For this week's look at the executive branch, a random look at some stories that illustrate different topics covered in the class material:
- Who's In, Who's Out: Here's a look at the transformations happening in the Cabinet as Obama enters his second term.
- Obama, the puppet master: Politico details how the Obama White House is able manipulate press coverage, including skillfully using new technologies and social media to ensure that events are covered as they want to see them covered: the mastery mostly flows from a White House that has taken old tricks
for shaping coverage (staged leaks, friendly interviews) and put them on
steroids using new ones (social media, content creation, precision
targeting).
Presidential success has often hinged on the ability to influence what is covered and how. As you'll see in the notes, an entire section of the executive branch is set up to handle the press. Commentators suggest that Obama's White House learned a lot from the experiences of their first terms and will apply those lessons in the second. The White House seems to have a leg up on the press, which is unusual. The press is not happy about it.
- Through the lens of the White House photographers: One way to ensure that media coverage is favorable is to control the visuals. Most of the photographs of the president are produced internally - no nose picking or anything like that will sneak out. Ronald Reagan's media adviser Michael Deaver was credited with emphasizing the importance of controlling the visuals. He noted that these can negate any negative commentary that might follow them.
- David Axelrod joins NBC News: Here's a great way to influence media coverage. Have one of your major advisers join them. Axelrod was a major figure in both of the president's elections, and was a senior adviser in the first term.
- Obama's Plan Sees 8-Year Wait for Illegal Immigrants: As a way of influencing whatever plan Congress develops, the president introduced his proposal for overhauling immigration. He was criticized during his first term for deferring policy formation too much to Congress, especially in the battle over health care. Here he takes the lead. His chief of staff talked the proposal up on Sunday talk shows this past week.
- Obama Turns up Pressure for Deal on Budget Cuts: The president is also wading into the political fray over the sequester. Much of this - as with other activities - involves taking a message public. Researchers note that this is a key component of presidential power. It also means that presidents spend less time dealing with Congress than using the American people to back his proposals over those of Congress. teh president has already morphed his campaign organization into one focused on promoting policy. This is part of the concept of a permanent campaign that we cover in several points in class.
- How researchers shaped the White House's brain-mapping initiative: The White House has directly one of its policy organizations to facilitate research in neural functions within the brain. This White House is very geek friendly.
