Assess the significance of the cabinet Essay Sample
Assess the significance of the Cabinet in the Executive Branch
The US Cabinet consists of the caputs of 15 executive sections and on occasion other of import functionaries that the President decides to include. Some argue that the Cabinet is every bit of import as the President wants it to be. The Cabinet is besides said to hold a greater input in legislative procedures on an single footing instead than as a corporate organic structure. This is known as a Kitchen Cabinet.
The Cabinet lacks constitutional legitimacy because they are all appointed by the President alternatively of elected by the electorate. This is cardinal in their deficiency of power as a corporate organic structure. The British cabinet claims that the Prime Minister is merely a member of the cabinet but first amongst peers. There is no impression of such a thing in the US Cabinet. The President is seen as the leader and members of the cabinet below him. They are seen as subsidiaries.
Cabinet meetings are besides non scheduled on a regular footing. Stephen Hess stated for illustration that JFK held cabinet meetings every bit ‘seldom as possible’ . John F Kennedy used his cabinet 12 times in his first 9 months in office. He used the cabinet a sum of 31 times during his term of office. In the modern twenty-four hours George Bush held 49 meetings in 8 old ages. This suggests to us that Presidents intend on managing as much authorities concern on their ain or with one to one Sessionss with cabinet functionaries.
However this depends on the President that the Cabinet is functioning under. For illustration Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagen called 36 meetings in their first twelvemonth in office. So this reiterates the point that the cabinet is every bit of import as the President wants it to be
These meetings can besides be seen as unproductive. The Cabinet functionaries who’s section affairs are being discussed may be the lone individual who is interested in the affair. The remainder are likely to be bored and are improbable to lend to the treatments. For illustration if the President is discoursing issues about Education with the Secretary of Education – Arne uncan. Then the remainder of the cabinet functionaries such as the Secretary of Transport – Anthony Foxx may non hold much to state on the affairs being discussed.
Another ground why the Cabinet can be seen as unimportant could be because the President is more likely to confer with his ain personal squad such as the EXOP. The EXOP consists of the presidents most sure adivsors. This is in contrast to the Cabinet where the President will hardly cognize the secretary personally. Presidents have besides in the past felt that Cabinet secretaries can ‘go native’ which means that the secretaries trueness becomes divided between the President and force per unit area groups and other people who are associated with their section and since there is no philosophy of corporate duty it can be unsafe for the President to swear a cabinet secretary whole heartedly.
In my sentiment the US Government could still work merely every bit good without a cabinet. It has no constitutional standing. the members are unelected and non socially representative. Their advice to the president is barely taken on because the President has EXOP and other personal advisers who he trusts more to rede him and if their advice is of all time taken on by the President so it is normally done separately and non as a corporate organic structure.
