Final answer:
It is true that the President is the chief administrator of the federal bureaucracy. This role includes appointing heads of departments and agencies, shaping policies, and overseeing the execution of laws across a large and complex federal government structure that employs over two million civilian workers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The assertion that the President is the chief administrator, or head of the large federal bureaucracy, is true. The President of the United States heads the executive branch of the federal government and also serves as the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. This role includes numerous responsibilities such as appointing cabinet members and agency heads, influencing domestic policy, and setting foreign policy. In essence, the President has extensive control over the staggering federal bureaucracy, which as of today, encompasses 15 Cabinet-level departments, more than 60 government agencies, and numerous other subunits, employing over two million civilian workers across the globe.
These appointments, which extend to heads of departments such as the Department of Defense and independent agencies like the EPA and FBI, generally require Senate confirmation, underscoring the checks and balances inherent in the U.S. political system. However, within their sweep of power, the President can issue executive orders, manage the execution of federal laws, and oversee a vast administrative apparatus. With the expansion of the federal bureaucracy since the 1930s and 1940s, the role of the President as the chief administrator has only become more significant in guiding and managing the myriad functions it performs, from national defense to the delivery of postal services.