control over the appointments beneath their own. Loyalty is to the appointing officer. The White House, regardless of political party, never allows that loyalty and the power that comes with it to stray far from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and from the Oval Office of the President of the United States. INTERIM PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS Presidential appointees who require Senate confirmation do not usually take office until after the confirmation process is complete. The Senate has always felt free to block or slow appointments it doesn't like by simply delaying the confirmation process. However, as a counter balance to this routine, nominations made by the President when the Congress is not in Session are called "Interim Appointments" and the nominees take office immediately, without confirmation, which is delayed until the Senate reconvenes. The practical impact of this procedure is that the nominee then remains on interim status, doing the work of the office and being fully paid, until either confirmed by the Senate when he is then fully sworn in as a regular appointment, or rejected, at which time that nominee must leave office immediately. The logical significance of this process is to fill offices when the Senate is away, thereby not leaving important positions open. The political significance is that the President is in a position to make the interim appointment regardless of what the Senate thinks, and often place a person which the Senate either doesn't like, or where the Senate is using this procedure to embarrass and keep someone out of office without refusing confirmation as leverage against the President or that nominee. Among the games politicians play with Presidential appointments, this is one of the more interesting and clever. Needless to say the process does not necessarily build long standing friendships. |
NOMINATIONS OF THE PRESIDENT WHICH REQUIRE THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE WHITE HOUSE STAFF APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, and BOARDS A large and significant number of committees, commissions and boards are appointed by the President. Some are created by Congress, some by Executive Order, and some sort of happen within various departments and agencies. These are usually designed for celebrations, to support public events, or to deal with very specific subjects which occur from time to time. Often they have high political significance or high levels of public awareness but have little power or authority, but generous glitz. None of these require Senate confirmation. Very often these appointments have huge impact on policy with almost no notice. The government of the United States is so large that these relatively short lived groups with special purposes go largely unnoticed. These are positions which often include people of special experience and background included to do a special job on a special subject. Certainly these are among the most interesting of Executive appointments. They may include per diem and expense payments, and often do. Many only cover expenses. A few have some sort of pay attached, but few are full time for long, if at all. Staff and administrative support comes from the department or agency where the group is created and attached. These appointments are often long on attention and prestige and short on money and longevity. HOLDOVER APPOINTMENTS When the transition from one President to the next occurs in the White House, many positions remain filled by members of the last regime. This occurs because it takes time for the new crowd to screen candidates and make the new appointment nominations and selections. Usually, it does not make sense to leave positions entirely unattended, so many times significant jobs remain in the hands of prior appointees. Many times it is actually to the benefit of a new President to leave former people in offices. These are positions where unusual expertise is required, and the impact of the job is not filled with negative political implications. This is one of the situations where jobs, while patronage in style, are for one reason or another are better filed by experts in place than by being vacant, or filled with a Presidential selection which may be very difficult to find, and even harder to persuade to take a specialized job for a relatively short period of years. Those who are genuine experts can negotiate to stay very easily unless that person has somehow become a political liability to the new President. Contact: Director@Presidential-Appointments.org Thank you. John Isaacson 617 504 3699 |
|