mined to clean up "that mess in Washington" and "Kennedy was intent on imposing presidential control over 'the feudal barons of the permanent government, entrenched in their domains and fortified by their sense of proprietorship.' Nixon referred to the federal bureaucracy as 'a faceless machine.' Carter gained the presidency as a crusader against Washington, and Reagan insisted that Washington was the problem, not the solution" (ibid., 55).
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Theoretically, presidents have far-reaching power to appoint individuals to deal with "the problem" of the federal bureaucracy. But while they are aware of the political capital to be gained from the judicious appointment of several thousand persons, for the most part, time and interest force them to focus chiefly on the high-level positions: "Carter candidly confessed, 'The constant pressure of making lesser appointments was a real headache.' Nixon dealt with lower-ranking appointments exclusively through memoranda, and Reagan passively [went] through the motions of rubber-stamping them" (ibid., 55).
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Traditionally, political appointments were filled in this country using the method known affectionately (by some) as "BOGSAT, a bunch of guys sitting around a table asking each other 'Whom do you know?"' (Macy et al. 1983, 27). However, the personnel system has, of necessity, grown in the past several decades with each administration adding incrementally to it.
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 | | Truman was the first to set up a personnel section in the White House independent of the party and separate from patronage demands. Eisenhower established the office of special assistant to the president for personnel management and was the first to require FBI clearance for prospective nominees. Kennedy's personnel staff developed a national network of sources and initiated an outreach recruiting operation and eventually compiled a list of potential appointees.
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| | Lyndon Johnson extended the work of his predecessors by institutionalizing modern personnel techniques, introducing the use of computers, and demonstrating the benefits of presidential participation in the system. Nixon aides further professionalized the process through the use of personnel recruitment specialists and sophisticated managerial practices. Ford formally created the White House personnel office and emphasized ethical considerations in the appointments process. Carter formed a nonpartisan nomination commission in a move toward the merit selection of federal judges. Under Reagan, the circle of White House aides involved in the process was expanded, and tighter control was exercised over a broad array of appointments. (Bonafede 1987a, 56-57)
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