[dragonwriter]

> Is the term "White House" often used to refer to anything within the executive branch?

Only when people are being sloppy, either through ignorance, or, e.g, because its convenient for spin they'd look to put on something.

Less sloppily, referring to an entity rather than a building, it refers to either the White House Office within the Executive Office of the President, or the whole Executive Office of the President (both of which are headed by the White House Chief of Staff.)

[shit_parade2]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synecdoche

'Sloppy' seems the wrong word to use to me.

[dragonwriter]

That something is synecdoche doesn't mean its not sloppy, and vice versa.

[shit_parade2]

Perhaps its use has become cliche, but using a well-worn textbook example of a synecdoche isn't exactly sloppy and to describe it as such is ignorant.