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Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: AudiobookHub Recommendation
Chapter 2: The chief of staff role came into its modern form under Richard Nixon’s presidency.
Chapter 3: Following Nixon’s resignation, Donald Rumsfeld served as chief of staff to new President Gerald Ford.
Chapter 4: Jimmy Carter’s presidency suffered partly because he acted as his own chief of staff.
Chapter 5: Ronald Reagan cycled through four chiefs of staff during his two terms.
Chapter 6: George H. W. Bush’s chief-of-staff troubles helped make him into a one-term president.
Chapter 7: Bill Clinton’s turbulent two-term presidency featured four chiefs of staff.
Chapter 8: Under George W. Bush’s presidency, the vice president effectively served as chief of staff.
Chapter 9: Barack Obama aimed to learn from history, yet ultimately achieved only mixed success.
Description
The Gatekeepers (2017) challenges the standard view of the US government. To most people, the United States is embodied by its president. After all, it’s he who appears on all the TV screens. But the mechanics of the executive branch means there’s a key figure who’s too easily forgotten: the chief of staff. It’s his responsibility to control who or what reaches the president. Chris Whipple traces the history of the best – and the worst – of these gatekeepers.
Who Should Listen
- Political junkies
- Students of history or public policy
- Anyone interested in how the White House works behind the scenes