Source: www.tutor2u.net/fptp/

The US Cabinet – Cabinet by name; but not cabinet by nature.

American Presidents have all taken a slightly different approach to the operation of the US Cabinet – but few have really taken it seriously.

THE ROLE OF THE CABINET

The Cabinet is not mentioned explicitly in the US Constitution, though all presidents have formed one. It is essentially an advisory body, and presidents tend to look to their Executive Offi ce rather than to the Cabinet for policy advice. Cabinet members have no political careers to build and owe no loyalty to the president; most return to academic, business or legal careers after their period of service has expired. Since the war, less than a quarter of Cabinet members had previously served in Congress. The Cabinet is really a collection of executive department heads, with the vice president, UN ambassador, national security adviser, Chief of Staff and head of the OMB normally also attending. It is not uncommon for Cabinet secretaries to ‘go native’, refl ecting the wishes and priorities of their departments rather than offering support to the president. There is no equivalent of the British convention of collective Cabinet responsibility. The Cabinet is too large and diverse to function as a policy-making body; none of its members is elected, and few hold any position of infl uence within the president’s party. Hence Cabinet offi cials execute rather than form policy. Cabinet appointments must be confi rmed by the Senate. John Tower (Bush’s fi rst choice for Defense Secretary) was the last nominee to be rejected, in 1989. John Ashcroft was the last George W Bush nominee to be confi rmed in 2001, and with 42 votes in opposition.

THE PRESIDENT’S USE OF THE CABINET

The Cabinet meets only at the president’s request. Almost all presidents enter offi ce promising they will make greater use of their Cabinet, but in practice this is seldom the case. Neither Kennedy nor Johnson consulted their Cabinets with any regularity, though Eisenhower and Reagan tried, at least on occasions, to make the Cabinet work more effectively, both using it as a sounding board for ideas. Carter held 60 meetings in his fi rst two years, but then became disenchanted. George Bush was particularly dismissive of his Cabinet, while Nixon was increasingly distrustful, with the regularity of meetings declining as his Administration was enveloped by the Watergate scandal – only 11 were held in 1972/73. Presidents since Reagan have also created Cabinet Councils, formed of selected Cabinet members and close political advisors, and focusing upon broad policy areas such as economic policy and national security. The Cabinet can be used to rally and mobilise support for the president’s fl agship policies, as was seen with Reagan’s tax cuts, though meetings had become largely ceremonial as early as 1982. Clinton often used his Cabinet for photo opportunities, and it met on only 11 occasions during his second term. George W. Bush’s fi rst term Cabinet met on 26 occasions. Meetings are described as ‘businesslike and agenda-driven’, in sharp contrast to the more informal Clinton meetings. They always start on time too!

MEMBERSHIP OF THE CABINET

Selection of Cabinet members is not simply based on consideration of policy. Increasingly Cabinets refl ect geographical, social, ideological and ethnic diversity. Clinton declared his Cabinet ‘would look like America’, and his initial Cabinet had three Afro-Americans and two Hispanics. The Cabinet appointed by George W Bush in 2001 had a particularly conservative fl avour, but was also remarkably diverse, with four women, two Afro-Americans, two Hispanics, a Cuban American and an Arab American. It also contained Norman Mineta, a Democrat. There was also a pronounced Texan infl uence. A strong track record as a state governor is often seen as important, at least for some of the minor posts.

THE BUSH SECOND TERM CABINET, 2005

There were significant changes in George W Bush’s Cabinet following his re-election in early November 2004 for inauguration in January 2005; within a fortnight, six secretaries had given notice of their intention to resign. On their way out are John Evans (Commerce), Ann Veneman (Agriculture), Spencer Abraham (Energy) and Rod Paige (Education). They are joined by two of the ‘big hitters’ – John Ashcroft (Attorney General) and Colin Powell (Secretary of State). Ashcroft, an evangelical Christian, was a polarising fi gure, widening the powers of the FBI and supervising the writing of the controversial Patriot Act. He will be succeeded by Alberto Gonzales, the White House legal counsel, and the fi rst Latino to hold the post. The Senate confi rmation hearing promises to be lively, since Gonzales was the mastermind behind the planned use of secret military tribunals for detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Colin Powell claimed that it had always been his intention to serve for a single term, though four years of largely lost battles with the ‘hawks’ Cheney and Rumsfeld over foreign policy have clearly taken their toll. Powell oversaw the 1991 Gulf War as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and made the present Administration’s case for war against Iraq at the UN Security Council in February 2003. He will be succeeded by Condoleezza Rice, the present National Security Adviser.