Civics & Government · 9th Grade

Active learning ideas

The Executive Office of the President (EOP)

This topic can feel abstract to students who struggle to see how power flows in government. Active learning works here because it transforms institutional structures into tangible decisions. Students need to map roles, debate influence, and trace information flows to grasp how the EOP actually functions in real presidencies.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Civ.1.9-12
• C3: D2.Civ.6.9-12

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 35 min · Small Groups

Organizational Chart Analysis: Who Advises on What?

Students receive a current EOP organizational chart and three policy scenarios (a budget shortfall, a foreign security threat, a domestic public health emergency). For each scenario, they identify which EOP offices would be most involved, who would brief the President, and what information would flow through the system. This functional analysis builds understanding of why the EOP exists and what each office actually does.

Explain the function of key EOP components like the OMB and NSC.

Facilitation Tip

During the Organizational Chart Analysis, ask students to trace red strings or arrows from the Oval Office to each office to visualize proximity and access.

What to look for

Provide students with a scenario: 'The President wants to propose a new environmental regulation.' Ask them to identify which EOP office(s) would likely be most involved and explain why, citing at least one specific function of that office.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Small Groups

Case Study Analysis: The OMB and Budget Power

Present the federal budget process in simplified form, focusing on OMB's role in setting department spending requests before Congress receives them. Students analyze: What power does OMB wield before Congress acts? What happens when OMB's priorities conflict with a department's needs? Who is OMB accountable to? This makes the concept of centralized executive control over the bureaucracy concrete and consequential.

Analyze how the EOP centralizes presidential control over the bureaucracy.

Facilitation Tip

In the Case Study on the OMB, have students role-play the OMB director presenting budget cuts to the President while Cabinet secretaries react.

What to look for

Display a simplified organizational chart of the EOP. Ask students to label three key offices and write one sentence describing the main responsibility of each, focusing on their direct support to the President.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Fishbowl Discussion
• 40 min · Whole Class

Fishbowl Discussion: Should EOP Advisors Require Senate Confirmation?

The inner circle debates whether senior EOP officials -- particularly the NSC Advisor and Chief of Staff -- should require Senate confirmation, as Cabinet secretaries do. The debate must address: What is the purpose of confirmation? What would change if these roles required it? What would be lost? The outer circle charts the strongest arguments from each side before rotating in.

Evaluate the influence of unelected advisors within the EOP.

Facilitation Tip

For the Fishbowl debate, assign one student to record arguments on the board under three columns: ‘Power,’ ‘Accountability,’ and ‘Expertise.’

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Should unelected advisors in the EOP have significant influence on policy? Why or why not?' Encourage students to support their arguments by referencing the roles of specific EOP positions and their impact on presidential decisions.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Who Really Shapes the Decision?

Students read a brief case study of a major policy decision where EOP staff played a decisive role. Individually, they identify which EOP offices were involved and assess the influence of unelected advisors relative to the elected President and Senate-confirmed Cabinet. Pairs compare assessments and surface the democratic accountability question this influence raises for citizens.

Explain the function of key EOP components like the OMB and NSC.

Facilitation Tip

In Think-Pair-Share, require pairs to cite specific EOP roles or documents when naming decision influencers.

What to look for

Provide students with a scenario: 'The President wants to propose a new environmental regulation.' Ask them to identify which EOP office(s) would likely be most involved and explain why, citing at least one specific function of that office.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should foreground power dynamics rather than just structures. Emphasize three habits: tracing how information moves to the Oval Office, identifying who controls the daily agenda, and distinguishing agenda-setting from final authority. Avoid letting students treat the EOP as a static org chart; instead, connect offices to real presidential choices like the 2008 financial crisis response or the Iran nuclear deal.

Students will leave able to explain which EOP offices influence specific presidential decisions and why. They should also distinguish between coordination, recommendation, and final authority in the executive branch. Dialogue and evidence-based reasoning will matter more than memorizing office names.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Organizational Chart Analysis, watch for students who conflate proximity to the President with influence. Redirect them to trace how information flows from Cabinet departments to EOP staff before reaching the Oval Office.

  During the Organizational Chart Analysis, have students mark lines of communication on their charts, noting which offices provide raw data versus filtered recommendations. Ask them to compare the number of arrows going to the Chief of Staff versus a Cabinet secretary.

• During the Case Study on the OMB, watch for students who assume the OMB simply cuts budgets. Redirect them to examine how the OMB shapes policy by prioritizing spending or delaying implementation.

  During the Case Study on the OMB, provide students with a sample budget proposal and a presidential agenda. Ask them to identify which parts of the proposal align with or resist the President’s priorities, using OMB’s role in budget preparation and execution.

• During the Fishbowl debate, watch for students who claim the National Security Council makes final decisions on national security. Redirect them to focus on how the NSC frames options for the President rather than issuing decrees.

  During the Fishbowl debate, ask students to role-play NSC advisors presenting three options to the President. Have observers note which option the NSC frames as the ‘least bad’ and ask whether that reflects decision-making or agenda-setting.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Case Study Analysis
• Fishbowl Discussion
• Think-Pair-Share