Bitter Harvest: FDR, Presidential Power and the Growth of the Presidential BranchBitter Harvest identifies the principles governing Franklin Roosevelt's development and use of a presidential staff system and offers a theory explaining why those principles proved so effective. Dickinson argues that presidents institutionalize staff to acquire the information and expertise necessary to better predict the likely impact their specific bargaining choices will have on the end results they desire. Once institutionalized, however, presidential staff must be managed. Roosevelt's use of competitive administrative techniques minimized his staff management costs, while his institutionalization of nonpartisan staff agencies provided him with needed information. Matthew Dickinson's research suggests that FDR's principles could be used today to manage the White House staff-dominated institutional presidency upon which most of his presidential successors have relied. |
Contents
The fruits of his labor? FDR and the growth of the presidential branch | 1 |
Concepts and controversies | 17 |
Bitter harvest The presidential branch and the Irancontra affair | 19 |
From cabinet to presidential government 19339 | 43 |
Creating the resource gap Bargaining costs and the First New Deal 19335 | 45 |
The president needs help The Brownlow Committee frames the Roosevelt response | 86 |
Testing Roosevelts staff system The war years 193945 | 115 |
Economic mobilization and World War II | 117 |
Managing war production | 141 |
Common terms and phrases
adhocracy Administrative Management advisers advisory appointed argue Army Arsenal of Democracy assistants authority bargaining resources Board British Brownlow Committee Budget Bureau Byrnes cabinet cabinet government Chief of Staff civilian Congress congressional coordinating created Deal decisions defense departments director Division Economic Mobilization effective executive branch Executive Office executive order FDR's FDR's administrative FDRL Federal Folder formal Franklin D functions Harry Hopkins Ibid Ickes Industrial institutional institutionalize Iran-contra affair issues Lauchlin Currie Leahy legislation Lend-Lease liaison M-Day Marshall meeting memorandum military national security Navy NDAC Nelson Neustadt Operations organization PCAM Presidential Agency presidential bargaining presidential branch Presidential Power presidential staff production Reagan regarding reorganization responsible Richberg role Roosevelt and Hopkins Rosenman secretariat Secretary served Sherwood Somers staff agencies strategy Subject Files tion Tower Commission University Press wartime Washington White House staff World War II York