America's Trump Problem

The President is inattentive to details.

To be effective, a President must attend to details. The job of President embodies certain tasks as defined in my book, How to Select an American President by James A. George with James A. Rodger © 2017 Archway Publishing.

Greg Sargent, The Washington Post, reports this afternoon that a lot of things are working against Donald Trump and they are his doing.

“dishonesty, bad faith, and lack of concern for detail and procedure that are rotting away at the core of his agenda and approach to governing” The Washington Post

Six Primary Tasks of the U. S. President’s Job Model  

Throughout the range of tasks, the President analyzes, evaluates, approves and directs allocation of the government’s resources to perform work and produce required outcomes. Only Congress can fund the work of government. Achieving the highest return on cost is a president’s responsibility. The following tasks are a straw man, a place to begin as voters think through the process independently.

What is one of the first things a president must have to do to get started with a new administration? The president needs a staff, an organization, a plan and a schedule.

Task 1: Planning, staffing, organizing, and scheduling Presidential work and government functions
Subtask 1.1: Recruit and staff the cabinet and department and agency appointments
Subtask 1.2: Conduct cabinet meetings to develop and implement strategies and policies for accomplishing the nation’s workload and issues
Subtask 1.3: Define the nation’s outcomes and priorities for each major department and agency to produce the nation’s strategic plan

Task 2: Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs

Task 3: Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress

Task 4: Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve

Task 5: Report progress and discuss issues with the American public to keep them informed

Task 6: Meet with heads of state and participate in international meetings and conferences for heads of state
Subtask 6.1: Participate in international economic conferences
Subtask 6.2: Respond to international crises and requests for assistance
Subtask 6.3: Promote democratic process and reforms

In the first task that is staffing, Donald Trump and the US Senate made a mockery and travesty by approving the staffing choices of this President of questionable legitimacy. Most of the individuals are unqualified to hold the positions, and all are hostile toward the bureaucracy that they must manage. The Trump tone is harshly unsuitable for productive governance.

As for details, a US President is in the business of managing complex operations that are ongoing. They are the product of laws and regulations created by Congress. Managing to compliance is a requirement, not an option. Understanding and respecting the rule of law is essential.

President Trump has shown no respect for the rule of law throughout his career outside of government and now on top of it. That is America’s greatest mistake.

Policies must be reviewed across 56 different departments and agencies. Policies are enacted by laws and regulations. Some laws and regulations have mandatory review requirements. Some need amending, replacing and retiring. Without detailed legal review in consultation with an attentive President, there is much risk and danger from arbitrary decisions that are made in the absence of facts.

President Trump demonstrates a disdain for facts and inability to tell the truth. Therefore, his administration is grinding to a halt because no one in America and in the world can trust him. They cannot trust a Congress that obstructs justice and fails to address the Trump problem.

Red Alert