White House

Towson University

Submitted by on Fri, 04/13/2018 - 07:26
Dr. Martha Joynt Kumar is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Towson University. As a scholar with a research focus on the White House, she is interested in presidential - press relations, White House communications operations, and presidential transitions. Her most recent book, Managing the President's Message: The White House Communications Operation, won the 2008 Richard E. Neustadt Award for the best book on the presidency from the presidency section of the American Political Science Association.

Three Ways to Improve @WhiteHouse (or Any Large Communications-intensive Organization)

Submitted by on Tue, 12/26/2017 - 17:06

The White House Twitter feed recently created a survey and asked followers to submit their opinions on how they liked @WhiteHouse and how the @WhiteHouse team could improve their feed.  Here is a quick list of three suggestions that would improve @WhiteHouse - or any other communications-intensive organization.

1. Use hashtags

The Innovation Agenda: Private Sector Action, Government Benefit

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 14:56

President Obama has made private sector innovation a centerpiece of the Administration’s agenda for growth and job creation.  This is a subject that has broad support across the spectrum:  citizens, businesses and governments all look to commercial activity as an economic engine; new technologies play a key role in this pursuit.  The Nation’s Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra, has been a very visible leader of this activity, with frequent and recent blogs through the White House and media web sites (

Improving the Framework for Managing Cybersecurity Policy

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 13:39

Below are ideas that I shared on this topic yesterday as part of a panel discussion with the White House’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity.

Background 

The policy framework that governs Federal IT with respect to cybersecurity has many pieces. Major laws include:

Putting Out the Welcome Mat

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 12:38

A new law signed into law in March requires the White House and agencies to designate government-wide and agency-level transition teams long before the election.  These teams are to help both the outgoing as well as the incoming administrations. What have been their efforts to date, and what can be expected after the election?

 

Weekly Roundup: June 12 - 16, 2017

Submitted by on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 11:32

John Kamensky

OMB Burden Reduction. Federal News Radio reports: “The Office of Management and Budget is cleaning out its policy closet and in its first sweep found 59 data reporting requirements that are no longer necessary. . . . Of those 59 requirements, 50 have been rescinded and nine have been modified or suspended for the near future.”

Happy Birthday GPRA

Submitted by on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 10:33

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) was enacted in 1993 to bring about a greater focus on results in the federal government. GPRA's requirements have built a strong foundation for results-oriented performance planning, measurement, and reporting.

Managing Innovation Prizes in Government

Submitted by on Mon, 02/07/2011 - 11:25

The use of prizes and awards is a visible element of the Obama Administration’s efforts to promote innovation in government. For example, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has sponsored a competition among federal employees to find cost savings and the White House has created the “challenge.gov” website where federal agencies can pose problems in hopes of getting solutions from the public.  OMB issued guidance to encourage agencies to offer challenges and prizes, as well.