Plot Summary

When the erudite Democrat Josiah "Jed" Bartlet is elected US president, he installs his administration. He places confidants from his electoral campaigns in the White House. Each of these people play a significant role in the Washington power game: the chief of staff (Leo McGarry), his deputy (Josh Lyman), Communications director (Toby Zeigler), deputy (Sam Seaborn, and later, Will Bailey), and press secretary (CJ Cregg). Also in key positions are the secretaries, or aids, of each of the power players. We follow these people through many political battles, as well as some personal ones. Also playing roles are the First Lady (Abigail Bartlet), the president's daughters (Elizabeth, Eleanor, and Zoey), and the personal aid to the president (Charlie Young). All make this series, which supposedly follows the political events (often paraphrasing historical reality) almost day by day, more then a political soap. The demands of office on each of them shows the personal sacrifice and the forced compromise of ideals and principles for tactical necessity, and allows some insights on many aspects of US society and international politics...