Outgoing National Security Adviser Susan Rice, in a December 2016 interview with Buzzfeed, boasted about flipping off a superior in a meeting, defended the Obama administration’s inaction as hundreds of thousands of innocents were slaughtered in Syria, and, when asked if she would ever consider running for office, teased her fawning questioners: “Stay tuned.” For those who have, Rice’s ambitions are manifest. After all, she emerged from Joe Biden’s veepstakes a runner-up and, now that he has won, is widely considered the favorite for the position of secretary of state.
“Personnel is policy” may be a cliché, but it’s an accurate one. The executive branch is run by the president, who has ultimate say over every department and agency under its umbrella. But the federal government’s massive scope renders the bureaucrats and political appointees underneath him powerful not only as a result of the official duties associated with their offices, but because of their proximity to the chief executive and ability to influence his thinking.
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