Agency Politicization and the Decline of Neutral Competence: The Case of OMB in the United States

Abstract

The modern presidency is heavily politicized. The president is expected to be the chief legislator, chief economist, chief psychiatrist, and chief diplomat for the nation and is the cog around which national affairs revolve. However, a politicized presidency signals the downfall of the managerial presidency that was buttressed by agencies with neutral competence. This article traces the evolution of an American budgetary agency, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from its inception to the present, documenting the baleful impact of the politicized presidency on the OMB. Amid politicization, the OMB lost its professional reputation for neutral competence and was replaced by the Congressional Budget Office as the foremost authority on national budgetary matters. This article, in essence, presents a cautionary tale of agency politicization in modern bureaucracy.