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Ashley is an attorney. She has taught and written various introductory law courses.
Did you know that there are nearly 4,000 politically appointed positions in our federal government? This includes people serving in the executive branch, the military, and the judicial branch. The positions are known as presidential appointments because the president selects people to serve in various federal government positions.
Presidential appointments include all U.S. ambassadors, all Cabinet positions, all U.S. Supreme Court justices, and all federal judge positions. These are known as PAS positions, meaning presidential appointments with Senate confirmation. The president nominates a candidate, but the Senate must approve the nomination. For example, President Barack Obama formally nominated Maria Contreras-Sweet as the new administrator of the Small Business Administration in a White House ceremony held in January of 2014. The Senate confirmed Contreras-Sweet in March of 2014.
Other presidential appointments include people who serve on various commissions, councils, committees, boards, or foundations. These are mostly advisory positions and are sometimes without pay. These are known as PSs, or presidential appointments without Senate confirmation. Many people working in the executive office of the president are PSs, like the president's secretary and other administrative support staff.
The people who work in the president's personal residence are also PSs, as are all of the vice president's staff. For example, Rahm Emanuel served in the Obama administration as White House Chief of Staff. He was appointed in November of 2008 directly by President Obama and served through 2010. This position doesn't require Senate approval.
Let's take a look at how the appointments process works. The U.S. Constitution's Article II provides the president with appointment power. The particular section is known as the Appointments Clause and gives the executive branch the exclusive power to select certain federal officials. Additionally, the Appointments Clause sets out the process by which the president may make appointments.
Let's examine the general process for those appointments that require Senate confirmation. First, the president alone has the authority to nominate a candidate of his or her choosing. Next, the Senate must approve the nomination by advice and consent.
Prior to voting, the Senate may hold hearings to better familiarize themselves with the nominee and his or her background and experience. Sometimes a presidential appointments committee researches and meets with the nominee and then reports to the Senate. Lastly, if the Senate approves, the president formally appoints and commissions the appointee. This is usually done in some sort of ceremony, though the size and formality vary. If the appointment doesn't require Senate confirmation, then that step is simply eliminated. The president can nominate an appointee and proceed directly to commissioning the appointee.
Sometimes the Senate doesn't approve a nominee to a position that requires Senate confirmation. When this happens, the process starts over with the president's nomination of a different candidate. For example, it took Republican President Richard Nixon three attempts to fill a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. First, Nixon nominated Clement Haynsworth. He was a federal judge from South Carolina who had a history of ruling in support of segregation. The Senate rejected Haynsworth's nomination in November of 1969.
Nixon then nominated G. Harrold Carswell. Carswell was deeply conservative. He also had a history of supporting segregation and of opposing women's rights. The Senate rejected Carswell's nomination in April of 1970. Then, Nixon nominated Harry Blackmun. Blackmun was a lifelong Republican at the time but was considered to be not as conservative as Haynsworth or Carswell. The Senate confirmed Blackmun through unanimous vote in May of 1970. Notably, Blackmun eventually became one of the court's most liberal justices. He served in the Supreme Court from 1970-1994.
Let's review. There are nearly 4,000 politically appointed positions in our federal government. These are known as presidential appointments because the president selects people to serve in certain federal government positions.
There are PAS positions, or presidential appointments with Senate confirmation. This means the president nominates a candidate, but the Senate must approve the nomination by advice and consent. PAS positions include all U.S. ambassadors, the top-level Cabinet positions, all U.S. Supreme Court justices, and all federal judge positions.
There are also PSs, or presidential appointments without Senate confirmation. These include certain positions in the executive office of the president and various positions in committees, agencies, and foundations. Most people working in the White House are PSs.
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Political Science 102: American Government17 chapters | 128 lessons | 7 flashcard sets
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