The “deep structure” of presidential space refers to underlying, given characteristics of the physical setting of the U.S. presidency. The institutionalized presidency has expanded greatly in the past century. At the same time, the historical home of the presidency, the White House complex, has not expanded appreciably. As a result, the institution’s office space is extremely crowded, and added room has been obtained in a successive series of nearby Washington buildings. The consequence has been to create several differentiated spatial zones, where imputed power decreases as one gets farther from the oval office. Hence, great pressure exists to be as near as possible to this center of power, creating intense space rivalries, an exaggerated sense of spatial hierarchy, and dysfunctional separation of senior officials from their staffs.
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