The Cabinet in the US Political system is very different from that in the UK Political system. In the United States it is simply the name for the major advisory group selected by the President to control the main Executive offices of State. This is major organisational undertaking equivalent to the largest CEO's in the land but it is less of a political role than in the UK, where members are carefully selected from the legislature and each choice is very political. This Cabinet in the USA will guide the President in giving advice and making decisions. However, the role and purpose of Cabinet in the US is deliberately vague and differs from President to President. A well known political commentator suggested that Cabinet was 'used because it is used' suggesting that it s role is only there as it has always been there from the beginning of the modern American political system.
HOW DOES CABINET FIT INTO THE US CONSTITUTION?The US famously has a written Constitution which is revered and which the American Political system is based on. A Cabinet is never mentioned in this all important US Constitution. It does mention the Presidential role but not the type of Executive office that is to go with it – this is left vague. As such the Cabinet in the USA has developed in tandem with the increasingly important and dominant EXOP – Executive Office of the President.
The status and influence of the Cabinet have arguably been declining since the 1930’s In the United States a President will only pick his Cabinet out after getting elected |
|
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE US CABINET?
|
The size of the US Cabinet is usually slightly smaller than the UK. There are usually the VICE PRESIDENT and 15 Heads of Executive Departments like State ; Education, Health etc.
A President can also appoint others to ‘Cabinet Rank’ can differ in the UK and is not necessarily set in stone. Prime Ministers tend to choose up to 23 Ministers – Heads of Executive departments. Like Health, Education, Foreign office etc. |
CLICK on the Picture for 'Who's Who' in Trump Cabinet
|
WHO ARE THE CABINET?
|
The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments:
|
Picture Source: PBS
|
WHEN ARE CABINET MEETINGS?
These vary widely in regularity often depending on the President.
On average they are held once a month.
Clinton had very few meetings. Up to 4 a year!
On average they are held once a month.
Clinton had very few meetings. Up to 4 a year!
WHAT IS THE COMPOSITION OF THE US CABINET? (How is it chosen?)
|
One of a Presidents first duties will be to appoint their Cabinet. As we have already seen, the President is relatively free to choose his cabinet. There are a few stipulations however:
|
|
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF CABINET MEETING IN THE US?
Again Cabinet meetings differ enormously from the UK. In the UK Cabinet meetings are held once a week and plays an important part (depending on the PM!) in formulating and agreeing policy. A Prime Minister would ignore the Cabinet at their peril. Even the strongest of Prime Ministers has been brought down arguably through their sidelining of the Cabinet. (Thatcher)
- In the US the Cabinet meeting is a lot less regular (usually about once a month and in some cases only a few times a year!!) This declines as the administration goes on - due to the Presidents time being taken up with re election.
- Cabinet meetings are also usually a formality. Many have described it as wasting time and distracting from the important jobs they have. President Obama summed it up as saying the Cabinet members were like those top students in school who you know are capable of getting on with it.
- They are certainly not there to formulate and agree on policy as in the UK. Members are not interested in any other department but their own. They are not there to share collective responsibility and defend the entire government policy as in the UK. They are simply concerned with their own department. Therefore a meeting will find it very hard to cover all 15 executive departments in meaningful time and generally involves listening to other departments. The role of the President is vastly different. In the UK the PM is First Among Equals - in the US the President is simply FIRST. One commentator Anthony King summed it up : 'The President does not use the meeting to sum up - The President is the meeting!' This also reduces the significance of the meetings for members.
WHY HAVE A CABINET MEETING AT ALL?
Presidents and the Cabinet may both agree that the Cabinet Meeting tends to be more of a Photo Opportunity. However, they so serve a purpose:
- They promote the Presidential Government to the US Public. Cabinet members may not be highly political but they are in charge of immense and powerful departments.
- They can give the President advice on policy
- They can liaise on the progress or not of any important legislation
- They can produce sense of teamwork and promote policy successes in their departments.
- It allows the President to meet their team
WHAT ARE CABINET COUNCILS?
Just as in the UK, where there are Cabinet committees based on smaller more intimate meetings with the PM directly. So in the US smaller more intimate groupings meet with the President in more policy specialist Cabinet Councils.
EXAMPLES would be 1) The National Security Council
2) The Economic Policy Council
EXAMPLES would be 1) The National Security Council
2) The Economic Policy Council
IS CABINET IN THE US IMPORTANT?
'When I make a call, We move as a team' President George Bush Senior
This sums up the Cabinets role in the US. It is nowhere near as important as in the UK political system.
The US Cabinet may be individually important. its members are often in charge of millions of employees and billions of dollars of budget. However, they are certainly not as important as a collective body. WHY?
This sums up the Cabinets role in the US. It is nowhere near as important as in the UK political system.
The US Cabinet may be individually important. its members are often in charge of millions of employees and billions of dollars of budget. However, they are certainly not as important as a collective body. WHY?
- Constitutionally the President runs the show! There is no give and take policy wise. There is no collective responsibility. The President may ask for policy advice but they are under no obligation to listen to it
- Cabinet members are not politically powerful. In fact many will consider very carefully if they are asked to give up secure Congressional positions in return for a Cabinet position. Cabinet members are also not a threat to the President as they may be in the UK. This is due to the fact that they have no electoral and therefore political mandate.
- The President has their own EXOP - Executive Office of the President.
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
In the 1930's the United States political system found itself in deep trouble. EVENTS, had transpired to grow the role of the President and Executive office into something far from simply helping to lead the country. The Wall Street Crash in 1929 had plunged the country into the worst economic depression in its entire history with the economy sinking by 1/3rd and millions made unemployed. President Roosevelt responded to this challenge with imaginative but bureaucratically large schemes collectively called the NEW DEAL to boost employment and lessen the effects of the depression. However, this boosted the role of the Executive astronomically and threatened to overwhelm the office of President.
In response in 1939 THE BROWNLOW REPORT was issued which simply stated that the PRESIDENT NEEDS HELP!!
It was realised that the federal government had grown so large. It was recognised that the President could simply not deal with all this extra work and recommended a new Organisation should be set up to help.
In response in 1939 THE BROWNLOW REPORT was issued which simply stated that the PRESIDENT NEEDS HELP!!
It was realised that the federal government had grown so large. It was recognised that the President could simply not deal with all this extra work and recommended a new Organisation should be set up to help.
|
|
|
WHY DID THE PRESIDENT NEED HELP?
|
|
WHAT IS THE EXOP?
The EXOP is simply an umbrella organisation set up and called the Executive Office of the President (or EXOP for short)
It contains a number of specialist agencies and departments set up to provide the President with help, advice, coordination and administrative support.
It contains a number of specialist agencies and departments set up to provide the President with help, advice, coordination and administrative support.
WHAT SORTS OF AGENCIES ARE IN THE EXOP?
|
If you have ever watched 'West Wing' on TV you will be very familiar with the core group of dedicated advisors surrounding the President. The White House staff are the Presidents closest and most trusted advisors.
WHAT DO THEY DO?
WHO ARE THE KEY FIGURES?
The White House staff are supposed to opt as honest brokers - staying out of the media spotlight as much as possible. The Chief of Staff is perhaps the crucial position and provides a great deal of pressure. Its tenants have been called 'Javelin catchers' as it is they who have to take the flak for policy failures and explain them. Some of the most successful Chiefs of Staff are:
It is the Chief of Staff, Andy Card, who has to break the news to President George W Bush about the 9/11 attacks whispering ' Mr President, America is under attack' Some Presidents have an 'open door' policy to their staff. (Like Clinton) Others such as George W preferred a small intimate group of key advisors. |
Chief of Staff Andy Card, breaks the news to President Bush that 'A second plane has hit the twin towers, America is under attack.'
|
|
The US emerged from World War two as a Superpower with a new global role but one which was constantly challenged by the Soviet Union (Russia)
One of the Presidents key roles as you know is Foreign policy which the Constitution allows them the freedom to delve in (to a point) WHAT IS THE NSC? This was established in 1947 to coordinate foreign and defence policy. It is lead by the National Security Advisor and comes into its own in a crisis. It will have members of the CIA ; Defence department ; State Department; congressional committee chairmen and Joint chiefs of staff (military) The President will rely on their advice in times of decision making EXAMPLE OF NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR :Condoleeza Rice |
|
|
This is to:
This is usually lead by a well qualified Director who can provide the President with invaluable help. |
|
CAN THE PRESIDENT CREATE ANY AGENCIES WITHIN THE EXOP?
- The President can create any agencies within the EXOP which they wish. This is relatively unusual but it can show a Presidential priority within the administration. President Obama for example set up the White house Office for Health Reform - clearly setting out his goal of achieving his Medicare programme - now known as Obamacare.
ARE THERE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE EXOP?
There have been several criticisms raised about the operation of the EXOP:
- It is an unelected part of the Executive bureaucracy containing some major Government agencies. HOWEVER, it does NOT need approval by the Senate - unlike other appointments.
- Most of the appointments are PARTISAN often politically based on those key people that helped the President get elected. This can lead to a lack of experience and a cosseted President told everything they want to hear and cut off from the outside issues by a group of super loyal advisors.
- There has been criticisms of Presidents bringing with them a group of advisors from their districts. Obama has been criticised for the amount of Chicago personnel in his EXOP. This is not unusual. George W Bush was said to have surrounded himself with top Oil Executives. Jimmy Carter brought many from his native Georgia which became known as the Georgia Mafia!
- EXOP is a rival organisation to the Cabinet. The cabinet members often feel second class to the EXOP. Even geographically the EXOP is within the White House whereas the Cabinet are based several miles away. Sometimes this can lead to divisions and rivalry between the two.
|
|
|
