THE MACHINE
CABINET MEMBERS
No American president can possibly be an expert in all of the administrative areas for which the executive head of government is responsible. Consequently, a president must rely on a group of advisers, carefully selected for their knowledge and experience in various fields, to provide advice and information on the issues and developments affecting each of the executive departments of government. This group of advisers is called the cabinet.
Each president, with the consent of the senate, appoints a group of cabinet officers called secretaries (with the exception of the Department of Justice head who is called the attorney general) to head each of the 14 executive departments.
The Constitution makes no specific provision for a presidential cabinet. It says only that the president " ... may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices. ... " The first recorded cabinet meeting took place between President George Washington and his department heads in 1791.
The term "cabinet" comes from the Italian word cabinetto, meaning "a small room" (hence, a private meeting place). Cabinet meetings are held in the Cabinet Room at the White House. Although there is no official schedule, some presidents have met with their cabinets on a weekly basis. These meetings commonly are attended by the Vice President, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and any other executive branch officials that the president might designate. Together, these men and women bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the discussions of solutions to the problems that face the country.
In the United Kingdom and several other Western European countries, the term "cabinet" is used to refer to a form of government known as the parliamentary form of government. In these countries, cabinet officers are elected officials who serve and are responsible to the legislative body.
The United States cabinet system has little in common with the European systems. American cabinet officers may not be members of Congress. Because they are not elected officials, they are responsible only to the president, who may dismiss them at any time. Cabinet officers are expected to resign when a president leaves office, since it is customary for incoming presidents to choose their own staff.
Secretary
of Agriculture: Dan Glickman |