Simone Lawson
The term Cabinet is notably absent from the US Constitution, with its role inferred from the Opinion Clause (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1) for principal officers of departments to advise the president. The Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the president of the United States, with the vice president serving in the Cabinet by statute. The president chairs meetings and has the authority to organise the Cabinet, but is not formally a member. The Cabinet's role is to advise the president on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office, with members including the heads of 15 executive departments. While the US Cabinet is not mandated by the Constitution or established law, its tradition arose from debates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, with George Washington organising the first Cabinet.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of members | George Washington's original cabinet consisted of four members. There are currently 15 executive departments in the Cabinet, plus the Vice President, making 16 members in total. |
| Members' backgrounds | There are no age or birthplace requirements to be a Cabinet member. |
| Members' other roles | Members of the Cabinet cannot be members of Congress, as no one is allowed to serve in the executive and legislative branches at the same time. |
| Meetings | The Cabinet meets with the President in a room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of the White House. |
| Leadership | The President chairs Cabinet meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. |
| Formation | The President has the authority to organize the Cabinet, such as by instituting committees. |
| Impeachment | Like all federal public officials, Cabinet members are subject to impeachment by the House of Representatives and trial in the Senate for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors". |
| Confirmation | The heads of departments are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. |
| Powers | It is legally possible for a Cabinet member to exercise certain powers over their own department against the President's wishes, but this is highly unusual due to the threat of dismissal. |
| Historical development | The First Congress established four departments: State, War, Treasury, and Post Office (which later lost its Cabinet status). Over time, different executive departments have been added and subtracted to serve the country's evolving needs. |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution does not mention the Cabinet
> "... 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..."
This clause forms the constitutional basis for the Cabinet, which is the principal official advisory body to the President. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, such as the Secretaries of State, Defense, Treasury, and Attorney General.
The tradition of the Cabinet arose from debates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention regarding the extent of the president's executive authority. As a result, the Constitution vests "the executive power" in the President alone but authorises them to seek advice from principal officers in executive departments.
While the US Constitution does not mandate a Cabinet, the concept of a Cabinet has been part of the executive branch structure since George Washington, the first President, organised his principal officers into a Cabinet. Washington's Cabinet consisted of five members: himself, Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Knox as Secretary of War, and Edmund Randolph as Attorney General.
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The Cabinet's role is to advise the President
The term "Cabinet" is never mentioned in the US Constitution. The Cabinet's role—to advise the President—is inferred from the language of the Opinion Clause (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1) of the Constitution, which states 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 Constitution does not specify what the executive departments will be, how many there will be, or what their duties will be. The First Congress established four departments: State, War, Treasury, and Post Office. Over the years, different executive departments have been added and, in some cases, removed to serve the country's evolving needs.
The Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the President of the United States. The President chairs Cabinet meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The vice president of the United States serves in the Cabinet by statute. The heads of departments, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, are members of the Cabinet. Acting department heads also participate in Cabinet meetings, whether or not they have been officially nominated for Senate confirmation.
The Cabinet is functionally led by the President, who may give wide latitude to department heads. While it is legally possible for a Cabinet member to exercise certain powers over their department against the President's wishes, this is highly unusual due to the threat of dismissal. The President also has the authority to organise the Cabinet, such as by instituting committees.
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The President can organise the Cabinet
The President of the United States can organise the Cabinet. The Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the president. The President chairs the meetings but is not formally part of the Cabinet. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, including the Secretaries of State, Treasury, Defense, and Attorney General.
The President has the authority to shape the Cabinet, such as by instituting committees. The first President, George Washington, organised his principal officers into a Cabinet, and it has been part of the executive branch structure ever since. Washington's original Cabinet consisted of four members: Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State), Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of the Treasury), Henry Knox (Secretary of War), and Edmund Randolph (Attorney General). Washington sought to have regional and ideological balance in his Cabinet, and he held meetings regularly, trusting these men as his closest advisors.
The Cabinet is not mentioned in the Constitution, and its role is inferred from the language of the Opinion Clause (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1). This clause authorises the President to "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 Congress established four departments: State, War, Treasury, and Post Office. Over time, different executive departments have been added or subtracted to serve the country's evolving needs.
While the President has the authority to organise the Cabinet, the members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Only nine Cabinet nominees have ever been rejected by the Senate. The process is often a formality, as Congress tends to defer to the President in selecting the Cabinet.
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The Vice President is a Cabinet member
The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest-ranking office in the executive branch of the US federal government, after the President. The Vice President is also an officer in the legislative branch, as the President of the Senate. The role of the Vice President is to preside over the Senate, but they may not vote except to cast a tie-breaking vote. The Vice President is elected, not appointed, and serves in the Cabinet by statute.
The role of the Cabinet is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments, including the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.
The tradition of the Cabinet arose out of the debates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention regarding whether the president would exercise executive authority solely or collaboratively with a cabinet of ministers or a privy council. The Constitution does not explicitly establish a Cabinet, but its role is inferred from the language of the Opinion Clause (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1) of the Constitution for principal officers of departments to provide advice to the president.
Historically, vice presidents were not included in meetings of the President's Cabinet. This precedent was broken by Woodrow Wilson when he invited Thomas R. Marshall to preside over Cabinet meetings while he was in France negotiating the Treaty of Versailles. In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt renewed the practice of inviting the vice president to cabinet meetings, and every president since has maintained this tradition.
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The Cabinet is the principal official advisory body to the President
The Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The President has the authority to organize the Cabinet and institute committees. The first President to use the term "Cabinet" was James Madison, who based it on the British Privy Council. George Washington, the first President of the United States, organized his principal officers into a Cabinet of four members, including Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
Washington sought regional and ideological balance in his Cabinet, and meetings were often filled with tension, particularly between Jefferson and Hamilton, regarding a national bank. Despite this, Jefferson believed that their disagreements did not impact governance. The Cabinet has evolved over time, with different executive departments added or removed to serve the country's changing needs.
In recent years, Cabinets have expanded to include key White House staff and various agency heads. President Ronald Reagan, for example, formed seven sub-cabinet councils to review policy issues. While the President selects the Cabinet, nominees are subject to Senate confirmation, which is typically a formality. Cabinet members are political appointees and have full administrative control over their departments.
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Frequently asked questions
The Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office. The President chairs the meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet.
There are not many requirements to be a Cabinet member. One cannot be a member of Congress as no one is allowed to serve in the executive and legislative branches at the same time. There are also no age or birthplace requirements.
The term "Cabinet" is never mentioned in the US Constitution. The Cabinet's role is inferred from the language of the Opinion Clause (Article II, Section 2, Clause 1) of the Constitution for principal officers of departments to provide advice to the president.
