Channels, Fall 2018

Page 90 Schwall • 21 st Century Javelin Catchers House organization. Current COS John Kelly seems to be desperately attempting to steer the Trump administration in this direction, but he cannot make this change by himself. The delegation of power to the hands of the COS inherently requires the tacit approval of the president himself, something that seems unlikely, given current reports about a strained relationship between President Trump and Chief Kelly. Another complication to White House organization is the family members that serve in the Trump administration, notably Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. White House organization will be inherently collegial with the presence of family members who always have access to the president, regardless of formal organizational models. Ultimately, no White House organization or COS will be a savior for a presidency that is inclined to chaos and destruction. Presidential scholar Bert Rockman explains: ""No system or organization ultimately can save a President from himself when he is inclined to self- destruct. And no system that a President is uncomfortable with will last" (Rockman, 1988). If presidents are not intentional in the means with which they organize their White House, their presidencies will be vulnerable to turmoil and their own agendas may be compromised. FIGURE 1: Models of White House Organization Demands on President Quality of Policies and Decisions Political Responsiveness Response Time Formalistic Low Seeks "best" decision but may distort information; Gap between formulation and implementation Poor; Runs risk of isolation and insensitive to views of bureaucracy Slow Competitive High Creative but policies are less developed; Emphasis on political feasibility rather than best answer Good Slow Collegial High Comprehensive review, attention to both formulation Good; Process mirrors reality Rapid