In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Executive Office of the President (EOP) to support the president’s responsibilities as head of the executive branch. The White House chief of staff oversees the EOP, which includes entities that help the president carry out his duties.
The EOP has changed over the years and today consists of six main divisions:
· Office of Management and Budget
· Office of National Drug Control Policy
· Office of Science and Technology Policy
· Council of Economic Advisers
· Council on Environmental Quality
· Office of the National Cyber Director
One of the most important entities within the EOP is the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which assists with the implementation of the president’s vision across the federal government. Specifically, the OMB helps the president carry out his goals related to policy, budget, management, and regulations.
During previous administrations, a wider variety of entities were part of the EOP, including:
· Domestic Policy Council
· National Economic Council
· National Security Council
· Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
· Office of Public Engagement
· Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
· Executive Residence
· National Security Council
· Office of Administration
· Office of the United States Trade Representative
· Office of the Vice President
· White House Office
The EOP helps the president “manage the vast federal bureaucracy and implement their policy agenda,” according to the Horizon Institute for Public Service. The majority of EOP workers operate in or around the White House, with a large number of executive advisors working in the West Wing.
The executive office has many positions that the president can fill without Senate approval, giving the president greater control over its leadership. Because many EOP officials work closely with the president, they often have significant influence over White House decisions and help carry out the president’s priorities across the executive branch and in dealings with Congress.
