When we think of the term czar, many of us immediately envision a Russian leader with enormous power, a large mustache and a penchant for placing their country under imperialistic rule. While it is true the term was originally used to describe various Russian leaders during the Romanov dynasty rule which lasted from 1613 until 1917, it is used much differently in American political discourse. These “czars”, in American terminology, have come to describe various political advisers specifically chosen by the executive branch of government to handle important issues that are relevant to current political needs. George Washington used them. Ronald Reagan is considered to be the first to “officially” use them, with his Drug Czar. President Clinton had an AIDS czar and President W. Bush had one to fight against cyberterrorism. President Obama however, has become notorious for his appointment of czars, selecting at least 32 different of these advisers and attempting to add even more. So how did a relatively obscure and beneficial position in American politics transform into the current definition we know now? Why are politicians attempting to pass legislation to limit the powers and eligibility of these presidential advisers? But perhaps most importantly, what are these czars doing for our country and how much are they getting paid for this job? Let's take a moment to understand how these officials came to be and their actual purpose before we dive into the Obama administration's current humungous czar headcount.

Nicholas II, the last czar of the Russian empire/wikimedia.commons.org

The term “czar” was first used in American politics as a derogatory phrase created by the media to describe Nicholas Biddle, director of the Second Bank of the United States. At the time, the nation was attempting to purchase Louisiana from France but needed $4 million dollars in gold and silver for the transaction. Andrew Jackson, president at the time, was vehemently opposed to the centralization of American banks and used one of his allies in the press, Washington Globe publisher Frank Blair to use the term when describing Biddle. This gave citizens the impression of someone with enormous power and the yearning to mishandle it.

Over the next sixty years, the term remained relatively dormant, until 1890 when Democratic congressmen would use the term to describe Republican House Speaker Thomas Reed for eliminating a favored tactic used by politicians to stall legislation. This tactic was not responding to quorum call, or roll call, during legislative sessions which would prevent the majority party from continuing forward in legislative meetings. This term would stick to Senator Reed for the rest of his life, becoming a media-created staple in derogatory political branding.

Ban Johnson, the "czar" of professional baseball. Wikimedia.org

Future politicians would also receive this insult up until the Russian empire change hands in 1917 to Communist rule. At this point in American political discourse, there is a noticeable change in how the term was used. No longer were dastardly politicians or greedy bankers the object of the term; for at this point it was used to describe a number of important positions, political or otherwise, such as the first commissioner of professional baseball, whom the media endearingly entitled, “The czar of baseball.”  

Clifford Kennedy Barryman, describing three positions created Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Library of Congress/memory.loc.gov

Up until Franklin Roosevelt's expansion of federal government and his own self-appointed advisers, the term still had little to do with describing the various aides and staffers assigned by the president. FDR's aides were again pinned by the Washington Post as Czars to describe the new additions to the executive branch to handle decision-making responsibilities during the second World War. Lyndon Johnson nominated an egg czar in 1966 to deal with the increasing price of eggs. The result: a public warning about the high levels of cholesterol found in those little white edible delicacies, which caused demand to plummet.

Nixon would become another target for media-generated spin when he created the an energy adviser to help combat the rising gas prices and rationing that was occurring nationwide. After William E. Simon became appointed head to the Federal Energy Administration, the press really began sticking their Russian-influenced insults to these aides. During the Reagan administration, to combat illegal drug usage in America, Carlton Turner was nominated to become Director of White House Drug Abuse Policy. Joe Biden, during this period would again coin the term to negatively depict the powers afforded to Turner.

Future presidents would purposefully avoid using the term ever again, due to the negative connotations that it was and still is, associated with. George W. Bush's top military aide, Lt. General Douglas Lute was referred to by the media as his war czar, yet in reality he was simply an aide to the president and deputy national security adviser for Iraq and Afghanistan. Since this is oftentimes too much to say or write when dealing with limited space in journalism, the term czar has managed to become a staple in American political lexicon that has become even more relevant in the presidential career of Barack Obama.

Illustration 1: Douglas Lute; President George W. Bush's selection for Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan/wikimedia.commons.org

Part of the reason for this notoriety associated with Obama's election of assistants, or czars, is his incredibly large number of selections. Currently situated with 32 executive assistants, these men and women are assigned to a number of different important issues regarding our current political landscape. Also, since the process for selection is limited to a six-page document that is not approved or monitored by congress, many of these selections have been criticized for candidates' criminal or questionable activity in previous positions, whether private or governmental. For instance, Obama's Green czar, Van Jones was a former member of the radical underground group, the Weather Underground.

Part of the reason these advisers are able to push legislation through is because of their independence of the jurisdiction of Congress and other governmental agencies. They can educate the Presidential cabinet on issues relevant to their title and recommend actions based on research performed by themselves and their staff. This independence comes with a certain amount of anonymity in regards to political scrutiny, which many cite as an abuse of executive power. Legislation is currently being attempted to pass through that would prevent any taxpayer money from funding the salaries of  "any task force, council, or similar office which is established by or at the direction of the President and headed by an individual who has been inappropriately appointed to such position (on other than an interim basis), without the advice and consent of the Senate." This Czar Accountability and Reform Act of 2009 is being led by Georgia representative Jack Kingston in an attempt to bring transparency to these presidential aides and their work.

Richard Holbrooke; President Obama's Special Advisor on Pakistan and Afghanistan/wikimedia.commons.org

As citizens, if we are to become aware of situations in our government, is vital to research and understand the exact nature our political process. These presidential aides, even though they have been a part of the executive branch since our nation's inception, can wield tremendous power in their various positions. To find a list of all the current administration's czars with detailed information about their job description and responsibilities check out Glenn Beck's extensive listing.

The link is: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/29391/?ck=1

Czar Wars By Ben Zimmer http://www.slate.com/id/2207055/

American Czars are little Caesars or What the What? By: Deborah Young http://open.salon.com/blog/deborah_young/2009/02/26/american_czars_are_little_caesars_or_what_the_what

American Czars: From Eggs to Automobiles By George F. Will http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/26/AR2008122601132.html?wprss=rss_print%2Foutlook

Anti-Czar Bill Gets 100 Cosponsors in House By Jason Linkins http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/16/ant-czar-bill-gets-100-co_n_288859.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czar_(political_term)