In the office of the President in a presidential system, which of the following are typically considered part of the support staff that assist the President in daily administrative and policy work?

Introduction / Context:
In a presidential system such as that of the United States, the President is supported by a large network of staff who help with administration, policy development and communication. It is important to distinguish between people who formally work for the President inside the executive branch and those outside government who only interact with the office. This question asks which group should properly be considered support staff in the President office, rather than high level officials or outside observers.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The setting is the office of the President in a presidential system.
• The options mention reporters, cabinet members, administrators and an option claiming that all are support staff.
• We assume support staff refers to people employed under the President to assist with daily operations.
• We need to determine which group matches this idea most accurately.

Concept / Approach:
Support staff in the President office usually includes advisers, assistants, analysts, administrative personnel and other employees who work in the executive office. They help prepare briefings, coordinate schedules, manage communication and support policy development. Cabinet members, on the other hand, are high level political appointees heading major departments, not ordinary support staff. Reporters and journalists are outside professionals who cover the President and government activities for the public but are not employees of the President office. Therefore, the correct answer is the option that refers to administrators and professional staff in the executive office, not the options that list reporters or cabinet members as support staff.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Clarify the term support staff as it is used in administration. It usually refers to employees who support managers and leaders in performing day to day tasks. Step 2: Reporters, listed in option A, work for media organisations, not for the President office, so they are not part of internal support staff. Step 3: Cabinet members, listed in option B, are top executive officials who lead major departments and advise the President, but they are not ordinary office support staff. Step 4: Administrators and professional staff in the executive office, listed in option C, carry out internal administrative and advisory functions and are correctly described as support staff. Step 5: Option D claims that all of the listed groups are support staff, which is not accurate because reporters and cabinet members do not fit this category. Step 6: Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, picture the physical offices around the President, such as the executive office or presidential secretariat. The people working there include policy advisers, secretaries, schedulers, communication staff and other administrators. These individuals prepare documents, organise meetings and implement decisions. By contrast, reporters usually wait outside or in press rooms to cover announcements, and cabinet members run large departments in separate offices. Textbook diagrams of the presidential office often label staff such as the chief of staff, press secretary and national security advisers as part of the President support team, confirming that administrators and professional staff are support staff, not external reporters or cabinet ministers.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong because reporters, even if they spend time in the Presidential press area, are employed by news organisations and are not support staff for the President.

Option B is wrong because cabinet members are high ranking policy leaders and department heads rather than general support staff within the office.

Option D is wrong because it classifies all three groups as support staff, which incorrectly includes reporters and cabinet members.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to confuse anyone who interacts regularly with the President with staff members. Another mistake is to treat cabinet members as part of a personal office team rather than as leaders of large departments. To avoid these errors, remember that support staff are employees whose primary role is to help the President perform daily tasks, while reporters are independent observers and cabinet members are senior policymakers. Keeping these roles distinct will help you answer similar questions on executive organisation and government structure.

Final Answer:
Administrators and professional staff within the executive office of the President.