Chief of Staff

The duties of the White House Chief of Staff vary greatly from one administration to another. However, he is responsible for overseeing the actions of the White House staff, managing the President's schedule, and deciding who is allowed to meet with the President. Because of this duty, the Chief of Staff has been dubbed the "the gatekeeper" and the "co-President".

Not every President has had a formal Chief of Staff. John F. Kennedy never hired one. Due to the stressful and demanding nature of the job, the average term of service for a White House Chief of Staff is a little under two and a half years. John R. Steelman, under Harry S. Truman, was the last to serve as Chief of Staff throughout the entire duration of a President's administration. Steelman also holds the record for longest service at six years. Andrew Card and Sherman Adams tie for second at five years each.

Some have suggested that a powerful Chief of Staff dealing with a "hands-off" president who decides not to become involved in the minutiæ of government, can become a quasi-prime minister. Such prime ministers exist in some presidential systems, such as in France and Russia, with the prime minister running the government and the president remaining somewhat aloof from the political process but setting broad policy goals. James Baker and Donald Regan were seen as prime ministerial-style chiefs of staff during the Reagan presidency. Howard Baker, who succeeded Regan, was critical of this system and what is sometimes called the Imperial Presidency.

By contrast, Andrew Card, President George W. Bush's first Chief of Staff, was not regarded as a very powerful figure. Some say that this is because Card was overshadowed by Senior Adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove; others suggest that the Chief of Staff's authority is limited by Bush's practice of dealing directly with his Cabinet secretaries. Similarly, President Bill Clinton's Chiefs of Staff were not particularly powerful, in part because Clinton's personality kept him in touch with his Cabinet.